Neil Diamond returns with new album ‘Wild At Heart’, marking the final chapter in his acclaimed collaborations with Rick Rubin and unveiling long-shelved recordings from a pivotal creative era
By Paul Cashmere
Neil Diamond will release Wild At Heart on 8 May 2026 via EMI, delivering a long-awaited collection of previously unreleased recordings that complete his celebrated trilogy with producer Rick Rubin.
The album draws from sessions originally recorded in 2007 for Diamond’s 2008 album Home Before Dark, a landmark release that became his first No.1 album on the Billboard 200. Those sessions followed the critical success of 2005’s 12 Songs, the first time Diamond had worked with Rubin – a partnership that would ultimately redefine his late-career legacy.
Now, nearly two decades later, Wild At Heart brings that story full circle.
“My work with Rick was a labour of love,” Diamond said in a statement. “I’m so gratified that these songs will finally be set free into the world to complete our trilogy of work.”
The record features 10 tracks, including nine previously unheard songs and an alternate version of ‘Forgotten’, which first appeared on Home Before Dark. The newly released material maintains the stark, intimate aesthetic that defined the Diamond-Rubin era – a deliberate move away from the orchestral polish of Diamond’s earlier mainstream successes.
Rubin’s approach was famously minimalist. Known for his work with artists like Johnny Cash, Rubin encouraged Diamond to strip everything back to voice, lyrics and guitar. Crucially, he pushed Diamond to play his own acoustic guitar on the recordings – something the artist had largely abandoned since the 1960s.
The result was a more grounded, emotionally direct sound. Rather than the theatrical vocal delivery associated with his Las Vegas years, Diamond’s performances on these recordings are measured, reflective and often deeply vulnerable.
The sessions also featured an impressive supporting cast, including Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, alongside respected session players Smokey Hormel and Matt Sweeney. Their contributions add subtle texture to the otherwise restrained arrangements.
“Working with these guys and having Rick’s ear made it a great deal of fun,” Diamond reflected at the time. “It was magic.”
That sense of cohesion is evident across Wild At Heart, which captures a moment when Diamond was reconnecting with his roots as a songwriter. The material leans into introspection, with themes of love, reflection and ageing delivered through understated instrumentation.
The title track ‘Wild At Heart’ has already been released as the lead single, offering a preview of the album’s tone – sparse, melodic and lyrically direct.
The full tracklisting includes:
Wild At Heart
You Can’t Have It All
Talking It To Death
Shine On
The Secret You
You Never Know
You’re Getting To Me
You Still Look Good To Me
You’re My Favorite Song
Forgotten (Alternate Version)
In addition to the standard album, Wild At Heart will be available in multiple formats, including CD, vinyl and a deluxe 2CD edition. The expanded version includes a second disc of Diamond classics such as ‘Sweet Caroline’, ‘Cracklin’ Rosie’, ‘Forever In Blue Jeans’ and ‘I Am… I Said’, reinforcing the connection between his iconic catalogue and this more introspective phase.
Now aged 85, Diamond remains one of the most successful singer-songwriters in music history. His catalogue spans decades, with enduring hits like ‘Cherry Cherry’, ‘Solitary Man’ and ‘America’, and he has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. He is also a member of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Beyond music, his work has continued to resonate through film and theatre, from The Jazz Singer to the stage musical A Beautiful Noise, and more recently through renewed attention sparked by projects inspired by his catalogue.
The release of Wild At Heart is significant not just as a new album, but as the closing chapter of a creative reinvention that began in the mid-2000s. At a time when many legacy artists lean on nostalgia, Diamond’s work with Rubin demonstrated a willingness to evolve – revisiting the fundamentals of songwriting with a renewed sense of purpose.
If 12 Songs reintroduced Diamond as a serious contemporary artist, and Home Before Dark confirmed his relevance at the top of the charts, then Wild At Heart serves as the final piece of that narrative – a document of an artist rediscovering his voice and allowing unfinished work to find its place in the story.
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YouTube. See things first—Subscribe to Noise11 on YouTube
Follow Noise11.com on social media:
Bluesky
Facebook – Comment on the news of the day
