I Love You

[Ollie9]

It’s been an incredible seventeen years since the release of this long awaited album. Has opinion changed during that time?.
For me it contains three or four decent songs with “What About Love” being one of them. The cheap sounding production and bad song choices are what really let the album down, being one i now seldom listen to.

[reese]

It isn't in my Top 10 but there are a few songs on it that I really like: the title track, MORE TODAY THAN YESTERDAY, I WILL, and my absolute favorite, WHAT ABOUT LOVE.

That said, I don't think I've listened to it in its entirety since it was first released, which could be considered weird since I have four copies.

[Ollie9]

It isn't in my Top 10 but there are a few songs on it that I really like: the title track, MORE TODAY THAN YESTERDAY, I WILL, and my absolute favorite, WHAT ABOUT LOVE.

That said, I don't think I've listened to it in its entirety since it was first released, which could be considered weird since I have four copies.

That's interesting as i really don’t like “I Will”. That final note really kills it for me.
The album has a simple honesty which can be appealing, but the cheap sounding production and lacklustre vocals make it all a bit bargain basement. Diana sounded far better when performing songs such as “”The Look Of Love” live.
I can’t think what on earth possessed her to record “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and the particularly dreadful “You Take My Breath Away”. It’s as confusing as her using a twenty one year old pic for the album cover.

[reese]

That's interesting as i really don’t like “I Will”. That final note really kills it for me.
The album has a simple honesty which can be appealing, but the cheap sounding production and lacklustre vocals make it all a bit bargain basement. Diana sounded far better when performing songs such as “”The Look Of Love” live.
I can’t think what on earth possessed her to record “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and the particularly dreadful “You Take My Breath Away”. It’s as confusing as her using a twenty one year old pic for the album cover.

I do remember a note in REMEMBER that made me cringe. I kept wondering why they didn't take it out. But I guess sometimes singers hear what they want to hear. I remember a similar note at the end of SILENT NIGHT on Aretha's Xmas cd and couldn't fathom why it was kept.

The use of old photos was weird, especially since Diana had done photo sessions that were filmed for the bonus dvd as well as the tour program. But I've seen Aretha and Dionne do the same at least once.

[drlorne]

I wonder what happened as it was produced by Peter Asher and Steve Terrell. She was the executive producer though and someone Marylata E Jacob. Steve Terrell's Only You and To Be Loved are funeral dirges. [[And I like all of his personal albums, so I know he's a producer who's work I like, the same with Peter Asher). What was she thinking? I too, don't play this very often.

[sup_fan]

although the tempo is VERY slow, i think You Are So Beautiful is rather nice. she's singing in her lower range and track doesn't sound too karaoke-like. it actually sounds like real strings and piano accompanying her.

[Ollie9]

I wonder what happened as it was produced by Peter Asher and Steve Terrell. She was the executive producer though and someone Marylata E Jacob. Steve Terrell's Only You and To Be Loved are funeral dirges. [[And I like all of his personal albums, so I know he's a producer who's work I like, the same with Peter Asher). What was she thinking? I too, don't play this very often.

I agree regarding “Only You” and “To Be Loved”. As you mention, the album boasted acclaimed producers, so can only assume Diana had a huge hand in the arrangements and production.
It brings to mind Ross produced songs such as “So Close” etc.

[sup_fan]

I agree regarding “Only You” and “To Be Loved”. As you mention, the album boasted acclaimed producers, so can only assume Diana had a huge hand in the arrangements and production.
It brings to mind Ross produced songs such as “So Close” etc.

i thought diana typically did an excellent job with producing the backing tracks to songs. but she fell short when it came to producing her own vocals. If you were to listen to instrumental versions of Work That Body and Girls, they're exciting and contemporary tracks. the lyrics to those songs are weak and her singing isn't as powerful as it could be.

what other songs did she produce on WDFFIL and SE? obviously Muscles was MJ. did she do every track otherwise? again, i think the tracks are strong. songs like It's Never Too Late and I Think I'm In Love are great but her vocals are just rather pedestrian.

[Ollie9]

i thought diana typically did an excellent job with producing the backing tracks to songs. but she fell short when it came to producing her own vocals. If you were to listen to instrumental versions of Work That Body and Girls, they're exciting and contemporary tracks. the lyrics to those songs are weak and her singing isn't as powerful as it could be.

what other songs did she produce on WDFFIL and SE? obviously Muscles was MJ. did she do every track otherwise? again, i think the tracks are strong. songs like It's Never Too Late and I Think I'm In Love are great but her vocals are just rather pedestrian.

I would never describe the herby-jerky instrumentation on “Girls” as exciting or even contemporary for its time. I was a clubbing twenty year old when that song came out and nobody i knew thought it cutting edge or liked the album very much.
The production on those first two Ross produced albums could never be described as crisp or particularly contemporary, with almost any other producer doing a far better job. Richard Perry tried his best with “So Close”.
Diana god bless her will never be remembered for her production skills no matter how many fans might disagree. One “Mirror Mirror” does not a gifted producer make.
Back on topic, “I Love You” unfortunately has the sound and style of a Ross production running through it.

[RanRan79]

There are a couple of nice cuts. "More Today" being one of the few that I enjoy. I think the song selection was excellent. The execution mostly sucked. I haven't listened to it all the way through since 2007. One would think that after my opinion about Mary on "Enjoy Yourself" changed after listening to it for the first time in years, that it might be a good idea to re-listen to ILY and see if my thoughts have changed.

Not happening. I'm perfectly okay continuing to think this album sucked, thank you.

[Ollie9]

There are a couple of nice cuts. "More Today" being one of the few that I enjoy. I think the song selection was excellent. The execution mostly sucked. I haven't listened to it all the way through since 2007. One would think that after my opinion about Mary on "Enjoy Yourself" changed after listening to it for the first time in years, that it might be a good idea to re-listen to ILY and see if my thoughts have changed.

Not happening. I'm perfectly okay continuing to think this album sucked, thank you.

I consider the song choices rather uninspired and not always best suited to her voice. She still didn’t appear quite herself during this period such as when performing “Lovely Day” on American television.
It would be interesting to know how Diana herself felt about the album. She at least appears to have loved one of it’s songs in “More Today Then Yesterday”.

[Circa 1824]

The last Ross album I bought was Force Behind the Power. Heard the others online and was not impressed.

[jobeterob]

I played ILY much more than TY which I never played all the way through. I should probably be fined for this unacceptable behaviour

Lovely Day was the best cut on the LP for me

[Ollie9]

I played ILY much more than TY which I never played all the way through. I should probably be fined for this unacceptable behaviour

Lovely Day was the best cut on the LP for me

Not unacceptable behaviour by any means, but i do find it a little confusing that a DR fan would choose not to listen to a long-awaited new album. Each to his own of course and simply out of curiosity, did you really find it that bad?.

[RanRan79]

I consider the song choices rather uninspired and not always best suited to her voice. She still didn’t appear quite herself during this period such as when performing “Lovely Day” on American television.
It would be interesting to know how Diana herself felt about the album. She at least appears to have loved one of it’s songs in “More Today Then Yesterday”.

I thought the song choices were great. No objection to the "love" theme and it was a mixed bag of well known songs: songs from the 50s on up, pop, R&B. Who in the world ever expected Diana to cover "Always and Forever", "I Want You"? I was salivating at the opportunity to get this set. She screwed it all up. I don't think she was in the best of voice during this time. Perhaps she needed to do more voice work after her break and this album should have been put on hold for recording until she had gotten it back into working order. And then, again, those mostly karaoke sounding tracks just made the whole thing sound worse than it should have been. Honestly if the tracks were top notch, I don't even think Diana's vocal issues would have been all that noticeable, especially since she does use some of her lower register on some of these tunes, which is usually a treat. She was better than this album.

[RanRan79]

did you really find it that bad?.

Just chiming in, but I didn't find it bad at all. It just wasn't my cup of tea. It certainly wasn't what I really wanted from her. But I do enjoy a couple songs for what they are. The only one I play often is "If The World Just Danced", which I still feel would have caught on more had she done any real promotion for it. In terms of listening, I play TY slightly more than I play ILY, preferring to stick to the Diana of the Supremes, of the 70s, and, believe it or not, of the 80s. I really do sort of check out as a fan on her return to Motown in 1989.

[Circa 1824]

IMHO, Diana soared with HDH and Asford/Simpson, and Chic, etc, all under the powerhouse Motown umbrella. When Diana left it …. we know the rest of that story.

I sure gave her the benefit of doubt by loyally buying all the RCA albums, but slowly my loyalty was diminished by the overall inferior RCA products. Even though I really liked the Force Behind the Power cd, my buying her stuff ended. Maybe it was age or too much accumulated disappointment over the RCA years and lackluster tv performances…. Anyway, I was and am no longer interested in anything new from her, and am content with her great Motown catalog.

[Ollie9]

I thought the song choices were great. No objection to the "love" theme and it was a mixed bag of well known songs: songs from the 50s on up, pop, R&B. Who in the world ever expected Diana to cover "Always and Forever", "I Want You"? I was salivating at the opportunity to get this set. She screwed it all up. I don't think she was in the best of voice during this time. Perhaps she needed to do more voice work after her break and this album should have been put on hold for recording until she had gotten it back into working order. And then, again, those mostly karaoke sounding tracks just made the whole thing sound worse than it should have been. Honestly if the tracks were top notch, I don't even think Diana's vocal issues would have been all that noticeable, especially since she does use some of her lower register on some of these tunes, which is usually a treat. She was better than this album.

I agree about her vocal form during this time, but the album was most likely recorded to cash in on the success of Dream Girls.
I think songs such as “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “Take My Breath Away” a terrible idea, especially when you consider all the amazing love songs she could have recorded.
Like you, i enjoy her lower register on some of the songs, especially the title track.

[jobeterob]

Not unacceptable behaviour by any means, but i do find it a little confusing that a DR fan would choose not to listen to a long-awaited new album. Each to his own of course and simply out of curiosity, did you really find it that bad?.

Not at all - I know If The World Just Danced and Thank You

The pandemic came and I was still working but we did a lot of daycare for grandchildren for 3 years and Motown etc. slipped in priority a bit

[Ollie9]

Not at all - I know If The World Just Danced and Thank You

The pandemic came and I was still working but we did a lot of daycare for grandchildren for 3 years and Motown etc. slipped in priority a bit

Sounds like you had a pretty busy time of it. It’s one i played an awful when first released, but haven’t listened to it for quite some time now. I’m sure like all Diana’s albums i shall return when the mood takes. I certainly enjoy it more then the “I Love You” set.

[daviddh]

I like a few songs,lovely day, what about love,more today.
But the rest sounds....lifeless and rather cheaply done
A like a fresh mix on lovely day.
I added these songs to my Thank You playlist.

[daviddh]

I agree about her vocal form during this time, but the album was most likely recorded to cash in on the success of Dream Girls.
I think songs such as “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “Take My Breath Away” a terrible idea, especially when you consider all the amazing love songs she could have recorded.
Like you, i enjoy her lower register on some of the songs, especially the title track.

Can't believe these songs got released.just awful

[jobeterob]

Can't believe these songs got released.just awful

I do agree that the songs on I Love You at times sounded like they were done at a karaoke bar; I wonder why.

[Ollie9]

We’re the backing tracks recorded in the UK?. It’s amazing Diana allowed the set to be released at all, unless there was no choice due to contractual obligations with the record company.