Concerts in St Louis and Kansas City.

The Kansas City concert was by far the better of the two. And, since it was my last for the year, I had a great time as well. My next effort will be a review of 12 songs.

This from the St Louis "Riverfront Times"

Saddle up for an accounting of the St Louis experience.
It will start with my debacle at the hotel where I hve yet to get plced in n acceptble room for my mom and I.
My moring travels included too noteworthy coffee shops, one with a "hotspot" (free internet access) and another with this rticle from "Riverfront Times"
"When No One Else would Come" by Shilo
Tons of so-called fans on the "Friends of Neil Diamond Web Site (www.neildiamond-homepage.com) have been talking mad smack about what has come to be known as the Shilo Debacle of '68. I'm here to set the record straight. You see, I'm Shilo. Yes, that Shilo - the imaginary friend childhood friend Neil named the song after. When Neil was a young boy growing up in Brooklyn, his Yiddish heritage forbade him from joining either of the protestant street gangs in his neighborhood, the Cobras or the cougars. So young Neil was forced to turn to "the only friend he could find" (me) there in his mind.
We had such special times. When Neilwould call my name, I came. And we would play. I would make him smile and feel like he could fly, and when it cme time for him to chase his dream of becoming the most mazingly popular craftsman of song the world has ever known, I understood. He left me with an air kiss and a promise that he would write a ssong about our special times.
When he did, it almost deriled his carreer. The executives at Bng Records thought our song was a weak follow-up to "Cherry Cherry" and "Solitary Man" which rightfully cast Neil as a dark sexual panther with a musky scent. This hurt, but Neil was there to console me. He took me in his arms and would stroke my imaginry hair, whispering tenderly. "Don't worry little Shilo, Papa's gonna make the big bad men go bye-bye." And when Neil up and defected to UNI (a part of MCA), it was okay.
Admittedly, Neil and I have drifted apartsince the Shilo Debacle of '68. Some of this had to do with my jealousy over his shacking up with tramps like Rosie, Holly, Soolaimon and that whore from Kentucky. But the other night, Neil phoned me up from the aqua jet in aboard his touring bus. And I came.
Kudos to this author. But she should have included the more recent tramps as well like Desire', Louise, and oh, MARY!
Had late dinner with Linda and Joanne. Looking forward to a great concert. For the record, if anyone who had Neil's ear is reading this and wants to know if fans think he should add anything to his show tonight and in KC, I have two words...
"HELL YEAH !!!"

This is what I want for Christmas Thank you!!!

Neil begins the new leg of his tour on Dec 3. I recommend the following changes:

This was Neil's last setlist:
1. Crunchy Granola Suite
2. Desiree
3. Remember Me
4. Beautiful Noise
5. You Got to Me
6. Kentucky Woman
7. Cherry Cherry
8. Play Me
9. Love on the Rocks
10. America
11. Thank the Lord for the Night Time
12. Forever in Blue Jeans
13. You Don't Bring Me Flowers (w/ Linda Press)
14. Wake Up the Band
15. Be
16. Lonely Looking Sky
17. Skybird
18. Holly Holy
19. Sweet Caroline
20. I'm a Believer
21. Glory Road
22. And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind
23. Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)
24. Shilo
25. Red Red Wine
26. Soolaimon
27. I Am...I Said
28. Cracklin' Rosie
29. Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show

I predict some changes and am only guessing as to which new songs. Admittedly, some of this is wishful thinking. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. This is mine:

"Lordy" intro- Seriously Neil, You know the words- rock the house for the first song.
2 Crunchy Granola Suite
3 Walk on Water
4. Play Me
5. Beautiful Noise
6. Jungle time
7. Cherry Cherry
8 delerious love
9 We
10. Thank the Lord for the Nighttime
11. You don't bring me Flowers ( non-duet)
12. solitary man
13. forever in Blue Jeans
14 song sung blue/sweet caroline
15. Band intro (acapulco)
16. songs of life
17 America
18. Holly Holy
19. I'm a Believer
20. You Got to Me
21. Glory Road
22. And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind
23. And the singer sings his songs
24. Red Red Wine
25. Soolaimon
26. I Am...I Said
27. Brotherlove
( I need to add here that anyone who saw the second minneapolis show would agree that we learned accidentally that a fresh approach to this song would be welcome. A sound problem created one of the best versions of this I have ever seen live. The strangeness of the situation had Neil singing the beginning more closely to the way it was originally done. Very fresh.)
28. Cracklin' Rosie
29 Hell Yeah

St Louis will be my tenth concert this year. Diamondville has about ten days to revise the setlist, if its not too much to ask!