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(More customer reviews)At long, long last us eager, adoring fans are treated to a brand new studio album from the sophisticated, glamorous soul music legend ( a
full severn years since the release of the sublime and underated Every Day Is A New Day album). Titled, I Love You, this new Diana Ross album was met with much anticipation from myself - and no doubt from all of her millions and millions of fans all across the world. Well, believe me Diana Ross doesn't disappoint and she really delivers on this album, uncannily working her magic to full effect. What Diana succeeds in doing on the I Love You album is taking you with her on a poignant, musical journey, which was exactly her intention.
The I Love You project was produced by Diana Ross herself and Marylata E. Jacob. Each song for this artistically creative project was personally
selected by Diana. She had literally trawled through hundreds of songs to find the right songs that Diana felt she could personally identify
with. All of the songs on the I Love You project were somehow uniquely personal to Diana. Diana's intended ethos of the I Love You project was to
be a warm, captivating celebration of love and life. Diana approached the project as being an album that you could not only listen too and enjoy in the comfort of your own home but a collection that could be played at weddings, family gatherings and intimate moments.
The I Love You project delicately begins to unravel with a spine tingling, haunting renedition of Harry Nilsson's, Remember. Diana
had been listening to this pleasant and sentimental song whilst glancing through some of her treasured family photo albums. It was this
song that had given Diana the initial ammunition and inspiration for recording a new album. This soothing number is immensely theraputic which is light and dreamy, accompanied by a gentle piano back drop. Diana's silky yet deep, husky-sounding vocals elegantly drift up and down the mellow, mesmerising musical arrangements both seamlessly and beautifully. She projects her voice well, mastering it too pure perfection when hitting
those long, lingering notes.
Swiftly steering direction is the fun, bouncy I Love You (More Than Yesterday). This happy-go-lucky song had originally been recorded
back in the mid 1960's by Spiral Staircase. Diana quite effortlessly surfboards neatly along the wonderfully upbeat musical arrangements. Diana's lovely intepretation of I Love You (More Than Yesterday) is carried off with a fitting degree of subtelty and immense style and finesse. The song strangely fades out at seemingly the wrong
point as you can't help but conclude that the full climax had not been fully reached but that is by no means a criticism of the recording
because on the whole, I Love You (More Than Yesterday) is utterly fantastic and incredibly infectious!
Diana's magnificent reading of the Marvin Gaye classic, I Want You, shrewdly swerves into a late-night, contemporary R&B setting. Her
breathy, sensual, seamless vocal style effectively enhances the smooth-driving orchestrations, making this an absolutely outstanding version that deserves a lot of credit and recognition within its own right. A vastly contagious, slow-grooving number that fits brilliantly into this tremendous album. A lot of people to this day are unaware that this renowned Marvin Gaye classic had been co-written by Diana's brother, T-Boy Ross with Leon Ware.
I Love You (That's All That Really Matters) is the only original song to be featured on this divine album. Diana's renowned vocal expertise
for terrific, exalting love ballads like I Love You (That's All That Really Matters).
What About Love continues in a similar vein though indeed captures its own special, individual merits. This instantly memroable, touching intepretation that really conveys Diana's classy vocal style, had been written for the soundtrack of Oprah Winfrey's stage production of The Colour Purple.
That charisma and joyous feel-good spirit in Diana's distinctive and ever-sensational voice brims beautifully on a stirring, haunting intepretation of Hal David and Burt Bacharachs's, The Look Of Love. Opening with a relaxed Latin guirtar interlude that is extremely effective it steadily leads into gloriously sparse orchestrations. The Look Of Love contains a
soulful, gutsy performance from Diana that shimmers with honest, genuine emotion.
Lovely Day really is a stunning and masterful intepretaion of the familiar Bill Withers classic. The orchestrations, which includes
fabulous saxophone interludes erratically throughout the duration of the recording is ignited even further by Diana's totally beautiful, distinct voice. Once again she cleverly masters her vocals on the lingering notes required on the chrous, to utter perfection! A very commendable cover version, arguably eclipsing the original.
"Let's get ready to rock" Diana says at the triumphant close of this absolutely belting version of Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Indeed
you will all want to rock when listening to this number. Diana proves that she has certainly not lost none of that fire and cool sassiness. Lively and completely contagious, Crazy Little Things Called Love is bubbling with strong, assertive and playful vocals from Diana. Her voice is bright and energetic, enhancing the spectacular musical arrangements to startling effect. The marching drums and blaring brass encapsulates a
striking New Orleans jazz vibe which is accompanied by a wonderful guirtar back drop courtesy of the talented, genius muscian, Brian
May, who shot to fame with one of my own personal all-time favourite Rock group's, Queen. Brian May even went so far to declare after having heard
the final, rip-roaring version of Crazy Little Thing Called Love that "Freddie would be proud".
I have to admit I was most skeptical on first seeing on the track line-up that there was a version of Only You. It was a song I found difficult imagining Diana Ross singing. Well let me tell you I was totally astounded! Not only does Diana bring the song into a tasteful contemporary setting, fitting the times very well, but also breathes new life, fire and spirit into this vintage classic.
To Be Loved is yet another gorgeous and irresistable concoction. To Be Loved features the magical sound of the saxophone played throughout
the track. It shrewdly encapsulates a late 1950's vibe that is amicably given a sharp, contemporary twist.
Diana and one of her sons had seen Paul McCartney live in concert in L.A and she was immediately captivated by his song, I Will. Its simplistic
yet meaningful lyric is given most noble justice by Diana's beautiful, glowing voice.
This Magic Moment is positively heavenly with Diana's uplifting vocals that really is no overstatement to say are magical! As on remarkably every song on this album, Diana's unique vocal style sends cold shivers down the spine. This Magic Moment was originally recorded by The Drifters (one of Diana's favourite groups as a teenager) and is given a whole new lease of life thanks to Diana's great, unparalled talent.
It was reported that Billy Preston sadly passed away not long after Diana had finished recording his song, You Are So Beautiful for inclusion on
the I Love You project. Diana had chosen You Are So Beautiful for its universal message that like every song Diana has recorded (and were talking well into 4 digits now for the amount of songs Diana has recorded since her first with The Primettes - later The Supremes - in 1959 with
Tears Of Sorrow) quite simply, effortlessly manages to transcend to any age, gender or race. The touching lyrics draws upon relationships of
all kinds from lovers, mother to child, child to grandparent, sister to sister and friend to friend. It really is a fair comment to make that
only an artist with as much integrity, style, grace and extraordinary artistic vision as Diana Ross could record a song like this and so
effectively get that simple, yet strongly emotive message across to audiences all across the world.
Always And Forever is a sweeping, divine love song. Always And Forever had been penned by the acclaimed songwriter Rod Temperton and had first
been recorded by Heatwave. This is another soothing, mesmerising number that really captures Diana Ross's impeccable, distinct vocal style.
The I Love You album then gently winds down with a cracking reprise of the atmospheric Remember which had started the album off. A nice, fitting
way to end this dazzling, timeless album.
On top of that is a wonderfully entertaining DVD which will enthrall big Ross fans!
More than anything the I Love You project showcases Diana Ross's ageless appeal, conveying her wonderful craft for versatility. Her voice
seems to get incredibly even better and better with age. Her performances are fresh, vibrant and soulful throughout, igniting each song with a
renewed passion and confidence in her voice, giving each song a brand new lease of life. I Love You is a timeless collection that you will
just want to listen to over and over again. Even in fifty years time this album will firmly stand up well because of its special, universal quality
and its essence that really is impossible to become dated. The legendary, magical mystique of Diana Ross is captured beautifully and most
effectively on this album and one thing's for sure, Diana hasn't lost any of that sparkling magic that catapulted her into a worldwide,
phenomenal, first class superstar in the early 1960's. Listening to this superb collection certainly gives you a clear understanding as to
why Diana Ross offically remains the most successful feamle singer in the whole history of music. A definite classic and one of the
definitive entries in Diana Ross's lengthy catologue.Ian Phillips
October 2006
Click Here to see more reviews about: I Love You
2006 release from the Soul/Pop diva, whose career, both solo and with The Supremes, has spanned over 40 years! Features brand new recordings of classic and personal favorite LOVE songs including tracks originally written or performed by Harry Nilsson ('Remember'), Burt Bacharach & Hal David ('The Look Of Love'), Marvin Gaye ('I Want You'), Queen ('Crazy Little Thing Called Love'), The Beatles ('I Will'), The Drifters ('This Magic Moment') and many others.Angel. 2006.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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