After reading the review from the UK about Diana's successful UK single, I had to respond. If there is one thing you can always count on in the USA, it is a fickle record-buying public. These days, no one in the US cares about decent music or about true Divas who have stood for grace and beauty--and who have stood the test of time. I am proud to say that I am one of those (obviously few) USA record-buyers who still appreciates Diana Ross and what she stands for. She sounds and looks magnificent at 55, and this is one of the best R & B albums released this year. Of course, one would never know it by turning on the radio, because Diana's voice is rarely heard anymore over the US airwaves. I am just thankful that Diana still continues to release records for her US fans. We are still here, Miss Ross--although you have every right to be partial to your UK fans. As for Motown's horrible promotion of this CD, it is something that I have grown to expect in this day and time. Motown has become like every other major label: they cater to the teeny-boppers and let the decent music fend for itself.

After 10 years of making sappy adult-contemporary ballads and weak hip/hop dance tunes, Diana Ross has finally returned to her roots- pure unabashed soul. This album is a sensuous collection of 11 breathy tunes that all but make up for her decade of mediocracy. While "Love Is All That Matters" isn't exactly all it was hyped up to be, the rest of the album is just astonishing. She creates soulful urban grooves ("Not Over You Yet", "Got To Be Free", "So They Say") steaming urban jazz ("Every Day Is A New Day", "Sugarfree") hip/hop gospel ("Hope Is An Open Window"), latin balladry ("Until We Meet Again"), and even a Broadway production number ("He Lives In You"). Also included is a haunting Diane Warren-penned ballad "Someone That You Loved Before" and top-notch dance anthems with "Carry On" and not one, but TWO hot remixes of "Until We Meet Again", one of which was savagely left unprinted on the CD packaging. This album is by far the best piece of work she has come up with in years. It goes up there with "The Force Behind The Power" as one of the very few masterpieces she has created in over a decade, and is a MUST for every CD collection.

I am 20 years old and listen to basic pop music, I have always known about Diana Ross, but when I saw her perform on Double Platinum and heard her sing some of the songs from her album, I rushed out to buy it. I love the entire album, I listen to it frequently to hear her beautiful voice. Alot of the singers out today can take a note or two from this truly legendary singer. I love how she pronounces the words to each song, and really sings from her heart. I have collected some of her past albums and singles recently since I bought the album, and nevertheless I have been "Swept Away" by this womans incredible voice and career. She is just simply magnificent. Now only if radio stations can play her and promote her as much as they do these less talented singers today.

Diana Ross always has been and always will be a true legend despite the fact that throughout the 1990s her record sales in the U.S.A hav been practically dead. Thats certainly not to say that her work has'nt been good. Whilst not exactly containing the fire of her Motown recordings her albums have been remarkably good through the 1990s. It is true that at times the material included can verge on the lines of being too syrupy but at the same time, the sincerity of Diana Ross' beautiful and soulful vocals and the soothing music that accompanies it is simply hard too fault despite what a lot of critics have said about her in recent times. After the publication of, Mary Wilsons highly controversial autobiography, DREAMGIRL:MY LIFE AS A SUPREME (1985) in which Diana was portrayed as a ruthless manipulator, her record sales dipped very noticeably in the U.S.A. Whether that is coincidence or not remains a mystery. For excellent albums like RED HOT RYTHM N BLUES (1987), THE FORCE BEHIND THE POWER (1991), EATEN ALIVE (1985) and TAKE ME HIGHER (1995) have sold poorly in the U.S (although found favour in the U.K) and produced no noteworthy major hit which is a great shame. Exactly the same could be said for her recent album EVERY DAY IS A NEW DAY (1999) which emerges as her most consistently good albums and her most stunning work in years yet remains a misreably underated gem!

The album begins with one of her most exciting records in years, HE LIVES IN YOU which comfortably steers Diana into a gospel type sound. This surely would have been a sure fire hit yet it sadly has never been released to date. The song comes complete with an effective South African choir and orchestra and a cracking performance from Diana. The Diane Warren ballard, LOVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS is absolutley beautiful even if not very origanal as during her career Diana must have done countless songs with this type of theme yet she always brings a degree of freshness to her work and remains a totally unique vocalist. Far more strong and effective is the next ballard on the album, UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN with a stunning performance from Diana, beautiful, flowing rythm and a catchy chrous. The album then gets down to some serious, funky, grooving R and B on GOT TO BE FREE which again sounds like perfect chart material. NOT OVER YOU YET (the album version) has a jazz feel to it and features Diana in a deeper tone than usual. which truly allows you to appreciate her unique vocal range which has met some undeserved critisism in the past. SO THEY SAY is another pleasantly mellow R and B sound to it, whilst EVERY DAY IS A NEW DAY is by far one of the very best tracks on the album. The striking combination of Acid Jazz and Soul is blended in beautifully against Dianas soulful voice. SUGARFREE returns to a pop-soul sound that has Diana Ross written all over it. Again this sounds like good chart material with its infectious chrous, pleasant melody and feel good lyrics. The haunting SOME ONE THAT YOU LOVED BEFORE is one of her greatest ballards of the 1990s with a truly heart felt performance from Diana. HOPE IS AN OPEN WINDOW is a rather hands held across the stadium type number yet is more compelling than usual making it instantly memroable. The album then kicks off with the dance remixes - CARRY ON is possibly her most exciting dance recors of the 1990s, where the diva returns to her roots and sounds like shes back at Motown, with a gutsy, soulful performance that showcases her vocal range and abilities and sounding like a true club mama. Then theres the classic NOT OVER YOU YET (REMIX) which delivered Dianas bigest hit in years in the U.K with it storming its way into the U.K Top 10 charts in its first week of release which is nothing but deserved as its a great, grooving dance/R and B track and catapulted Diana back into view in the media.

On the whole the album is thoroughly magnificent, with Diana returning to her roots of Soul and R and B which by far is the style she always sounds best and at home on. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! The album generally drew a mixed critical response but most fans were justifiably delighted with it and despite sales for it not being red hot, goes down as one of her all time classics!

this is an excellent cd with classic sounding ballads as well as some new sounds. i do not understand why this cd hasn't received more radio play. this is the best project she has done in quite some time. my compliments to miss ross!