In 1973, my mother returned from a lengthy bridgework session, where the dentist played her what became her favorite record, Neil Diamond’s career making live double, Hot August Night. It’s a more interesting set than I, age 5, then realised.
The former Tin Pan Alley tunesmith, brandishes his cast iron contributions to the Great American Songbook in a Californian amphitheatre, shaggy like a rock star, but unambiguously showbiz.
Diamond’s bizarre Springsteen-Manilow hybrid remains unresolved, even after tinkering from the reinvention guru Rick Rubin in 2005, but this expanded Hot August Night captures the freshly cut Diamond in his most enjoyably conflicted state.
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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A D Ward, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Brighton Argus
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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John Robins, Comedian
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Idrie, Youtube