Taking Sides: Diana Ross vs. Aretha Franklin

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Yet another transposition of "Beatles vs. Elvis"

― dave q, Sunday, 10 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

By which I mean, Aretha seems to be above, beyond, outside, whatever the canon. Followers of the Diana template, like Beatle 'heirs' appear every year or so, and some of them are very popular for a time. Whereas, Aretha/ Elvis would be mold-breakers setting a template for future mold-breakers on the most extreme ends of their wakes' continuums (Meat Loaf/Sid Vicious = Celine Dion/ Beyonce)

― dave q, Sunday, 10 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

(blimey that is surely the hardest-working equals sign in show business!!)

― mark s, Sunday, 10 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

diana ross does nothing for me. all those marvellous motown songs were wasted on her. i think diana ross' high point was "chain reaction". aretha = godess.

― di, Sunday, 10 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Two or so years ago, they did one of those VH1 Diva Live thingees and Aretha was a good then as she was in the 60s.
Last year, the Diva Live thingee featured Diana Ross, who lazily sang in an utterly wrong key, hopelessly butchering a defenseless Motown classic.
Diana Ross is merely a snobbish version of Donna Summer.
And, no, I mean that as an Insult.

― Lord Custos, Sunday, 10 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Side note: Was is Diana Ross or Gloria Gaynor who said "Well, we make Disco because the dance moves in Funk are too sophisticated for White People to Dance to." ?

― Lord Custos, Sunday, 10 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Diana Ross is a good vehicle for songwriting/production artists: Holland/Dozier/Holland, the Chic Organization, etc. Aretha is herself the artist.

― Douglas, Monday, 11 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

If Aretha herself is the artist, then it's her fault that her career has been so shapelessly ho-hum since the mid-70s? (Barring fear of flying, which I accept is a tough nut to crack...) Of course it's true that you could toss Re *any* song, and she'd make something of it ("96 Tears"!), but why has she so consistently been landed with second- or third-rate material for so long?

(This may be a bit of a out-dated opinion, I don't know: I haven't heard anything new by her for years...)

― mark s, Monday, 11 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Diana Ross is Satan.

― Dan Perry, Monday, 11 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Does that make Mary Wilson a demonic imp?

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 11 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Mary Wilson is the sacrifical virgin on Diana Ross's Altar Of Evil.

― Dan Perry, Monday, 11 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

EW.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 11 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Ronnie Spector.

― Dave Beckhouse, Tuesday, 12 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Douglas's post above is completely OTM.

― Sean, Tuesday, 12 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

six months pass...

WHAT IS IT WITH YOU PEoPLE!!!!! Diana Ross is the best singer ever. Aretha is also a favorite by Diana Ross is better. Evil my butt. Diana Ross= Godess Aretha Franklin=Deified Mortal.
Quote:
"diana ross does nothing for me. all those marvellous motown songs were wasted on her. i think diana ross' high point was "chain reaction". aretha = godess."

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. is my response to such blasphemy.

― VN. Janeway, Monday, 26 August 2002 19:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Diana Ross sings on loads of terrific records, some of them even after leaving the Supremes. Aretha is the greatest female singer ever, however, and no Diana Ross or Supremes album comes near Aretha's first couple of albums on Atlantic.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 26 August 2002 19:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Mark S, do you know Aretha's "A Rose Is Still a Rose" from '98? A personal favorite--the Lauryn Hill-produced title track makes the why-do-I-love-bad-boys-hand-wringing of "Miseducation" seem silly and girlish. And while enemies of 80s-brite production might despise 85's "Who's Zooming Who" I'd say that the more "dated" a sonic context Aretha finds herself in, the more the essence of Aretha's artistry springs to the fore--her ability to navigate any contemporary rhythmic trend, and to make that navigation the focus of her art. She even did all right by Luther Vandross.

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Monday, 26 August 2002 19:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Knocking Aretha for her post mid-70s output is like dismissing Bowie because he hasn't released anything decent since '82 and Sugababes have. Martin S is absolutely right, but don't stop at the first couple of Atlantic albums or you'll be missing "Lady Soul" and "Aretha Now", and that would be a mistake.

If you do nothing else download "Hello Sunshine". No-one else could get away with this, just when you think "right, it's gone as far it can go" it builds another floor and Aretha lifts you right up there.

― Mike (mratford), Monday, 26 August 2002 19:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, but the real question is: Who was the better singer --- cutesy blonde Agnetha or sultry redhead Frida ????

― David Feldbloom, Monday, 26 August 2002 20:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I certainly didn't mean to suggest that one stops after Aretha's first couple on Atlantic, Mike - the first several are all terrific albums, but I think the first is still the best. It's the only one without a single disappointing track, for me.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 27 August 2002 17:00 (twenty-two years ago)

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