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Title: He Is . . . I Say: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Neil Diamond
ISBN: 0306817845
Author:
David Wild
Publicate Date: 2008-10-20
Publish: 2008-10-20
List Price: $25.00
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $12.49
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $10.95
Amazon Merchant Price: $16.50
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1: So-so
I think I expected more than this book gave. It was informational, but more like a short bio done long. A comment on the book cover said something to the effect of: The author wrote about his two favorite people, Neil Diamond and himself. I agree but I felt it was too much about the author and not enough about the "diamond."
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2: Thank YOU!!! Mr. David Wild!!!! You wrote all that I would have loved to have said about the GREATNESS that Neil Diamond!
I first enjoyed how another great fan can appreciate Neil's DIVINE music. I think it was a bit of a stream-of-consciousness, but very much like my own! It was more of a history of the author himself, but that is
the story these days. We are all GOD's children, here on Earth to experience and bring those experiences to GOD.
This dude loves Neil Diamond as much, if not more than I do... and I am female! (YES!!!!! Neil Diamond has the looks, as well as voice and LYRICS!!!! to back him up too!) David Wild was humourous with his words too. Any Diamondhead, (or one who wishes to know more about who Neil Diamond is), who wants to have a good read and a laugh will have that too! Eg. At one point he compares himself to Mr. Diamond, as a pale, shorter, chubby, accompaniment to Mr. Diamond, and horney too... LOL. He may have left out some important times and features of Mr. Diamonds life, in terms of albums, (such as Moods- a favorite of mine), but for a ROLLING STONE author, he has certainly done Neil justice, like no other reporter had done before, and I APPRECIATE that. I have always thought
myself cool, in that Neil is cool, and HE IS COOL! You just got to let it into your heart. Neil has been prolific in his career... just read the book to know how much he has been on the road! WOW! and still has a tight-knit family to come home to! The man is a master of show-business!!! If he ever took another sabattical, he would be greatly
missed! And that sabbatical would have to be 20 years or more, in order to consider it a sabbatical! But I know even with his prolific writing, in the first year, he would be missed. That is how amazing Neil Diamond is, and how amazing David Wild made this book. It is truth, and wonderful, and I can't thank Mr. Wild enough for writing it!!!!!
And to end it off with an absolute great quote: "If you hate Neil Diamond, then you may actually hate yourself."
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3: Only read this book if you LOVE Neil Diamond
My kids gave me this book for my birthday and I was so excited to read it, but . . . Warning: Only read this book if you LOVE Neil Diamond . . . which I do. Even that was barely enough for me to enjoy this annoying book. Over and over and over again the author uses titles of Neil Diamond songs embedded in his sentences to make his point. It was cute once. Maybe twice. After that it just got plain annoying. Also, Wild couldn't seem to decide whether he was writing about himself and his life (as the subtitle would indicate) or Neil and his life, which he tried to morph into frequently. He would have been better served to stick to the latter, because he never really gave us a reason to care about his own life and it made for a jarring read. You'd just settle into enjoying learning about Neil (albeit with those blasted song titles sprinkled throughout) when the next thing you know you're reading about Wild's bar mitzvah or relocation to Los Angeles, or some such. All in all, it wasn't very satisfying. However, I gave it two stars because I love Neil Diamond, always have, always will, and there was enough about this music god to keep me reading and the obvious love and respect Wild has for Diamond provided a nice comraderie for fans like me. It can be a lonely road being a "Diamondhead" what with music snobs looking down their noses at you all the time, so finding a kindred spirit in print was enjoyable. So, again, if you LOVE Neil Diamond, read this book. If not, don't waste your time
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4: Review of David Wild's Book, I Am He Said
I have finished reading David's book. I anticipated it was going to be a good read and wanted to read it start to finish with no or least ways few interruptions. It took little over three hours to finish and by the time I went to bed my head was swimming with thoughts of this book.
In all honesty let me tell you that this book is worth getting if for nothing else the smile that it will give you while reading it.
I enjoyed reading about the people associated with Neil and his music and where each one fit during the different time periods. I was so pleased I was learning some things new about Neil and associations with people that I didn't know. And the quotes in the book taken from Neil well let's just say it was a pleasure to read.
David, you are truly a lucky and very fortunate person to have had the opportunity to actually sit with the man himself and delve into his most inner thoughts on the music end of things. I would give the world to have had that chance. I have always wanted to interview him and ask him about his music and his thoughts and have that emotional connection with him. I have journals filled with thoughts on how his music has touched my life in ways that probably no one else could possibly understand. Or maybe one can and you just think to yourself you are one lonely number.
I enjoyed reading the parts where you take us through the different years and the albums. You know Neil really did have a tough time in the beginning. I know maybe it's that way for anyone who has a dream and it seems like it takes forever to make that dream come true. But I am so happy and relieved that Neil never gave up. I would be lost without that wonderful music.
You pretty muchly covered the albums in the book and I learned a little more about the back end of the business that really I didn't have a clue about before. Not that the book was anything really in depth as far as the business end of things but it was a nice little piece of informative work. I of course am not a fact checker so I take things as I read them and I was impressed with the connection of things and how you perceived them as a fan. Although you didn't mention Stages which is totally right up there with it's a little bit of everything into five CD's and a bonus DVD from Ireland to boot. So that did surprise me a little that you never mentioned it or maybe you did and I just missed that part. You did mention TCO one of my favorites. If I had to name my top five favorites it would be HAN, TCO, Lovescape, 12 Songs and HBD. Beautiful Noise is very good and you mention it a lot in your book and I finally just got this in CD form so it's been a great old new listen for me lately as I only had it in LP before and it's so muchly easier listening to a CD then an album (portability if you will).
There are a lot of smiles in this book (I like the part about Ellie G wanting to take Neil home for milk and cookies) and a little sadness like the part where Neil says he did a show at Carnegie Hall and no reviewers bothered to show up. Neil, I would've been there! It almost makes your heart sink to think about those times when nobody seemed to care. I am so glad that Neil had the strength, courage and determination to carry on no matter what anyone else thought at the time.
David, you did a fine job as a fan writing your stories and giving us insight to some of the precious interviews you had with Neil. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about your book only that you might give Jonathan one more chance to change your mind.
Yes I would recommend this book to anyone, wholeheartedly. It's warm, funny, and all in all a great read from start to finish. Great job David, almost makes me want to write one of my own from a devoted female fan standpoint.
I give your book a high rating. And looking forward to a possible second book from you.
All The Best
CC
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5: Compelling!
David Wild tells one compelling story after another in this biography about Neal Diamond. Wild, an editor for Rolling Stone, says Diamond was cool in New Jersey before Bruce Springsteen.
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