May 14, 2008 19:21

Neil Diamond scores first-ever Number One album

'Home Before Dark' debuts at the top

Neil Diamond has scored his first-ever Number One album on the Billboard chart this week with the Rick Rubin-produced ‘Home After Dark’.

The record is Diamond’s second with super-producer Rubin, following 2005’s ’12 Songs’. The first week sales of the album hit the 146,000 mark.

Diamond just last week played an intimate show at New York City’s The Bitter End when he performed seven songs in front of around 200 people. Diamond was joined on stage by Will Oldham collaborator Matt Sweeney on guitar.

Playing ‘Don't Go There’, ‘Home Before Dark’ and ‘Pretty Amazing Grace’ from his new album, Diamond also treated the crowd to four classics: ‘Solitary Man’, ‘Kentucky Woman’, ‘Cherry Cherry’ and ‘Sweet Caroline’.

Diamond is set to play Glastonbury next month, and will return to the US in July for an extensive tour.

--By our New York staff.
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