Search - Diana Ross :: Every Day Is New Day

Until We Meet Again

T. MacCallum | New York, NY | 10/05/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I just saw the Lion King on Broadway three days ago, and as they performed "He Lives In You" I couldn't help but think of Diana's amazing version on this CD. She recorded hers ten years ago, when the show was new, and I commend her for opening a studio album (released 4 years after her prior one--Take Me Higher) with a song from Broadway. That was risky when you think about it, but since 1981 Diana has always taken risks. The wonderful thing about Miss Ross is that she doesn't care if the music sells or is a hit, she cares more that she is in control and that she is enjoying herself. I believe on this CD she did enjoy herself, mostly because she had also just made Double Platinum with Brandy and many of the songs from this CD were used in the movie.



My personal favorite is the remix by Hex Hector of "Until We Meet Again" at the end, however there is a HUGE problem--it was never created as a single track. You can see it comes in at over 8 minutes, and the reason is there is another version of the same song directly after the Hex Hector remix and some blank space. This second version is what was released on her Anthology album The Motown Anthology--although sunny and upbeat, it's not as good as the darker Hex Hector version. Couldn't Motown have easily released the Hex Hector remixes in digital format? Of course, but they never did, and it was her highest charting song from this album (#2 on Billboard Dance chart in 1999)--another Motown error in judgement.



"Love Is All that Matters" was sung by Brandy and Diana during their film, and that is the version I wish was on this CD but I heard Brandy didn't agree to it. Whether that's true or false, I believe the duet could have done respectably well as a single if Brandy had been involved. She was quite successful that year with her own career and smash CD Never Say Never. The two sang the song on TV (Oprah) that year, so it is possible to find bootleg recordings of the duet version. That being said, Diana does a wonderful job solo, singing with herself. I just preferred the version with Diana and Brandy together.



The other songs I recommend most are "Carry On" and "Someone that You Loved Before," both in the Double Platinum film. "Hope is an Open Window" is a beautiful song, used to bring the CD together before the last two dance tracks. Maya Angelou is reading in the beginning, and it all works. Finally, I have a fond memory of the summer of 1999 walking around Manhattan, I think I was on 5th Ave in the Village, and some guy had his radio blaring in an SUV. He was tuned into 98.7, KISS FM (a popular R&B station) and the radio announcer said something nice about Diana and played "Sugarfree"--a gem of an R&B track. It was a rare moment to hear a NEW Diana Ross song being played on a hit radio station in a black guy's SUV on a hot NYC summer day. It never was released as a single, but I won't forget that day and how happy I was that "Sugarfree" was not being played from a CD by a Ross fan but actually on the radio! It would be a very long time before she recorded and released any new music, 7 1/2 years to be exact."