The Best Years of Our Lives is the eighteenth studio album by Neil Diamond. It was released by Columbia Records in 1988 and reached number 46 on the Billboard 200 chart, number 42 on the UK album chart, and number 92 on the Australian chart.
The album was certified gold by the RIAA on February 16, 1989. In his review of The Best Years of Our Lives music critic Bryan Buss referred to it as "a strong entry in Diamond's oeuvre" and as "an album that is romantic and sentimental without being manipulative".
Three singles from the album, the title track, "This Time", and "Baby Can I Hold You" reached numbers 7, 9, and 28, respectively on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. "This Time" also reached #17 on the Irish Singles Chart. Cash Box said of the title track that it was "not a terribly inspired tune, but served up with predictable skill by Mr. D."
Contents
Personnel
Neil Diamond – lead vocals
Michael Boddicker – keyboards
Robbie Buchanan – keyboards
David Foster – keyboards, horn arrangements
Tom Hensley – keyboards
Alan Lindgren – keyboards
Michael Omartian – keyboards
David Paich – keyboards
Rick Bowen – synthesizer programming
Rhett Lawrence – synthesizer programming
Kevin Maloney – synthesizer programming
Richard Bennett – acoustic guitars
Michael Landau – electric guitars
Steve Lukather – electric guitars
Dean Parks – acoustic guitars, electric guitars
Mike Brignardello – bass
Reinie Press – bass
Tris Imboden – drums
Paul Leim – drums
Carlos Vega – drums
Dan Higgins – horns
Larry Williams – horns
Bill Reichenbach Jr. – horns
Gary Grant – horns
Jerry Hey – horns, horn arrangements
Jeremy Lubbock – string arrangements
Bill Champlin – backing vocals
Tamara Champlin – backing vocals
Renée Geyer – backing vocals
Richard Page – backing vocals
Production
David Foster – producer, arrangements
Jeffrey "Woody" Woodruff – chief recording engineer
Humberto Gatica – mixing, additional recording
Jeff Balding – additional recording
David Reitzas – additional recording, assistant engineer
Jesse Kanner – assistant engineer
Ray Pyle – assistant engineer
Mauricio Guerrero – mix assistant
Laura Livingston – mix assistant
George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York)
Sam Cole – production coordinator
Chris Earthy – production coordinator
Ned Brown – production assistant
Barry Cardinale – production assistant
Larry E. Williams – production assistant
Alison Zanetos – production assistant
David Kirschner – art direction, design
Beverley Lazor-Bahr – additional design
Matthew Rolston – photography