The Best Years of Our Lives is the eighteenth studio album by Neil Diamond. It was released by Columbia Records in 1988 and reached number 46 on the Billboard 200 chart, number 42 on the UK album chart, and number 92 on the Australian chart.[2]
The album was certified gold by the RIAA on February 16, 1989.[3] In his review of The Best Years of Our Lives music critic Bryan Buss referred to it as "a strong entry in Diamond's oeuvre" and as "an album that is romantic and sentimental without being manipulative".[4]
Professional ratings| Review scores |
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| Source | Rating |
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| Allmusic |   [1] |
Three singles from the album, the title track, "This Time", and "Baby Can I Hold You" reached numbers 7, 9, and 28, respectively on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.[4] "This Time" also reached #17 on the Irish Singles Chart.[5] Cash Box said of the title track that it was "not a terribly inspired tune, but served up with predictable skill by Mr. D."[6]
| Title | Writer(s) |
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| 1. | "The Best Years of Our Lives" | Neil Diamond | 4:00 |
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| 2. | "Hard Times for Lovers" | Neil Diamond | 4:25 |
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| 3. | "This Time" | Neil Diamond, David Foster, Jeremy Lubbock | 3:57 |
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| 4. | "Everything's Gonna Be Fine" | Neil Diamond, Weldon Dean Parks | 3:59 |
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| 5. | "Hooked on the Memory of You" | Neil Diamond | 3:53 |
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| 6. | "Take Care of Me" | Neil Diamond, David Foster | 3:39 |
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| 7. | "Baby Can I Hold You" | Tracy Chapman | 3:55 |
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| 8. | "Carmelita's Eyes" | Neil Diamond, David Foster | 4:05 |
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| 9. | "Courtin' Disaster" | Neil Diamond, David Foster | 4:32 |
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| 10. | "If I Couldn't See You Again" | Neil Diamond | 4:02 |
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| 11. | "Long Hard Climb" | Neil Diamond, Tom Hensley, Alan Lindgren | 4:42 |
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- Lead vocals – Neil Diamond
- Backing vocals – Bill Champlin, Tamara Champlin, Renée Geyer and Richard Page
- Keyboards – Michael Boddicker, Robbie Buchanan, David Foster, Tom Hensley, Alan Lindgren, Michael Omartian and David Paich
- Synthesizer programming – Rick Bowen, Rhett Lawrence and Kevin Maloney
- Acoustic guitars – Richard Bennett and Dean Parks
- Electric guitars – Michael Landau, Steve Lukather and Dean Parks
- Bass – Mike Brignardello and Reinie Press
- Drums – Tris Imboden, Paul Leim and Carlos Vega
- Horns – Gary Grant, Jerry Hey, Dan Higgins, Bill Reichenbach Jr. and Larry Williams
- Horn arrangements – David Foster and Jerry Hey
- String arrangements – Jeremy Lubbock
- Produced and Arranged by David Foster
- Production Coordination – Sam Cole and Chris Earthy
- Production Assistants – Ned Brown, Barry Cardinale, Larry E. Williams and Alison Zanetos
- Engineer – Jeffrey Woodruff
- Assistant Engineers – Jesse Kanner, Ray Pyle and Dave Reitzas.
- Mixing – Humberto Gatica
- Mix Assistants – Mauricio Guerrero and Laura Livingston
- Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).
- Art Direction and Design – David Kirschner
- Additional Design – Beverley Lazor-Bahr
- Photography – Matthew Rolston
