'45 Years Ago ‘An Evening with Diana Ross’ Proved to Be Her Defining Album'

[PeaceNHarmony]

From Pop Matters -

https://www.popmatters.com/evening-with-diana-ross-atr45

[sup_fan]

this is an excellent live set. it's fascinating to read some of the background of how this show was conceived, her work with director Joe Layton. how they built such interesting and clear segments within the show and yet how those segments perfectly blend together. and leveraging so much of her music to tell the story and also incorporating other songs too

[sup_fan]

this, along with Copa and Talk of the Town highlight the magic of the singers

Copa - you know the girls are just young adults but are amazed at the flawless showmanship and versatility. this perfectly sums up the magic of DMF

Talk - this is high-gloss DRATS at their best. it epitomizes how these WOMEN [[no longer young adults) have grown into seasoned entertainers.

Evening - the maturation of Diana Ross into DIANA ROSS. not just the amazing songs she sings but the fact that her true calling in life [[aside from being a mother) is to entertain

[reese]

A nice examination of this album.

I recall seeing the show in February of 1977. It was my first secular concert and I couldn't believe how great it was. It definitely spoiled me for future shows. When I bought the album a few months later, I played it so much that I'm sure I drove my family crazy. Though I haven't listened to it in a while, I'm sure I could still put in on and sing and speak along with every line.

I could see some of the visuals being lost if one never saw the show. But if one has the original album with the various photos, I think you can figure it out. I think the only things that are totally lost are her dress being unwound across the stage while she was singing I WOULDN'T CHANGE A THING. And the total act of LOVE HANGOVER is lost on the album. She started singing the song live, then a mime brought her a glass of water, and the pre-recorded track took over. On the album, all you hear is her saying "Thank you" for the water so one has no idea what is happening.

It really was a great show!

[reese]

this is an excellent live set. it's fascinating to read some of the background of how this show was conceived, her work with director Joe Layton. how they built such interesting and clear segments within the show and yet how those segments perfectly blend together. and leveraging so much of her music to tell the story and also incorporating other songs too

It is interesting how they used all of those sources and to the unaware, made them seem as if they were from Diana's life. I was barely 10 when I saw the show so I had never heard of A CHORUS LINE. So when Diana talked about going to acting class, I thought it was true. Same with the quotations from Lorraine Hansberry. The show was really well done.

[PeaceNHarmony]

I saw the show at the Palace on Broadway, and it was a joy. Just ... a joy. I was dead-center, about 10 rows back, and the memory still stirs. The audience giving a bit of a gasp at Diana's beauty when the mimes parted. The pure, clear, pitch-perfect sound of the lady's voice as she broke into 'Here I am ...'. The costumes. The orchestra. The thought that went in to the preparation of the show. The Lorraine Hansberry quotes were thrilling. The presence of Diana in the theatre in which Judy Garland triumphed. The standing ovation at the end of the show, when audiences did not give standing ovations to people who invented closet hangers or have "social" page presence. Just a momentous occasion.

[daviddh]

sorry i know so may loved this show, and i can see why but i never saw this show personaly, so to me its just anoterh rushed live album with to many medleys.
touch me in the morning comes in at 1.50 seconds long.what a let down
love hangover is lyp synced
only the Supremes medley was cool with me and the closing aint no mountain high enough.
sorry i missed this show but ive tried to get into but i cant

[Ollie9]

The album ended up getting quite a few dud reviews here in the UK. One i particularly remember described the orchestra as sounding like something from a circus, saying she needed a band who actually sound like they were taking her somewhere. Others thought she had gone Cabaret to early in her career.

[Boogiedown]

I worked in a record store when this came out. We played it over our sound system periodically as we did with new releases. It was ok, but not remarkable, and didn’t create a rush at the cash register.

I was heavily into Donna Summer at the time and while I didn’t want to admit it, it too was disappointing. {Sold like crazy}
im thinking poor sound quality had a lot to do in both instances’ lack of impressiveness.