Customer Reviews

Surrender (Expanded Edition)

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Diana Ross's SURRENDER album gets the star make-over treatment by Hip-O Select, and as usual they do a fantastic job!

This was Ross's third album and was produced by Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson who also produced Diana's first smash hit solo album Diana Ross. I never heard of the SURRENDER album, being that I was only one-year old when it was released, and I only knew the song "Remember Me" (which I love!)from this release, but I'm glad that I've discovered this "lost" gem and that it's being reissued.

The album itself was not the commercial hit here in the USA that everyone was expecting, reaching #56 on the pop charts, but it's a wonderful collection of songs that follow in the same vain as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." And Diana Ross sounds wonderfully soulful and shows off her laser like pitch that rings clear as a bell when she tears through songs like "Remember Me," "I'm A Winner," "Surrender," and others, proving once again that she was more than ready to be a solo artist.

Hip-O has done an outstanding job with the remastering and the entire production of this reissue. There are nine bonus tracks including an alternate version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (which has noticeably different ad-libs, but the music sounds the same) and the demo version of "Remember Me" sung by Valerie Simpson. Also included is a small booklet with photos and new liner notes from David Nathan and album producer Valerie Simpson about the album and its history. Simpson also provides comments on the original tracks that were issued along with editor notes providing additional info. Stellar job!

I hope this means that Hip-O will be re-issuing the "An Evening With Diana Ross" album soon!

Diana Ross' Surrender ranges from soulful ballads to some pop-styled gems (And If You See Him).

Her approach in each song is dynamically pitched to the lyrics sometimes dark narratives. Her vocals are husky, smokey and delicate in the right places. Ross can come across like a terrified child (A Simple Thing Like Cry) and at other times plays coyly like the soul diva she is (Surrender and I'm A Winner).

I would have loved this as an accompanying soundtrack to a seventies movie she never made.

With equal portions of flirty fun through to the end-of-the-road pathos in Ashford and Simpson's songs this album deserves it's re-release...lets hope it stays in print for a long time yet!

Spirited soul gems like Remember Me (a top ten R&B hit) and the excellent Four Tops' cover Reach Out, I'll Be There sound as fresh today as they did in '71 and read beautifully next to the other songs on the album.

You gotta love this Motown masterpiece which begs the question - when is Diana Ross gonna make another Ashford and Simpson soul smash!!!

The brilliant light that shines through Diana Ross's silken voice is smooth and brushed over like a fine fragile vase filled with flourishing fresh flowers taken out to set the table for todays welcomed guests. This CD is like a priceless heirloom bringing back beautiful memories to all her devoted delighted hand clapping fans. Her voice approaches you like Diana herself at her live performances. My lover Dean and I have seen her at several venues and we've actually seen her walking in Manhattan where she waved back and flashed that lightening bright smile we've all come to love.

You all know the songs and your reviews tell us the excellent details. The extra tracks are amazing as is the liner notes. Who would want to download this CD? "Ain't nothing like the real thing baby." I can't wait till Diana remasters "Live from Cesaers Palace" with "The Point" which she sings to her girls who are in the audience. I saw her perform that at the Palace Theater and both were amazing.

When I put Surrender into my Ipod and on my ears I couldn't take them off till the CD was over and there I was just listening to silence as I was caught in remberance and stilled by the voice I had just heard. That is her gift. We are all thankful for it!

I picked up a copy of the re-mastered 'Surrender' cd last week and it managed to remind me why I'm a Diana Ross fan. First and foremost is discovery. Everytime I listen to Ms. Ross, I tend to hear something that I missed in previous listens.

And this is no exception - a little history:

Whenever I talk about my favorite Diana Ross songs, at the top of the list is "Reach Out, I'll Be There," and it was this album that first introduced this bold re-make of Ashford and Simpson's classic (another version appeared later on 'Ross'). Initially I thought the song was added to capitalize on 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough's' momentum that transformed Diana's first solo project into a sizable hit. In America, Diana's follow up, 'Everything is Everything' quickly disappeared, which put 'Surrender' into the spotlight. 'Remember Me' was a moderate hit but at least it did better than any single from 'Everything is Everything' (I'm Still Waiting had little play in the U.S. and Doo-Be....didn't even see the light of day). 'Surrender' on the other hand, is the predicesor to the Honeycones, 'Innocent Till Proven Guilty' and is, in fact a perfect companion to it. There is a certain urgency, desperation, to the song that is seldom heard elsewhere in Diana's music library. I didn't know what it was but the remastered cd put it into perspective...'it had soul" - and urgency. Which is the second reason I love her music and why I'm such a big fan of hers...Diana brings different aspects of her personality into her songs. Listenning to this cd is like rediscovering fire! I never gave the album much respect because, for me, it came on the heals of 'Everything is Everything' which cooled down Diana's career. 'Surrender' had a few gems (the aforementioned singles and 'I Can't Give Back The Love") which deserved a bigger audience than it initially had. 'Surrender' had catchy hooks, strong vocals and powerful arrangements that, upon listenning to this stunning re-release, transcend time, as proven by the rousing reception 'Reach Out, I'll Be There' received when it was revived in concert several decades later. The bonus cuts only confirms my belief that the Motown machine knew what they were doing when it came to selecting the right version for inclusion in the final album release. Still, its fun and interesting to see these songs being reincarnated and molded. The inflections, delivery and different instrumentations is worth the investment. Valerie Simpson and David Nathan offers commentary that sheds new light on these old favorites. The rediscovery of this semi-forgotten album has forced me to rexamine its place in my personal album favorites of Diana Ross. There's a lot of good things about this album that's been brought to the surface! Thanks to Hip-O Select, Andy Skurow, David Nathan and all the other wonderful people behind Diana's remasters. But here's a thought to your next cd re-issue: Why not add some visuals? I'm sure there are a lot of performances of Diana performing these songs that can be included. Now that would be a Special Edition!

It's ridiculous that it's taken nearly 4 decades for Surrender, a 1971 Diana Ross project in combination with Ashford and Simpson as producers, to emerge after having been buried in the vaults ever since. Motown had some squirrelly notions of what was valuable in their archives, but to turn an album with one of her best R & B cuts plus a certified pop hit to total obscurity has never made any sense. (You always knew the Deep Dyed Diana fans by their awareness of this LP.) Then again, the Blue album, with some of her best renditions ever of standards, was also buried until last year. Thank heavens the long beauty sleep of reason has finally ended. It's an album with great moments, if not on the level of later classics like The Boss.
If you like or love Miss D., you'll enjoy hearing the session, and the alternate takes, too. Go ahead, pounce.

I luv this CD!! Wow! I mean, I can listen to it from start to finish!!!! I think my favorite songs on it are "And If You See Him," "Simple Thing Like Cry," and "Did You Read The Morning Paper." I jam this in my car so loud!! Highly recommended! This is a 4 sure classic!

After years of rehashed greatest hits, here's a reminder of why this woman has been a star for half a century. She sings with soul, abandon, and sounds like she's having a ball. The slow burn of "Reach Out, I'll Be There" is classic Diana and three cheers for the alternate take on "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"-the unedited version, thank you.

This was a fine project for our "Diva" Diana. She mastered all the songs. I actually got her to autograph a "early" release copy of this album at her then home in Beverly Hills, California. I shyly told her that I loved the "Can't Give Back The Love" song and that I felt that it would be a smash single. She was gracious and appreciated my comments while being very, very pregnant with her first child (Rhonda). Those of you that don't have this CD are missing out on songs with unmatched "SUPREME" vocals along with her signature phrasing and diction. "DID YOU READ THE MORNING PAPER" and "A SIMPLE THING LIKE CRY" are standout cuts. There has always been and will forever be only one.....DIANA ROSS!

This cd is comming out next month Extended like, Diana Ross and Everything is Everything!!!!!!!!!!!

Simply stated, SURRENDER is one of Miss Ross' best albums of an era of her career when she produced some of her best work. Along with DIANA AND MARVIN, DIANA ROSS ( the black album ), and THE BOSS, this album absolutely stands the test of time. That the lushly produced title song didn't become an enormous hit is a mystery, and her interpretation of REACH OUT, I'LL BE THERE is one of my favorite recordings of all time.

A true classic.