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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
1985 studio album, February 8, 2005
Following the largely self-produced Swept Away album in 1984 (which became a Gold seller), Diana Ross' shrewd choice of collaborators continued to impress when she turned to the Gibb brothers of the British pop group, The Bee Gees for her fifth studio project for RCA Records.
Titled Eaten Alive (1985), this album was a dynamic affair with an explosive set of songs all produced by the Gibb brothers Maurice, Robin and Barry as well as the title track also boasting the excellent production and songwriting skills of the genius himself, Michael Jackson (who also wrote the brief liner notes for the back cover of the album).
Eaten Alive was inevitably the first single to be swiped from the project. Eaten Alive undeniably had Michael Jackson written all over it and Ross is nearly reduced to sounding like a guest vocalist on a Michael Jackson track. Jackson sings manically away in the background through the duration of the track which does it give it more ignition. It's admitedly hard to grasp a word Ross is singing on the tracks first verse when she frantically trys to keep up with the racing musical arrangements but overall Eaten Alive proved an interesting experiment for Ross. However much to the dismay of Ross who had such high expectations for the song, Eaten Alive stalled at No.77 on the U.S charts whilst spending just one measly week at No.71 in the U.K.
Eaten Alives' next single was nearly not included on the album. It was the last session for the project and Ross was fairly adament she didn't want it included as it encapsulated the sound and style of her glory days with The Supremes. The song in question was of course the infectious Chain Reaction. The Gibb brotheres managed to persuade Ross to include the track on the album and then sensing that the track was a winner, released it as a single.
In the U.K Chain Reaction caught on to the British public like a magnet! This was simply vintage Diana Ross and it was this retro style that her public loved even though she has commendably attempted time and time again to break out into other musical genres in the past few decades. The results pretty much speak for themselves - Chain Reaction catapulted to the top of the U.K charts, remaining firmly in pole position for three weeks and spending overall nearly four months on the British charts becoming one of that years biggest U.K singles.
Her disc career in the U.S had quite literally tanked by 1985. Despite several re-promotions and a fun video accompanying it, Chain Reaction crawled to a dire No.96 on the U.S Hot 100. Shortly afterwards a new remixed version was issued for the American market but this went doormat at No.66. To date, this was Ross' last single to have even hit the U.S Top 100!
In the U.K, obviously cashing in on the mammoth success of the chart-topping Chain Reaction, a third single was issued. The exotic and mesmerising Experience was a gorgeous ballad courtesy of the Gibb brothers. Experience captured the depth and essence in Ross' unique voice. Her exuberant delivery is dripping with warmth and passion. This timeless number surprisingly never became a big hit in the U.K stopping at just No.47 where as once again America were just not interested in any new Diana Ross record!
The remainder of Eaten Alive proved quite a diverting experiment for La Ross. Her erotic, sexually charged delivery on the sparse Oh Teacher is remarkably effective singing as though she had some drop-dead-gorgeous naked man right there in front of her!
Ross switches to Billie Holiday mode on the late night torchy number More And More. She sings this in an effective lower throat register sounding strikingly husky. The intricate sounds of Ross' delicate, melting vocals is accompanied by a gentle piano back-drop. More And More also was used as the B-side to her U.K No.1 hit, Chain Reaction.
The beautiful I'm Watching You contains an effectively breathy, seamless performance from Ross whilst the tempo rocks on the electric Love On The Line. Ross surprisingly gels well into the heavy bass-line production that consists of heavy, thrashing guirtar interludes. The Gibb brothers own distinctive backing vocals can be heard chirping away on the tracks chrous.
One of the ultimate highlights of Eaten Alive is the easy-going I Love Being In Love (With You) which is made effective from (thankfully) restrained production and another effortless and seamless performance from Ross. I Love Being In Love (With You) is one of those gloriously timeless ballads thats just touching in some way by its mere simplicity.
Ross delivers another stunningly electric performance on the rip-roaring Crime Of Passion. Her unusually raw vocal delivery ignites the soaring musical arrangements. There's a more poignant edge to the exalting Don't Give Up On Each Other on which Ross' voice sounds rich and compelling.
Overly Eaten Alive (1985) is a solid album with sparkling vocals from Ross, compelling arrangements and great lyrics from the Gibb brothers. America were only interested (and still are) in her back catologue and Eaten Alive made it to a moderate No.45 on the U.S Album Charts. Sales were also slow at first in the U.K but was then fuelled by the chart-topping success of Chain Reaction which deservedly had the album pulled out the bargain buckets and into the higher reaches of the U.K album charts where it eventually peaked at a healthy No.11.
An enjoyable and diverse album from Ross.
Ian Phillips
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Pop Masterpiece For Ms. Ross, August 5, 2002
Released during a period when Diana Ross really needed a hit and the Brothers Gibb were busy writing and producing for other artists, this album came to fruition.With Barry Gibb singing back-up on most songs, the result is a collection of pure pop masterpieces. "Eaten Alive" is an upbeat, almost frantic non-dance song with Barry Gibb and Michael Jackson sharing scat back-ups. The special effects and fast pace make for a great start. "Oh Teacher" is a sexy, smarmy song that shows Diana Ross can still be hot. The beautiful ballad, "Experience" is one of the best songs the Gibbs have written in a long time. It's also nice to note that "More And More" (written by all four Gibbs, including Andy) puts Ms. Ross back in her sultry "lady sings the blues' image. The bouncy, energetic "Crime Of Passion" could have eaasily been a single, but it was far overshadowed by the biggest song on this album - "Chain Reaction". This latter song was Diana Ross's biggest hit in a long time and her first #1 hit in the UK. It calls back from her Motown days and is still a standard dance number. The extended version of "Eaten Alive" was previously unavailable in the USA and is a great version complete with fantastic instrumental and vocal solos. This album is a classic.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Much better than its predecessor or successor!, July 26, 2005
It was the mid-80's and Diana Ross was forty-five. After "jumping ship" from Motown, Ross signed with RCA and "Eaten Alive" was her fourth album on the label. The singer had had marginal success with her first RCA release but the follow-ups didn't make too much headway on the charts.
Unfortunately, "Eaten Alive" didn't do much better. And that's a shame because this was one of the singer's best solo efforts, due in part to the strategies of producers Barry Gibb, Karl Richardson, and Albhy Galuten. The trio understood Ross's limited range, her iconic status, and the singer's age, saddling her with songs that complimented each.
Ross pays tribute to her Supremes roots with the "Baby Love" sounding "Chain Reaction". She gets to be a little "torchy" with "More and More". And she's allowed to go a little crazy on the title cut, co-produced by and featuring Michael Jackson on background vocals.
Another good cut is "Experience," reminiscent of Dionne Warwick's "Heartbreaker," also penned by the Brothers Gibb.
The strongest track, however, is "Crimes of Passion," one that allows both the singer and her accompanying musicians and vocalist to cut loose.
Perhaps, if Ross had stayed with Barry and company, she might have had the same hitmaking track record that she had in the 60's and 70's.
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