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Diana Ross -
The Blue Album (Motown)
Nearly 35 years on the shelf, these cuts were to have been a second release behind the soundtrack from "Lady Sings The Blues," Ms. Ross' film debut. I was but a sprout, relatively speaking, back then - but in going back and reading reviews of the time, they seem to say, "I knew Billie Holliday - and madam, you are no Billie Holliday;" even though the soundtrack did quite well. So, Berry Gordy moved Ms. Ross back toward the center of pop, and "Touch Me In The Morning" was the immediate result. Some of these cuts - or some of the takes of these cuts - saw the light of day on other albums - but this is a mostly new batch to our ears. And a nicely done batch at that. Should have been released years ago. Arrangements by Motown vet Gil Askey are top-notch. Oh, sure - there are one or two that seem out of place (I'm not crazy about "I Loves You Porgy"), but that's easily remedied on my iPod. It's Ms. Ross at her peak, not Billie Holliday, not even Ms. Ross channeling Billie Holliday. Good stuff. Highly recommended, even if you're not a Motown fan. It stands nicely on its own.
- Doug Boynton |
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Pertinent Stuff: Artist's Official Website (none) |
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