comparing albums - Force Behind the Power and Take Me Higher

[sup_fan]

which one do you prefer? i think i like TMH better. not because the performances are better/worse but because i prefer the later 90s sound to the earlier.

[reese]

I love them both but I might give the edge to TMH simply because it had more of pop/r&B contemporary sound compared to the adult/MOR sound of FBTP. In a sense, TMH combined the best of WORKIN' OVERTIME and FORCE.

I think if TMH had been her return-to-Motown album it might have done much better than WORKIN' OVERTIME.

[sup_fan]

IMO both albums suffer from a title track that's too inspirational lolol. I know that sounds bad but the pop market usually isn't too hot for these types of songs.

I do agree that the pop sounds on TMH are stronger. Gone and If You're Not Gonna Love Me Right are pretty strong tracks. I Will Survive should have been a US single - possible the lead one. sure it's a remake but it could have helped reintroduce her to the younger generation. it's a modern take on a older classic which sort of perfectly sums up Diana herself. also I Never Loved A Man Before is a fav of mine. lovely

[reese]

IMO both albums suffer from a title track that's too inspirational lolol. I know that sounds bad but the pop market usually isn't too hot for these types of songs.

I do agree that the pop sounds on TMH are stronger. Gone and If You're Not Gonna Love Me Right are pretty strong tracks. I Will Survive should have been a US single - possible the lead one. sure it's a remake but it could have helped reintroduce her to the younger generation. it's a modern take on a older classic which sort of perfectly sums up Diana herself. also I Never Loved A Man Before is a fav of mine. lovely

I WILL SURVIVE was a missed opportunity. With its great video, the performances on THE TONIGHT SHOW and THE SUPERBOWL, plus it being used as the end theme in the film IN AND OUT, Motown should have rushed it out. But Chantay Savage had a remake out around the same time.

[lucky2012]

I think TMH is a better album but I listen to more of the FBTP tracks.

[Guy]

For me, FBTP is unlistenable. So I much prefer TMH to FBTP. Both pale beside EDIAND -- which completely brought me back into the fold. I was so disenchanted by the direction of FBTP that I didn't buy TMH until years after its release. I bought EDIAND on the day of its release.

That said, the remix of "Waiting In The Wings" is glorious. Hard to believe it's the same song that's on FBTP, it would have fit easily into EDIAND.


https://youtu.be/YEg6rOWLrm0

[jobucats]

[QUOTE=Guy;576847]
That said, the remix of "Waiting In The Wings" is glorious. Hard to believe it's the same song that's on FBTP, it would have fit easily into EDIAND.

I prefer the Take Me Higher of the two. It's one of my favorite Diana Ross albums.
Regarding "Waiting in the Wings" from the Force Behind the Power album: the album version in my mind always sounded like it was recorded, then slowed down to make her vocals and the background voices to sound unnatural and dulll. It just drags and drags. I have, via YouTube, seen her sing this live at what I consider a very nice tempo. The version you shared is much better than the album version. It appears that the background vocals are differently arranged. I may be wrong because it's been a while since I listened to the original one.

[khansperac]

I don’t recall all the songs from FBTP, I’ll have to look it up for a more detailed post. Interesting note, when I would play songs from that album around non Ross fans, almost all of them really liked “waiting in the wings”. To answer the question, it’s Take me Higher, for me . Love that album. It ranks as one of her best.

[Ollie9]

Blame It On The Sun”, “FBTP” and “Your Gonna Love It” are the best songs on the album for me. The rest is just a little to vanilla for my own personal taste.
Head and shoulders TMH is the better album. Favourite song being “Don’t Stop” complete with rap.
My only critique being there is as superior version of “Never Loved A Man” which is a little faster and has a lot more oomph. Also the alternate intro to “I Thought That We Were Still in Love” was beautiful. I don’t understand why it was shortened as it really added to the mood of the song.

[JohnnyB]

Blame It On The Sun”, “FBTP” and “Your Gonna Love It” are the best songs on the album for me. The rest is just a little to vanilla for my own personal taste.
Head and shoulders TMH is the better album. Favourite song being “Don’t Stop” complete with rap.
My only critique being there is as superior version of “Never Loved A Man” which is a little faster and has a lot more oomph. Also the alternate intro to “I Thought That We Were Still in Love” was beautiful. I don’t understand why it was shortened as it really added to the mood of the song.

Ollie, I’ve been searching for the alternate of I Never Loved A Man Before for years. Do you have access to it or know where it can be found?

[sup_fan]

would love to hear too!

[Ollie9]

Ollie, I’ve been searching for the alternate of I Never Loved A Man Before for years. Do you have access to it or know where it can be found?

If my memory serves me correctly Johnny, the alternate or perhaps one should say the original version of “Never Loved A Man” was featured on the B side of the cassette single of Gone. It was quite a bit faster, featured less guitar and carried a lot more punch. I much preferred it to the album version. Sadly I no longer have the cassette, as two house moves down the line it sadly ended up getting lost.
Hopefully one day soon there will be an expanded TMH. It certainly merits one.

[daviddh]

Take me higher is a great album.my first choice.
The Force is more adult contemporary .

[JohnnyB]

If my memory serves me correctly Johnny, the alternate or perhaps one should say the original version of “Never Loved A Man” was featured on the B side of the cassette single of Gone. It was quite a bit faster, featured less guitar and carried a lot more punch. I much preferred it to the album version. Sadly I no longer have the cassette, as two house moves down the line it sadly ended up getting lost.
Hopefully one day soon there will be an expanded TMH. It certainly merits one.

Thank you for the info!

[lucky2012]

Interesting note, when I would play songs from that album around non Ross fans, almost all of them really liked “waiting in the wings”. To
I've experienced this, too. Actually, this song is one of my favorites from the album. I think it's because it really is a different type of song for Ross. It has an ethereal folk/country/singer-songwriter vibe that was an interesting contrast to and yet somehow complemented the rest of the album. It had me listening from the first lines. "I need you like freedom, I feel you like rain, I see you like silver rails across an endless plain." For me, it was visual as well as aural. I think Ross sings beautifully on this track.
Perhaps we forget that Diana Ross is as much Pop as she is R&B to a lot of people. I love that about her.
I think Take Me Higher is a much better, more cohesive album but I did like that FBTP included a range of tracks like Change of Heart, Heavy Weather, Blame It On the Sun, Battlefield, Heart Don't Change My Mind, One Shining Moment and You're Gonna Love It. I listen to these as much, if not more, than TMH the album.
BTW, I also really like the remix very much. Yes, it might have fit on EDIAND. [[May have lightened up that album a little.)

[lucky2012]

The male voice in the background of Waiting reminded me of Jimmy Webb on Once In The Morning, one of the few tracks I will listen to from that album. I liked the creative exploration into new genres in both songs.

[daviddh]

There are favorite tracks such as Change Of Heart...Waiting in the Wings...One Shinning Moment.......blame It on the Sun. But overall TMH but these two are different albums all together

[daviddh]

Bring on the expanded edition of these albums....bring it on....we need them.

[rovereab]

Bring on the expanded edition of these albums....bring it on....we need them.

I so agree!

[lucky2012]

Bring on the expanded edition of these albums....bring it on....we need them.

I've resisted the RCA expanded editions but I would love to hear expanded editions of her 90's albums.