The Bottom Line
- Ross' voice is still solid, although it lacks her earlier giddiness.
- There are several pleasant surprises in the arrangements and material.
- Some of these songs sound as lazy as karaoke.
- At least one selection here is wildly inappropriate, and several are beyond her range.
Description
- Release date: October 2, 2006
- Label: EMI/Angel
- Catalog No: CDANGE12
- Discs: 1
- Studio
- Additional version: +DVD
Guide Review - Diana Ross -- I Love You CD review
The "love song" format is a little silly -- has Diana ever sung about anything else? But it's also vague enough to allow her to stretch out over five decades of pop, rock, soul and R&B standards. The most notable development has to do with her voice, which has finally lost that squeak of girlish exuberance which has marked her entire career. And while she hasn't found a new "mature" vocal persona to take its place, she remains in good form as long as her range isn't required to dip too low.
Unfortunately, those around her remain convinced that she can do anything, which is why she's mistakenly given belters like Heatwave's "Always and Forever," the opening "More Today Than Yesterday," that famous Spiral Starecase homage to Stevie Wonder, or the bel canto standard "This Magic Moment." And an attempt to recreate that "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" magic on Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is a total disaster. But her takes on "The Look Of Love," Nilsson's "Remember," and (surprisingly) the Beatles' "I Will" show that she could indeed have a late-period career as a minor chanteuse. But she's never been all things to everyone, and it's far too late to start now.
