12 Songs

After successfully revitalizing the career of Johnny Cash, producer Rick Rubin worked his magic on another classic singer songwriter for the '12 Songs' sessions. Here he strips Diamond down to the bare bones of voice, acoustic guitar and subtle backing band, intimately miked and lovingly produced. Unlike the Cash albums, this is all new material from Diamond's pen; with its stately air of melancholy, some critics have called it his best album ever. This deluxe edition includes a bonus CD of demos and alternative takes from the '12 Songs' recording sessions.

Rolling Stone (No. 987, p.132)
- 4 out of 5 stars - "...[H]e's as direct as he's ever been with his lyrics, which give them an extra poignancy...."

Entertainment Weekly (pp.140-143)
- Ranked #6 in Entertainment Weekly's 'Top Ten Records of the Year' -- "Conor Oberst could take a few tips on song structure and understated vocal projection from the old-schooler comeback of '05."

Entertainment Weekly (No. 849, p.67)
- "...[T]he singer's well-preserved, Corinthian-leather voice and softy strummed chords are the focus...." - Grade: A

Mojo (p.94)
- 4 stars out of 5 -- "What makes 'Oh Mary', and much of this album so good, and in many ways shocking, is that it's all about the voice and the song....Consistently engrossing."

Uncut (p.66)
- 4 stars out of 5 -- "Responding to the intimacy of the settings, Diamond eschews bombast in his performances in favour of a melancholy that seems earned, even Dylanesque..."