Studio Album · No. 7

Beautiful Noise Songwriting Credits by Neil Diamond

1976 Columbia Records 11 tracks 38 min

Produced by Robbie Robertson  ·  Engineered by John Calder, Neil Brody, Ed Anderson, Nat Jeffreys, Tim Kramer, Kent Duncan, Rick Collins

Columbia Records Pop RockSoft Rock
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 11 of 11 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 11 / 11 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether Neil Diamond carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
11 trackswritten by Neil Diamond 0 tracksoutside writers
Neil Diamond's roles on this album

Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

11
Tracks
2
Lyricists
1
Producers
1 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
1976
Released
Data Insight

Beautiful Noise is a rare thing: a songwriter's concept album about songwriting itself, and Neil Diamond wrote all of it. Every track carries his sole writing credit under his legal name, Neil Leslie Diamond, except the closer 'Dry Your Eyes,' which he co-wrote with producer Robbie Robertson. Robertson, the guitarist and chief writer of The Band, produced the entire record and reshaped Diamond's sound with a looser, roots-rock feel and contributions from Band members and top Los Angeles session players. So the authorship split is clean: the words and music are Diamond's throughout, while the production vision and one co-write are Robertson's.

Beautiful Noise is the tenth studio album by Neil Diamond, released in June 1976 on Columbia Records. It is a concept album about the Tin Pan Alley and Brill Building songwriting world of 1960s New York, the scene where a young Diamond began his career grinding out songs for hire. The record was produced by Robbie Robertson of The Band, who steered it toward a warmer, more organic sound and brought in fellow Band members Garth Hudson on organ and Richard Manuel among a deep bench of session players. Diamond wrote every song on the album himself, closing with 'Dry Your Eyes,' the lone co-write with Robertson, which the two later performed together at The Band's farewell concert The Last Waltz. It reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200, topped charts across Europe and Australasia, and was certified Platinum in the United States, powered by the hit single 'If You Know What I Mean' and the title track.

Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Beautiful Noise #13
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond Robbie Robertson Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar)
2
Stargazer
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond Robbie Robertson Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar)
3
Lady-Oh
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond Robbie Robertson Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar)
4
Don't Think... Feel #43
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond Robbie Robertson Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar)
5
Surviving the Life
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond Robbie Robertson Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar)
6
If You Know What I Mean #11
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond Robbie Robertson Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar)
7
Street Life
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond Robbie Robertson Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar)
8
Home Is a Wounded Heart
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond Robbie Robertson Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar)
9
Jungletime
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond Robbie Robertson Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar)
10
Signs
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond Robbie Robertson Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar)
11
Dry Your Eyes
Neil DiamondRobbie Robertson Neil Leslie DiamondRobbie Robertson Robbie Robertson Neil Diamond (Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 3 contributors

More from Neil Diamond

Frequently Asked Questions Beautiful Noise

Who produced Beautiful Noise?
Robbie Robertson, the guitarist and principal songwriter of The Band, produced the entire album. It was his first major outside production project.
Who wrote the songs on Beautiful Noise?
Neil Diamond wrote every song on the album himself. The only co-write is the closing track 'Dry Your Eyes,' which he wrote with Robbie Robertson.
What is Beautiful Noise about?
It is a concept album about the New York songwriting world of the 1960s, the Tin Pan Alley and Brill Building scene where Diamond started his career writing songs for hire.
Did members of The Band play on the album?
Yes. In addition to producer Robbie Robertson, Garth Hudson played Hammond and Lowrey organ, alongside a large cast of Los Angeles session musicians.
What were the hit singles from Beautiful Noise?
'If You Know What I Mean' reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Easy Listening chart, while the title track 'Beautiful Noise' became a top-15 hit across Europe and reached No. 13 in the UK.
How did Beautiful Noise perform commercially?
It reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200, hit No. 1 in Australia, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, and was certified Platinum in the United States.
What is the connection to The Last Waltz?
Diamond performed 'Dry Your Eyes,' the song he co-wrote with Robbie Robertson, with The Band at their 1976 farewell concert, captured in Martin Scorsese's film The Last Waltz.

Sources