Track Listing

1. Upside Down
2. Tenderness
3. Friend To Friend
4. I'm Coming Out
5. Have Fun (Again)
6. My Old Piano
7. Now That You're Gone
8. Give Up

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12672 in Music
• Released on: 1998-09-07
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

CD Description
Diana Ross would probably be offended by anyone who called her 1980 smash DIANA a comeback, but let's face it--after the flop of THE WIZ and the way that the disco revolution steamrollered so many of her old Motown compatriots' careers, that's exactly what it was. Wisely hooking up with Chic's NileRodgers and Bernard Edwards (both the most traditionally rooted and most fearless of the major disco-era producers), Ross sounds more forceful than she had in years--the helium-toned style of her early hits with the Supremes is worlds awayfrom the assertive way she rips into the funky hit "Upside Down". Even better, the joyous, celebratory "I'm Coming Out"is probably the best solo track of her career, and the heartfelt "Now That You're Gone" is one of her most subtle ballads. The glossy Chic production might sound a bit dated to some ears, but it's matured much better than many similar albums of the era. Overall, this is, in many ways, Diana Ross's best solo record.

Customer Reviews

A LANDMARK IN HER CAREER!
One of the soul divas' very best albums. Her delivery throughout is stunning with her impressive razor sharp vocals. This became an instant classic and is now one of the landmarks in Diana Ross' succesful, long standing career. with it producing three sultry, disco/soul classics: UPSIDE DOWn (a U.S NO.1 hit/U.K NO.2), I'M COMING OUT (U.S NO.5/ U.K NO.13) and MY OLD PIANO (U.K NO.5). Riotously funky throughout, the remainder of the albums tracks include the rythmically divine TENDERNESS, the aching FRIEND TO FRIEND, the catchy HAVE FUN (AGAIN), the beautiful sparse production of NOW THAT YOU'RE GONE and the very best cut of the entire album, GIVE UP to which Ross just lets her hair down and belts this out with all her heart. This undoubtedly would have been a mega hit if released as a single at the time. An all time classic! Highly recommended and certainly La Ross' funkiest output to date.

For Chic fans really - funky, smooth, twee and stylish
Diana Ross's best Disco album. I haven't bought this on CD yet and since I notice this is a 1998 release (the album was originally released in 1980).I pray it has been digitally remastered to a high standard.

For all the throw away remarks made about Chic, you know you are listening to REAL musicians. Of course, this contains familiar classics and screams the gay disco anthem "I'm coming out" as its jewel. I'm still rather impressed with the non-singles off here. Only one duffer on here "Friend to Friend". Strange really, because Chic have wonderful ballads too, and Diana is probably equally remembered for her ballads.

This Chic style of production spurned many imitators but you just can't beat the orginal maestros.

Allegedly, this was a difficult album for Diana. There were rows with Chic about how to approach this vocally. Eventually, she backed down and stopped fighting the highly prominant production. This actually shows on side 2.

This CD commanded fantastic commercial success for her at the time and let's hope that cheered her up!

The album that put Diana back on top!

'Diana' was Diana Ross's 'comeback' album, in that she hadn't had a hit (at least in the UK for three or four years prior to its release) This put her back on top when 'Upside Down. (the first single release from this album) peaked at Number Two in the charts -just missing the top spot. Other single releases each scoring top twenty hits.

'Chic' were behind this collection of songs, and they were extremely big at the time and were also writing and composing for other artists who were having difficulty reaching the charts in those days.

It would be true and not an exaggeration to say, that Ms. Ross never looked back after this, and owes much of her latter career to the success of this album.