Home Before Dark
Encyclopedia
Home Before Dark is a studio album
released by American singer-songwriter
Neil Diamond
in 2008. It became his first U.S. number-one album ever on the Billboard 200
chart, with sales of over 146,000 copies in its first week. It has also reached number one on the UK Albums Chart
. As of June 28, 2008, the album has sold 300,760 copies in the U.S. It has been certified platinum for UK sales.
In May 2008, at the age of 67, Neil Diamond was the oldest performer to have a number one record. This mark was previously held by Bob Dylan
in 2006 with his Modern Times
album, released when he was 65. However, Bob Dylan's recent album, Together Through Life
, earned Dylan that position again since Dylan released his most recent work at 67 years and 11 months unlike Diamond releasing Home Before Dark at 67 years and 3 months.
The album is Diamond's second to be produced by Rick Rubin
, a producer of hip-hop and heavy metal music
, who had discovered a talent for re-invigorating the careers of musicians when he produced Aerosmith
and a string of albums with Johnny Cash
. After Cash's death, Diamond became the next artist to find his career given a shot in the arm, via Rubin's production on his 2005 album 12 Songs
. The album consists of original works and some remakes, particularly "The Boxer".
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
released by American singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
in 2008. It became his first U.S. number-one album ever on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, with sales of over 146,000 copies in its first week. It has also reached number one on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. As of June 28, 2008, the album has sold 300,760 copies in the U.S. It has been certified platinum for UK sales.
In May 2008, at the age of 67, Neil Diamond was the oldest performer to have a number one record. This mark was previously held by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
in 2006 with his Modern Times
Modern Times (Bob Dylan album)
Modern Times is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 32nd studio album, released by Columbia Records in August 2006. The album was Dylan's third straight to be met with nearly universal praise from fans and critics...
album, released when he was 65. However, Bob Dylan's recent album, Together Through Life
Together Through Life
Together Through Life is the 33rd studio album by Bob Dylan, released on April 28, 2009, on Columbia Records. The album debuted at number one in several countries, including the U.S. and the UK...
, earned Dylan that position again since Dylan released his most recent work at 67 years and 11 months unlike Diamond releasing Home Before Dark at 67 years and 3 months.
The album is Diamond's second to be produced by Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
, a producer of hip-hop and heavy metal music
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, who had discovered a talent for re-invigorating the careers of musicians when he produced Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
and a string of albums with Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
. After Cash's death, Diamond became the next artist to find his career given a shot in the arm, via Rubin's production on his 2005 album 12 Songs
12 Songs (Neil Diamond album)
12 Songs is a 2005 album by Neil Diamond. It was his first album of all-original, all-new material since 2001's Three Chord Opera. It was produced by Rick Rubin and is often erroneously cited as the first Diamond album since the Bang Records era to feature the artist playing guitar.The working...
. The album consists of original works and some remakes, particularly "The Boxer".
Track listing
- "If I Don't See You Again" — 7:13
- "Pretty Amazing Grace" — 4:53
- "Don't Go There" — 6:04
- "Another Day (That Time Forgot)" (feat. Natalie MainesNatalie MainesNatalie Louise Maines Pasdar is an American singer-songwriter who achieved success as the lead vocalist for the female alternative country band, the Dixie Chicks...
) — 6:12 - "One More Bite Of The Apple" — 6:39
- "Forgotten" — 4:22
- "Act Like A Man" — 4:04
- "Whose Hands Are These" — 3:12
- "No Words" — 4:49
- "The Power Of Two" — 4:35
- "Slow It Down" — 4:56
- "Home Before Dark" — 6:00
- "Without Her" (Harry NilssonHarry NilssonHarry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
) (Deluxe Edition Bonus Track) - "Make You Feel My Love" (Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
) (Deluxe Edition Bonus Track)
Deluxe Edition Bonus DVD Track
- "Pretty Amazing Grace"
- "If I Don't See You Again"
- "Forgotten"
- "The BoxerThe Boxer"The Boxer" is a folk rock ballad written by Paul Simon in 1968 and first recorded by Simon & Garfunkel. It was released as the follow-up single to their number one hit "Mrs. Robinson", and reached #7 in the US charts. It later appeared on their last studio album, Bridge Over Troubled Water, along...
" (Paul SimonPaul SimonPaul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
)
Chart positions
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1 |