Search - Diana Ross :: Working Overtime

Work this...all the time

Eso | Oakdale | 03/29/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"La Ross' 1989 collaboration with Nile Rodgers "Workin' Overtime" is sorely underappreciated - even among those in Rossnation. When it was released, the innovative sound was seen as a double-edged sword by critics who were divided on the impact of La Ross' latest set. Some said that it was merely Diana's attempt to be contemporary and compete with the likes of those divas who had supplanted her in the U.S. in the hearts and minds of the American public: Paula Abdul, Jody Watley, or Janet Jackson. Others said, had anyone else -- the aforementioned divas included - with a greater degree of popularity recorded these songs, it would be hailed as a masterpiece.



While many fans will not go so far as to say it is a masterpiece for the ages, it still stands against even today's trends in Neo-Soul; "This House" is the sort of compellingly sparkling balladry that should command the attention of Urban AC formatters who seem to have abandoned Ross but seem to jump right on the latest releases from Stevie Wonder and Patti Labelle and even Lalah Hathaway who never, as many Ross fans will be quick to point, was never Diana's equal. The title cut, though a #3 R & B hit, never made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 though certain stations across the country likely jumped on the single; KISS 108 in Boston fielded a request for it in the early Spring of '89 from then-jailbirds who were even that moved by Diana's new innovative sound. I recall this, as ludicrous as it sounds, when I was a passenger on a trip with my parents, but I digress.



The appeal of the sound of "Workin' Overtime" captivated many, but did not soar to the heights it should have. The follow-up "This House" was seen by many denizens of Rossnation as a poor choice; many Rossers who lament what happened subsequent to the release of the title cut hold that something more upbeat from the set should have been chosen despite "This House" presence as the only trademark Ross ballad from the set, which many still regard as a highlight because of its engaging stylings. Some even contend that "Take The Bitter With The Sweet" should have been the first single and then "Workin' Overtime". "Paradise", which when released to the clubs and released commerically as a 12" which appeared as the A-Side to "This House" as the B-Side was something which definitely was a missed opportunity, and as many still hold, should have been worked to radio. The song - which curiously enough is attributed to Shep Pettibone who would later go onto work with Madonna on "Erotica" -in the credits on the newly remastered set is given his props despite how in the release of the original does not receive one. Perhaps Pettibone remixed the Nile's origianl mix for radio and that is the mix appearing here.



This brings up yet another interesting issue about the set which is one of its selling points: mixes seem slightly nuanced though basically unchanged; it is not as marked as hardcore Ross fans would find the case to be with such released as "Diana: Deluxe", for instance. Bridges seem elongated by seconds, and one other amazing thing about the set is, while those who found the songs which appear toward the album's end were not as appealling as the earlier ones, one may notice how much more smooth songs like "Goin' Through The Motions" sound; as opposed to the original mixing, maybe, though it does not indicate the set was remastered as a whole, the songs sound cleaner and smoother. It could merely be a function of the technology just to transfer the analog onto CD versus an issue of its having been remastered. Diana's voice even sounds crisper where on some songs it is alleged her vocal is not as strong as on other sounds.



Though those in Rossnation who wish some clarification could be made as to whether these past Ross classics which were all released simultaneously in the latter part of Feburary '05 were indeed given a new wash, they undoubtedly will fall in love again - or even rediscover the signficance - of this set which, at the time, has been said to have only sold in the neighborhood of 150,000 copies domestically in the United States. It is also interesting to note how much the cover artwork was supposed to remind the public of the value Diana Ross in her heyday circa the "Diana" album also done with Nile Rodgers, but alas lighting was not to strike twice, and it even secretly held that part of the reason Rossers overlook the musical value of this set is because of what it did not do for Diana what it should have: reinvent her. It is however all about the music - and sometimes, as Diana says, you have to "Take the Bitter With The Sweet"."

Ross makes a limited "swing" at "New Jack"!

Reginald D. Garrard | Camilla, GA USA | 07/25/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The 80's were not too kind to Ms. Ross. After the triumph of "Diana," the 1980 release featuring the hits "Upside Down" and "I'm Coming Out," Ross released a series of albums that, with the exception of the underrated "Eaten Alive," lacked the strength and radio-friendliness of the Nile Rodger-produced/Chic-sounding earlier success.



At the close of the decade, Ross reunited with Rodgers for "Working Overtime," an album determined to reinvent Ross as competition for the more popular (and younger) Madonna, Janet, and Whitney. Musical ingénue Mariah Carey was a year away from her auspicious debut release.



The resulting concoction is a mixed bag, with songs a bit too bass-laden and marred by rather insipid lyrics. Ross's trademark voice is not suited for some of the songs, sounding strained and becoming annoying upon repeated listening. When she heads into the musical stratosphere, her screeches are as irritating as the proverbial fingernails on the chalkboard.



She fares best on the dance tracks (the title cut, "Take the Bitter with the Sweet," the club-savvy "Paradise," and "Keep On, Dancin'").



The best song in the bunch is the sole "message" tune, a mid-tempo number entitled "Stand Tall".



"This House" is a total embarrassment for the singer and should not have been included whatsoever.



The ninth cut best describes the album: all parties, including Ms. Ross, were simply "Goin' Through the Motions," hoping that the Ross legacy carried some clout.



Sadly, only a true fan, like myself would find something redeemable in this release."

DIANA ROSS GOES HIP-HOP

Ian Phillips | Bolton, Lancashire, UK | 06/15/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"In the 1980's, Diana Ross' diva-like status increased rapidly. By the close of the 80's, Diana Ross became something more of a novelty celebrity because of her solid past at Motown Records as she began having trouble selling records in the latter half of the 80's.



After a shaky stint at RCA Records between 1981-87, Ross returned to her roots in 1988 - Motown Records. In a deal with Berry Gordy who was now retiring from the company, she became part owner in stock and was to maintain an active role in all of her recording work which was partly a reason she had left Motown Records in the first instance.



Predictably, the Motown publicity machine churned out stories of a grand come-back for the Soul Diva. For her highly anticipated return-to-Motown album, Ross worked with Nile Rodgers, one half of the 70's disco group Chic who had worked with Ross back in 1980 on the classic diana album which still remains her biggest selling solo album to date.



Hip Hop had become a renowned new musical trend in black music by the late 80's. After the surprisingly disappointing sales of her excellent 1987 studio set, Red Hot Rhythm And Blues, it must have perharps seemed a logical step for Diana to take. To her credit this was Diana Ross being adventurous.



The results were an album comprising of ten tracks that were all produced by Nile Rodgers and was released as Workin' Overtime.



The results were rather differing. Jamming, streetwise grooves with short beats and pounding funk were coated with razor sharp and sassy performances from Ross who really managed to quite effectively update and modernise her over-all style and sound. However the albums shortcomings came in the fact that there was a distinct over-crowding of too may sound-alike numbers.



The first batch of titles on the album: Workin' Overtime, Say We Can, Take The Bitter With The Sweet and Bottom Line are instantly contagious numbers with driving beats and dominating Hip-Hop musical arrangements.



The title track, Workin' Overtime was the premiere single. It instantly met a negative reaction from critics with some claiming that she was merley mimicking the likes of Janet Jackson in a too highly concious bid to be perceived as youthful and trendy. Workin' Overtime didn't even crack the U.S Top 100, though did enjoy some success in the U.K where it briefly entered the Top 40 charts, peaking at No.32.



Say We Can and Take The Bitter With The Sweet continue in vastly the same formula as Workin' Overtime though both work well with an undeniably catchy hook to both of them.



The bouncy Bottom Line imposes a threat of the album becoming too formulaic at this point though the track is still another infectious number though the mood steers direction with the delightful soft-Funk sounds of This House which contains nice musical arrangements but is flawed in some way with its slightly syrupy lyrics.



Paradise is more Pop/R&B flavoured than Hip Hop but with its distinctley commercial feel it was inevitable that Motown would choose to issue this track as a single though this too quickly slid into the dumper.



Keep On Dancin' and What Can One Person Do were two other contemporary Hip-Hop numbers that sound dated now whilst there is slight more ignition and spark in Goin' Through The Motions.



The album then bows out with possibly the best track on the album, We Stand Together, an easy-going R&B/Pop number that was slightly similar to This House though boasted a a strong and assertive vocal performance from Ross who enhances her introcate, delicate soprano to vast effect.



On the whole, Workin' Overtime was certainly a noble and ambitious experiment and though there are areas where it works it does admitedly sound dated now. This album was deleted from Motowns catlogue in the early 1990's following disastorous sales in the U.S where it failed to crack the Top 100. However once again the publics reaction in the U.K was more favourable where despite the lack of any major chart hit (only Workin' Overtime cracked the Top 40), the project briefly entered the Album Top 30 Charts, stalling at No.23.





Ian Phillips



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