Middling albums by Diana Ross?

[Spreadinglove21]

What are albums by Diana Ross you consider middling? That is, they're OK, nothing really bad about the songs/production/performances, but at the same time don't really wow you either. Even the hits or album highlights are a bit underwhelming?

[sup_fan]

i think Diana and Marvin could qualify. there are a couple good tunes but overall the set underdelivered

Ross 83 maybe? it's nice that we finally got an 80s album that was relatively cohesive and were Diana wasn't producer. but overall the material never really jumps out at you

[reese]

LAST TIME I SAW HIM
ROSS [1978]
SILK ELECTRIC
EATEN ALIVE
WORKIN' OVERTIME

I wouldn't call any of these albums truly bad. Some like LTISH and R have some great moments but don't quite hang together.

But some of them like EA and WO just didn't grab me. To this day, if some of these songs from these albums started playing, I wouldn't know what they were. I didn't listen to them enough to get familiar.

[jobeterob]

These comments are fair but Diana and Marvin and Eaten Alive don’t belong in the weaker category for me

[daviddh]

had to think about this , so for me mostly , the RCA out put but i do like Eaten Alive minus the title cut and Ross 83
Last Time I Saw Him was a mess to me .had to redo my playlist.grateful foe the expanded editions to allow me to have the deeper dive into Ross music

[RanRan79]

What are albums by Diana Ross you consider middling? That is, they're OK, nothing really bad about the songs/production/performances, but at the same time don't really wow you either. Even the hits or album highlights are a bit underwhelming?

Going by your definition, I'd say diana80 comes to mind. It's not a bad album at all, it just does nothing for me.

Diana Ross 76 is another one. There are some great highlights for sure, but as a collection, it doesn't work for me.

LTISH has a couple songs I really love, and then some I really don't, and the album sounds like Motown just pulled together some tracks and put out an album, resulting in my not being wowed. But it's not a bad album, per se.

[lucky2012]

Going by your definition, I'd say diana80 comes to mind. It's not a bad album at all, it just does nothing for me.

Diana Ross 76 is another one. There are some great highlights for sure, but as a collection, it doesn't work for me.

LTISH has a couple songs I really love, and then some I really don't, and the album sounds like Motown just pulled together some tracks and put out an album, resulting in my not being wowed. But it's not a bad album, per se.

As Diana says in You Keep Me Hangin, On: Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

I think Diana Ross 76 and diana 80 are two of her best albums! Never mind that they are two of her best-selling albums. [I realize we're not discussing sales here.] I love everything about the two: production, songs, vocal performance, and the album covers.

I'm going to run for cover now, because I think most of her solo [studio]albums are middling, some bordering on poor [EIE, SE, EA, WO, ILY]

My personal favorites, definitely not middling: Diana Ross 70, Surrender, LSTB, TMITM, Diana Ross 76, BIM, The Boss, diana 80

[RanRan79]

As Diana says in You Keep Me Hangin, On: Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

I think Diana Ross 76 and diana 80 are two of her best albums! Never mind that they are two of her best-selling albums. [I realize we're not discussing sales here.] I love everything about the two: production, songs, vocal performance, and the album covers.

I'm going to run for cover now, because I think most of her solo [studio]albums are middling, some bordering on poor [EIE, SE, EA, WO, ILY]

My personal favorites, definitely not middling: Diana Ross 70, Surrender, LSTB, TMITM, Diana Ross 76, BIM, The Boss, diana 80

I feel this way about her RCA albums. They're middling to poor.

My problem with DR76 is "Kiss Me Now", "Smile", "Mahogany" and "After You". Now believe it or not, I love "After You", but I often listen to it apart from the album. I understand why "Mahogany" was included, but they could have limited it to the soundtrack and even used it as an incentive to purchase the greatest hits. "Kiss" and "Smile" throw me off. I don't dislike either one- in fact I think "Smile" is very good- but these songs throw me off while listening to the album. I think the album tracks on the album should have all had a "You're Good Me Child" and "Aint Nothing But a Maybe" vibe in order to have hooked me.

[sup_fan]

I feel this way about her RCA albums. They're middling to poor.

My problem with DR76 is "Kiss Me Now", "Smile", "Mahogany" and "After You". Now believe it or not, I love "After You", but I often listen to it apart from the album. I understand why "Mahogany" was included, but they could have limited it to the soundtrack and even used it as an incentive to purchase the greatest hits. "Kiss" and "Smile" throw me off. I don't dislike either one- in fact I think "Smile" is very good- but these songs throw me off while listening to the album. I think the album tracks on the album should have all had a "You're Good Me Child" and "Aint Nothing But a Maybe" vibe in order to have hooked me.

while i don't agree, i do recognize your complaints with DR 76. for me the variety does work together but others have stated it's too all over the place.

Love Hangover is so passionate and hot. to me it represents the throws of "the act". the foreplay leading up to the main thing lol

to have Kiss Me Now after that can be jarring. i view it as the playful afterglow. you and your partner are done and in bed, still hot and sweaty but laughing and kissing and goofing off a little now. agree it's not everyone's cup of tea but i think it works.

could there have been other approaches though to the album? definitely

[RanRan79]

while i don't agree, i do recognize your complaints with DR 76. for me the variety does work together but others have stated it's too all over the place.

Love Hangover is so passionate and hot. to me it represents the throws of "the act". the foreplay leading up to the main thing lol

to have Kiss Me Now after that can be jarring. i view it as the playful afterglow. you and your partner are done and in bed, still hot and sweaty but laughing and kissing and goofing off a little now. agree it's not everyone's cup of tea but i think it works.

could there have been other approaches though to the album? definitely

I think Diana could have had perhaps the first "blockbuster" album of her solo career had the song selection been more cohesive. There's no question the album was a success, but it's hard for me to imagine that the average fan loved playing it from beginning to end. To reach back into the vaults for a song from an album that was completed and shelved four or five years ago is a head scratcher. This was the time for "funky" Diana and DR76 kept rising and falling with the occasion.

[TNSUN]

I get excited by every album because Ms.Ross' vocal virtuosity is what I concentrate on.

[daviddh]

i loved DR70,DR 76,BIM,Boss,Diana,TMH,FBTP

[Bluebrock]

Everything is Everything.
Last time i saw him.
Ross78.
Ross83.
Swept Away.
RHRAB.
Thank You.

All the above albums contained great songs alongside throwaway songs. They are by no means her worst albums. Fools, Silk Electric, Workin' Overtime and I love you are all weaker albums overall, but they all required surgery to make them into good albums.
If truth be told she wasn't that concerned so long as she was making money. She publicly criticised the quality of at least two of her Motown albums, but when she had the opportunity to release strong consistent albums in the 80's she sacrificed quality in favour of a lucrative pay day and i don't think she ever regretted doing that.
In the 90's she finally decided she wanted to take her career seriously again, but Motown USA did not know how to market her product and she was left angry and frustrated by their lack of support.
Nowadays she has very little interest in putting in the work to promote any new product.

[Ollie9]

If truth be told she wasn't that concerned so long as she was making money. She publicly criticised the quality of at least two of her Motown albums, but when she had the opportunity to release strong consistent albums in the 80's she sacrificed quality in favour of a lucrative pay day and i don't think she ever regretted doing that.
In the 90's she finally decided she wanted to take her career seriously again, but Motown USA did not know how to market her product and she was left angry and frustrated by their lack of support.
Nowadays she has very little interest in putting in the work to promote any new product.

From a music fans perspective, it’s a criminal shame that at the peak of her popularity financial gain was her main priority.
I understand she wanted to secure her children’s future, but those first two rca albums really do scream bargain basement. Did she really have so little regard for her legacy?.
It’s interesting that the packaging of those albums appeared not to be affected by any penny pinching around this time.

[Bluebrock]

From a music fans perspective, it’s a criminal shame that at the peak of her popularity financial gain was her main priority.
I understand she wanted to secure her children’s future, but those first two rca albums really do scream bargain basement. Did she really have so little regard for her legacy?.
It’s interesting that the packaging of those albums appeared not to be affected by any penny pinching around this time.

The packaging of those albums was way more interesting than the music contained within said packaging! A case of style over substance!

[daviddh]

Blubrock
do you think she was used to motown or BG handling everything
not sure how she sees herself

[Bluebrock]

Blubrock
do you think she was used to motown or BG handling everything
not sure how she sees herself

I guess she did kind of throw herself in at the deep end when she left Motown, but she had upped her own input to The Boss and Diana albums so she felt ready to strike out on her own. I still maintain she needed someone to offer advice and input where required but she was sure she could handle it on her own. History perhaps proved that she could not.

[TNSUN]

Love all the albums. Guess the vocal focus sustains my joy. Like some productions more than others. "He Lives in You" should have been #1 Hit. Love it as much now as in the clubs with sound gardens.

[Albator]

Everything is everything, Touch me in the morning, Diana & Marvin, Diana Ross76, Red hot, Force Behind the Power

- to me bad albums are : last time, Ross 78, WDFFIL, Silk, WO, I love you, thank you.

- good are : Diana Ross, Surrender, Baby it’s me, Boss, diana, Ross83, Swept away, EA, TMH, EDAND

[Spreadinglove21]

My picks for middling albums: Last Time I saw him, Ross 78, Ross 83, Red Hot Rhythm and Blues, and Take Me Higher.

[copley]

Although I have all her Motown recordings none would feature in my Top 200 favs. That's more Motown's fault than hers. I don't own any of her post Motown recordings.

[Ollie9]

For me Diana Ross 76 is the quintessential DR album. Beautiful lush ballads, some thumping disco funk and a sprinkling of mid tempo numbers. Unlike many of her outings for rca, there are no duds on this one. I have always been able to play it from start to finish. Definitely one of her best.

[Bluebrock]

For me Diana Ross 76 is the quintessential DR album. Beautiful lush ballads, some thumping disco funk and a sprinkling of mid tempo numbers. Unlike many of her outings for rca, there are no duds on this one. I have always been able to play it from start to finish. Definitely one of her best.

Totally agree. I played the hell out of that album when it was released and it will always hold a special place in my heart. It is definitely one of her best efforts despite so many producers being involved.

[Ollie9]

Totally agree. I played the hell out of that album when it was released and it will always hold a special place in my heart. It is definitely one of her best efforts despite so many producers being involved.

Me to. I received the album for my thirteenth birthday and spent the entire summer of 76 wearing those grooves out while gazing at that stunning lip cover.
All the songs hang together well, and with three Diana classics what’s not to like.
My only gripe being i wish the poignant “After You” had been released as a single, at least in the UK.

[sup_fan]

Me to. I received the album for my thirteenth birthday and spent the entire summer of 76 wearing those grooves out while gazing at that stunning lip cover.
All the songs hang together well, and with three Diana classics what’s not to like.
My only gripe being i wish the poignant “After You” had been released as a single, at least in the UK.

After You is just a beautiful song. an absolute favorite of mine. but i wonder if the song's structure might have held it back from being a huge hit. the verses aren't heavily defined from the choruses. it might have sounded a bit too rambling for radio. but i wouldn't have changed a thing of it. it's just lovely. just maybe not the right vehicle to force into the typical requirements of 45 single

[Ollie9]

After You is just a beautiful song. an absolute favorite of mine. but i wonder if the song's structure might have held it back from being a huge hit. the verses aren't heavily defined from the choruses. it might have sounded a bit too rambling for radio. but i wouldn't have changed a thing of it. it's just lovely. just maybe not the right vehicle to force into the typical requirements of 45 single

I do agree up to a point. The lyrics of “After You” definitely have universal appeal in that most of us have experienced those emotions at some point in our lives. It’s not a rousing heartbreaker in the fashion of “Touch Me In The Morning”, but it’s poignant simplicity might have ended up its biggest strength.

[Bluebrock]

Me to. I received the album for my thirteenth birthday and spent the entire summer of 76 wearing those grooves out while gazing at that stunning lip cover.
All the songs hang together well, and with three Diana classics what’s not to like.
My only gripe being i wish the poignant “After You” had been released as a single, at least in the UK.

I love After You but i never thought it as a potential hit single. Perhaps it could have followed Love Hangover in the UK or maybe after ITITALT which i absolutely love every bit as much as After You. The "new' version of One love in my lifetime was nowhere near as good as the original album version. Whatever were Motown thinking? Even Diana thought it a crazy decision to release the new version as a single.
Now i am going to have to listen to the album again and transport myself back to 1976.
Happy memories!

[sup_fan]

it's interesting to see how sometimes a multi-producer album works out and sometimes it doesn't

Love Child, Right On, Touch me in the morning, DR 76

but then you have Sunshine, Cream, LTISH, Ross 78

of course at the end of the day, quality songs are mandatory. but in most of the cases of the "dud" albums, i don't think the songs are necessarily bad. it might be timing - Ross 78 had two older songs dropped on it and then the remixes.

[Spreadinglove21]

That's quite the review and at her best Diana Ross brought a regalness to mid to late 20th century pop music.

[TheMotownManiac]

That's quite the review and at her best Diana Ross brought a regalness to mid to late 20th century pop music.

it’s not even the review, I’m looking for. There’s another one that I thought was Rolling Stone that said something to the effect, “this is the kind of album, Dionne Warwick, Natalie Cole, and Aretha Franklin you should be making “of course it could be dementia, however, I’m still looking for it because I remember that quote. The album was just perfect for that cold dark February day.

[RanRan79]

it’s not even the review, I’m looking for. There’s another one that I thought was Rolling Stone that said something to the effect, “this is the kind of album, Dionne Warwick, Natalie Cole, and Aretha Franklin you should be making “of course it could be dementia, however, I’m still looking for it because I remember that quote. The album was just perfect for that cold dark February day.

Which is insane to me because both Aretha and Natalie's albums released that year do it for me much more than Diana's album. But of course it all comes down to personal taste, so I guess not so insane after all.

[Jaap]

What surprises me in the Rolling Stone review is that Dave Marsh does not mention Love Hangover. Including Love Hangover in it's 7:48 glory, without making the album a full disco album with "disco suites" like Gloria Gaynor's 1975 Never Can Say Goodbye and Donna Summer's 1975 Love To Love You Baby, is a masterstroke, bringing Diana Ross into the disco realm without suggesting that she is merely following Gaynor and Summer. I'm not a big fan of Kiss Me Now -- and it was such an odd B-side to the Love Hangover single -- but it does work, together with Smile, to highlight the versatility of Diana Ross. The overall album is such an eclectic mix, with only one element keeping it all together... the indeed "regal" star image of Ross, which is emphasized by the cover art. Marsh's comment about Ross as "present[ing] herself with taste and control" can be read in context of how the "disco divas" as Gaynor and Summer were perceived at the time. Sophistication would be an apt description of the album. I would have LOVED a full-blown Love Hangover disco album, but I do think Motown made a smart decision with this album to avoid that Ross would be pigeonholed in the disco diva category, as happened with Gaynor and Summer.

[RanRan79]

I'm not a big fan of Kiss Me Now -- and it was such an odd B-side to the Love Hangover single -- but it does work, together with Smile, to highlight the versatility of Diana Ross. The overall album is such an eclectic mix, with only one element keeping it all together... the indeed "regal" star image of Ross, which is emphasized by the cover art.

But did we need to highlight Diana's versatility yet again? I feel like anyone who didn't recognize how versatile of an artist Diana Ross was by 1976 just didn't deserve to find out. She had been providing evidence of her versatility to the general public since 1964. I guess I can overlook "Kiss Me Now", but "Smile" was going too far. It had no business being packaged with these other songs IMO.

[sup_fan]

But did we need to highlight Diana's versatility yet again? I feel like anyone who didn't recognize how versatile of an artist Diana Ross was by 1976 just didn't deserve to find out. She had been providing evidence of her versatility to the general public since 1964. I guess I can overlook "Kiss Me Now", but "Smile" was going too far. It had no business being packaged with these other songs IMO.

ah but see maybe you DID with this album. sure diehard fans were more than well aware of her talent and capabilities. but LH was such a phenomenon that it opened her up to a whole new fanbase. new fans that were too young to care much about her back in the 60s now had a reason to care. they might have never even paid attention to what she had been doing before

[masterblaster]

I bought The ‘Last Time’ album when it was first released in 1975 and always considered it an okay ‘middling’ album, playing it only occasionally. It spawned two top 40 hits in the UK, the title track and ‘Love Me’.
I recently acquired the album on CD and now have a new respect for it. Diana explores different genres throughout the album, from Country, ballads and gospel. In addition to the two ‘hits’, I like ‘Sleepin’, ‘Stone Liberty’ and for me, the stand out track is the gospel tinged ‘You’. I just love the way the song builds to an all out crescendo and is one of those lost gems that could have made the album a classic.

[Boogiedown]

Leave it to Dave Marsh to hear disco in AINT NOTHIN BUT A MAYBE [??] while totally ignoring the glaring disco masterpiece found here.
Either it’s another typically flimsy review or this piece got edited, leaving out a segment .

[Boogiedown]

For Berry Gordy to miss the boat when he was actively trying to develop Motown's film empire seems hard to believe. Maybe being west coast didn't help, disco erupted out of NYC. But once SNF hit, he should've noticed. Maybe he was just too old, and things like PIPPIN attracted him instead.

But Motown's embarrassingly limp participation in THANK GOD ITS FRIDAY proved they hadn't caught on.... even when some of their biggest records recently were disco. Pity that with the ready made roster of performers they had, they didn't use it as vehicle for movie and music success. As stupid as TGIF was, so was SNF [and so was MAHOGANY].... so the standard to beat seemed a completely doable target.
"BOOGIE DOWN" was begging to be their cash in project .... especially with Diana so eager to be a film star and with nowhere to go...

[Boogiedown]

when you have at your fingertips Stevie and Marvin and Diana and Eddie ,and all those songwriters, this is an opportunity tailor made. Combine your existing music talent with your film aspirations. Not with a SNF knock off . Something more clever, along the lines of CAR WASH. Look what Whitfield did with that !!

[Boogiedown]

For me the SNF album was mostly ho-hum. It was just in the right place at the right time for an under informed audience looking for something new. It was amazing working in the record store at the time. For every three people in line at the register, two of them had the SNF ST.

[sup_fan]

For me the SNF album was mostly ho-hum. It was just in the right place at the right time for an under informed audience looking for something new. It was amazing working in the record store at the time. For every three people in line at the register, two of them had the SNF ST.

i agree. and don't forget it was a DOUBLE ALBUM!! problem is there's more than enough material for it to have been 1 disc, although maybe if you dropped Jive and You Should Be Dancing since they were previously released songs. all of the instrumental stuff isn't very exciting. or you play it once and then moved the needle. but i guess they needed the tunes to fill in the rest of the album

[Boogiedown]

i agree. and don't forget it was a DOUBLE ALBUM!! problem is there's more than enough material for it to have been 1 disc, although maybe if you dropped Jive and You Should Be Dancing since they were previously released songs. all of the instrumental stuff isn't very exciting. or you play it once and then moved the needle. but i guess they needed the tunes to fill in the rest of the album

Yes a two record set, brilliant. Neil Bogart surely took notes. What people wanted most was the Bee Gees stuff ...

Nobody could have foreseen how that soundtrack would take off and over. Would be so interesting to learn how it was compiled and by who and how much thought was put into it. I'm sure KC was kicking himself for not contributing a stronger cut than BOOGIE SHOES. But , was also at the same time glad he got something on there.

A diverse array was tapped into. Was Motown approached if they were interested in getting something included??

added from wiki:

The Bee Gees's involvement in the film did not begin until post-production. As John Travolta asserted, "The Bee Gees weren't even involved in the movie in the beginning ... I was dancing to Stevie Wonder and Boz Scaggs."^[8]

[sup_fan]

Yes a two record set, brilliant. Neil Bogart surely took notes. What people wanted most was the Bee Gees stuff ...

Nobody could have foreseen how that soundtrack would take off and over. Would be so interesting to learn how it was compiled and by who and how much thought was put into it. I'm sure KC was kicking himself for not contributing a stronger cut than BOOGIE SHOES. But , was also at the same time glad he got something on there.

A diverse array was tapped into. Was Motown approached if they were interested in getting something included??

added from wiki:

given how tepid motown's interest was in disco, i'd be surprised if the SNF people wanted to do much with them. however you did have some huge hits like LH, Don't leave me this way, Walking, got to give it up. maybe the problem was motown didn't have a strong reputation in the area of disco even though they certainly had a lot of hits. they hadn't really produced a big disco LP. DR 76 was big but not as a disco album. Any Way You Like It [[thelma's album that included Don't Leave Me) wasn't a mega force.

[Boogiedown]

given how tepid motown's interest was in disco, i'd be surprised if the SNF people wanted to do much with them. however you did have some huge hits like LH, Don't leave me this way, Walking, got to give it up. maybe the problem was motown didn't have a strong reputation in the area of disco even though they certainly had a lot of hits. they hadn't really produced a big disco LP. DR 76 was big but not as a disco album. Any Way You Like It [[thelma's album that included Don't Leave Me) wasn't a mega force.

Motown was a bit wishy washy concerning disco.They tried, or did they. They even put out those special disco compilations that just seemed to have little to offer in their content. Again, they tried, or did they ? Those types of missteps probably suggested to them it wasn't worth the effort.

Since SNF was willing to go a little retro in some of the selections [a huge no no in discoland where it was all about the very latest new record] such as DISCO INFERNO, then Motown had a real treasure to offer right off with The Originals DOWN TO LOVE TOWN which went to #1 on the disco chart but got stiffed everywhere else. Like DISCO INFERNO, that one could have gotten new life and the attention it deserved if it had found its way to that ST.

I added this to my post above:

wiki: The Bee Gees's involvement in the film did not begin until post-production. As John Travolta asserted, "The Bee Gees weren't even involved in the movie in the beginning ... I was dancing to Stevie Wonder and Boz Scaggs."^[8]

because if they were already using Stevie's music to develop the dancing, surely they approached Motown with an interest in actually using it???

[Boogiedown]

interesting. good stuff. how were the Bees Gees faring there at this time?

True about Stigwood and the British angle ...but Saturday Night Fever was all about NYC ...and was based on a magazine article describing the scene in where ? [maybe the New Yorker?] . [This article was later admitted to be mostly imaginary] He therefore really should have included some music by acts like Crown Heights Affair or Patrick Adams.

The Bee Gees claim they were writing the material in Europe [France?] without a thought to the movie or even disco [lol] in their compositions... they had it , so they used it ....

Not sure why Stigwood didn't delve more into what was happening in the UK,

would love to have seen a similar approach to the Northern Soul scene, or maybe the glam scene or punk rock. Instead Stigwood turned his attention to more Americana ....GREASE.

Although some great disco emerged from the UK, they were late to the dance party overall. The 'Serious' dancers/clubbers [is that an oxymoron?] were into Northern Soul and were highly resistant to disco. Punkers hated it. There was not a major disco there until 1980 , Heaven, DJ'd by, incidentally, Ian Levine , the one DJ who saw the bigger picture.

[sup_fan]

interesting. good stuff. how were the Bees Gees faring there at this time?

True about Stigwood and the British angle ...but Saturday Night Fever was all about NYC ...and was based on a magazine article describing the scene in where ? [maybe the New Yorker?] . [This article was later admitted to be mostly imaginary] He therefore really should have included some music by acts like Crown Heights Affair or Patrick Adams.

The Bee Gees claim they were writing the material in Europe [France?] without a thought to the movie or even disco [lol] in their compositions... they had it , so they used it ....

Not sure why Stigwood didn't delve more into what was happening in the UK,

would love to have seen a similar approach to the Northern Soul scene, or maybe the glam scene or punk rock. Instead Stigwood turned his attention to more Americana ....GREASE.

Although some great disco emerged from the UK, they were late to the dance party overall. The 'Serious' dancers/clubbers [is that an oxymoron?] were into Northern Soul and were highly resistant to disco. Punkers hated it. There was not a major disco there until 1980 , Heaven, DJ'd by, incidentally, Ian Levine , the one DJ who saw the bigger picture.

the Bee Gees were definitely scoring hits as their albums pre SNF were big and they were scoring chart successes with Jive Talking and You Should Be Dancing.

and you had groups like ABBA going bonkers on the charts. so much for the hate of disco lol