Neil Diamond: Ay, There's the Rubin

Neil Diamond: Ay, There's the Rubin

Neil Diamond has overcome the that was "12 songs" and is headed back to the studio with Rick Rubin:

"While an album of covers or another album of originals have both been discussed, Rubin says it's too early in the process to know which way it will go. 'It depends on how long the writing process takes,' he says. 'I thought if it's going to take a while to write, it might be fun to do a covers album in between, but we'll see.

The material is going to dictate everything.'"

Speaking of covers records, I watched a movie about Bob Dylan's life after his motorcycle crash but before his conversion to Christianity (becoming religious is Advanced), and there was some interesting stuff about the covers record he did. One critic said that it was almost as if Dylan had made it with the intention of disappointing his fans.

I loved that, of course. Another critic said that Dylan put together a tour that was inspired by a Neil Diamond concert he saw.

I don't think anyone my age or younger truly understands Neil Diamond, but he sure does write a good reggae song.

One other question: When did he become the voice of Christmas?

Britt Bergman and I invented the advanced theory in 1990 at a Pizza Hut in Columbia, SC.

What is the advanced theory? As Chuck Klosterman put it, " When a genius does something that appears idiotic, it does not necessarily mean he suddenly sucks. What it might mean is that he's doing something you cannot understand, because he has Advanced beyond you.