Neil Diamond - "Hello Again"

(Debuted January 31, 1981, Peaked #6, 16 Weeks on the Chart)

As one of the three Top 10 pop singles from Neil Diamond's soundtrack to The Jazz Singer, there are two ways to look at it. That was Diamond's biggest-selling LP, so the three hits represent the artist at his peak. To some, however, it's the moment he decided to drift toward an adult contemporary style after spending a decade and a half flirting with other sounds. I guess it depends on which type of fan you are to figure out which side of the coin you take on that.

To my ears, however, "Hello Again" is a great ballad even if it's a safe performance. It's used in a dramatic scene in the movie, but in my own life there have been a few situations where I happened to find myself in places and situations I'd left behind as I moved on with my life (or, as the line goes, "I put my heart above my head").  But, in the end, when I come back, it's always great to have an open set of arms. It's that feeling that makes me so nostalgic about this particular song. 

Neil Diamond - "Heartlight"

(Debuted September 11, 1982, Peaked #5, 18 Weeks on the Chart)

In 1982, the film E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial became the all-time box-office champ with its story about a boy who befriends a visitor from another planet. Among the several million who watched the movie were husband-and-wife songwriters Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager, who attended the showing with Neil Diamond. The three joined together to write a song that was full of images in the lyrics that were clearly inspired by the film.

The connection to the film wasn't necessary since Diamond was one of the biggest stars in music and recognizable to fans of many genres, but it sure didn't hurt, either. It was a #5 pop hit and #1 on the adult contemporary chart. For me, the song has actually grown on me. As a youngster, it wasn't what I cared to hear. However, after having a family and responsibilities, the words "home's the most excellent place of all" resonates with me in a way I just couldn't grasp at that age.

I've said it before: becoming a father has apparently turned me into a pansy when it comes to certain things. However, talking with other men -- including battle-hardened veterans I know -- I'm not anywhere close to being alone in that regard.