OK, to comment on the Neil Diamond thing. I was born in 65 so the three records that I heard growing up in our house most were the soundtrack to West Side Story, the soundtrack to The Sound of Music, the soundtrack to Jesus Christ Superstar (that one was on 8 track,) and a double live Neil Diamond record. It's a wonder I didn't grow up to write show tunes. I didn't like or dislike Neil as a kid - it was just there. I didn't much care for The Sound of Music, nor West Side Story (aside from Somewhere, which has a chilling melody.) But I dug Jesus Christ Superstar - it was like rock and jazz.

I really don't think Neil is all that good or bad. He's certainly had a great career, sold millions of records, and sounds like no one else. Barry Manilow, though... to me, his music (whether or not he wrote it) always seemed like a big mouth full of maple syrup. His voice was half the problem. If Alice Cooper had sung Mandy, I probably would have liked it.





Richard MacLemale
Music = http://www.richardmac.com