"The Good Lord Loves You" by Neil Diamond

Song#:  0119
Date:  04/05/1980
Debut:  85
Peak:  67
Weeks:  6
Genre: Pop, Adult Contemporary



Pop Bits:  From 1966 through the 70s, Diamond had 56 chart songs but only 13 would get to the Top 10. Some of his songs are so familiar that you'd expect them to be Top 10 hits, but many were not. Songs like "Solitary Man," "If You Know What I Mean," "Desiree," and the title track to his 1979 album "September Morn'" all peaked out of the Top 10. His track record is not a shabby at all, but the legacy of some of his songs might make one believe he had many more. The big AC ballad "September Morn'" was just coming off the chart when this second single was released.

ReduxReview:  First, let me say that Diamond is awesome and when he connected, he hit that mutha out o' da park. However, when he cut a nasty one you could smell it from here to the sweet Carolinas. The whole "September Morn'" album is just bizarre. It features oddball remakes like "Stagger Lee," a weird "Golden Years" take on "Dancing in the Street," and a calypso-like version of his own "I'm a Believer." Then a pseudo-jazz tune with "Jazz Time," and this truly odd contemporary Christian song - something that doesn't seem to fit Diamond at all. It is one of the few chart songs Diamond did not write, which seems logical in this case. The music and arrangement are actually quite good and fit Diamond like a glove. But the lyrics are so out of place here and I just don't get it. At least the album had one certified Diamond classic with the title track. Other than that, this was a train wreck of an album.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Yes, if you don't know by now, Diamond wrote "I'm a Believer," made famous by the Monkees. He also contributed "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" and "Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)" to them as well. Diamond actually wrote and recorded these himself before the Monkees did with intent on releasing them, but the Monkees' versions hit the streets first.

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