Four years ago, Neil Diamond, the man behind some of the greatest pop songs of the 1960s and '70s, promoted an album called Three Chord Opera by boasting that he had regained his muse and figured out how to make great records like Shiloh, Sweet Caroline and I Am I Said again.

He lied.

So anyone could be forgiven for doubting the frog who became a king when he makes the same promise about 12 Songs. But damn if the old guy hasn't pulled it off!

That's right, 12 Songs (it's actually 14 songs, but who's counting?) is the album even Neil Diamond must have thought he no longer had in him. Having Rick Rubin, the man who resurrected Johnny Cash's career, spurring him on likely played a significant role in Diamond's return. But while Rubin guided Cash toward many an inappropriate song, Diamond was able to enter his own partnership with the producer with an upper hand in the form of a dozen (or so) original songs in the anthemic I Am I Said mould.

Check out Hell Yeah, a song that would shine on any of Diamond's greatest albums. Or the pretty Captain of a Shipwreck. Or the Brian Wilson arrangement of Delirious Love. (And what could be sexier than the image of Diamond and Wilson making delirious love?)

Okay, so it's not all as good as that. But it's good enough.

Track Listing:

1. Oh Mary
2. Hell Yeah
3. Captain Of A Shipwreck
4. Evermore
5. Save Me A Saturday Night
6. Delirious Love
7. I'm On To You
8. What's It Gonna Be
9. Man Of God
10. Create Me
11. Face Me
12. We
13. Men Are So Easy (Bonus track)
14. Delirious Love- with Brian Wilson (Bonus track)