Neil Diamond vs Tom Jones

[megoscott]

^^ That makes sense, actually. Tom and Shat are studs. Neil and Spock are....not.

What's funny is that Neil doesn't quite understand his kitsch value. Tom gets it and exploits it.

[Hulk]

Oh, I think Neil understands his kitsch value, but by largely ignoring it, this summer he will be selling out baseball, soccer and football stadiums that can hold 70,000 plus fans in Munich, London and Boston, while Tom is playing 750 seat theatres and auditoriums in Vegas, Atlantic City and Northern Alberta, at half the ticket price.

[nvmbrsdoom5]

I largely prefer Neil Diamond's music and his voice. Tom Jones has some decent stuff and he's a good performer, but he also did "What's New Pussycat" which is my number one most hated song in the universe, haha. So I'm going with Neil.

[Surfsup]

Neil Diamond does it for me, he's also got a better back catalogue as well IMO to perform with. I've never liked Tom Jones, it's a shame he never got suffocated by all those knickers being thrown onto the stage.

[huedell]

NEIL DIAMOND is like a God to me. The sound of NEIL's voice
is something I just latched onto.

I think TOM JONES is cool and all but I never embraced him
to close the amount I've embraced NEIL.

Maybe its NEIL's knack for memorable singles followed up by loads of albums
in his back catalogue with non-singles that really scream "songwriter" to me.

I think Scott etc. hit upon something with the idea that TOM is more "primal/sexual"
than anything else---NEIL seems to have a lot more dimension.

[Adam West]

I think both are good artists but for pure appeal, I would defer to my mother who would pick Neil Diamond hands down.

She has never been one to ever show any kind of admiration for any kind of star and I have only heard her ever talk about my dad as being handsome and appealing.

Years ago, I remember she and a friend had tickets to go see Neil Diamond and she was going on and on about what a great artist he is and how good looking he was, yada, yada.

So vote goes to Neil Diamond based on my mother's view.

[Joe90]

Tiger Tom!

[megoscott]

Terry Gross did a great interview with Diamond in 2005. Somewhere in it she asks about the kitsch angle and he's just blank.

The Rick Rubin album he was promoting in the interview sounds really good.

Bonus--Will Ferrill does Sweet Caroline

[draconianguard]

Neither-GG Allin I'd say as a showman, Tom is better.