Search - Seals & Crofts :: Diamond Girl

A Great Follow Up To "Summer Breeze"!

highway_star | Hallandale, Florida United States | 02/17/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While browsing in my local Walmart's music section I happened to come upon "Diamond Girl" by Seals and Crofts. I immediately picked it up and purchased it. I believe this is the first time that it's ever been released on compact disc in The United States. Released in 1973, Seals & Crofts second album on Warner Brothers Records entitled "Diamond Girl" was a combination of AM radio pop, folk and country. Where "Summer Breeze" was more acoustic folk songs, this album appealed to just about everyone. Superb harmonizing, songwriting and acoustic and mandolin guitars all added to the appeal of this duo. The album produced three hits "We May Never Pass This Way (Again)", "Ruby Jean and Billie Lee" and the self titled "Diamond Girl". But this album also contained other great tunes such as "Nine Houses" that showcases Dash Croft's mandolin playing, "Intone My Servant", the rocker "Standing On A Mountain Top", the beautiful "It's Gonna Come Down (On You) and "Jessica", the country tune "Dust On My Saddle" and the instrumental "Wisdom" which features excellent saxophone and piano playing. If you enjoyed Seals & Crofts debut "Summer Breeze" as well as other 70's artists/groups such as America, Bread, Jim Croce and Paul Simon to name just a few, then you'll enjoy this release."

About time...

Scott Adams | Connecticuit | 06/29/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like many I owned this in Vinyl and was amazed it took so long To come out.

And to those who said they found this album a little bit sappy, I say "So the hell what." Everything in that era was sappy and if your worried that a little sappiness may alter your manhood then I recommend against the purchase of this Cd.

But if you want to listen to something thats gonna make you feel pretty damn good this is it.

S&C have a well blended album here. The well known and recognized "Diamond girl" followed by "Ruby jean and Billy Lee"leads it off.

Both were big hits and still sound good.

"Intone my servant" follows and though not a hit you'll wonder why. like all the others a beautifully uplifting harmonic piece.

"We may never pass this way again" another hit shows once again how S&C can change a beautifull melody and lift your soul right out of your body and make it fly.

"Nine houses" starts off kinda odd (The song has a mid east flare to it) but hear it out. Vocals will come in lator and pick it up.

"Standing on a mountain top" by far is one of my favorites a great countryish sound and a really great sounding guitar in this one that'll make you feel like dancing and singing to it.

"It's gonna come down on you" a minor hit shoulda been "major" starts off mellow and beautifull and like most of there songs in this album just lifts you right up with an increase in tempo.

"Jessica" has got to be the most sappy song of the bunch. But, Hey! my niece's name is "Jessica and It was once a favorite of mine and still is a beautifull song.

""Dust on my saddle" A country diddy that you may find yourself singing word for word after some time.

"Wisdom" is the only song I never listen to its a jazzy piece and I dont care for Jazz much but even I gotta admit they do show off their talent on the horns.

In short this is a great album from beginning to end (Which is rare to find nowadays) and really represents the times in which it was written (Early 70's)

ENJOY"

Vintage folk-rock tunes clearly rooted to the mid-70s

loce_the_wizard | Lilburn, GA USA | 05/05/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Diamond Girl" is a vintage collection of folk-rock tunes clearly rooted to the mid-70s and one of the finer albums to emerge from that cluttered genre. Though Seals and Crofts were a duo, their fine-honed sound would not have caught the public's ear without the able assistance of producer Louie Shelton, who really shaped and smoothed their sound, and multi-instrumentalist Jim Lichtig, who shares writing credits for several Seals and Crofts' songs. A cast of fine session musicians contribute as well, and the set.



I would say that nearly all of us who listened to the radio back when this CD was popular will always recognize the opening chords of Diamond Girl within a millisecond and drew comfort and permission from the philosophy in We May Never Pass This Way (Again). This CD has other jewels as well, Nine Houses, Jessica, and Wisdom, and all in all contains more Baha'i themes than some find comfortable. A pair of older tracks, such as Dust on My Saddle and Standin' on a Mountain Top, both penned before there was a Seals and Crofts, do not hold up as well.



Note that this CD is not actually a Warner Brothers release, which may bode well for those, like myself, hoping to see more of this duo's catalog appear on CD. After their antiabortion stance on a later recording, "Unborn Child," the band's popularity began to wane and they found themselves being judged more on politics than music.

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