Diana Ross - Diana Ross (Expanded Edition) (1976/2012)

This self-titled release, issued in February 1976, was Diana Ross' first album since December 1973's Last Time I Saw Him. It followed Ross' starring role in the Berry Gordy-directed Mahogany. That film's theme, a sweeping Gerry Goffin/Michael Masser ballad sung by Ross, topped Billboard's Adult Contemporary and Hot 100 charts; though it appeared on the Mahogany soundtrack, it was also included here and leads a set that's as diverse as Last Time I Saw Him, with a total of nine songs involving 16 songwriters. "I Thought It Took a Little Time (But Today I Fell in Love)," a stately ballad with a commanding chorus, was a Top Five Adult Contemporary hit but wasn't nearly as successful with R&B radio. "Love Hangover," with its extended lead-in and hurtling and thumping yet graceful groove, was Ross' entry into the disco market, where she proved to be a natural fit, and it not only topped the dance chart but the R&B and pop ones as well. "Kiss Me Now" is another highlight, a frisky, showbiz jazz number where Ross feels free enough to throw in a quick impression of Louis Armstrong. That covers the album's first side. Side two is much more focused, generally sticking to contemporary soul. "One Love in My Lifetime," yet another one of Ross' Top Ten R&B singles, is the most notable of the five songs, with the Ashford & Simpson-penned "Ain't Nothin' But a Maybe" a close second. Subsequently mired in a couple unfocused patchwork recordings, Ross wouldn't make another truly fine album until The Boss, written and produced in its entirety by Ashford & Simpson.