NEW YORK, NY (Columbia Records) - Neil Diamond's critically-acclaimed new album, 12 Songs, has debuted at No 4 on the Billboard Top 200 and is the artist's first album to debut in the Top 10.
Released on November 8, with first true week's sales of 92,705, according to SoundScan, 12 Songs is providing the strongest opening week's numbers of Neil's career. His last studio album, Three Chord Opera, opened at No 15 - his highest previous debut position, with first week's sales of 67,975 - in July 2001.
The first Neil Diamond album to be released digitally, 12 Songs sold 4,057 digital copies online in its first week, making it the nation's No 2 Top Internet Album. Digital downloads accounted for 4.3% of 12 Songs sales in its first week.
12 Songs is the first Neil Diamond album to hit the Top 10 since The Christmas Album peaked at No 8 in 1992 and is the singer's first Top 5 album since The Jazz Singer peaked at No 3 in 1981.
12 Songs is already one of the highest charting albums in Neil's entire catalog, beating 1972's Moods (peaked at No 5), 1973's Hot August Night (peaked at No 5), and 1982's Heartlight (peaked at No 9) while tying 1976's Beautiful Noise (peaked at No 4) and 1979's You Don't Bring Me Flowers (also peaked at No 4).
The only Neil Diamond albums to have charted higher than 12 Songs are 1973's Jonathan Livingston Seagull (peaked at No 2, Neil's best-charting album), 1974's Serenade (peaked at No 3) and 1981's The Jazz Singer (also peaked at No 3).
12 Songs is the 14th Neil Diamond album to reach the Top 10, the 20th to hit Top 20, the 31st to make Top 50 and the 45th to break into the Billboard Top 200, placing the artist at No 6 on the all-time list of male vocalists with the most Top 200 albums (after Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, James Brown, and Willie Nelson).
The press has been unanimous in its rhapsodic response to 12 Songs:
" ... 12 Songs returns Neil Diamond to his 'Solitary Man' greatness." (A)
- David Brown, Entertainment Weekly (November 11, 2005)
"Let's put it right out there: You will be blown away by the new Neil Diamond CD." (**** stars)
- Chuck Arnold, People (November 14, 2005)
"... this is the best work Diamond has done in 30 years."
- Lorraine Ali, Newsweek (August 1, 2005)
"He's as direct as he's ever been with his lyrics, which give them an extra poignancy." (.....**** stars)
- Barry Walters, Rolling Stone (November 18, 2005)
"In graceful and intimate songs, a soulful voice shares wisdom, pain, dreams and vulnerabilities, and a solitary man rediscovers his natural gifts." (......***1/2 stars)
- Edna Gundersen, USA Today (November 8, 2005)
