Customer Reviews

Reflections

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Side one of the original REFLECTIONS lp (tracks 1-6) was one of the most cohesive, satisfying suites of music from the Supremes' later 60's work. Musically, if not lyrically, this side is as close to a concept album as one could expect from the 60's Supremes.

Five of 6 of those tunes are in the same mid-tempo "sophisticated" soul vibe as the title track, with minor "psychedelic" touches here and there. All except two were written by the famed Holland-Dozier-Holland team. "Bah-Bah-Bah" was written by sisters Brenda and Patrice Holloway (yes the same Brenda of "Every Little Bit Hurts" fame, who also had great success as a songwriter with "You've Made Me So Very Happy," covered by Blood, Sweat and Tears, and turned into a huge smash--#2 pop in March 1969). "I'm Gonna Make It [I Will Wait For You} was credited to Dean and Lussier. Also, this side of the lp featured the additional single releases "In and Out of Love" [#9 pop, the follow-up to "Reflections," and the one pop-swinger on this side] and "Forever Came Today [#28 pop, the lowest charting Supremes single since 1963, in spite of being an above-average composition and production], as well as the non-single "I Can't Make It Alone," a very good composition and production.

Side two of the original LP was more pop-oriented, and featured covers of "What The World Needs Now Is Love," by Bacharach-David, and Jimmy Webb's "Up, Up and Away." Diana's vocal limitations prevent these from being excellent covers, especially since the background harmonies are suppressed and watered-down. [By this time in Diana Ross and The Supremes career, more and more of the background singing, especially on lp releases, was entirely done--or augmented-- by studio singers known as the Andantes, who were featured probably on 3/4 of the Motown output from the 60's and early 70's.] This side also featured the Diana-led cover of the Martha Reeves' "Love [Makes Me Do Foolish Things]," an above-average H-D-H ballad and cover that surprisingly includes strong background support, presumably by Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong. "Then," is a joyful, pop-soul gem composed by Miracles Smokey Robinson, Bobby Rogers, and Warren "Pete" Moore. "Misery Makes It's Home in My Heart," also by Robinson & Moore, and recorded earlier than most of the material on this album, is an Afro/latin-tinged ditty that is quite innovative, and which also features prominent and interesting background harmonies. It fits quite well here. Finally, and ironically, the song which very likely kept "Reflections" from the #1 pop slot [it stalled at #2], "Ode to Billie Joe," by Bobbie Gentry [it stayed at #1 for 4 weeks], is covered nicely as a Diana solo, and is even more somber than the original, without the irony.

Two bonus cuts were added for the cd release, a minor H-D-H ballad, "Stay in My Lonely Arms," and the fun, previously unreleased on album, "All I Know About You," credited to
H-D-H, with Frank DeVol, as it was the flip side to "The Happening."

This album was quite successful in its original release, having reached #18 pop, and was always one of my favorite Supremes' albums. The cover was quite interesting, featuring a kaleidescopic collage of the girls in various poses and locations. The original liner notes were credited to Ms. Ross. There is historical value, as well, as this was the first STUDIO album to feature the moniker "Diana Ross and The Supremes," [first used on the 2-record Greatest Hits set] and the vocals of Florence Ballard's replacement, Cindy Birdsong. All of the lead vocals, of course, are by Ms. Ross, who sounds fresh and strong throughout.

AN ABOVE-AVERAGE EFFORT, WITH SOME HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE. ESSENTIAL LATE 60'S SUPREMES.

This group is comprised of a backup singer from one of the post-Ross Supremes' albums (The Supremes Produced by Jim Webb) and a co-lead singer on the last of the two post-Jean Terrel Supremes' albums - I am saddened by the fact that unknowing customers will mistakingly purchase this item thinking that these are the original Supremes. This group would not have been able to record a CD using the name "Supremes" if they had recorded this in the United States. This CD does not represent the "Sound of Young America" - but it does appear to represent the old saying "A Sucker Is Born Every Second".

These women are NOT The Supremes! Granted, Lynda Laurence did sing with one of the latter-day groupings for about a year, and Scherrie Payne did also for a couple of years. But to have the UNMITIGATED GALL to call their album "Supremes" anything, is stretching the truth to the point of near-falsehood. Do not be fooled. These are NOT the original recordings, nor do they feature the original vocalists, and to dignify this ersatz group by buying such a product is to do a great disservice to the memory of the world's all-time leading female vocal group. For shame, for shame!

This is advertised as The Supremes and it is not. It is not even close. The orchestrations are horrible, thin and tinny, flat and unexciting - all things that are the opposite of Motown recordings. An though 2 of these ladies sang with the Supremes, they are NOT Supreme sounding. One has a tendency to oversing and the other has a lovely voice showing little to no interpretive skills on these songs. If you want REAL SUPREMES STICK TO A CD WITH MOTOWN ON THE LABEL.

To paraphrase former Sen. Bentson: I knew the Supremes, and you, are not them!

As other reviewers have written here, young folks and new fans, do not be fooled into the believing that The Supremes have re-recorded their biggest and best hits from nearly 40 years ago.

The founder of the group, Florence Ballard, died 26 years ago. Diana Ross left the group 32 years ago. And the only reason these gals have gotten away with pilfering the original group's good name is because Mary Wilson was fooled into signing away her rights to the name.

While any desperate group of women may trade on the name "Supremes," only Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Diana Ross can produced that patented trademark sound -- and that hasn't happened since 1967.

Amazon is combining reviews of the original 1967 RELECTIONS album with reviews of a 2007 Former Ladies of The Supremes CD of re-recordings. This is my review of the 1967 original Motown album. I always liked this album, and it has some excellent material, with 3 hit singles on it. REFLECTIONS , the song, is their most psychedelic sounding song, and Holland Dozier Holland have said that it was a personal song about what they were going through with Motown as songwriters. This album marks the last of the HDH songs on a Supremes album before they left Motown to form their own labels, Hot Wax and Invictus. FOREVER CAME TODAY is a masterpiece, with this song sounding triumphant with just sumptuous production, and again, more of a progressive sounding song , reflective of 1967. It wasn't as immediate a hit as other Supremes/HDH works, but it is one of their glorious best, very atmospheric with beautiful lyrics and a drum beat that really propels the song along. IN AND OUT OF LOVE is the 3rd hit, which glides along carefree. Also love I'M GONNA MAKE IT [ I WILL WAIT FOR YOU ] , a very strong album cut that again is more of it's time than some of the vaulted tracks on Side 2. Of those on Side 2, MISERY MAKES IT'S HOME IN MY HEART, is a wonderful track, which sounds upbeat with Latin percussion. Three cover versions of WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW, UP UP AND AWAY, and ODE TO BILLIE JOE, are okay , but not up to par with the original songs. I do like the downer of a lyric BAH-BAH-BAH, which has a slow soul-blues-psychedelic sound, not not heard on a Supremes album. And also Florence Ballard is on some of these songs, though her vocals were mixed down so as not to detect that she was singing on them most likely. And even the cover is a sign of the times, with a more 60's design. This album is one of my favorite Supremes albums for all these reasons.

HOW DARE THEY CALL THEMSELVES THE SUPREMES I NEVER KNEW OF A SUPREME BY THE NAME OF SUNDRAY TUCKER AND THE OTHER TWO ON THIS RELEASE WERE THERE FOR SUCH A SHORT TIME NEITHER OF WHICH SANG ON ANY OF THE SUPREMES MAJOR HITS...THE BACKING IS AWFUL SOUNDS VERY CHEAP AND NASTY...GIVE IT A MISS NOT WORTH THE PRESSING.....

The NEWLY re-packaged "REFLECTIONS" CD by Diana Ross and The Supremes is issued in a charming mini-album jacket!! An exact dublicate of the album cover artwork originally presented back in 1968. In addition, this beautiful Japanese import also features two bonus tracks (see track listing). Truly a charming way to reissue "REFLECTIONS" of Diana Ross and The Supremes.

ONE OF SUPREMES BEST ALBUMS, EVERY TRACK IS GREAT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE AWESOME SHM AUDIO FORMAT. MUST HAVE FOR ANY CD COLLECTION, BUT DON'T PAY THESE RIDICULOUS OVER-INFLATED PRICES, I BOUGHT MINE FROM THE MUSIC SPECIALIST ON E BAY, THEY ALSO HAVE A STORE IN GEMM, ANTEATERMUSIC. SAVE YOURSELF A TON OF CASH.
CHEERS!

I can't believe that previous reviewers would rate this album so low. Listen to the music, the band is spot on, regardless of who is singing.