Neil Diamond - Jazz Singer (Original Soundtrack) (Music CD)

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Neil Diamond's revisiting of the 1927 Al Jolson classic The Jazz Singer (the first film to feature synchronized sound) keeps to the story of the original film: a young Jewish man turns his back on his heritage in an attempt to make it big in show business. Naturally, Diamond penned the music for his version of The Jazz Singer himself, and the soundtrack was a phenomenal commercial success. Three of the songs here should be instantly familiar to anyone who drew a breath in the early '80s: the tender ballad "Hello Again," the haunting, swirling "Love on the Rocks," and the swelling patriotism of "America." In between are the hand-clapping groovers "You Baby" and "Amazed and Confused," the melancholic waltz of "Summerlove," and traditional Jewish songs like "Kol Nidre." Elaborate instrumentation and arrangements (the songs are richly outfitted with strings) add to the surge and power of Diamond's performances, and while the film itself may have faded into obscurity, the soundtrack has not. The Jazz Singer remains one of Diamond's best-loved post-'70s efforts. ~ Anthony Tognazzini