Neil Diamond tends to evoke a strong emotional reaction in most people. He is loved and loathed in equal measure. For those who loathe him, he is a purveyor of overly sentimental schmaltz with banal lyrics. For those who love him, he touches raw emotional nerves with the honesty and lyricism of his composition and his total commitment to his craft.

There is one thing that is undeniable, Neil Diamond is at his very best when he is performing in a live setting. His fans adore him and he is utterly committted to them.

Stages is, as a consequence, the epitome of what it is that makes Neil Diamond the phenomenon he has been since the mid 1960's. Five audio discs of live performances, including one comprising Christmas songs, and one DVD containing highlights from his 2002 Irish concerts and a look at backstage life on tour.

This box set is, in short, a masterpiece. Discs 1 and 2 comprise the complete 2002 tour concert set recorded in December in Las Vegas. Diamond is in fine voice throughout. The show is well paced and contains many of his classic hits together with some new songs from his last studio album, Three Chord Opera. Highlights include Lady Magdalene/Yes I Will, Captain Sunshine, The Boat That I Row, Starflight, I Haven't Played this Song in Years and If You Know What I Mean. These songs will be well known to fans but not to the casual listener. They are worth attention because, particularly in the live setting, they give some insight to the non-believer why Neil Diamond has such a devoted and passionate following.

Discs 3 and 4 contain many really wonderful live performances of lesser known Diamond songs and some covers. Primitive, Home is a Wounded Heart, Fire on the Tracks, Rainy Day Song, Glory Road, The Story of My Life and Mountains of Love are magnificent. Covers such as Teach me Tonight, Golden Slumbers/Carry that Weight/ The End, God Only Knows, Lay Lady Lay and Rocket Man demonstrate the ability of Diamond to take a song written by somebody else and, with that astonishing voice, turn it into something uniquely his own.

Disc 5 comprises Christmas Songs. Not everybody's cup of tea and really only for seasonal listening.

The DVD is divided into two parts. One part shows highlights from Diamond's sold out Irish concerts in Dublin in 2002. The set comprises the usual suspects: Cracklin Rosie, Sweet Caroline, Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show, I Am...I Said, I'm a Believer and more. Diamond is in great voice, the audience is wildly enthusiastic and the whole thing leaves you wanting more. You just know that, as good as it is watching a DVD of the show, it must have been amazing to be there. I was...and it was!

The backstage portion of the DVD is a revelation. You gain insight into life on the road. You get to know the band and the crew. You see how close knit this community have become over more than 25 years together. You see the strain of a long tour. You understand the decency and the humanity of a very down to earth band of inter dependent people. You see the genuine humility of the "lead vocalist" and the respect and love that he and his troupe share.

This box set is an essential purchase for all Neil Diamond fans. If you are not a fan of the Neil Diamond you think you know (as one other reviewer described himself), you could do worse than spend a few hours with this collection. You may be surprised by what you will find

This is the best box set I've ever purchased. Neil Diamond has put all his time and talent into one beautiful package. From his early songs to his most recent you can truly feel Neil Diamond's music career on each and every cd. The DVD brought tears to my eyes because it makes you feel like you're really at his Dublin Concert. You get to meet each and every one of Neil's band and can feel the love that is Diamondville!! If you truly want to see what Neil Diamond is all about, this is the best purchase you will ever make. Thank you Neil for putting so much time and talent into this box set. This will be a collector's item!!

I think what is most impressive about this boxset is the sheer volume of live performances being released as one set. I know that Pearl Jam released most of their performances on individual discs during one of their tours, but this is one package, and it spans a number of decades. Interestingly enough, there is a great deal of consistency passing through the years. Many artist's voices change through the years, and as they grow older, it's difficult to tell that the mature performer is the same voice as the young performer (i.e. see Elton John from the early 70's compared to the voice of today). This is not the case with Neil Diamond. His very unique voice, delivery, and sound has stayed consistent through the years. Whether or not this is good, I will leave up to the individual listener, but you can't deny the consistency of the guy's voice and performance based on listening to the material in this boxset. Additionally, the mixing is consistent too. There's not a ton of echo that you might expect from live performances. I'm not sure if this was toned down in the mix but it's good nonetheless.

The surprises on this boxset for me were surprises because of the performances. Specifically, I Got the Feelin' has such a great groove to it and Neil sings it just as well as he did back in the 60's and this recording is current! Another great song on the set is You Got to Me. If you know the original version, you'll have to turn your head twice when you hear this as the arrangement is totally different, but it works very well. A final very exciting performance on the boxset (although they are all really good) is Dedicated to the One I Love which is just a total treat to hear Neil singing a 50's style song.

Two thing to keep in mind if you're not totally familiar with Neil Diamond's music. First, don't expect perfection in vocal quality. You'll hear a few growls, rasps, and cracks, but the performance and energy of the delivery is always top notch. Second, these are live performances, so expect that the arrangements will not always exactly follow the arrangements from the studio recordings (i.e. the hits you're used to). If you keep those things in mind and love the music of Neil Diamond, you're going to love this boxset.

A final note, the DVD that comes with this boxset will make you appreciate just how good Neil Diamond continues to be after over 40 years of music making. He still has a voice and a drive to make his "Beautiful Noise".

Since missing out on Neil's last tour, it was great that Neil released a FULL LIVE concert album of the two Vegas CD's. Even though Love At The Greek, Hot August Night 2, and Live In America has its good songs on them, but STAGES is really representative of a concert Neil can put out. In many ways it's Hot August Nightesque, and it's hard to believe those Vegas concerts were released in almost 30 years apart from Hot August Night

Really enjoyed the third, and fourth disc as it does contain hits and rarities that Neil rarely sings now, or only sang a few times. Adding Longfellow Serenade, I Got The Feeling(Oh No, No), and Unchained Melody was a great gesture from Neil as the 98 and 99 tour had those songs, even though Neil performed Longfellow Serenade for a select few. Wished he'd included some Indiana venues on those CD's though.

As for disc five, great to hear Neil singing Christmas songs. This cd should receive a lot of play around Christmas time. Neil is more relaxed singing those too!

Last, but not least the DVD of his concert in Dublin Ireland. Really was great to see Neil and the band having a good time on the stage, and the backstage footage. Shows that Neil and Diamondville are professional fun loving people. Really enjoyed the shots of Catgut Girls, Julia Waters, and of course my favorite Linda Press! Wished the DVD would have been a FULL concert though.

All in all STAGES is very representative of his career and Diamondville(Neil's Band). Highly recommend this to everyone for their self, or for a gift. STAGES conveys a lot of positive emotions that shows the best of humanity.

That is how I feel when I listen to this box set. Neil Diamond still "has it" as evidenced by Discs 1 and 2 which were recorded live on his most recent concert tour. Discs 3 and 4 have real gems on them. There are new arrangements of some of his songs that really rock. He also does a great job covering "Lay Lady Lay". The DVD is great with excerpts of his most recent tour plus a behind the scenes look at Diamondville.
This is an incredible bargain for an absolutely awesome box set!!