Neil Diamond has bridged the gap between sophisticated singer/songwriter and razzle-dazzle showman for more than half a century. The native New Yorker ditched college for Tin Pan Alley, and honed his skills penning hits in the legendary Brill Building before becoming a solo sensation. In soft rock anthems and silky-smooth ballads, Diamond straddles the line between sacred and profane (the exuberant, candy-coated soul of “I'm a Believer”; the existential, string-laced “I Am…I Said”). With singles like “Sweet Caroline”, he's proven that the finest pop tunes can be as inspiring as hymns.