[Dean's World] Dean: Analyzing Pop Music: Neil Diamond

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Dean:
Analyzing Pop Music: Neil Diamond
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1181183978.shtml


   Recent readers of Dean's World might be forgiven for thinking that we
   are obsessed with 1960s music. I don't know what to say about that but
   "get over it." I love all kinds of music, but I'm not attached to any
   one form or era. I love classical, jazz, new age, punk, reggae, rap,
   acid house, and much else. I just like music a lot. But, since we (for
   some reason) seem to be talking about '60s era pop music this week,
   here's one of my all-time favorite numbers from the '60s:

   [EMBED]

   (And by the way, f*ck you, I love The Monkees.)

   Now here's the thing: my mom loved Neil Diamond when I was growing up.
   I never really loved him but I was very familiar with his work.
   Coincidentally, I liked the Monkees. I don't think she did, and either
   way she never taught me to love them. I just discovered them on my own
   when I was a kid in the '70s.

   But now it's screamingly obvious to me that this song, along with "A
   Little Bit of Me, A Little Bit of You" by the Monkees were Neil
   Diamond songs. I listen to them and I say, "of course, who else would
   have written that?"

   I'm amused that young people think of this as a Smash Mouth song by
   the way:

   [EMBED]

   (As an aside, I also notice the culturally-common phenomenon of women
   abusing men which is so popular these days. It is now considered not
   just acceptable but funny. But that's another topic.)

   Isn't it interesting that if you know Neil Diamond's work, you
   recognize immediately who wrote that song?

   Discuss.

   (Obligatory credits: More Monkees [1]here, more Smash Mouth [2]here,
   and more Neil Diamond [3]here.)

References

   1. http://www.amazon.com/Monkees-Greatest-Hits/dp/B0000033O3/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0263945-2085613?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1181184118&sr=8-1/deansworld01-20
   2. http://www.amazon.com/All-Star-Smash-Hits-Mouth/dp/B000A7DVPE/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0263945-2085613?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1181184165&sr=1-1/deansworld01-20
   3. http://www.amazon.com/Neil-Diamond-Greatest-Hits-1966-1992/dp/B0000028OJ/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0263945-2085613?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1181184240&sr=1-1/deansworld01-20