Neil Diamond [ tickets ], who kicks-off the final leg of his world tour Saturday (11/22) in Grand Forks, ND, reportedly plans to start working with producer Rick Rubin on his next album Jan. 12--just four days after the last show of the 17-date North American run. Rubin produced the singer's last two albums.

"I told [Rubin] I wanted to start writing on the 12th," Diamond said, according to a Billboard.com report. Diamond and Rubin reportedly have talked about "a different concept, a different approach" for the follow-up to the primarily acoustic "Home Before Dark" and 2005's "12 Songs."

In related news, Diamond filmed a television special and DVD during his world tour, which has played in nine countries since May. "I've always felt you could never really replicate the experience of being at a concert," he told Billboard. "But this film comes as close to replicating it as anything I've ever seen."