Neil Diamond — megastar, legendary showman, stage target for who knows how many female fans’ undergarments — must be accustomed to seeing his records hit Number One whenever he releases them, right? Actually, no. Turns out, that has never happened. In fact, despite the three dozen Top 40 songs he’s written and the 125 million albums he has sold worldwide, he has never occupied the top spot. That all changed this week, when Diamond’s Home Before Dark made its debut in Billboard’s top spot. Produced by hitmaker Rick Rubin (the man behind Johnny Cash’s late-career revival), the album deserves its success — stripped down and pensive, alternating between nostalgia, humor and frank soul-searching, it’s just the kind of record Diamond should be making right now. One wonders how those quieter songs will go over on his next arena tour. But while we’re waiting for that, here’s hoping similar success greets the May 27 debut of Al Green’s Lay It Down, which deserves to sell like Soul-slathered hotcakes. Where Rick Rubin coaxed Neil Diamond into a sober, age-appropriate mood, co-producers Ahmir Thompson (of the Roots, whose new Rising Down continues their streak of smart, politically charged but musically compelling hip-hop) and James Poyser have returned Green to the sound of his heyday. Though the record offers guest spots for contemporary stars like Anthony Hamilton, its sound is so spot-on vintage that you wouldn’t have a hard time convincing friends that it actually came out in 1975. The songs are strong, too — perfect, romance-filled settings for a voice that remains one of the best pop music has ever been lucky enough to hear.