I Love You

2006 release from the Soul/Pop diva, whose career, both solo and with The Supremes, has spanned over 40 years! Features brand new recordings of classic and personal favorite LOVE songs including tracks originally written or performed by Harry Nilsson ('Remember'), Burt Bacharach & Hal David ('The Look Of Love'), Marvin Gaye ('I Want You'), Queen ('Crazy Little Thing Called Love'), The Beatles ('I Will'), The Drifters ('This Magic Moment') and many others. Angel. 2006.

Diana Ross may have hand-selected the 14 songs on this disc, but as its executive producer she didn't do her domineering reputation justice. Arrangements sag when they should snap-to. At times they're dozy. Occasionally, as in Berlin's "Take My Breath Away," they drown themselves in melancholy. But the good news is that they don't pull Diana's vocals down with them. There are moments on I Love You when the world's most distinguished diva positively purrs (Harry Nilsson's classic "Remember," which opens and closes the disc), and others when she digs deep ("To Be Loved"); 40-plus years into her career, her voice is still her own. In addition to the arrangements, problems with this imperfect disc include the songs themselves which, in this age of carefully calculated comebacks, could have been better edited (Spiral Staircase's "More Today Than Yesterday" is Ross's speed; Paul McCartney's contemplative "I Will" isn't). Still, when Diana goes for redemption she does it up big, true to form, and where I Love You redeems itself best is on its sole original composition. Title track "I Love You" is pure valentine; a heartfelt burst that, in three sweetly sung words, speaks volumes. --Tammy La Gorce