jobeterob
06-25-2012, 01:31 AM
The Diana Ross Project
Album-by-album…track-by-track…The Boss & her music
HomeAbout/Contact
Jun 24 2012
16 Comments
By Paul
Studio Album
The Force Behind The Power [[1991)
“When the moment comes I’ll be your dancer, I’ll be your singer and your song…”
Diana Ross kicked off the 1990s with The Force Behind The Power, her second studio album under her second contract with Motown Records. After leaving Motown the first time for a stint with RCA Records, Miss Ross returned to the label late in the decade and released Workin’ Overtime, an album she no doubt believed would win her a legion of young fans and return her to the top of the charts. That didn’t happen; Workin’ Overtime was her lowest charting solo album ever, and critics were not kind to the youthful R&B sound she and producer Nile Rodgers had gone for. Though she’d turned in some good vocals on the album and it wasn’t really the disaster a lot of people have painted it out to be, the message was certainly loud and clear that Diana Ross needed to get back to basics a bit.
That’s exactly what The Force Behind The Power attempts to do; the album features producing/writing credits including Stevie Wonder and James Anthony Carmichael [[who’d co-produced her hit “Missing You”), as well as Peter Asher, known for his work with James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt. These names are significant — Wonder and Carmichael [[Lionel Richie’s longtime collaborator) certainly help remind listeners of Diana’s legacy as Queen of Motown, while Asher’s classy pop productions are the kind of adult contemporary material many fans missed on Workin’ Overtime. The result is an album miles away from her last one; more similar to 1987′s Red Hot Rhythm & Blues, this is a work that focuses on strong material suited to Diana Ross’s voice, allowing it to naturally display range rather than forcing it unnecessarily.
The Force Behind The Power would emerge as one of Diana Ross’s best albums in years; the only real fault is a lack of fire in a few songs — something that would be corrected with her next studio album, 1995′s Take Me Higher. Unfortunately, it was not the hit it deserved to be…at least, not in the United States. First single “When You Tell Me That You Love Me” cracked the R&B and AC charts, but somehow didn’t get any play on the pop side. The song was a massive hit in the UK, though, hitting #2 and becoming her biggest single there since “Chain Reaction.” While that song was followed by several other top 40 singles overseas, not a single track from the album managed to become a hit in the United States. Perhaps, as was the case on 1971′s Surrender and 1977′s Baby It’s Me, there were just too many strong songs for the folks at Motown to just choose one and focus on making a hit. If that’s the case, it’s a shame, because there are several works here that could have become Diana Ross classics for the public at large, rather than just for fans.
***
1. Change Of Heart: The album opens with its strongest track; this is an upbeat pop song that is one of the best songs Diana Ross had recorded in years — and really among the best of her solo career. I’ve read that this was considered for release as the debut single, and that at one point the album was going to be named Change Of Heart. If only; this would have been a dynamic first single that could have easily found success on the pop and R&B listings had it been well-promoted and had Miss Ross performed it live on television appearances in the United States [[there’s a video floating around online of her performing it live in Tokyo, and it’s masterful). The fact that it wasn’t released to radio at all is extremely puzzling; this really is a perfect pop record featuring a sterling vocal performance. Written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle — the men behind Tina Turner’s massive comeback hit “What’s Love Got To Do With It” — the song is a swinging mid-tempo number with a shimmering, classy instrumental and catchy, simple lyric. Diana’s vocal performance is superb; she sounds completely engaged and in command here, and she manages to show off some range and power without ever oversinging or murdering the song’s melody. It’s a thrill to hear her go for — and nail — the repeated high notes at the end of the song, starting around 3:22; her ad-libbing here is reminiscent of her work at the end of “Love Child” from way back in 1968! The rest of the performance is subtle and playful; the song makes full use of her smooth and sexy lower register [[allowing her to add in some nice, soulful flourishes during the verses) and shows off her crisp, clear soprano on the chorus. This is the song that should have returned Diana Ross to the top of the pop charts; it should have also garnered her a Grammy nomination for Female Pop Vocal Performance — it’s that good. Motown would miss a lot of opportunities during Diana’s second stint with the company, but this is one of the big ones that got away.
2. When You Tell Me That You Love Me: This is the most famous song off of the album, as it has proven to have a long life overseas; not only did it hit #2 on the charts when it was released in 1991, but it hit #2 again in the UK in 2005 when British group Westlife recorded it with Diana. The success of both versions has made it one of Miss Ross’s signature songs in England; strangely, it mirrors her other two major UK hits, “I’m Still Waiting” and ”Chain Reaction,” in that it was only a very minor success in the United States [[the release topped out at #37 on the R&B chart). It’s unfortunate that this song was ignored in the US; it’s really a lovely, classic ballad, and the kind of song that Diana Ross — when she wants to — delivers like nobody else. Her performance here is strong; the song requires range and power, and Miss Ross certainly delivers, especially during the last chorus [[at around 3 minutes in, after the guitar solo) when the song changes key and Diana really starts belting. The production, by Peter Asher, is pop at its more romantic and slick; if there’s any issue to be had with the song, it’s that it’s almost a little too slick. The best Diana Ross ballads — songs like “Missing You” and her work on The Wiz soundtrack — have a soulful edge that brings out a warmth in her voice that pure pop music sometimes misses; this was the case on Diana’s final recordings with Michael Masser. There’s a little bit of that here, although it’s still a strong recording. It was also a nice way to demonstrate that nearly 20 years after “Touch Me In The Morning,” Diana Ross hadn’t lost her ability to sell a powerful ballad — especially since younger artists like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston were dominating the charts with their own showy love songs.
3. Battlefield: An extremely enjoyable, almost classic Motown-ish number that gives Miss Ross a chance to channel the women who dominated finger-popping heartbreak songs as lead singer of the Supremes in the 1960s. There are moments where Diana really sounds like she’s 20 years old again; listen to her sing, “Everything that can…has gone wrong” at around 1:50 in and you can hear the same woman who cried, “Love Is Here And Now You’re Gone” in 1967. The instrumental track is an exciting mix of swirling strings, driving drums, and howling harmonica; the wash of female singers behind Diana is reminiscent of those that backed her on “Last Time I Saw Him” in 1974. This song is a nice way of keeping the album a contemporary one while also reminding listeners of the musical contributions its singer had made over the past 30 years; it’s a great inclusion.
4. Blame It On The Sun: Back in 1977, Diana Ross covered Stevie Wonder’s “Too Shy To Say” on her Baby It’s Me LP; her sensitive performance atop the simple, piano-drive track was a standout and remains one of her great ballad performances. Here is a case of Diana covering Stevie again; he’d first written and recorded the song “Blame It On The Sun” for 1972′s Talking Book. Miss Ross turns in another tender, heartfelt performance here, although the song isn’t ultimately as strong as her earlier take on a Wonder composition. This isn’t her fault; she sounds great and certainly seems to be deeply connected to the lyrics. She particularly sounds appealing around the 3:00 mark, when she sighs heavily and really digs into the words. The issue here lies in the production; the synth-heavy opening feels a little overdone and New Age-y, and probably would’ve been better served by simpler line consisting of a solo piano. That said, I think the track sounds better as the song goes on, eventually featuring a dreamy element akin to the feeling of “Summertime” on Red Hot Rhythm & Blues. This isn’t the strongest ballad on the album, but it’s a really good one; it again proves that Miss Ross was in fine voice during this time period.
Album-by-album…track-by-track…The Boss & her music
HomeAbout/Contact
Jun 24 2012
16 Comments
By Paul
Studio Album
The Force Behind The Power [[1991)
“When the moment comes I’ll be your dancer, I’ll be your singer and your song…”
Diana Ross kicked off the 1990s with The Force Behind The Power, her second studio album under her second contract with Motown Records. After leaving Motown the first time for a stint with RCA Records, Miss Ross returned to the label late in the decade and released Workin’ Overtime, an album she no doubt believed would win her a legion of young fans and return her to the top of the charts. That didn’t happen; Workin’ Overtime was her lowest charting solo album ever, and critics were not kind to the youthful R&B sound she and producer Nile Rodgers had gone for. Though she’d turned in some good vocals on the album and it wasn’t really the disaster a lot of people have painted it out to be, the message was certainly loud and clear that Diana Ross needed to get back to basics a bit.
That’s exactly what The Force Behind The Power attempts to do; the album features producing/writing credits including Stevie Wonder and James Anthony Carmichael [[who’d co-produced her hit “Missing You”), as well as Peter Asher, known for his work with James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt. These names are significant — Wonder and Carmichael [[Lionel Richie’s longtime collaborator) certainly help remind listeners of Diana’s legacy as Queen of Motown, while Asher’s classy pop productions are the kind of adult contemporary material many fans missed on Workin’ Overtime. The result is an album miles away from her last one; more similar to 1987′s Red Hot Rhythm & Blues, this is a work that focuses on strong material suited to Diana Ross’s voice, allowing it to naturally display range rather than forcing it unnecessarily.
The Force Behind The Power would emerge as one of Diana Ross’s best albums in years; the only real fault is a lack of fire in a few songs — something that would be corrected with her next studio album, 1995′s Take Me Higher. Unfortunately, it was not the hit it deserved to be…at least, not in the United States. First single “When You Tell Me That You Love Me” cracked the R&B and AC charts, but somehow didn’t get any play on the pop side. The song was a massive hit in the UK, though, hitting #2 and becoming her biggest single there since “Chain Reaction.” While that song was followed by several other top 40 singles overseas, not a single track from the album managed to become a hit in the United States. Perhaps, as was the case on 1971′s Surrender and 1977′s Baby It’s Me, there were just too many strong songs for the folks at Motown to just choose one and focus on making a hit. If that’s the case, it’s a shame, because there are several works here that could have become Diana Ross classics for the public at large, rather than just for fans.
***
1. Change Of Heart: The album opens with its strongest track; this is an upbeat pop song that is one of the best songs Diana Ross had recorded in years — and really among the best of her solo career. I’ve read that this was considered for release as the debut single, and that at one point the album was going to be named Change Of Heart. If only; this would have been a dynamic first single that could have easily found success on the pop and R&B listings had it been well-promoted and had Miss Ross performed it live on television appearances in the United States [[there’s a video floating around online of her performing it live in Tokyo, and it’s masterful). The fact that it wasn’t released to radio at all is extremely puzzling; this really is a perfect pop record featuring a sterling vocal performance. Written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle — the men behind Tina Turner’s massive comeback hit “What’s Love Got To Do With It” — the song is a swinging mid-tempo number with a shimmering, classy instrumental and catchy, simple lyric. Diana’s vocal performance is superb; she sounds completely engaged and in command here, and she manages to show off some range and power without ever oversinging or murdering the song’s melody. It’s a thrill to hear her go for — and nail — the repeated high notes at the end of the song, starting around 3:22; her ad-libbing here is reminiscent of her work at the end of “Love Child” from way back in 1968! The rest of the performance is subtle and playful; the song makes full use of her smooth and sexy lower register [[allowing her to add in some nice, soulful flourishes during the verses) and shows off her crisp, clear soprano on the chorus. This is the song that should have returned Diana Ross to the top of the pop charts; it should have also garnered her a Grammy nomination for Female Pop Vocal Performance — it’s that good. Motown would miss a lot of opportunities during Diana’s second stint with the company, but this is one of the big ones that got away.
2. When You Tell Me That You Love Me: This is the most famous song off of the album, as it has proven to have a long life overseas; not only did it hit #2 on the charts when it was released in 1991, but it hit #2 again in the UK in 2005 when British group Westlife recorded it with Diana. The success of both versions has made it one of Miss Ross’s signature songs in England; strangely, it mirrors her other two major UK hits, “I’m Still Waiting” and ”Chain Reaction,” in that it was only a very minor success in the United States [[the release topped out at #37 on the R&B chart). It’s unfortunate that this song was ignored in the US; it’s really a lovely, classic ballad, and the kind of song that Diana Ross — when she wants to — delivers like nobody else. Her performance here is strong; the song requires range and power, and Miss Ross certainly delivers, especially during the last chorus [[at around 3 minutes in, after the guitar solo) when the song changes key and Diana really starts belting. The production, by Peter Asher, is pop at its more romantic and slick; if there’s any issue to be had with the song, it’s that it’s almost a little too slick. The best Diana Ross ballads — songs like “Missing You” and her work on The Wiz soundtrack — have a soulful edge that brings out a warmth in her voice that pure pop music sometimes misses; this was the case on Diana’s final recordings with Michael Masser. There’s a little bit of that here, although it’s still a strong recording. It was also a nice way to demonstrate that nearly 20 years after “Touch Me In The Morning,” Diana Ross hadn’t lost her ability to sell a powerful ballad — especially since younger artists like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston were dominating the charts with their own showy love songs.
3. Battlefield: An extremely enjoyable, almost classic Motown-ish number that gives Miss Ross a chance to channel the women who dominated finger-popping heartbreak songs as lead singer of the Supremes in the 1960s. There are moments where Diana really sounds like she’s 20 years old again; listen to her sing, “Everything that can…has gone wrong” at around 1:50 in and you can hear the same woman who cried, “Love Is Here And Now You’re Gone” in 1967. The instrumental track is an exciting mix of swirling strings, driving drums, and howling harmonica; the wash of female singers behind Diana is reminiscent of those that backed her on “Last Time I Saw Him” in 1974. This song is a nice way of keeping the album a contemporary one while also reminding listeners of the musical contributions its singer had made over the past 30 years; it’s a great inclusion.
4. Blame It On The Sun: Back in 1977, Diana Ross covered Stevie Wonder’s “Too Shy To Say” on her Baby It’s Me LP; her sensitive performance atop the simple, piano-drive track was a standout and remains one of her great ballad performances. Here is a case of Diana covering Stevie again; he’d first written and recorded the song “Blame It On The Sun” for 1972′s Talking Book. Miss Ross turns in another tender, heartfelt performance here, although the song isn’t ultimately as strong as her earlier take on a Wonder composition. This isn’t her fault; she sounds great and certainly seems to be deeply connected to the lyrics. She particularly sounds appealing around the 3:00 mark, when she sighs heavily and really digs into the words. The issue here lies in the production; the synth-heavy opening feels a little overdone and New Age-y, and probably would’ve been better served by simpler line consisting of a solo piano. That said, I think the track sounds better as the song goes on, eventually featuring a dreamy element akin to the feeling of “Summertime” on Red Hot Rhythm & Blues. This isn’t the strongest ballad on the album, but it’s a really good one; it again proves that Miss Ross was in fine voice during this time period.