Customer Reviews

Visions of Diana Ross

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I give this DVD 5 stars simply because its Diana Ross. The fact that there are only 6 music videos which all come from the 80's is very disappointing. Its still better to have some of MISS ROSS'S videos on DVD rather than none at all, but this is not the way a DIVA of her caliber should be recognized. Fans want more of Diana's videos, not just a small portion. I would have also included her videos:

* Mirror Mirror
* Chain Reaction
* Eatin Alive
* Dirty Looks
* Workin Overtime
* This House
* Take me Higher
* I Will Survive
* Until We Meet Again
* Not Over You Yet
* Upside Down (Live)
* I'm Coming Out (Live)
* The Best Years of my Life

The Visions Of Diana Ross DVD is only a relatively short collection of videos, focusing on her early years with RCA Records. Being the ever keen fan of the delightful Diana Ross, I would have much preferred a more thorough over view of her videos, rather than just a sprinkling of promotional videos that look extremely dated when viewing today.

The Visions Of Diana Ross begins with the video to her cross-Atlantic Top 10 smash hit, Why Do Fools Fall In Love a fun, bouncy intepretation that's far closer to swinging Las Vegas than the streets of New York, which was where the song was created and inspired. Fittingly the video is set in the heart of Las Vegas where Diana is seen dancing and running around some familiar sightings in Vegas whilst an enthusiastic crowd of spectactors form a line to watch Diana perform. Nothing spectacular but fine for its time.

The video to her storming Rock-R&B American Top 20 hit, Swept Away is one of the more creative and atmospheric videos. A spiky haired Diana is sat on a beach alone in the middle of the night reminiscing to herself about the man she was supposedly "swept away" by. It contains segements of Diana dancing at the top of a lighthouse, swimming under sea at night, seducing a very good looking man and rather laughably brawling with another woman in some late night bar over her man. The video escalates into pure melodrama at the climax where Diana is seen at the top of the lighthouse, fighting with her man. There's a struggle and he goes over the edge and falls to his death (though you don't see that of course). Unusual and enjoyable video to a fantastic song that was one of her best on the RCA Records label.

All Of You features the ever glamorous, sophisticated Diana Ross duetting with charismatic Latin crooner, Julio Igelias, which glided into the American Top 20 charts. The video is set at a party where Diana and Julio remain completely oblivious to all others surrounding them as they croon sickly sweet nothings to one another. May be a bit too syrupy for some but I actually think theres something nice and charming about it.

Muscles, an American Top 10 hit penned by the genius Michael Jackson, is the next video on this collection and is laughably dated though was fun in it's day. Diana is seen cavorting around her boudair with several gorgeous muscled men (lucky Diana!) and looks as though shes having the time of her life (and who can blame her!).

Pieces Of Ice was one of her more over-looked songs where it crawled into the lower reaches of the U.S Top 40. The Pieces Of Ice video is the most startling video on here though the silly animal costumes look painfully cheesy but the dancing is slick and tasteful (for its era at least) and Diana oozes sexual charisma and looks divine in that tight, red sequinned dress.

Missing You is my favourite video on The Visions Of Diana Ross as it inteprets footage of the late Marvin Gaye (who had been shot dead in 1984 following a heated argument with his estranged father) in between footage of Diana singing the song in a dimly lit studio. There is also some treasured and rare footage of these two legends of soul music together who were dubbed as the Queen and King of Motown. Watching Diana and Marvin Gaye singing, laughing and dancing together on stage it's hard to believe those stories about the recording sessions for the Diana and marvin (1973) album where they apparently clashed - Diana was reportedly antagonised by Marvins refusal to stop smoking weed during the rehersals as she was heavily preganant at the time.The Missing You video is beautifully done and is actually quite moving without shrinking to being too corny. The song itself became Diana Ross last top 10 hit in the U.S to date (though she continues to be a strong seller in the U.K and all across Europe).

The mere fact that some of these videos aren't to some of her more well known hits makes it of no great historical interest to the musical collector but fans like myself will find this a worthy addition to their collection.

The videos included are obviously very dated now but this was the early 1980's after all and in that fact, The Visions Of Diana Ross makes very entertaining viewing, if only for pure nostalgia.

Ian Phillips
July 2006

A collection of some of Ross' videos from the 1980's with the ultimate cream of the crop being the affectionate re-creation of her days with the supremes in CHAIN REACTION. In this stunning video you can witness Ross dancing away as if on some 60's type, t.v. show such as Hullaboo when all of a sudden it transfers into colour and you can see the dazzling transformation of Miss Ross of how she is today - an icon of glamour! The video is great fun and the track itself is a true classic although it did surprisingly fare very badly on the U.S charts. SWEPT AWAY and EATEN ALIVE are also notably good, creative and enjoyable videos whilst WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE features Ross running and dancing her way round some of the most dazzling sights in Las vegas. MIRROR MIRROR and MUSCLES are also startling videos which rounds this considerably short video as excellent and one well worth having.

I just dont understand these short dvd compilations, sure these are some of Ms Ross's more interesting videos (Swept Away is a mini epic)( Muscles is campy)and I love love love Pieces of Ice - the song and the video, and it was one of the reasons for purchasing this incomplete collection.

Surely someone of Diana Rosses stature, deserves a complete career videography? capturing all of her work from the 60's to present day (another diva who needs the same is Donna Summer)

For an example on how to do it....check out Olivia Newton-Johns Gold 1 & 2 dvd.

Nice to have for fans - but could have been so much better.

Although it is nice to have a DVD at last, containing some of Ross's greatest 80s moments on music video, the HUGE disappointment is that the original tracklist from the 1985 VHS release (re-issued in 1993) has not changed at all. The same six videos! This is quite disappointing - us fans expected the DVD to be expanded, with an additional 6 videos, like my suggested additions below:

* Mirror, Mirror
* Work That Body
* Eaten Alive
* Chain Reaction [her best music video ever!]
* Dirty Looks
* Missing You [original 'more Motown' version]

To be honest, I was surprised when 10 years ago, the VHS edition was reissued with no additional selections. Now, I am even more surprised and upset that this still hasn't been expanded and revised. This DVD could also have new cover art to make it improved. Ultimately, while these videos are treasured by Diana Ross fans and this DVD will be nice to have, it falls far short of the star treatment we expect our favorite singer to receive.

Yeah, Ok. But where are the rest? Come on, People. It's nice to have the US version of 'Visions Of...' out on DVD but, why not release all her other clips! Great image & Sound quality. Diana is the best!

Any fan of Diana will enjoy this package of videos. I only wish she would have others released for she has so many throughout her 40+ year career.

Excellent watching

Why is it so difficult to find film biographies on Lena Horne and Diana Ross? Both are African American divas, legends and icons. Recently BET television station has featured unsung divas including one of the Supremes. However,Diana Ross has yet to be featured. If it wasn't for the recent death of Michael Jackson, a whole generation would not know who she is. Something definitely needs to be done about this.
Cawallen

OK it's Diana so =4
BUT:
After all the Brouhaha of the failed "Return to Love" tour and the rest of that devasting year with the quote as the "tour" collapsed promise to "give something back to the Fans"... this is just sad...
Hopefully all those "other" videos named in the previous posts plus all the ones that were previously released on the "One Woman" laser disc will eventually make their way out...
I don't know how long we should hold our collective breaths however...
For whatever powers that be that make these decisions...
Still haven't pulled it together to even release "Lady Sings the Blues" on DVD yet...& they expect us to be satisfied with this release and a Muppet Show...geesh!

I do agree with some of the comments written before my review; nothing new, no extras, etc. This is still, however, an outstanding collection, including the underrated and surrealistic "Pieces of Ice". The fact that this collection has finally been released to DVD is something to cheer about. Hopefully, if the sales of this collection does well, the US fans may finally get the "One Woman Video Collection", enjoyed by fans in Europe and Japan for years. Do I dare hope that the US fans will also get the opportunity to enjoy the newly released "Supremes Live in Sweden", currently available to European fans only? How about TCB? GIT? And what's up with Paramount Studios? Lady Sings the Blues ran at the Gary Theatre in Boston for over a year! Shouldn't that tell the studio moguls something? "We're Still Waiting".

And a BIG PS: Amazon should stick to reviews of products they offer. The editorial comments on Ross' arrest are totally inappropriate and should be left with the scandal mongers where they belong. Give the woman a break, one incident in a 45 year career does not need to be exploited by Amazon. She done her time now get over it!