Neil Diamond 'Home Before Dark' album

Columbia Records will release Home Before Dark, the latest release from legendary artist Neil Diamond, on May 6, 2008. Produced by super-producer Rick Rubin (Johnny Cash, The Dixie Chicks), Home Before Dark’s first single is the hauntingly beautiful “Pretty Amazing Grace”. Home Before Dark marks the 27th studio album release in the Grammy winner’s storied career, consisting of over 125 million worldwide record sales, 3 dozen top 40 hits, and a Golden Globe.

To the delight of his millions of fans, legendary singer, songwriter and performer Neil Diamond will return to concert stages this summer for a 37-city North American tour, it was announced today by AEG Live. Tickets for the North American tour, scheduled to kick off July 19th in St. Paul, Minnesota, will go on sale in select markets beginning Monday, April 28th. The North American leg follows a series of European dates starting May 24th in Rotterdam, with new dates recently added to accommodate an overwhelming demand for tickets.

The 2008 summer tour will deliver a familiar yet unique experience – amazing production, innovative stage design and, of course, an unparalleled catalogue of hit songs spanning the singer’s long and prolific career. In addition to classic hits such as “Sweet Caroline,” “I’m a Believer,” and “Cherry, Cherry,” Diamond will perform songs from his highly anticipated album, Home Before Dark, his second collaboration with renowned producer Rick Rubin (Johnny Cash, Mick Jagger, Tom Petty), to be released by Columbia Records on May 6th.

Diamond announced the tour to U.S. fans himself, in a surprise televised appearance at the Boston Red Sox season opener at Fenway Park on April 8th. During the traditional eighth-inning sing-a-long of Diamond’s classic “Sweet Caroline,” the singer showed up on the stadium’s big-screen TV, proclaiming to fans that that he will be performing live in concert at the historic Fenway on Saturday, August 23rd, 2008.

With a four-decade career that has seen 125 million records sold worldwide, 36 Top 40 hits, a Grammy, a Golden Globe and thousands of sold-out shows all over the globe, Neil Diamond remains a vital and innovative force in modern music.

Diamond’s body of work includes “You Don't Bring Me Flowers” (the powerful duet with Barbra Streisand), “I Am, I Said” and “Cracklin’ Rosie,” as well as hits from his album and movie The Jazz Singer (“America,” “Love on the Rocks”) and from his acclaimed 2005 album 12 Songs. The album marked his first project with Rubin, which entered the Billboard Top 200 at No. 4 – marking Diamond’s highest-charting debut to date – and offered a stripped-down, emotionally honest and passionately compelling approach that continues on Home Before Dark.

Like all great Neil Diamond albums, Home Before Dark is a powerful work, crossing generational lines with an extraordinary range and level of songcraft. Imbued with the same style of inspired melodies that has made his music so enduring, the album’s highlights include the stunning lead single “Pretty Amazing Grace” and a striking duet with the Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines entitled “Another Day (That Time Forgot).” The new collection was written by Diamond and recorded in Los Angeles with guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), bassist/acoustic guitarist Smokey Hormel and guitarist Matt Sweeney. The album will also be available as a deluxe version that includes two bonus tracks and a DVD with rare footage of Diamond in the studio.

tour dates
July
19 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
22 Sioux City, IA Tyson Events Center
24 Omaha, NE Qwest Center Omaha
26 Chicago, IL United Center
29 Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse
31 Detroit, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills

August
3 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena
5 Washington, DC Verizon Center
7 Hartford, CT XL Center
9 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center
12 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
18 Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena
20 Albany, NY Times Union Center
23 Boston, MA Fenway Park
25 Columbus, OH Value City Arena at The Schottenstein Center
27 Green Bay, WI Resch Center
29 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center

September
14 Winnipeg, MB MTS Center
16 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
18 Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome
20 Vancouver, BC General Motors Place
22 Portland, OR Rose Garden
24 Seattle, WA KeyArena at Seattle Center
26 Sacramento, CA ARCO Arena
28 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion

October
1 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
7 San Diego, CA San Diego Sports Arena
10 Phoenix, AZ Jobing.com Arena
12 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center
14 Houston, TX Toyota Center
17 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
19 Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center
21 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
24 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum
26 Ft. Lauderdale, FL BankAtlantic Center
28 Orlando, FL Amway Arena Orlando
30 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena

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Neil Diamond - Home Before Dark