Catalog Number: SKAO-93501 Condition Details: Vinyl plays with crackles and a few light-clicks (play-graded). Textured matte gate-fold cover looks great; a few creases near edges; very light-scuffing (front/back/inner-gate); discoloration spots near center-left on inner-gate. Name written on one side of label, near top-right on front, and near bottom-center on back. Inner-sleeve is generic white. Spine shows wear. Shelf-wear along top/bottom-edge and corners. Split near center of top-edge. Opening is crisp with signs of light use and divots. Capital Club pressing. This version is plain beige with no printing on inside of gate-fold. There is no text on jacket front. Booklet not included. (Not a cut-out.) Tracks: Cracklin' Rosie Free Life Coldwater Morning Done Too Soon He Ain't Heavy... He's My Brother The African Trilogy (A Folk Ballet) About The Record: Tap Root Manuscript, by Neil Diamond, was one of the most experimental albums he ever recorded, featuring prominent African sounds and instruments. The album ended up being a commercial success, with a string of top 40 hits. This album predates many Western artists' interest in world music by more than a decade, from Peter Gabriel's 1980's solo albums, to My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (David Byrne with Brian Eno) in 1981, to the Graceland album recorded by Paul Simon in 1986. It was one of the most novel experimental recording projects of its time, and the Uni label, to which Diamond was then under contract, initially was not sure whether it would be commercially viable. It turned out to be one of Diamond's most successful albums up to that point in his career, including one of his three No. 1 hits in his career, Cracklin' Rosie.