The Jazz Singer: Original Soundtrack

The Jazz Singer: Original Soundtrack
It may now be hard to believe but there once was a time when Neil Diamond was considered not only big enough to open a movie but to get Sir Laurence Olivier to co-star in said movie. While the movie itself was less than a rousing success, the soundtrack was a smash–though, contrary to the title, it does not find the Elvis of soft-rock taking up jazz. Playing the part of a young Jewish cantor who follows his heart to play, well, a Neil Diamond-esque blend of R&B and rock, Diamond finds excuses to throw in some soulful singles (”Love on the Rocks” and “Hello Again”), a fluffy, uptempo slice of Stephen Foster-Americana (”On the Robert E Lee”) and a topical song (”America”); padding out the soundtrack are the film-specific Jewish hymns “Adon Olam” and “Kol Nidre”. Eternally consigned to a limbo between being remembered for his better moments (Live at the Greek, writing some of the Monkees’ biggest hits) and for the tawdry ones (”Turn on Your Heartlight”, inspired by E.T.), The Jazz Singer remains one of Diamond’s best albums. –Randy Silver

Customer Review: A little Jazz goes a long way
How can put into words how this soundtrack album has affected me. It introduced me to the fabulous Neil Diamond after watching the flim of the same name. Agreed it has some rather silly tracks like ” On the Robert E Lee”which although works in the film does not have the same feel good factor on audio.Kol Nidre is a very powerful track & no doubt very emotional to sing as well.
Buy it & play it loud “Hey Louise” is great I wish they had left the “Get on with it Fool” bit during the mouth organ at the beginning of the track ” Summer Love” on the album.

I have watched the film countless times & heard the soundtrack just as much. One never gets board of either,

Customer Review: Listen to Neil Diamond’s soundtrack and skip the film
The decision to make a modern version of Al Jolson’s “Jazz Singer” in 1980is one of the more dubious ideas to come out of Hollywood. Putting singerNeil Diamond in the Jolson role opposite Laurence Olivier as his cantorfather and Lucy Arnaz as the woman he loves had only one sure upside inthat Diamond also did the music for the film. If your choice is betweenwatching the film or listening to the soundtrack, then listen to thesoundtrack.
Diamond was inspired by the immigrant element of the story to honor thenational melting pot in the opening song “America,” along with one of hisbetter ballads from that part of his career “Hello Again.” The songs alsoplay to Diamond’s strength in that several of them would be done “live” inthe context of the film, and anyone who has listened to “Hot August Night”or any other concert album by Diamond knows he is a lot better live thanhe is in the studio. In retrospect that is clearly the point in Diamond’scareer where the hard rock and gospel influences went away and he began asoft rock/pop artist where songs like “Love on the Rocks” and “Summerlove”became the norm. His early songs are arguably his best, but it was notuntil his 1976 album “Beautiful Noise” that Diamond ever had an album goplatinum.
To his credit Diamond does come up with songs that meet the narrativeneeds of the film, not that this is a reason to watch the movie, so do notaccuse me of advocating you do that. There is no reason for you to seethat “You Baby” is part of an awkward homage, for lack of a better word,to Jolson in black face. Also worked into the mix are some traditionalJewish songs, “Adon Olom” and “Kol Nidre/My Name Is Yussel,” and Diamondmakes an earnest attempt to do them right. The resulting mix might beuneven, but there are enough solid songs here to make this an aboveaverage Neil Diamond album.

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John Coltrane :: Alabama :: Jazz Casual

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