Diana Ross/ Thank You



BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

Diana Ross/ Thank You

Label: Decca-Universal Music 

Rating: *** 1/2

One is a bit confused behind the logic of releasing the new Diana Ross album Thank You the same day as ABBA's comeback record Voyage. After all, millions of fans were eagerly looking forward to the latter, and chances were that Diana's album, also a return after 15 years, would be lost in that hype.

The Detroit singer was a star much before the Swedes stormed the world, first as part of the Supremes and then as a solo artiste. And though her sound was more American soul and rhythm n' blues in comparison to ABBA's saccharine-laced Europop, they both had a similar fan base of listeners who liked a mix of simple songs and disco-flavoured numbers.

Assisted by the brilliance of producer Jack Antonoff, Diana sticks to a similar formula on Thank You, her 25th album, though the tilt is more towards goody-goody ballads than uptempo dance tracks. It's an album filled with warmth, gratitude and hope, and titles like 'If The World Still Danced', 'All Is Well' 0and 'The Answer's Always Love' represent the overall mood, with the latter having lines like, "What if there were no boundaries to keep us apart, what if the only thing we make were music, love and art".

Considering the album was written during lockdown, it's apparent that the singer's aim was to create a positive vibe. On the uptempo 'I Still Believe', she sings, "Looking forward, I can leave the past with me", whereas the chorus on 'Tomorrow' goes, "Tomorrow starts with me, and you, and you". The album closer 'Come Together' talks of living in harmony. Missing, however, are songs of anthemic quality - there's nothing quite as memorable as her old hits 'There's No Mountain High Enough', 'Endless Love', 'Upside Down and 'My Old Piano'.

Yet, at 77, Diana's singing abilities are very much in shape, and her pitching and phrasing are immaculate. Check her range on 'Beautiful Love' and her emotional feel on 'Time To Call', and it's clear age hasn't dimmed her prowess. There's an old-fashioned simplicity on 'Just In Case', where she sings, "It's been in my heart for a while, nothing seems to make me smile, like you do, you do". Her generation will waltz with a smile.

Interestingly, though the title track could have made for the perfect ending, it actually opens the album. Here, Diana sings, "Thank you for the smile, thank you for the tears, thank you for being who you are, for all those years, thank you for the joy, you are the reason why, I thank you for the love you have bought into my life". Maybe her fans should sing that back to her.





 


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