Don't look for "Kentucky Woman"- or "America"-level energy in As Time Goes By, Neil Diamond's double-disc collection of movie themes. These tracks are much more orchestrated (conducted by soundtrack legend Elmer Bernstein, even), and although they're just as emotive, they're ultimately too smooth for most of us. It's an interesting mix of old and new--songs range from "Moon River" to a surprisingly effective "My Heart Will Go On"; there's even a Sinatra medley. Diamond is certainly in top form (just not the form some of us wish he was still in), and Bernstein's music is effective. The real flaw is the pacing--seemingly upbeat numbers just never seem to take off. "And I Love Her," "Puttin' On the Ritz," and "True Love" beg for the jazz singer we once knew. Does every diamond in the rough eventually get polished? Suppose so... --Jason Verlinde