Neil Diamond: 'Man of God'!

I heard one of Neil Diamond’s new songs on the radio, I think it might have been “Man of God,” and it made me wonder if he’s gotten saved.

He's still rockin' and rollin' and his new record is the first No. 1 in his long career, says a story about him on his latest tour in the Noo Yawk Times: The Marathon Man of Pop

Always a strong concert draw, he has been making more money on the road than ever before, grossing $168 million over his last three tours, according to Billboard. And in May his 46th album on the Billboard charts, “Home Before Dark” (Columbia) — a set of stripped-down and reflective songs produced by Rick Rubin, who recorded Johnny Cash’s last releases — became his first to reach No. 1.

Like Cash in his last years, Rubin is bringing Diamond to a new generation, but some of the old-timers admit they don't care for the new and improved version, with his new songs.

Linda Aronie, a 56-year-old fan from Canton, Conn., said after the show that she was lukewarm about the new material. “I have to be honest, I’m not crazy about it,” she said. “It just doesn’t seem like him.”

Mr. Diamond said he was not bothered by the response to the new songs.

“I already have ‘Sweet Caroline,’ ” he said. “Most of these people haven’t heard ‘Hell Yeah’ or ‘Man of God,’ but I see them and they’re listening, and that’s really all I want.”

Toward the end of the concert, right after a string of megahits, including “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” and “I’m a Believer,” which he wrote for the Monkees, Mr. Diamond told the crowd he had no plans for retirement.

“This is my job,” he said. “Someone much greater than me gave me that job. He said, ‘You, you with that stupid look on your face — go out and sing until I tell you to stop.’ I haven’t heard the word yet so I’m just going to keep doing it.”

Wow, an old rocker talking about his calling from "Someone much greater than me." Rock on, Neil.