I’ve always loved Neil Diamond’s braggadocio. He’s one of few whose performances I’d call ballsy. Dude walks up to a microphone knowing he’s going to please hammer don’t hurt ‘em. So here’s a top five for tonight:

5 Holly Holy Personally I rank this song higher but I’m putting this in as a warm-up. This song perfectly describes the process of waking up. Pained expressions. Slow starts. False starts. Then it’s a false church of caffeine and angels. Best line: “And she comes/ And I run/ Just like the wind, wind” It takes two winds to make it outta sight.

4 Solitary Man There are more heavy-handed versions of this song, but the uppy horns really capture this one for me. The Diamond moonscape and the Yale dudes with really hot dates make this one for me. One of our older siblings was born to this performance.

3 Shilo “So you turn to the only friend you can find/ There in your mind” Dang, Shilo.

2 I Am, I Said A solemn Neil lays down a proclamation of cities that don’t fit his bill. You know. Some cities have economic advantages. This is a man whose hair can only fit in between two coastal cities. “I’m not a man who likes to swear/ but I never cared for the sound of being alone” Not even the chair, homes.

1 Song, Sung Blue Okay, you probably expected “Sweet Caroline” which to me is overplayed. Or “Coming To America” which deserves a place on this list (TODAY!). But I love this song. I’m sorry. I just love this song.

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