My Top 1000 Songs #956: If You Know What I Mean

[I've been writing up my Top 1000 songs on a daily basis--you can see them all in descending order by hitting the All My Favorite Songs tag.]

Neil Diamond has followed a complicated trajectory in my life--from guy-my-parents-liked-whose-music-I-was-compelled-to-hate; to guilty pleasure I could secretly enjoy as long as I maintained a sense of snarky irony; to respectable songwriter who, despite all the schlock, could craft some songs I couldn't help but respect and even appreciate.

That contradict...