SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DIANA ROSS – SUPERTONIC: MIXES

Diana Ross
Supertonic: Mixes
Motown Records

Diana Ross is a legend in the pop world. Her legacy in the music business will be enduring and she is one of those artists whose songs will continue to be played constantly on the radio. However, this does not necessarily mean that changing the songs improves them, or is even a process worth doing. Sometimes, where another artist picks up the material, they can add something fresh to it, however this is not really the case here.

Taking the classic songs and adding an upbeat synthesizer mix to them in order to ‘pop them up’ does not really improve the listening experience

“Touch Me In The Morning” and “Surrender” work well and are great to listen to; they feel fresh and refilled with energy. On the other hand, the overdubbed beats coming from the drum machine are monotonous, and even with Ross’s voice brought up in the mix, the drum sound does not help these tracks at all.

There is enough in these songs to remind you just how great they once were, the album had me returning to listen to the original of “Upside Down” just to hear how it should not have been messed about in the first place.

The main problem is the application of generic club beats that would have been in vogue in the late ‘90s to such great music. Remembering back, “I’m Coming Out” and “Upside Down” are both great dance numbers in their own right. However, here they are mashed up together in a three-minute blast, and this doesn’t work at all well.

It is so sad to be anything less than positive for such a sensational singer and performer, but perhaps this album is one mix too far.

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