The Bang Years 1966-1968
If Neil Diamond is the Jewish Elvis, these are his Sun Sessions. Timed to celebrate the man’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, The Bang Years is the anthology his fans have always craved — the first definitive collection of his Sixties nuggets, when he was just another Brooklyn punk hustling his way into the business with a guitar, groovy sideburns and a solitary-man glare. These 23 tracks include hits (“Cherry, Cherry”), surprisingly tough rockers (“You Got to Me”), songs made famous by others (“I’m a Believer,” “Red Red Wine”) — all delivered in that lung-busting Neil Diamond baritone.
Listen to “Solitary Man”:
Photos: 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony