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Stones is the seventh studio album by Neil Diamond, recorded and released in 1971. It was one of the biggest hit recordings of his career.[citation needed] The conductors and arrangers were Lee Holdridge, Marty Paich and Larry Muhoberac.
| Stones | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 5, 1971 | |||
| Recorded | 1971 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 33:22 | |||
| Label | Uni | |||
| Producer | Tom Catalano | |||
| Neil Diamond chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Stones | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Rolling Stone | (mixed)[1] |
The cover photo was taken at Luxford House, Crowborough, East Sussex. The house was owned at the time by rock music manager Tony Stratton Smith.
Early copies of the LP album featured a picture label and a unique version of the cover with a grommet-string style closure on the back.[3] The cover itself was styled as an envelope that opened from the top. This was later abandoned and replaced with a standard side-opening sleeve.
Inspired by the experience of a failed screen test for a film about rebel comic Lenny Bruce, " 'I Am...I Said' would ultimately turn out to be the single most challenging and time-consuming song that [Diamond] ever wrote." And while "it took four months every day, all day...It was a daily battle to put that song on paper...but when it was done, it turned out to be one of the most satisfying songs I had ever written."
Record World said that the title track showed that Diamond "hasn't lost his knack of writing intelligent pop-oriented material."[4] Cash Box said that the "striking image-laden ballad in fine Diamond fashion sparkles with immediate top 40 success."[5] Billboard called it "exceptional ballad material with a performance to match."[6]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Am... I Said" | Neil Diamond | 3:32 |
| 2. | "The Last Thing on My Mind" | Tom Paxton | 3:31 |
| 3. | "Husbands and Wives" | Roger Miller | 3:54 |
| 4. | "Chelsea Morning" | Joni Mitchell | 2:32 |
| 5. | "Crunchy Granola Suite" | Neil Diamond | 3:14 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stones" | Neil Diamond | 3:02 |
| 2. | "If You Go Away" | Jacques Brel, Rod McKuen | 3:47 |
| 3. | "Suzanne" | Leonard Cohen | 4:41 |
| 4. | "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" | Randy Newman | 2:36 |
| 5. | "I Am... I Said (Reprise)" | Neil Diamond | 2:33 |
Charts
edit| Chart (1971-1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[7] | 13 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[8] | 10 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[9] | 28 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[10] | 17 |
| US Billboard 200[11] | 11 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[12] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Rolling Stone review Archived October 1, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Stones at AllMusic
- ^ "Universal City Records [UNI] Album Discography". Both Sides Now Publications. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
- ^ "Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. November 6, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
- ^ "Cashbox Single Picks" (PDF). Cash Box. November 6, 1971. p. 20. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
- ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. October 30, 1971. p. 56. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, New South Wales: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 7593". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Neil Diamond – Stones" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ "Neil Diamond | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ "Neil Diamond Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ "American album certifications – Neil Diamond – Stones". Recording Industry Association of America.
2. "He Is...I Say" by David Wild (DeCapo Press, 2008)
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