I've been a Neil Diamond fan virtually from the beginning, but I'm not a blind Neil fanatic who loves everything he does simply because he did it. There are Neil numbers I love, Neil numbers I hate, and Neil numbers I'm indifferent to. Regarding "I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight," I can honestly say that I was knocked out. Here's my cut-by-cut review:

1. God Only Knows: Not superior to the original, but an intriguing interpretation of it.
2. Let Me Take You in My Arms Again: An exhilirating number that starts off like a ballad but then sweeps the listener off to another world.
3. Once in a While: A very pretty waltz.
4. Let the Little Boy Sing: The obligatory rocker in which he decides to be something other than Neil Diamond.
5. I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight: I'm amazed he didn't have a hand in writing this. A gorgeous ballad that ranks among his very best.
6. Lament in d Minor/Dance of the Sabres: The kind of cut that you'll love or hate. For the record, it's a rock version of Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance." In fact, it is indeed more of an instrumental than a vocal.
7. Desiree: Neil rocks! It was ironic that this came out just a tad after Bobby Goldsboro's "Summer--the First Time."
8. As If: A minor song, but a good example of what he means when he says he writes some songs to match his vocal range. It's a goodie.
9. "You Don't Bring Me Flowers": No offense to Barbra or Linda Press, but it was better as a solo number.
10. Free Man in Paris: This was one of the featured numbers in William Friedkin's aborted production of what eventually became the "I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight" TV special. An interesting interpretation.

My personal ranking for this album: A-

The reason I purchased this title was for the song Desiree alone which I heard at the age of seven.It brought back memories of being a kid again in the mid 70's. I'm much older now and able to appreciate the fact that Neil Diamond never resorted to campy or trashy Las Vegas lizard lounge tactics to convey his sheer talent and artistry. Diamond's original solo version of You Don't Bring Me Flowers is a bit "different" without hearing Streisand's co-vocals in it; It's still an excellent track. This title is almost 25 years old and considered (in my list) to be a Diamond classic even though I've never been a die-hard fan. I'm Glad...is pure class and substance ! It's not just a title strictly for candlelight dinner purposes but for anytime to relax...

With the exception of "God Only Knows" and the title song, I have always loved this album. "As If" is a wonderful song, and "Dance of the Sabres" is a masterpiece of writing and arranging. It's one of my all-time favorite Neil pieces.

I can still remember buying this album upon its release - and being a little disappointed for the very first time by any new Diamond album. Never mind cover tunes, he'd done that before. But the whole production sounded so sleek, so unspired. Was this the same Neil Diamond who'd released the ambitious milestone "Beautiful Noise" only a year before?

I blamed it on the change in producer at the time... and boy, was I right. With every new release the new hired hand Bob Gaudio managed to take away a little more substance from the unpolished Diamond stuff in favor of ersatz elavator fare. My favorite tracks off this album are the lesser-known "Sabre Dance" and "As If" - probably because they're the only ones that still sound like what ND used to be before.

...and quiet after a long workday. Great stuff by an amazing artist. Still not up there with Jonathan Livingston Seagull, but not far behind it, either.