This isn't a tremendous or exceptional album-- but it manages to be consistently enjoyable and fun. The simplicity of the songs, both thematically (new love, wandering throughout the country, revival preaching), and instrumentally (classical guitar, drums, faint strings, moog) blend perfectly with Neil's deep, raspy, impassioned voice. Throughout, the album clearly showcases the early Diamond's inborn talent for song composition.

Listeners may be surprised to discover that the album doesn't rely heavily on filler, all of the songs on par with the two title numbers (the AM radio staples "Sweet Caroline" and "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show"). A few numbers (notably "Juliet" and "Deep in the Morning") arguably stick in the mind longer than the overplayed, three-chord title tracks.

If "Sweet Caroline/Brother Love's" falls through or wears thin with repetition, it only happens when one considers the fascinating, eclectic, groundbreaking musical experimentation that began to emerge in 1969. Instrumentally, this album could never stand up, for instance, to "Abbey Road" or "Tommy" -- it isn't as sophisticated. It's more lighthearted, more breezy and fleeting. But Diamond perfectly captures an idiosyncratic, late sixties, middle American flavor so much more clearly than his rock contemporaries (just as Sergio Mendes does, in a much different way) -- that he establishes a more genuine sound and a more believable record of how it felt to come-of-age in 1969-1970.

Highly recommended for Diamond fans, and those interested in the late sixties and/or the late Brill Building period.

I love Neil Diamond..his music has been part of my life and heart since I was a little girl..I am 45 now..and am overjoyed that I will get to see him in concert in Dallas for the 1st time in my life on Oct. 16th. I have had this album (and now CD) basically all of my life. It has followed my through all of my destinations..but stayed close to my heart. Nothing fancy here..just pure beginnings of the most soul-filled artist of our time. I'm not a big fan of "greatest hits" compilations..I'd rather have an artist's "whole picture" vs. just the big sellers..this album is a gem. Don't hesitate...it's awesome.

Sweet Caroline and Brother Love's..... are the big ones here, but there are some interesting tunes here that can also be hit singles: And the Grass Don't Pay No Mind is a classic. After the Bang years but before the Columbia years, ND was a great songsmith.

I like this album, liked it when it was vinyl. It's not especially cohesive, nor is it particularly imaginative.

Sweet Caroline, Grass Won't Pay No Mind, and Brother Love are among Neil's finest tracks. As for the rest of the record, it's fairly boilerplate stuff, valuable, if I'm being honest, only to those who grew up on Neil's music or who have grown to love him over the last forty years.

I don't mean to damn with faint praise. It's just that this is a very good collection of songs, and nothing more.