Customer Reviews

The Motown Anthology

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When will Motown quit re-releasing the same "greatest hits" compilations? When we quit buying them! Am I guilty - yes I am!

Being that I had given all of my previous (disappointing) Diana Ross greatest hits/ultimate collection/boxed sets away and resisting the latest wave of reissues, I hesitated to purchase the Motown Anthology as well. But my curiosity of the "unreleased, alternate versions and hard-to-find material" won over my common sense. Motown marketing wins again!

Here are the reasons I am glad I purchased this set: The unedited version of "LAST TIME I SAW HIM." I've always liked this song very much. It's not only a different version here, there are additional lyrics. The original version of "LIVING, LOVING, GIVING" (I actually bought the soundtrack to 'Thank God It's Friday' to get this original version of the song only to find that they replaced it with the new re-edited/mix. Again -what kind of fool am I?). "OLD FUNKY ROLLS" I have been waiting since the 45 for this song to reappear. Miss Ross evidently has a lot of fun on this silly song. The arrangement of the extended version of "NO ONE GETS THE PRIZE" is a big improvement over the album version. It's fun to hear "DOOB'NDOOBE DOOBE..." after not hearing it for so long (The vinyl album wore out years ago). The studio version of "HOME" from 'The Wiz' is very nice. The radio edits of songs are a nice change from the album versions, especially "WORKIN' OVERTIME" and "ONE LOVE IN MY LIFETIME."

Reasons I purchased this set that turned out to be disappointments: "TIME AND LOVE" - the vocals are good, but after hearing The Supremes version for so many years I keep expecting to hear Jean's voice with this arrangement (Jean also puts more energy into the song). "REMEMBER ME" - the released version, although not much different, is a bit more polished. "REACH OUT (I'LL BE THERE)" - heard this version before. Nice but nothing new. "MY MISTAKE" I have heard about 4 different versions of this song and they all sound very much alike. This version offers nothing outstanding.

The only RCA recordings I wish would have been included here are "MISSING YOU" and "ALL OF YOU." Because of the inclusion of The Supremes recordings, the poor sound quality and the weak "never-before released material", I still consider this set superior to the "Forever" boxed set.

This may not be all of Diana Ross' very best recordings (we all seem to have our personal views on that), but this is certainly a good representative of her most popular. The sound quality is very good and, for a two-disc set, her career at Motown is well represented. Miss Ross' major hits are all here ("AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH (edit)," "TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING," "DO YOU KNOW (WHERE YOU"RE GOING TO)," "LOVE HANGOVER" "THE BOSS") as well as the minor hits ("ONE LOVE IN MY LIFETIME," "IT'S MY HOUSE," "I'M STILL WAITING," "SORRY DOESN"T ALWAYS MAKE IT RIGHT"). It is very nice to hear them all from one source and this is the best collection released so far. If you don't have any of the previous compilations and you're looking to purchase one, this would be it.

Hopefully this compilation is part of a plan Motown has to get us to buy just one more compilation before releasing Miss Ross' entire library. In the next batch of "Lost and Found" albums, an entire album of her never-before-released solo recordings would be great, too - and a good excuse for not including them in this set.

Whatever is released, as long as it's not another greatest hits package - I'll undoubtedly buy it.

"The Motown Anthology" is not a compilation. It's a showcase. I'm not really much of a Diana Ross fan (a friend introduced me to "Take Me Higher," "I Will Survive," and "Until We Meet Again" while we were clubbing), but I bought it to humor him and was suprisingly impressed. From the first note of the 'previously unreleased' "Time And Love" to the fierce climax of her dance hit "Until We Meet Again," this collection takes listeners on that rare musical journey through three decades of both pop cornerstones and artistic standouts. Considering most diva "Greatest Hits" albums out today are nothing but hastily-tossed single salads with "new tracks" useless for a full album (i.e. Celine, Mariah, Whitney, you get the picture), it is a real treasure to have a career retrospective with such style and dignity. From the massive track listing (38 total) to the selection of material to the excellent booklet, which includes both history, stats, and even reflections on Ross' impact on contemporary artists), "The Motown Anthology" is nothing short of a treat. Remember back in the day when buying a record was exciting? Well, if you need help jogging your memory, Diana Ross' Anthology will be a great reminder. Enjoy!

Just what the doctor ordered -- a brand new anthology bringing together all of Ross' big hits "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Reach Out And Touch", "Upside Down", "The Boss" "Remember Me" and "Endless Love" along with some of her better, not-so-big hits "Surrender", "One Love In My Lifetime" and "Gettin' Ready For Love".

No one does melancholy like Ross, DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR'E GOING TO and TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING can still make you cry. NO ONE GETS THE PRIZE features one of her most searing vocals, and the very hard-to-find extended version is included here. I THOUGHT IT TOOK A LITTLE TIME is the No.1 hit that never was, starts off slow and sugary before building to its exuberant climax. This collection shows how much Ross' voice matured over the years -- from the chirpy thrush (I'M STILL WAITING) to cooing vixen (LOVE HANGOVER) to its current, voluptuous beauty, best demonstrated by THE BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE, one of her finest latter-day ballads.

There are even a few surprises for the diehard Ross fan -- Ross' version of Laura Nyro's TIME AND LOVE which was slated to be her first solo single and a previously unreleased (slicker, more glossy) version of HOME from The Wiz. Also included are previously unreleased alternate versions of LOVIN', LIVIN', AND GIVIN' and MY MISTAKE(WAS TO LOVE YOU). The tracks have been digitally remastered, a first for many of these songs, and the sound quality is excellent for the majority of the tracks -- apparently all the digital remastering in the world cannot remove the vague hissing sound from SURRENDER and REMEMBER ME. The packaging is very nice and contains some Ross photos that I've never seen as well as Billboard chart rankings for her singles and her albums. This CD is a great starting point for new fans. Maybe one day Motown will do right by Miss Ross and release the whole solo Ross catalog on CD (with previously unreleased bonus tracks!). In any event, this sterling anthology is a step in the right direction.

The Motown Anthology (2001) represents the cream of the soul diva's
work. During her solo reign at Motown between 1970 - 1981, she pumped
out an endless river of classics, ranging from adventurous disco to
romantic ballads and to urban soul/r&b. These recordings define why
she is still the leading female singer of our era and easily the most
successful. Her career spans over 4 decades and in that time she has
clocked up over an incredible 70 hit singles, plus scores and scores
of studio albums, which many from the Motown era have been
unjustifiably deleted.

For a start, perharps being something of an over-eager Diana Ross
fan, I still wanted more than these two discs, with perharps a whole
box set dedicated to her time with The Supremes, her lengthy Motown
run from 70 - 81, to her erratic stint at RCA, through to the latter-
day Ross tunes that are lesser known than many of the tracks featured
on here. Many motown album recordings i'd love to have seen included
on here are: You're All I Need To Get By, Keep An Eye, Somethings On
My Mind (all from her solo debut set - Diana Ross 1970), My Place,
Ain't No Sad Song and her enduringly soulful version of The Beatles,
Come Together (all featured on Everything Is Everything 1970), And If
You See Him, A Simple Thing Like Cry, All The Befores (all from
Surrender 1971), All Of My Life, Medley (a) Brown Baby (b) Save The
Children (all from Touch Me In The Morning 1973), You Are Everything,
Don't Knock My Love, Stop! Look! Listen, To Your Heart all sung with
the soul genius and fellow Motown colleague, Marvin Gaye (Diana And
Marvin 1973), Love Me (Last Time I Saw Him 1973), You're Good My
Child, After You (from Diana Ross 1976), You're Love Is So Good For
Me, Too Shy To Say, The Same Love That Made Me Laugh (all from Baby
It's Me 1977), Once In The Morning, Sparkle (from The Boss 1979) and
Have Fun (Again) and Give Up (from diana 1980). These recordings
perharps display Dianas wonderful craft for diversity and deserve a
mention in this review as they have all been passed by with little
acknowledgement from critics who have always seemingly had an adverse
opinion on much of Diana Ross' work. Still, you can't have it all and
the majority of tracks found on The Motown Anthology are superb so
lets get to the track line-up on here.....

Disc 1:
1. Time And Love
Recorded under the guidance of Bonie Howes in the summer of 1969,
Time And Love was initially considered as a debut for her solo career
that was launched in early 1970. This upbeat pop/r&b tune that
contained vast elements of Jazz would have perfectly suited the times
but instead it was canned and never saw the light of day again until
the release of this compilation. Time And Love was eventually re-
recorded by The "New" Supremes, featuring Jean Terrell as their new
appointed lead vocalist and was used as an album track and then was
later re-recorded by the legendary Barbara Streisand.

2. Reach Out And Touch (Somebody's Hand)
Too be honest, I have always found this Diana Ross classic, a little
on the monotonous side. Completely defecting from the swinging Motown
phenomenon, the track encapsulates a waltz-like rhythm that was
considerably uncatchy, yet had anthemic qualities with its profound,
heart-felt lyrics. Dianas angelic performance is indeed as beautiful
as ever but this track was admitedly a rather low-key start to a much
anticipated debut. The track became a Top 40 struggler in both the
U.K and U.S and though was a respectable position, was a rather
disappointing start to a career that had spanned 12 No.1 hits as lead
singer of the Supremes. Even so, Diana to this day uses Reach Out And
Touch as a staple in her concerts, where she gets the entire audience
to hold hands, unite a sway and sing along with her.

3. Ain't No Mountain High Enough
However what did deliver Diana Ross the success she had certainly
become accustomed to was this rip-roaring soul classic. Ashford and
Simpson always knew how to really make great records for Diana Ross
and you could argue that they provided Diana her most remarkable and
fully-formed productions to work on. Diana glides through the verses,
talk-singing in that gloriously effective and sensual voice. She is
then joined by a shimmering line-up of gospel-influenced backing
singers whilst the rhythm steadily and compellingly leads up to an
exalting climax on which the chrous is then sung. It really is a
remarkable recording and one of the major highlights of Diana Ross'
career to date. Ain't No Mountain High Enough quickly launched itself
into pole position on the charts in the U.S. This became one of the
featured recordings on her classic self-titled debut solo set, Diana
Ross (1970) which was by far one of her most stunning studio albums
at Motown. Magnificent!

4. Remember Me
Delivered with a vengeance, Remember Me continues Dianas blatant
penchant for melodrama and is as equally as effective, dynamic and
compelling as Ain't No Mountain High Enough. Remember Me marked
another explosive collaboration with the genius duo, Ashford And
Simpson. The track is hauntingly atmospheric in its tone and Diana
sends shivers down the spine as she delivers those opening
lyrics "Bye baby/see you around/didn't I tell you I wouldn't hold you
down" in a chilly yet passionate vocal performance. Despite the
beautiful and exceedingly dramatic orchestrations, the track told the
sad tale of love lost. Infact Remember Me could almost be a direct
message to her one-time lover, her mentor and the illegimate father
of her first child, Rhonda, Berry Gordy. Everyone at Motown believed
that Diana Ross and Berry Gordy would marry one day but revelations
caused a sensation in the media in early 1971 where news hit that
Diana had married a white Jewish man, Robert Silberstein, during a
vacation. This must have come like a bolt out of the blue to Berry
Gordy who had always been enchanted by Diana. Listen to the lyrics to
this song and theres no doubt that Diana was thinking about Berry
Gordy as she sang the strongly emotive lyrics in this classic.
Remember Me became a Top 10 smash hit in the U.K whilst gliding in at
No.16 in the U.S. Another Soul classic in the La Ross catologue.

5. Reach Out I'll Be There
This stunning, complete re-working of The Four Tops 1966 chart-
topper, was a blatant attempt at re-creating the magic of Ain't No
Mountain High Enough, where Diana talked through the verses whilst
the rhythm builds to an exciting climax. Despite not quite re-
capturing the momentum of Ain't no Mountain, the track certainly has
individual merits of its own. The track became part of the line-up
for the fabulous Surrender album of 1971 and was eventually lifted as
a single in the U.S where it climbed to a disappointing No.29 on the
main singles charts.

6. Surrender
This urban classic, contains a strikingly husky performance from
Diana who really pushes her voice fowards on this swinging R&B tune.
She completely becomes evidently absorbed in the sassy, streetwise
musical arrangements and sounds fabulous in the process. Diana Ross
clearly is a diverse and highly versatile vocalist. Surrender bounced
into the U.K Top 10 charts, whilst crawling quietly into the lower
reaches of the U.S Top 40.

7. I'm Still Waiting
This beautiful Deak Richards produced track, was only released as a
single in the U.K at the persistent urging of British Radio DJ, Tony
Blackburn, a huge fan of the divas. He promised Motown that he would
play the track incessantly on his radio show if they released I'm
Still Waiting as a single. Motown relented and Tony Blackburn kept
his end of the bargain and not before long, I'm Still Waiting
catapulted to the top of the U.K charts, clinging on for four weeks
at the top. This delicious ballad features an angelic and exuberant
performance from its star and quite simply is touching in its mere
simplicity. However when released on the strength of its staggering
British chart-topping success, American audiences were less impressed
and the track became a Top 75 struggler.

8. Doobedood'ndoobe, Doobedood'ndoobe, Doobedood'ndoobe
An enjoyable confection of radio-friendly pop/r&b that was released
in the U.K in 1972 (though was recorded in 1970 as part of the track
line-up for her Everything Is Everything album) and became a Top 20
seller, during which time she was busy working on her silver screen
debut, Lady Sings The Blues. Though you could perharps describe this
as dated now with its slightly sugary content, the track still has a
catchy feel from the customary gospel backing vocals to Dianas
glossy, crystal-clear voice (despite its meaningless title). This was
Diana and Motown being adventurous and experimental and the results
ae satisfying.

9. Good Morning Heartache
Only 1 offering from her dynamic, oscar-nominated movie, Lady Sings
The Blues, which Diana tackles and performs over-all, impeccably
well. Her diction and phrasing is so precise and captures the mood
and spirit of the origanal, remarkably well. Good Morning Heartache
was lifted as a single in the U.S where it climbed to No.34.

10. Touch Me In The Morning
Another golden soul classic, this time round being produced by the
genius Michael Masser. The lush orchestrations are ignited by Dianas
breathtaking delivery and she tackles the fiery chrous with style and
finesse. Similar ethos to Ain't No Mountain, but still utterly unique
within itself and is something of a masterpiece. Unsurprisingly,
Touch Me In The Morning leapt to the top of the U.S charts.

11. My Mistake Was To Love You (With Marvin Gaye)
Despite the reported clash between the two during the recording
sessions for the Dian And Marvin album (a heavily preganant Diana was
infuriated by Marvins excessively smoking weed during rehersals),
their diverse range of harmonies marked a neat transistion on the
productions. An air of sizzling sexual chemisty sizzles when these
two voices are captured together on record and sound so perfectly
compatable. Strangely enough, only 1 of her duets with Marvin Gaye
turns up on here, with My Mistake Was To Love You, which emerged as
one of the highlights of the Diana and Marvin album and became a Top
20 seller in the U.S.

12. Last Time I Saw Him
Marking an odd but interesting combination of funky, swinging country
music and a neat injection of R&B, Last Time I Saw Him goes down as
one of her more diverse recordings, even though never really has been
regarded as one of her major classics. Silly but fun and that old
sassy charm still filters through on hearing the track today. Last
Time I Saw Him became a Top 40 struggler on both sides of the
Atlantic.

13. Sorry Doesn't Always Make It Right
Another transistion between country and soul music on this glorious,
lush ballad where Dianas delivery is more angelic than ever, though
is still otherwise utterly engaging. Her recording career had slowed
down at this point as she was working on her second movie, Mahogany.
Released in 1975 as a single, the track raced up to No.23 on the U.K
charts, yet didn't even so much as dent the American Top 100.

14. Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)
This epic classic is made memroable from its sweeping musical
arrangements to Dianas heavenly performance. This classic had for
some preposterous reason, been deemed qualtively ineligable for a
grammy award nomination. After strong protest, the track was
deservedly added to the nominations though sadly failed to win.
However the track was another U.S chart-topper and the track had
certainly made an impact and became one of the key classics in her
already-huge catalogue.

15. I Thought It Took A Little Time (But Today I Fell In Love)
An exotic ballad, again written and assembled by the fantastic,
Michael Masser. Featured on the classic, Diana Ross album of 1976. No
one delivers a ballad quite like Diana Ross, and this is yet another
superb recording which once again displays her uncanny and effortless
flair for great, exalting ballads such as these. I Thought It Took A
Little Time also became a U.K/U.S Top 40 smash hit.

16. Love Hangover
YEAH! We have a monster disco classic here. This adventurous, tempo-
shifting disco classic, containing undertones of red hot, pulsating
funk, marks the beginning of Dianas disco diva era. The song begins
slowly with Diana delivering her trademark sultry and evocative vocal
performance and then swiftly steers direction and catapults into hot,
compelling disco. Diana sounds amazing on this track and at one point
she even does a brief mimmick of Billie Holiday. An exciting classic
that was well ahead of its time on its origanal release in 1976 where
the song raced to the top of the U.S charts.

17. One Love In A Lifetime
Another sparkling disco tune that didn't quite have the impact and
immediacy of Love Hangover, but was still overly excellent in its own
right. That swinging, early Motown sound creeps back in with its hot,
infectious rhythm containing again vast undertones of compelling
funk. One Love In A Lifetime jumped to No.25 on the U.S charts.

18. Gettin' Ready For Love
This infectious number marks an interesting transistion between disco
and jazz. The lyrics are playful yet expressive and Diana delivers
this in her usual lush and vibrant singing style.

19. Lovin' Livin And Givin
An exciting, hypnotic disco number where Diana really breathes life,
fire and soul into the recording across its trance-like arrangements.
Lovin' Livin And Givin' was used as part of the soundtrack to the
1978 movie, Thank God It's Friday which featured the Queen of Disco,
Donna Summer. The track was also issued as a single in the U.K where
it surprisingly stalled at No.54 despite its seemingly winning
commercial appeal.

20. Home
And finally disc 1 closes with this tear-jerking and remarkably
powerful ballad, plucked from her movie, The Wiz. Anyone witnessing
Diana singing the song at live performances will have noticed tears
streaming down her face as she sings those touching lyrics. It
evidently stirs up a lot of emotions inside her and in the process,
Home really brings out the natural beauty and soul in her voice.


Disc 2

21. The Boss
Anyone doubting Diana Ross' vocal abilities, should take a listen to
her stunning, acrobatic performance on this raging masterpiece disco
classic. It truly is one of the highlights of her career, which she
delivers seemingly with a vengeance. The Boss became a Top 20 seller
in the U.S.

22. It's My House
Again produced by Ashford and Simpson, It's My House is seemingly a
declaration of her newly found independence. She had freed herself
from the clutches of her obsessive boss, Berry Gordy and had divorced
from her first husband, Robert Silberstein. This mid-beat number
which is simply fantastic, became a U.K Top 40 hit.

23. No One Gets The Prize
Never before had Diana Ross sounded so strong and self-assured as on
this recording. A riotously funky masterpeice, No One Gets The Prize
features a compelling performance from its star across the complex
musical arrangements and she proves that she indeed does possess a
lot of power and volume in her voice. However the track faltered
within the U.K Top 60 after being released as a single but is still a
winner!

24. Upside Down
Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, the dynamic duo behind 70's disco
group, Chic, produced the landmark album of her career, diana (1980).
The projects debut release would be the compellingly funky, Upside
Down on which her razor sharp delivery is vastly impressive. The
track almost sounds like a nursery rhyme set to music and apparentely
Diana had asked Edwards and Rodgers for a song her children could
sing along to and with Upside Down, she certainly got it! It quickly
zoomed into pole position on the U.S charts whilst hitting No.2 in
the U.K.

25. I'm Coming Out
Another raging disco classic, which was screaming out about her new
independence and also became something of a gay anthem where it is
known that a large portion of Dianas audience has always consisted of
gay men (myself included of course). I'm Coming Out captures one of
her strongest performances on record and the rollercoaster musical
arrangements adds to the dazzling effect making this another ultimate
Diana Ross classic that raced its way into the U.S Top 5 charts
whilst making it to No.13 in the U.K.

26. It's My Turn
Diana was now preparing to leave Motown records for a reported
$20,000,000 deal with RCA Records. This tugging ballad with its
strongly emotive lyrics and a dynamic and passionate performance from
Diana could easily be a direct message to Berry Gordy. This tear-
jerker of a ballad became a Top 10 hit in the U.K whilst reaching
No.16 in the U.K. It also was the initial theme song to the movie of
the same name.

27. Stay With Me
A pleasant, if not a little slushy album track that was featured on
her Motown set, ToLove Again (1981). Dianas delivery is as warm,
passionate and vibrant as always and does indeed encapsulate a
timeless quality.

28. One More Chance
Another beautifully mellow ballad, courtesy of Michael Masser, that
was origanally featured on the To Love Again album. One More Chance
also was lifted as a single where it stalled within the U.K Top 50
whilst stopping at No.79 on the U.S charts. One More Chance captures
one of Ross' most strongest performances on records. Her exhilirating
vocals at the exalting climax of the recording are astounding and
proved what a highly adept vocalist she really is. Should have been a
No.! Hit!

29. Endless Love (With Lionel Richie)
No one has done Endless Love better than Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
(not even the divine singers Luther Vandross and Mariah Careys
version comes close). Touching in its simplicity, this epic, sweeping
duet which became the theme song to the movie of the same name, shot
to the top of the U.S charts, remaining there for 9 weeks in a row
and proudly became Motowns biggest selling single to that point.
Theres a nice gelling of harmonies here from the sweet falsetto of
Diana Ross to the more forceful delivery of Lionel Richie. The pair
met only breifly and the song was recorded in the early hours of the
morning. Fantastic!

30. We Can Never Light That Old Flame Again
Rare Diana Ross recording that was issued as a single in the U.K and
bombed. A disco track that is extremely catchy though lacks the
immediacy of the likes of Love Hangover, The Boss and I'm Coming Out.

31. Old Funky Rolls
B-side to the previous track and not much better. Bland and
forgetable.

32. If We Hold On Together
This was actually recorded on MCA Records as part of the soundtrack
to the Steven Speilberg animated classic, The Land Before Time, so
its a mystery as to why its included on here as this compilation
obviously was intended to highlight her Motown recordings. Even so,
its a glorious, exotic ballad that amazingly topped the Japanese
charts, remaining in their charts for over two and a half years and
became the biggest ever selling Foreign single in Japan of all time.
Quite remarkable.

33. Workin' Overtime
Diana Ross made headlines in 1988 when the soul supreme returned back
to Motown Records after a shaky and erratic stint with RCA between
1981-87. Hip-Hop was an increasingly growing new trend in black music
and Diana jumped on the bandwagon in order to remain a vital,
youthful artist and at the aid of Nile Rodgers came up with this
number. Though catchy, hip and infectious in its day, Workin'
Overtime now sounds dated an met with a cool response from critics
and audiences alike where the track failed to make the U.S Top 100,
though received some recognition in the U.K where it breifly entered
the Top 40 charts, peaking at No.32.

34. When You Tell Me That You Love Me
Diana rebounded in 1991 with this breathtakingly beautiful ballad
which goes down as one of the best latter-day Ross recordings. It
holds a special, timeless appeal and really can move you to tears
from its lyrics, to the impeccable performance from Diana and the
sweeping musical arrangements which leads to a dazzling crescendo.
The track clung on for weeks on end at No.2 on the U.K charts when
released in late 1991 and was one of her biggest hit singles in some
years.

35. The Best Years Of My Life
To coincide with her 30th anniversary celebrations in showbiz, Diana
Ross recorded a specifically dedicated song to her wide, loyal fan
base. It was a touching dedication and certainly an enjoyable one
which soon hit the Top 40 charts in 1994.

36. Take Me Higher
This bouncy confection of radio-friendly r&b/pop was delightful and
one of Dianas great dance recordings of the 1990's. Upbeat in its
content, Take Me Higher is the perfect vehicle in the latter-day Ross
catalogue. Infectious, bursting out with energy and fantastically
delivered, Take Me Higher was an overall winner in some aspects yet
only made it to No.32 on the U.K Charts (whilst failing to even hit
the U.S Hot 100). Despite that though, Take Me Higher is the one
Diana Ross recording i've heard sampled and remixed on several
different versions by various House/dance/techno d.j's of the day so
it defintley made an impact and also enjoyed some club success.

37. I Will Survive
This was an ode to her large legion of gay male fans. Though not
quite having the force of the 1979 Gloria Gaynor version, the track
is still fabulous in its own right which is re-worked into
contempoary dance trends of the day. I Will Survive deservedly jumped
into the U.K Top 20 charts.

38. Until We Meet Again (Club Remix)
Diana Ross has always had that sassy, streetwise side to her and she
still possesses one of the greatest voices in soul/r&b. Her voice
perfectly suits this dance remix of a track, origanally from her
Everyday Is A New Day (1999) album. This tune is infectious in every
possible way from its strong dance arrangements that just makes you
get up and dance to the startling ignition of Dianas strikingly
unique and classy vocal delivery that gels well across the
contemporary dance mix. A fabulous close to a rollercoaster ride of
an album.


Diana Ross remains the ultimate soul diva and a living legend. Her
work remains totally unparalled and she still continues to be a
driving force with todays new generation of singers. The Motown
Anthology is a fitting tribute to the most successful female singer
in history.


Ian Phillips

Better than All the great hits, better than Diana Forever Boxset,and really better than the Ultimate Collection. Diana Ross: The Motown Anthology is back. Her 1983, Anthology was like this but, now Motown Anthology has her hits from 1970-1999. The sound is amazing. The booklet has fully colored photographs, a great biography, discography, and songs. I own this one. I had to get it. As a bouns, there are 4 new remixes. Her latest cd, To Love Again is great. Time & Love is previously unreleased and it's great.How can you buy Forever Diana? Please don't buy that. Buy The Supremes Boxset. This is my next target. Motown Anthology also has 12" mixes. Buy it.

The names Diana Ross and Motown are forever linked in the public consciousness; indeed, Ross' sultry cooing on "Where Did Our Love Go" may have been many fans' first introduction to the Sound of Young America.

Almost forty years later, Motown has finally released the definitive--if still imperfect--tribute to its brightest star. Previous collections have been skimpy, at best ("The Ultimate Collection"), and poorly conceived, at worst ("Forever, Diana").

The double disc "Motown Anthology" neatly packages all of Ross' major (and minor) hits for the label along with a few rare gems to entice the seasoned collector. The cream of the crop--"Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Touch Me in the Morning," "Love Hangover," "The Boss," "Upside Down"--still sound as fresh and exciting as they did when they were first released. Perhaps even more so, now that Motown has gotten its act together and done a first-rate digital remastering job.

Casual fans or first-time listeners will be delighted by some of Ross' lesser-known work; her powerhouse rendition of the Four Tops' "Reach Out, I'll Be There" is one of many highlights. Her stunning, from-the-gut performances on tracks as disparate as the stomping "Surrender" and the soaring ballad "One More Chance" will silence any critics who question her soul.

Ross' latter-day material has often been dismissed as inferior to her 70's and 80's glory days, but upon further listening, that charge seems unfair. The oft-maligned "Workin' Overtime" is actually a gutsy, infectious--and credible--slice of late 80's hip-hop/pop. "If We Hold on Together," "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" and "The Best Years of My Life" are among the best ballad performances Ross has ever given, while "Take Me Higher" and "I Will Survive" are invigorating dance floor jams. The one misstep is the inclusion of the Love to Infinity remix of "Until We Meet Again" (from 1999's "Every Day is a New Day"); Ross' vocals are sped up and sapped of the original's power.

Many fans--myself included--have deplored the amount of unreleased Ross material which languishes in the Motown vaults, while countless rehashes of "Upside Down" and the rest are continually churned out. However, "The Motown Anthology" is an important release, inasmuch that it marks the classiest, most complete Diana Ross collection for the label to date. Hopefully, continued interest in this legendary diva's career will prompt Motown to unearth more treasures for the next compilation.

Let's see. All The Greatest Hits. All the Greatest Love Songs. Anthology. The Ultimate Collection. Diana Extended. Forever Diana. And now another Anthology. Miss Ross has been repackaged so many times you'd think it would all sound mucho old now but it's just the opposite. Her records are timeless and sound exciting no matter how many times you've heard them, especially remastered as they are here. But it is so frustrating that getting any unreleaseed Diana on C.D. is like pulling teeth. "Time and Love" was indeed recorded along with "Stoney End" and "Love's Lines" and those recordings are great (the track to "Time and Love" was also used, incidentally, for Jean Terrell's recording done soonafter and placed into a Supremes album later...Motown always loved to save a buck). Diana did a great album with Smokey Robinson ("Satisfaction") and none of THAT ever appeared. Nor her work with Stevie Wonder and never-heard work with Ashford and Simpson. Great songs such as "Cupie Doll" and "When the Evening" just sit in the vaults gathering dust. It is SO damned frustrating. Her theory is unreleased recordings usually have a reason they were unreleased. But this is ROSS. She recorded so much more than could be released. At least SOME of it should emerge. I won't even mention her Harold Arlen album, which everyone says is fabulous. This will have to do for now.

A stunning package I must say. I bought "The Supremes" 5-CD Boxed set a while back, and was really impressed with how much thought and care was put into compiling that beautiful collection. Now, it appears that those same people (whoever they are) did the same for Miss Ross finally. Unlike the other 3 Greatest Hits albums of hers I've been looking at, this one really seems to capture all the dynamics of her incredible solo career. The Anthology has every hit you could possibly conceive- from the wee wee early 70's to her "let's see how many times we can sample these songs" early 80's hits to her dance hits of today- all of which are fantastic (like the driving remix of "Until We Meet Again"). On top of that, you get some fantastic rare tracks like "Time And Love" and an 'interesting' version of "Lovin, Livin, and Givin" (I actually prefer the version on my Thank God It's Friday soundtrack). The set also includes an extraordinary essay and comprehensive track annotations that really educate about her stunning career to those of us who haven't followed her too closely.

In short, this collection is a real treat- do yourself a favor. Pick it up, along with "The Supremes" boxed set and have a little fun :)

Wow, can she ever pack a punch or what? I, like many people my age, grew up with Diana and never knew it. Although I was born in '78, and am currently 23, I feel like Diana and I have grown together.

When the big Disco revival was going on and all the high school age kids, myself included, went out and bought those compilation cd's, we rediscovered hits like Love Hangover, and Upside Down. New artists, if they could be called such, like Puff Daddy and Monica were sampling heavily the beats and melodies of Ms. Ross's greatest works. It was the late 90's and I thought, wow, wouldn't it be great to discover the root of all this great music. If new artists were re-recording this music, some 30 years old, (take Janet Jackson's IF hook, and also You Want This and you'll see what I mean about old Supreme's melodies as well), and having major sucess, then there had to be a river of wealth in those older recordings.

I started with Anthology, and one by one I worked my way through many of Diana's albums, some greatest hits, and some masterpieces such as the simply titled 1980 album Diana. Ok so now I have been listening to her for about 6 years and I stumble on yet another collection, a new Anthology, and I figured it was another remix or reissue. It's simply the most comprehensive collection of her Motown work. Granted there are some exclusions, such as the Supreme's Greatest Anthology, but that is a work of it's own, and the RCA years. So, you do miss some of the mid to late 80's work.

Most people and critics are not too pleasantly fond of this period, but I have to say Missing You is about my all time favorite song, and dedicated to the death of Marvin Gaye, it's powerful and it remains a testiment to how important Diana was during this time. Also remember that she was one of the very first to sign on for the U.S.A. for Africa tribute album which of course is best remembered for the We Are The World Megahit of 1985, so don't count out that time period. It was a transitional period for her, and a switch from the controlling, and often obsessive grasp of Motown.

On a final note, this Anthology is truly a must have for any fan ranging from someone new to Diana, to those who have listened to her from the 60's. Sometimes you just want to cry when you hear a voice so heartwarming and emotional as Diana Ross, she's a legend, and this is a small tribute to that fact. If Aretha Franklin is the Queen of Soul, than Diana Ross is the Epress of emotion. Few have influenced as many minds for going on forty years as Diana Ross. From 60's soul to disco dance, from slow ballads to Billie Holliday, from poverty to Hollywood actress, there's never been anyone like Diana Ross. She's number 1 in my book!

The photo of an expectant Diana in the Anthology package was not shot for the "Touch Me in the Morning" LP but the album it replaced, which never materialized, titled "The Baby Album." Songs from this project appeared on the "Morning" album, the "Last Time I Saw Him" album and the original "Diana Ross Anthology" album. I've already reviewed the Anthology for amazon.com but might add that after several weeks of living with it I like it even more. The terrific mastering is the key here. Also, it is interesting to compare the Diana Ross vocal on "Time and Love" and the Jean Terrell vocal to the same track issued on a Supremes album. They are SUCH different artists with SUCH different sensibilities yet both suited the Supremes perfectly. It's amazing Motown found someone to succeed Diana who in no way was an imitation of her but still gave the Supremes what they needed. Ross has spoken of her great respect for Terrell's talent and Terrell has spoken of her regard for Ross' utterly unique talents. Two Supremes ladies indeed.