"The Boss" is the most consistently thrilling work of Ross' storied career. Legendary songwriting, production and vocal duo Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson wrote, arranged and produced the entire affair. Their outstanding efforts were perfectly matched by a Diana Ross in peak vocal form. The opening track, "No One Gets The Prize", features the most assured vocal performance of Diana's career. The title track is one of the few masterpieces of the disco era. These two songs (and "Once In The Morning") make a very compelling argument for Diana Ross as a "disco diva", but even in the midst of this disco inferno it is apparent that her true calling is as an interpreter, and ballads are her forte. On the exquisite "Sparkle", the rhythm rolls like a slow samba and is perfectly complemented by Diana's voice at its sugary sweetest. The highlight of this fantastic collection is "All For One". "All For One" is an impeccably arranged, majestic ode to brotherhood in the tradition of "Reach Out And Touch" but less corny, more poignant and invested with an urgency that only Ross could pull off. The bonus tracks of "It's My House" and "The Boss" included here are called "remixes" but they are more like extended versions because they retain the rhythm arrangements of the originals with extended breakdowns and a few more "ooohs" and "aaahs". Of course, the original versions are so flawless, it would be criminal to remix them anyway. All tracks have been digitally remastered and the sound quality is amazing. If you only ever buy one Diana Ross CD in your life, make it "The Boss".

When this lp first came out on disc format, the mastering was crude and there were no bonus tracks. This version makes the music crisp and provides two extended mixes. "It's My House" benefits from the extension, which gives the song a focus and does not allow it to be overlooked as it often was on the original lp. "The Boss" was a joyous production that always seemed, at about 4 minutes in the original version, much too brief. The extended version maintains the buoyant, exultant mood and sterling production. I always wondered what Ashford and Simpson would have done with these songs on an album of their own, but I must say, as someone not particularly enamored of Diva Ross, Diana's vocals are expressive, warm, and stirring here. "No One Gets The Prize" is a dramatic piece, "Sparkle" is a lovely, jazzy number, "I Ain't Been Licked" is jaunty, and "I'm In The World" is an understated work of self-assertion. Highly recommended for A&S, Ross, R&B, and disco fans.

While not as timely or trend-setting as her next release [the Chic team-produced DIANA, which featured the huge hits "Upside Down" and "I'm Coming Out"], THE BOSS is simply a great pop and straight-ahead soul album, with the accent on the soul. It is mystifying that this album didn't enter the pop top 10 and go multi-platinum at the time of it's release. This worthy effort surely deserved to remain on the charts for an extended period.

In my opinion, Ashford and Simpson's tune-crafting and production have never been better (and that's saying a lot!!) and Ms. Ross has never topped this vocal performance, in terms of strength and delivery---ever! She gave this 1000%.

Ross' performance on the title tune should have garnered her a Grammy for best r&b performance, but wasn't even nominated. [Like me, a lot of people with musical tastes beyond the mainstream believe the Grammys to be pretty lame and milquetoast, anyway.]

"It's My House" is a reggae-fied beauty. "I Ain't Been Licked" is a powerful song of self-affirmation, perfectly and soulfully delievered. "Once in The Morning" is solid. "All for One" is "Reach Out And Touch" updated, and very strong. "No One Gets The Prize" is incredibly powerful and soulful, and has a nice lesson for the greedy. The bonus cuts [extended versions of the title tune and "It's My House"] are treats.

This album even exceeds Ashford and Simpson's stunning work on Ross' solo 1970 debut, and that, also, is saying a lot. ABSOLUTE ROSS ESSENTIAL from 1979.

"The Boss" represents the pinnacle of Diana Ross' recording efforts. Never regarded as a serious albums artist (despite such worthy endeavors as 1970's "Diana Ross," 1971's "Surrender," 1973's "Touch Me in the Morning" and 1977's "Baby it's Me"), this excellent disc tidily dispels the notion that Diana Ross is only as good as her last 3 minutes and 45 seconds. With Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson on board as producers and songwriters, we are assured of a sophisticated, soulful affair. Icy strings and ominous horns create a tense setting for "No One Gets the Prize," which was originally written for Dionne Warwick. Ross sings the hell out of this track, pushing herself into a higher register than she'd ever attempted. The jubilant "I Ain't Been Licked" could very well be the best self-affirmation anthem ever recorded: "Keep holdin' me down," Ross sings out triumphantly, "I'll rise!" A gorgeous ballad, "All for One," ably demonstrates Ross' ability to turn such near-banal sentiments as "All for one/And one for all/You live, you give/You have a ball" into high poetry. The album's title track is a bona fide disco classic, and a performance that should've won Ross a Grammy. Her joyous whoops and exclamations at the bridge and fade are exhilirating. "Once in the Morning" finds Ross squarely in boogie wonderland, with no pretense to anything but good-time hedonism; Ashford & Simpson clearly took a page from the Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder handbook on this one. The warmly sensual "It's My House" is another Ross classic--she is the embodiment of a empowered, sexy, modern woman. The pulsating, downtempo groove is irresistible. Two more ballads round out this stylish workout: "Sparkle," and yet another award-worthy performance, "I'm in the World." When Diana Ross declares "I'm here, and I won't apologize," you realize that this is more than singing--it's a statement of purpose. Clearly the most solid, engaging album of Ross' career, this is essential for fans of disco, R&B and classic pop simplicity.

When I first bought this CD I was very curious what chemistry could happen between the collaboration of Ross and Nick & Valerie Simpson. One word: MAGIC!!!!

The CD opens with a bang. "No one gets the prize" with its slow tempo in the beginning then uptempo dance beat it's a winner. Then the anti-victim song "I ain't been licked" tells the story for the rest of the CD. Diana simply lets you know I am not finished and I have more to say. The CD continues to grab you with the soul stirring "All for one". Diana delivers this tune with such conviction it feels as if she is singing it directly to you. Then the anthem "The Boss" she states her claim and you just simply agree. Surprisingly, the CD gets better with the infectious "Once in the morning", which should have been released as a single because it is a song that will have you dancing weather you want to or not! Then it continues with the sexy bump and grind of "It's my house", the siren sounds of "Sparkle" and the CD ends with "I'm in the world".

The bottom line is this CD "The Boss" by Diana Ross is like what "Thriller" was to Michael Jackson. This is a complete home run for Diana. Most Diana Ross fans or not would consider this, hands down, Diana's best album for two reasons: 1) the songs are great lyrically and musically 2) Diana really sings this songs and you hear her artistry.

This is a must buy. Period.

Buy it TRUST ME, you won't be disappointed.