Neil Diamond Veers From Hokey to Heartfelt

It wasn’t hard to guess which tune Neil Diamond would open with Wednesday at the Forum. The giant U.S. flag hanging in front of the stage practically guaranteed he’d start with “America,” one of his three Top 10 hits from the 1980 movie “The Jazz Singer,” in which he starred.

The song represents an era when the Brooklyn-born artist’s chart popularity had never been higher. Diamond’s genteel pop and persona--a blend of Elvis-style great entertainer and Dylan-style personal songwriter--made him America’s top male vocalist from 1966 to 1986. On Wednesday, he offered hit upon hit that testified to his enduring appeal, as well as many selections from his current collection, “Three Chord Opera.”

“America’s” tale of hopeful immigrants arriving on American shores encapsulated themes of patriotism and optimism that resonated throughout the two-hour show, the first of a three-night engagement. The over-the-top presentation--complete with the unfurling of three more stars-and-stripes banners and Diamond’s call to “stand up for America”--provided that element of self-seriousness bordering on camp that some (mostly younger) fans seemed to enjoy almost as much as his genuinely fine songwriting moments.

Indeed, the performance was an uneven blend of touching-to-overwrought sentiment, wacky humor and hackneyed audience-participation segments that momentarily transformed the arena into a cruise-ship lounge. Wearing a sparkly shirt and dress slacks, Diamond, 60, played some acoustic guitar and a little piano, and often bantered with the crowd.

Although high-tech, the concert felt slightly old-fashioned, due in part to the lack of video screens and the presence of a string quartet instead of synthesized strings. The band also included brass, keyboards, guitar, drums, percussion and backing vocalists.

Simple emotions writ large were the order of the night, which often led to bombast, as in a melodramatic “Holly Holy” and the show’s nadir, “At the Movies.” The virgin-seduction number “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” felt a little creepy, but Diamond lightened it by engaging in romantic shenanigans with a young audience member.

But Diamond was also genuinely affecting with such numbers as a subdued “Solitary Man” and a rollicking “Cherry, Cherry.” These moments underscored the real humanity behind even his more pretentious works. Indeed, by the time that big U.S. flag dropped back down after the encores, even nonbelievers left humming his tunes.

Neil Diamond plays today and Saturday at the Forum, 3900 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood, 8 p.m. $37.50 and $67.50. (310) 419-3100.