“Home Before Dark” and his previous album, “12 Songs”, run counter to type, with clean, clear arrangements that for the most part steer clear of his hallmark histrionics. They have got him some of his first serious critical attention in decades. “Somehow it’s dawning on me that I’m a more mature individual and I’m not a kid writing Cherry, Cherry anymore,” Diamond said, referring to his first Top 10 hit from 1966.

Diamond’s newer material has limited appeal for his core audience. In concert he played hit after hit from the 1960s and ‘70s to roaring applause. By contrast, the response to three songs from his new album was notably quiet. Linda Aronie, a 56-year-old fan, said after the show that she was lukewarm about the new material. “I have to be honest, I’m not crazy about it,” she said, “It just doesn’t seem like him.”
Diamond said he was not bothered by the response to the new songs. Toward the end of the concert, right after a string of megahits, Diamond told the crowd he had no plans for retirement. “This is my job,” he said. “Someone much greater than me gave me that job. He said, ‘You, you with that stupid look on your face—go out and sing until I tell you to stop.’ I haven’t heard the word yet so I’m just going to keep doing it.”
BEN SISARIO, NYT