Music Monday: August 17, 2026

Posted in Music Monday by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

Hi, everyone. Welcome to this week’s edition of Music Monday.

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

The Feel of Neil Diamond – his debut album – was released 60 years ago on August 12, 1966. The man who would go on to have 13 Top Ten hits & three #1 songs in his career started his reign as one of America’s most beloved singer-songwriters with this record.

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

His seventh album, Stones, was released 55 years ago in November 1971. Six of the ten tracks were covers including Joni Mitchell’s “Chelsea Morning”, Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne” and Randy Newman’s “I Think It’s Going To Rain Today”, which has a particularly lovely orchestral arrangement. And 50 years ago, Diamond released his 10th album, Beautiful Noise, on June 11,1976. Stand out tracks include “If You Know What I Mean” and “Home Is a Wounded Heart”.

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Rod Stewart’s third solo album, Every Picture Tells a Story, was released 55 years ago on May 28, 1971. The nine track collection proved to be his breakthrough as a solo artist after his tenure as a member of The Jeff Beck Group and The Faces. And Stewart’s bandmate in the latter group, Ronnie Wood, contributed guitar & bass parts as well as being the co-writer of the title track along with Stewart. The album’s first single was written by Tim Hardin and I wrote about Stewart’s use of the song in my March 23, 2026 blog post:

“One of Tim Hardin’s songs, “Reason To Believe”, was the first single from Rod Stewart’s 1971 breakthrough album, Every Picture Tells A Story. When the B-side, “Maggie May”, started receiving more air play, it catapulted the double-sided single to the #1 spot in the country for five consecutive weeks in the fall of 1971. Over two decades later, Stewart included “Reason” as part of his MTV “Unplugged” performance and the song became a hit again, reaching the Top 20 in October 1993″.

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Eric Carmen released his debut self-titled album in 1975. By March 1976, the first single peaked at the #2 spot in the country. A month later, the second single was released and that reached #11 in July 1976. Both songs list Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff in the credits as the first song draws from his Piano Concerto No. 2 while the second is based on his Symphony No. 2 in E minor.

After his first album Carmen did not hit the Top Ten again for over a decade. Then in 1988 he had two songs reach it, first in February with “Hungry Eyes”, which peaked at #4 and then in August with “Make Me Lose Control” reaching the #8 position.

Carmen, who was previously the lead singer of the 1970’s pop group, The Raspberries, released his final album, “I Was Born to Love You“, in 1998. It has a fabulous cover of “Walk Away Renée”, originally released 60 years ago in July 1966 by The Left Banke.

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Neil Diamond: “Solitary Man” (1966, written by Neil Diamond).

Neil Diamond: “La Bamba” (1966, written by Ritchie Valens).

Neil Diamond: “Cherry Cherry” (1966, written by Neil Diamond).

Neil Diamond: “I Am I Said” (1971, written by Neil Diamond).

Rod Stewart: “Every Picture Tells A Story” (1971, written by Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood).

Rod Stewart: “Maggie May” (1971, written by Martin Quittenton and Rod Stewart).

Rod Stewart: “Mandolin Wind” (1971, written by Rod Stewart).

Rod Stewart: “Reason To Believe” (1971, written by Tim Hardin).

Eric Carmen: “All By Myself” (1975, written by Eric Carmen and Sergei Rachmaninoff).

Eric Carmen: “Never Gonna Fall In Love Again” (1975, written by Eric Carmen and Sergei Rachmaninoff).

Stay safe & well.

26Jan2026

Music Monday: January 26, 2026

Posted in Music Monday by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

Hi, everyone. Welcome to this week’s edition of Music Monday.

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Last week marked the 95th birth anniversary of Sam Cooke. Born January 22, 1931 in Clarksdale, Mississippi and raised in Chicago, Illinois where he grew up singing in his father’s Baptist church. Below is from my post from January 24, 2022:

When he was 15 Cooke began singing with a gospel group, The Soul Stirrers. In 1958 he released his first album of secular music, a mix of standards, Broadway tunes and one original track, the magnificent “You Send Me”.

Over the next six years Cooke would write & record many other songs, including “Cupid”, “Chain Gang”, “Another Saturday Night”, Wonderful World” and the civil rights inspired “A Change Is Gonna Come”. He also became an important member in the early days of that movement along side Muhammad Ali & Martin Luther King Jr. Cooke took an even bigger role in his career by starting his own record label (SAR Records) and publishing company (KAGS Music) to preserve his artistic legacy. Losing him in 1964 at age 33 was an unmitigated tragedy & one of music’s saddest moments. But more than six decades after his first hit record, Cooke remains one of the most important & enduring figures in music history. And rightfully so.

Samuel Cooke: January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964.

Sam Cooke circa 1958. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Cooke circa 1960. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Cooke circa 1960. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Muhammad Ali (L) with Cooke circa 1962. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Nat King Cole (L) with Cooke circa 1962. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Aretha Franklin (L) with Cooke circa 1962. (Image found on Sam Cooke’s Facebook page. Original source unknown.)

Over the weekend, Neil Diamond celebrated birthday #85. Born January 24, 1941 in Brooklyn, New York, the singer-songwriter released his debut album, The Feel of Neil Diamond, 60 years ago in August 1966. It includes seven songs written by Diamond and five covers including Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba” and The Mamas & The Papas “Monday, Monday”.

In a post I uploaded in April 2020, I wondered who did not grow up listening to Diamond’s music. From the Monkees to “Shrek” to a variety of artists covering his songs (Chris Isaak with “Solitary Man”, UB40 with “Red Red Wine” & Urge Overkill with “Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon”) to his movie debut (in 1980’s “The Jazz Singer”) to his E.T. inspired song (“Heartlight”) to the Boston Red Sox adopting “Sweet Caroline” as their unofficial official anthem, to Diamond’s reworking of that song in an Instagram post by changing the words from “touching hands” to “washing hands” during the pandemic, Diamond is omnipresent. So basically if you have been alive in the last 60 years there is no way you cannot know who this unbelievably talented artist is.

As a performing artist he has 13 Top Ten songs including three #1 hits (“Cracklin’ Rosie” in 1970, “Song Sung Blue” in 1972 and his 1978 duet with Barbara Streisand, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers”) and 18 Top Ten albums including 2008’s “Home Before Dark” which reached #1 in May of that year. His 2010 album, “Dreams”, is one of my personal favorites. It includes 14 covers of songs by other artists and one of his own compositions which was a #1 hit for The Monkees for seven consecutive weeks nearly 60 years ago beginning on December 31, 1966. He has won every award and accolade out there and is undoubtedly one of America’s greatest songwriters of all time. I am proud to bow at the altar of the Diamond.

Happy 85th birthday, Neil Diamond. Thank you for every note.

Neil Diamond circa 1970. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Diamond in the 1978 concert film, “The Last Waltz”. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Diamond in his 1980 film debut, “The Jazz Singer”. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Diamond in the 2001 movie, “Saving Silverman”. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Diamond circa 2010. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Diamond circa 2015. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

The Soul Stirrers: “The Last Mile Of The Way” (Recorded between 1950-1957. Written by Johnson Oatman, Jr.).

Sam Cooke: “You Send Me” (1958, written by Sam Cooke).

Sam Cooke: “Twistin’ the Night Away” (1962, written by Sam Cooke).

Sam Cooke: “A Change Is Gonna Come” (1964, written by Sam Cooke).

Neil Diamond: “Solitary Man” (1966, written by Neil Diamond).

Neil Diamond: “Cracklin’ Rosie” (1970, written by Neil Diamond).

Neil Diamond: “Love On The Rocks” (1980, written by Gilbert Bécaud and Neil Diamond).

Neil Diamond: “I’m A Believer” (2010, written by Neil Diamond).

Stay safe & well.

12Aug2021

Let’s Take A Moment Day 514

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

Hi everyone. Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing. But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

I am not sure if today’s song is considered PC or not anymore given the whole cancel culture climate we are in. I do not mean to offend if it is. I just hear it as a great track by one of my favorite bands. And in honor of Garth Hudson’s 84th birthday earlier this month I want to share it. He was born on August 2, 1937 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada and he was the only member of that fabulous band who did not contribute vocals. He was too busy as a multi-instrumentalist to add that to his resume. He contributed keyboards, saxophone and accordion playing to the group which helped define their sound from day one.

Robbie Robertson may have been the principal songwriter for The Band, but he alone could not have given life to those songs in the phenomenal way the five men did as an ensemble. He & Hudson, who has been working as a solo artist for the last two decades, are the only living members left from this incredible group. I think it is so sad the other three have missed so much. But together they reached the likes of Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Diamond, Neil Young, Elton John & many others who were completely inspired by what The Band created as a whole. That is one impressive fan base. Here’s to 100 more birthdays for Garth Hudson.

“Now I don’t mind chopping wood
And I don’t care if the money’s no good
You take what you need
And you leave the rest“.

Top: Garth Hudson circa 1971. Bottom: The Band circa 1970 (L-R): Rick Danko, Hudson, Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson and Richard Manuel. (Images found online. Original sources unknown.)

The Band: “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” (From the music documentary “The Last Waltz”, released April 26, 1978. Recorded live on November 25, 1976 at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. Originally released in 1969, written by Robbie Robertson).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

4Jul2021

Let’s Take A Moment Day 475

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Happy 245th birthday, America.

“Free
Only want to be free
We huddle close
Hang on to a dream“.

Neil Diamond circa 2000. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Neil Diamond: “America” (1980, written by Neil Diamond).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

24Jan2021

Let’s Take A Moment Day 314

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Happy 80th birthday to the man born Neil Leslie Diamond on January 24, 1941 in Brooklyn, NY. Singer, songwriter, poet, actor, legend. Whether you sang along with The Monkees version of “I’m A Believer” or the cover version from the “Shrek” soundtrack, or if you sang “Hello Again” during “The Jazz Singer” movie or during “Saving Silverman”, or if you joined in with the Fenway crowd to sing “Sweet Caroline” or laughed at the quarantine version of that song, there has not been a generation that was not touched by Diamond’s music in nearly 55 years. That is the stuff superstars are made of. As a native New Yorker myself, I could not be more proud to hail from the same state as one of the most prolific songwriters of the 20th century. Happy birthday, Neil Diamond.

“I’ll weave his web of rhyme
Upon the summer night
We’ll leave this worldly time
On his winged flight“.

Neil Diamond circa 1974. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Neil Diamond: “Longfellow Serenade” (1974, written by Neil Diamond).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

22Nov2020

Let’s Take A Moment Day 251

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

I know we are in a serious situation, but I need a break from the gloom, doom and bullying by way of hoarding. Music has always been my refuge and watching those beautiful Italians singing to each other from their balconies reaffirmed my belief that music is the answer. So until the old normal returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

There was always curiosity surrounding the inspiration for Neil Diamond’s hit song, “Sweet Caroline”. From the record’s release in 1969 there were rumors as to whether or not he wrote it about President John F. Kennedy’s daughter of the same name. For nearly 40 years Diamond evaded the question. Finally in 2007 when he sang the song at Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg’s 50th birthday party Diamond confirmed that he did indeed write the tune about her. He saw a picture of her with her parents on the cover of a magazine around 1963 which gave him the idea for the track. Thinking of her & the rest of her family today on the 57th anniversary of her father’s death.

“Look at the night and it don’t seem so lonely
We filled it up with only two
And when I hurt
Hurting runs off my shoulders
How can I hurt when holding you“.

Neil Diamond (L) and Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg. (Images found online. Original sources unknown.)

Neil Diamond: “Sweet Caroline” (1969, written by Neil Diamond).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

10Oct2020

Let’s Take A Moment Day 208

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Today in 1970 Neil Diamond had the #1 song in the country with “Cracklin’ Rosie”. That tune was the pick for Day 30 so I will choose another from his vast & fabulous catalog to spotlight to honor the anniversary of one of his hit records. That will not be hard at all as I absolutely adore so much of his music. One of my very favorites is from his 1971 album, “Stones”. It is an introspective tune that Diamond said in an interview he wrote while he was in therapy after moving to the west coast. Whatever the impetus was for him to write this song, it is a beautiful evocative number with gorgeous layers of music, from the haunting cello in the first verse to the acoustic guitar interludes to the string & horn arrangements. I also think it has some of the most compelling lyrics Diamond ever recorded carried out in one of his best vocal performances.

“But I got an emptiness deep inside
And I’ve tried but it won’t let me go
And I’m not a man who likes to swear
But I never cared for the sound of being alone“.

Neil Diamond circa 1973. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Neil Diamond: “I Am…I Said” (1971, written by Neil Diamond).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

15Apr2020

Lets Take A Moment Day 30

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

I am someone with a highly repetitive nature. I can listen to a song I adore for days at a time and watch the same show or movie I love for weeks without getting bored. Sometimes I watch something so many times I am afraid I will need an intervention to stop. One movie I have been watching a lot recently is 2001’s “Saving Silverman”. I knew nothing about it the first time I caught it on a movie channel except that Jack Black was in it, and that was all I needed to know. I had fallen in love with him after I saw “High Fidelity” and “School of Rock” because not only is he a good singer/musician, but he is also hilarious.

What I did not know about “Silverman” was that at the heart of the movie, Black and two of his buddies are in a Neil Diamond cover band. I love that man, too, so I was thrilled to see him make an appearance at the end of the movie when the guys in the cover band not only meet their hero, but also sing with him onstage at one of his shows as well. Diamond is very funny in the film and even quotes lines from his own songs.

I grew up listening to his music, but then again who didn’t? From the Monkees to “Shrek” to a variety of artists covering his songs (Chris Isaak with “Solitary Man”, UB40 with “Red Red Wine” & Urge Overkill with “Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon”) to his movie debut (in “The Jazz Singer”) to his E.T. inspired song (“Heartlight”) to the Boston Red Sox adopting “Sweet Caroline” as their unofficial official anthem, to Diamond’s reworking of that song in an Instagram post by changing the words from “touching hands” to “washing hands” to match our new normal, Diamond is omnipresent. Basically if you have been alive in the last 50 years there is no way you cannot know who this unbelievably talented artist is. He has won every award and accolade out there and is undoubtedly one of America’s greatest songwriters of all time.

With so many fabulous enduring songs to choose from, it is hard to pick just one as my favorite. I sort of shuffle them around depending on my mood so that what I am listening to at the time determines what I like best at the moment. Right now I have rediscovered how much I love the string arrangement introduced in the second verse of today’s song. It underscores Diamond’s voice beautifully and increases the happy feel of the song, at least it does for me. It was his first number one record in America and put him on the music charts in several countries around the world as well. The lyrics are fabulous, too. I am proud to bow at the altar of the Diamond.

“Hitchin’ on a twilight train
Ain’t nothing there that I care to take along
Maybe a song
To sing when I want“.

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Neil Diamond: “Cracklin’ Rosie” (1970, written by Neil Diamond).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

10Apr2020

Let’s Take A Moment Day 25

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

The first time I listened to “The Last Waltz” album, it was an overload to my senses. A magnificent overload. So many artists that I adored-Eric Clapton, The Band, Ringo Starr, Neil Diamond, Neil Young, to name a few-were on it, so I had no idea who to listen to first. Or should I just play it from start to finish, I wondered. Given my impatient nature, I started with a few of the songs I loved most before letting the album play in its entirety. And that is when I heard today’s song for the first time by Van “The Man” Morrison. And I sa-woooooned.

How could I not? A master of blue eyed soul with clear infusions of jazz, folk and the blues, he delivered a performance in an intense and expressive manner interpreting his own lyrics as only the writer could. Within days I went out and bought his “Moondance” album and wore it out within the week. After that I purchased two more-“St. Dominic’s Preview” & “Astral Weeks”-and before I knew it a month went by and all I had listened to were his songs. And that is by no means a complaint. My love for him only intensified a few years later when I finally saw his performance & the rest of the concert movie on cable. I love so many of Morrison;s songs, but this one remains my favorite, especially because the lyrics speak right to my heart:

“Turn it up, turn it up, little bit higher, radio
Turn it up, that’s enough, so you know it’s got soul“.

Van Morrison in 2014 (Image from vanmorrison.com. Original source unknown.)

Van Morrison: “Caravan” (1970, written by Van Morrison).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

8Dec2016

Christmas Song Countdown #8 & Goodbye To An American Hero

Posted in Christmas, Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

Hello, Vixens!!! Welcome back to the countdown!!!

Today’s song is a no-brainer. It honors the man who died 36 years ago. He taught us to peacefully question what we thought was wrong with the world, to imagine it as one, that all we need is love and that being a stay at home dad is a valid life choice, even when he became one in 1975, Of course he did so much more, but that is what we remember the most.

Oh, and he was one of the Beatles 🙂

Original source unknown

Side note: Did you know there is a park dedicated to John Lennon in Havana, Cuba? It features a bronze statute of him sitting on a bench. I cannot decide if it is creepy or cool.

Thoughts?

Oh, and the glasses are removable.

And we have a winner: creepy it is.

Read more about the park and the glasses here.

Courtesy: CNN

His Christmas song has become a holiday classic, and there are so many great versions of it by so many diverse artists I really could not decide which one you would like to hear.

So, today you have a choice.

Which version of “Happy Xmas War Is Over” would you like to listen to?

John Lennon’s original version;

Or Celine Dion’s;

Original source unknown

Or Darius Rucker’s;

Or Christina Perri’s‘

Or The Three Tenors‘;

Courtesy of kinoarena

Or Sleeping At Last’s;

Or Sarah McLachlan’s;

Courtesy: sarahmclachlan.com

Or Neil Diamond’s.

Also today, we lost another famous John. A true hero to our country & in many respects the entire world: John Herschel Glenn Jr. Our first man to orbit the earth, he was a pioneer who made the dream of outer space a reality that inspired children everywhere to believe that they, too, could one day follow in his footsteps.

He quit college after the bombing of Pearl Harbor (yesterday marked the 75th anniversary of that attack) to join the military and stayed for over two decades. He served in World War II and Korea, then became a US Senator from Ohio. He died at the age of 95, a good long life for a man who had so much to give and inspire us with.

Thank you for being one of America’s greatest men.

Rest in peace, Colonel Glenn.

This one is for you.

Elton John’s Rocket Man.

Courtesy: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing some things that I love with you 🙂

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy listening!!!

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Lilacs & Rust

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Tag Archives: Neil Diamond

Music Monday: August 17, 2026

Music Monday: January 26, 2026

Let’s Take A Moment Day 514

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Let’s Take A Moment Day 475

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Let’s Take A Moment Day 314

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Neil Diamond circa 1974. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Let’s Take A Moment Day 251

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Neil Diamond (L) and Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg. (Images found online. Original sources unknown.)

Let’s Take A Moment Day 208

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Lets Take A Moment Day 30

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Let’s Take A Moment Day 25

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Van Morrison in 2014 (Image from vanmorrison.com. Original source unknown.)

Christmas Song Countdown #8 & Goodbye To An American Hero