Neil Diamond Rockets to the Top of The Billboard 200 With Home Before Dark, His First-Ever #1 Album & Highest-Ever Top 200 Chart Debut

NEW YORK, May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- He's sold 125 million albums worldwide, penned 36 Top 40 hits, won a Grammy and a Golden Globe and performed for millions of packed-house crowds around the world. But Neil Diamond has never had a No. 1 debut or No. 1 album -- until now. HOME BEFORE DARK -- Diamond's latest album and second for Columbia Records with producer Rick Rubin -- has entered Billboard's Top 200 in the top slot, with first week's sales of 145,840 (according to SoundScan), giving the legendary singer, songwriter and performer the first No. 1 album of his monumental career.

In addition to being both the highest debut and highest-charting release of Diamond's career, the critically acclaimed HOME BEFORE DARK is the 46th Neil Diamond album since 1966's The Feel of Neil Diamond to appear on the Billboard 200 and marks his 15th full-length song collection to hit the Top 10.

USA Today hails Diamond as a "classic craftsman," adding, "this second collaboration with producer Rick Rubin yields another winner, stripping away gloss and sentimentality to reveal Diamond's songwriting gifts and emotional vulnerability. Members of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers lend assistance, but the heart of Home lies in Diamond's still-potent voice and undiminished pop craftsmanship."

The Miami Herald called the album "a must have," the Dallas Morning News described the disc as "the exhilarating sound of a mature man truly reconnecting with his younger, hungrier self," the Boston Globe praised the album for remaining "true to the organic blueprint that casts Diamond's gifts in a fresh, gratifying light," and AOL Music wrote, "The release of the sublimely intimate, Rick Rubin-produced 'Home' ... reminds us where else fans should be able to catch a glimpse of Diamond: In the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame."

HOME BEFORE DARK follows Diamond's previous highest-charting debut and first collaboration with Rubin, 2005's 12 Songs, which entered the Top 200 at No. 4.

On May 7, Neil Diamond returned to New York to play an impromptu surprise show at The Bitter End, the site of some of his earliest live gigs. Performing on a small New York nightclub stage for the first time in more than 40 years, Neil delighted his SRO audience, many of whom had lined up outside the club since the early hours of the morning, with songs from his new album -- "Don't Go There," "Home Before Dark" and "Pretty Amazing Grace" -- as well as the classics "Solitary Man," "Kentucky Woman," "Cherry Cherry" and "Sweet Caroline." Neil, his new album, and his historic return to The Bitter End enjoyed a huge Internet pickup (approximately 230 million in cumulative monthly audience, according to comScore Media Metrix) on a wide variety of websites.

Diamond will be performing new songs and classic hits during his highly anticipated 37-city North American summer tour, scheduled to kick off July 19th in St. Paul. Fans should visit www.neildiamond.com and check local listings for updated information. The North American leg follows a series of European dates starting May 24th in Rotterdam, with new dates recently added to accommodate an overwhelming demand for tickets.

    NEIL DIAMOND 2008 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES

    July
    19    St. Paul, MN        Xcel Energy Center
    20    St. Paul, MN        Xcel Energy Center
    22    Sioux City, IA      Tyson Events Center
    24    Omaha, NE           Qwest Center Omaha
    26    Chicago, IL         United Center
    27    Chicago, IL         United Center
    29    Indianapolis, IN    Conseco Fieldhouse
    31    Detroit, MI         The Palace of Auburn Hills

    August
    3     Cleveland, OH       Quicken Loans Arena
    5     Washington, DC      Verizon Center
    7     Hartford, CT        XL Center
    9     Philadelphia, PA    Wachovia Center
    12    New York, NY        Madison Square Garden
    14    New York, NY        Madison Square Garden
    15    New York, NY        Madison Square Garden
    18    Pittsburgh, PA      Mellon Arena
    20    Albany, NY          Times Union Center
    23    Boston, MA          Fenway Park
    25    Columbus, OH        Value City Arena at The Schottenstein Center
    27    Green Bay, WI       Resch Center
    29    St. Louis, MO       Scottrade Center

    September
    14    Winnipeg, MB        MTS Center
    16    Edmonton, AB        Rexall Place
    18    Calgary, AB         Pengrowth Saddledome
    20    Vancouver, BC       General Motors Place
    22    Portland, OR        Rose Garden
    24    Seattle, WA         KeyArena at Seattle Center
    26    Sacramento, CA      ARCO Arena
    28    San Jose, CA        HP Pavilion

    October
    1     Los Angeles, CA     Hollywood Bowl
    2     Los Angeles, CA     Hollywood Bowl
    7     San Diego, CA       San Diego Sports Arena
    10    Phoenix, AZ         Jobing.com Arena
    12    San Antonio, TX     AT&T Center
    14    Houston, TX         Toyota Center
    16    Dallas, TX          American Airlines Center
    19    Oklahoma City, OK   Ford Center
    21    Tulsa, OK           BOK Center
    24    Tampa, FL           St. Pete Times Forum
    26    Ft. Lauderdale, FL  BankAtlantic Center
    28    Orlando, FL         Amway Arena Orlando
    30    Jacksonville, FL    Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena

    www.neildiamond.com