Every Day Is A New Day - Diana Ross > Reviews > Diana Ross Ventures Into Urban R&B

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	The title track and the groovy R&B numbers
Disadvantages:	None

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Every Day Is A New Day (1999) was described by some as "the divorce album". Prior to the release of this album, Ross' s then husband, the late Arne Naess, announced on National television his intent to divorce Ross before she even knew anything about it! This must have cut through the diva like a knife and the contents of this quite untypical album evidently reflects her thoughts and (distraught) feelings.

Every Day Is A New Day was released shortly after that London Heathrow Airport incident where Ross was arrested and detained for hours on end after allegedly assaulting a female security officer (she protested at the fact that her breasts had to be touched during a body search). Ross became the scourge of the media, criticising her for the incident amd this may have perharps overshadowed the release of this album as i had expected this to be a big comeback for Ross. This was one of her most carefully conceived recording projects in some years and saw the soul diva colloborating with a multiple number of producers including Arif Mardin, Chuckii Booker, Steve Skinner and Malik Pendelton, who were all established and respected producers in the R&B genre.

Every Day Is A New day had the soul diva carefully and succesfully updating her over-all style and sound. Some of the tracks capture some of her most gutsy, soulful performances in quite some time as she recorded only sporadically during the 1990's.

The album opens with Ross' triumphant and soaring renedition of He Lives In You (originally recorded by another great diva Tina Turner for Walt Disney's animated classic, The Lion King). Ross is backed by an effective South African orchestra and rousing gospel vocals on the tracks chrous. Ross delivers a razor-sharp performance that's brimming with emotion. He Lives In You perfectly complimented her legendary, goddess-like status and some even went so far to say that this was her most magnificent and exciting recordings in years.

The sparkling, vibrant ballad Love Is All That Matters, written by Diane Warren, was originally a duet with R&B sensation Brandy in Ross' television movie Double Platinum (1999). Ross' solo version is still effective and irrisistiable even though being familiar and quite typical of Ross' ballad stylings.

More unusual was Ross' blatantly personal, heartaching ballad, Until We Meet Again. It's undoubted that Ross was thinking of Arner Naess as she sings this song in an unusually deeper, huskier style. These emotions are evidently stirred up inside her as you hear her yearning, almost anguish-filled voice.

The album then abruptly swerves direction and drives into urban R&B terriotry on the cool, groovy Got To Be Free. Despite all of Ross' enduring glamour and elegance on stage she still (thankfully) retains some of that streetwise edge in her singing on tracks such as Got To Be Free. She enhances her delicate, melting voice to great effect on the verses whilst the chrous is contagious. This, complete with divine musical arranegements, would have made an ideal choice for release as a single but it remainded hidden away on this album.

The original, jazzy version of her club hit Not Over You Yet is deep and mellow with swirling, electronic, R&B flavoured sound effects on the tracks dreamy chrous. Ross is in superb voice, delivering another husky and compelling performance which was a complete contrast to the more famous dance she took into the British Top 10 charts. The gorgeous So They say continues the sweet, mellow mood and Ross' exuberant delivery is exhilirating.

The haunting, atmospheric title track serves as one of the projects ultimate highlights. The startling, compelling mixture of Soul-Acid Jazz-R&B is ignited by a moody, interesting vocal performance from Ross. Without trying to analyse this too much, it is not too perceptive to detect the blatant mixed up emotions on this track where her soft, delicate voice shifts between seemingly points of utter despair to complete self re-assurance. This was the beginning of what seemed to be Ross'troubled period between the time of her arrest at Heathrow Airport until the (at one time unthinkable) drunk-driving incident that led to Ross having a short spell in prison (well a total of just two days actually but for a world wide, phenomenal superstar like Diana Ross it still proved shocking). Every Day Is A New Day showed how Ross could comfortably hit the times impeccably well with, as usually the case with Ross, ease, style and finesse.

Another reflective track was the catchy Sugar Free, a commercial-flavoured R&B number that is very uplifting in its content whilst the stand-out ballad of the album has to be the fabulous, Someone That You Loved Before. Ross delivers anotyher stunning, heart-aching performance with her soft, evocative voice shimmering with drama and emotion. This was also featured in her movie, Double Platinum and was released as an American single though all too typically the Americans just weren't interested in any new Diana Ross record with interest in her solely generated on re-packagings of her greatest hits.

Hope Is An Open Window was a blatant attempt at updating the whole Reach Out And Touch (Somebody's Hand) ethos though it fails to live up to the anthemic qualities of that track. Ross' stellar performance is impressive to say the least but her singing is literally drowned out at points by the raging gospel backing choir on the tracks chrous.

Carry On captures a red blooded, ferocious performance from the great soul diva. The fire and passion in her voice burns bright as she belts out this number with all her heart and soul, getting down and sounding like a true club mama! Ross showed she hadn't lost her touch on this jamming, rip-roaring number where her sharp, distinct vocals surfboard along those pumping, heavy bass-line, pulsating rhythms. A great dance record that is a would be classic. Undoubtedly should have been lifetd as a single.

The album then bows out (this review refers to the English release of this album so some of the remixes vary on the American version) out on another pumping dance tune, Not Over You Yet that became a big club hit in late 1999 as well as crossing over on to the main U.K Top 10 charts. i had just turend 20 when this came out and remembered really loving dancing to it in the clubs - infact it still stands very well now. It certainly showed that Ross hadn't lost that fire, sassiness and streetwise edge. Fntastic!

After the U.K Top 10 success of Not Over You Yet it looked as though Every Day Is A New Day was set to be a smash hit but alas, and rather bizarrley, the album peaked at No.71, spending just one week on the chart listings whilst not even embracing the U.S Top 100. Even so Every Day Is A New Day is overly a really great album from the soul diva and fans undoubtedly will be delighted!

Ian Phillips

September 2006
Ian Phillips