“I Want You” is one of the songs on the CD that really challenges Ross’ dinner club delivery. Ironically, Ross has chosen to make a statement by tapping into Marvin Gaye’s catalogue. Gaye was one of the first people to hang the tag of “diva” on Ross and felt that Motown boss Berry Gordy favored her over more deserving artists. Turns out he was right – Ross and her boss were having an affair, hence his favoritism. When Gaye and Ross were about to record “My Mistake” in 1973, Gaye purposely lit up a non-regulation cigarette, knowing its pungent aroma and mind-altering effect would keep Ross out of the studio. He was right again – they ended up recording their parts separately. Ross’ version won’t knock Gaye’s off the playlists, but it does have a sultry appeal, and it’s less of an embarrassment in practice than in theory. There are some well-placed slick guitar parts reminiscent of John Tropea that give the song its swagger, as well as liberal doses of oohs and aahs from the back up singers and dollops of sultry percussion. “I Want You” is a surprising, well executed success.

“I Love You (That’s all That Matters)” gets the full Lionel Ritchie romance treatment with gliding synthesizers and weepy strings. Ross sounds like she’s in an echo chamber, which actually steadies the aging timbre of her voice. The song says nothing, but does so with competent, muzak ease.

“What About Love” (no, not the version by ‘Til Tuesday) makes it two ballads in a row. This one rings completely false and is hopelessly clichéd with lyrics about “lights in the storm” and “new worlds when I look in your eyes.” It’s slow, laborious and will only please the most dedicated Ms. Ross fan.

Burt Bacharach’s “The Look of Love” will be very familiar to listeners, having been recorded by Dusty Springfield, Tony Joe White and even the black widow of pro skiers, Claudine Longet. Ross is smart enough not to drift too far from the definitive version recorded by Brazil ’66; her phrasing is much like Lani Hall’s, including, at times, a hint of a Portuguese accent. (Time out for trivia: Windy city native Hall sang many of Brazil ‘66’s hits phonetically.) The most notable updates to Ross’ version are two serviceable Spanish guitar solos and the warm production. Ross is noticeably comfortable performing the song, even if she’s only imitating Hall.

“Take My Breath Away” suffocates in the overbearing grasp of its theatrical arrangement. The original version by Berlin should have been tried and convicted at the Nuremburg. Doesn’t matter who sings this ode to air pollution, or how dramatically the horns and strings rise and fall, you’ll need to stand well downwind of this one – It’ll take your breath away because it stinks.

“Lovely Day” is the exact opposite of “Take My Breath Away” – light, carefree and fun. Originally written and performed by Bill Withers, it’s so uplifting, even its saccharine arrangement can’t derail it. Ross’ version is done jazz-lite style and could probably do without the strings – the finger popping beat alone could carry it. Withers’ version was three and a half minutes of escapism for lovers stuck in the ghetto. Ross’ version scrubs the city’s grit clean and is more like a stroll through a country meadow. Both have their merits, and Ross deserves some credit for picking a song that’s been off the radio radar for a while.

If frog-voiced drummer Ringo Starr could croon a terrific version of “Only You,” then maybe Diana Ross, a “natural” singer, could create a classic. But the ex-Beatle had John Lennon and Harry Nilsson singing in the background. Ross has a humming chorus of Luther Vandross/Patti LaBelle wanna be’s and tackles “Only You” in a perplexingly slow crawl that makes The Platters Medicare-paced original seem like a Carl Lewis track meet. On top of its sluggish pace, when Ross does the brief recitation in the middle, it’s breathy, creepy and very-unsexy like finding out your pretty girlfriend is really Alexis Arquette.

It’s a smart move to put the two nostalgic 50s numbers together to set a mood; what’s not smart is to do them in the first place. “Too Be Loved” isn’t pure doo wop and it’s not exactly ballroom music either, but some kind of bad hybrid wedding muzak. Was Ross a member of the Supremes or The Platters? Ross sound hyped, but this smarmy goop should be retired to the Smithsonian alongside Fonzie’s motorcycle jacket.

I approached “I Will” after several doses of opinion-numbing Xanax and with much trepidation. I know where Diana Ross lives and I was prepared to egg her house if desecrated this Beatles classic. Turns out “I Will” is another song that’s simply too good to screw up, and Ross sings it sweetly. The orchestration pulls with her, not against her, and her aw-shucks phrasing is effective. She should have stayed away from that last high note though.

Then there’s the eight zillionth version of “This Magic Moment.” It’s innocent and poppy, like her child-like version of “Why Do Fools Fall in Love.” The strings are straight out of a Walt Disney movie, sweeping and enchanting. Ross fans will anoint it a classic, but it’s simply one of the many painless songs you’ll forget about seconds after the not-so-magic moment is over.

I felt bad for Joe Cocker when he chocked back the tears on “You Are So Beautiful,” but Joe needed a hit and he knew what emotional buttons he needed to push in order to bring home the bacon. Still, there isn’t a Cocker aficionado out there who wouldn’t prefer Feelin’Alright” or “Delta Lady” over “You Are So Beautiful.” Billy Preston wrote it with Bruce Fisher (and according to Beach Boy Dennis Wilson, he helped) and I don’t recall him ever singing it, so Preston may not have liked the song either. Ross’ version lacks emotion, as if Ross was singing to a corpse. The strings and grand piano cover her lethargy, but this version lacks personality, and the cookie cutter sax solo doesn’t help.

The original version of “Always and Forever” by Heatwave was one of those passionate songs where you and your date could grind against each other on the dance floor like happy cement mixers. Ross’ easy listening version drains the lyrics of innuendo and won’t make you nostalgic for your high school girlfriend or boyfriend, but it allows her to reach for – and hit—some high notes that a voice with as much mileage as hers shouldn’t be able to reach.

If you weren’t offended by it enough the first time, Ross reprises “Remember.” The arrangement is still dreamy, still very Broadway, and sounds as if Ms. Ross’ voice has been injected with helium.

“I Love You” is uneven, and Ross undermines its complete success by picking way too many shopworn tunes. It won’t make her many fans under the age of 40, but that’s probably fine with her. It’s a credible comeback that will ensure she gets booked in Vegas well into her golden years.

Posted January 24, 2007 Permalink