Concert's early flaws eclipsed by gospel-tinged lift-off finale

CONCERT REVIEW

NEIL DIAMOND

At the United Center

In 1969, Neil Diamond went to Memphis for the first time torecord "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show." Diamond always wasopen to gospel influences, dating back to his pop hit "Thank theLord for the Night Time," and the Delta visit inspired Diamond'smost creative period. By 1970, he was exploring African folk idiomsin "Soolaimon" while keeping one hand in the pure pop of "Cracklin'Rosie."

Diamond and his band revisited this era Monday in the first of atwo-night stand at the United Center. His generous two-hour setended with "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show," which hestarted as a gospel-folk ballad and ended as a Jimmy Swaggartrevival meeting. Diamond eventually sang from a pulpitlike box thatrose two feet in the air. With his right arm extended, he broke fromhis lyrics and exclaimed, "Gay and straight, we are all God'schildren!" The audience extended their hands and the house lightswent on. Someone shouted "Hallelujah!" At this point a couple ofwhite wiseacres behind me smiled and suggested, "As he said to allthe rich, middle-aged white people, 'We are all God's children.' "

I blame Rick Rubin for these sparks. Rubin is the mysticalproducer who made his name by working with harder-edged acts such asLL Cool J and Rage Against the Machine. He later received criticalacclaim for producing Johnny Cash's final sessions. For the pastseveral months, Rubin has been producing the Dixie Chicks -- andDiamond's upcoming "minimalist" album. I'm sensing country-gospelDiamond, heavy on the guitar strumming style of Sister RosettaTharpe. (Connect the dots. Tharpe's jazzy bent notes and rhythmicblues picking made her Cash's favorite guitarist.) And thissurprising turn in Diamond's career accounted for the best part ofMonday's show.

After bombarding the audience with aerobic anthems like "Desiree"and "Forever in Blue Jeans," Diamond settled in with a tender set onacoustic guitar. The song cycle began with 1969's "Glory Road,"accented by Tom Hensley's sparse gospel organ; the ballad "And theGrass Won't Pay No Mind," from the "Brother Love's" sessions; and ahard-strumming, full-band version of "Look Out, Here ComesTomorrow," a song Diamond never recorded but which was cut by theMonkees on their second album. Diamond was on a roll. He sang thesesongs with a relaxed conviction that was absent from the Vegasmaterial.

Former Elvis Presley drummer Ron Tutt brought a Bo Diddley beatto "You Got to Me," one of Diamond's first hits, and Diamond began"Red, Red Wine" as a country tearjerker before abruptly connectingwith a ska arrangement. Engaging versions of "Soolaimon" and"Cracklin' Rosie" followed. An earlier ringer included a jazzyversion of the rarely covered ballad "Signs," a Robbie Robertsonproduction from Diamond's "Beautiful Noise" record.

The show stopper was, of course, "Sweet Caroline," where handswere touching hands and fans sang along. This was how a BruceSpringsteen concert used to be. Diamond also redid his Monkees hit"I'm a Believer" without guitar but with swirling, sirenlike horncharts.

Too bad the first half of the show wasn't this cool. Diamond'sband opened with "Crunchy Granola Suite" and covered the schmaltzy"Remember Me." And just when you thought Diamond and longtimevocalist Linda Press' version of "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" wasover the top in a dinner-theater way, along came the "JonathanLivingston Seagull" medley of "Be/Lonely Looking Sky/Skybird." Thisselection was more agonizing than a rush-hour security check atO'Hare. If Rick Rubin is helping bring Diamond back down to earth,so to speak, then the pop music world will be a better place.