Last Time I Saw Him [Expanded Edition]

From the mavens of Motown over at Hip-O Select came this two-disc expanded edition of Diana Ross's Last Time I Saw Him (1973) -- presented in both the original stereo, as well as a rare quadraphonic mix that was only available in Japan for a short time in the mid-'70s, plus an entire CD containing nothing but previously unreleased "bonus tracks" from the sessions. After leaving the Supremes in 1969, Ross's solo career soared during the early part of the ensuing decade. By 1973 she had already starred in two major motion pictures and issued no less than six long-players. She likewise found time to bring her stage show to SRO crowds around the country and even work on several forthcoming endeavors, such as Last Time I Saw Him (1973) and a separate platter of songs for her two daughters -- titled appropriately enough To the Baby. Since time was of the essence, something had to give. So Ross shelved the latter personal project and devoted her considerable attention toward this ten-song LP. While the material is generally hit or miss, the one unifying factor is Ross' resourceful interpretive skills -- which she ably demonstrates to great effect. This is true whether tackling the hapless optimism of the opening title track or the intimacy infused in the ballads "Love Me," "You," the heartfelt "Sleepin'," or the jazz-fused "When Will I Come Home to You." Demonstrating yet another facet of her infinite talents, Ross rocks out on "I Heard a Love Song (But You Never Made a Sound)" with a funk that is firmly ingrained in "old-school" Motown. She is equally out front on the bold R&B statement "Stone Liberty," speaking with a message of personal freedom and empowerment. Rounding out the original tune stack is a quirky and soulful overhaul of Charlie Rich's hit "Behind Closed Doors." Ross simply sparkles, whimsically revealing a happy-go-lucky cadence that wasn't in Rich's reading. As mentioned earlier, the supplementary selections have all been recently unearthed from the Motown Records vaults. For all intents and purposes, the vast majority were completed yet ultimately dismissed in favor of arguably stronger selections. There are several outstanding performances within, including "version one" of the delicate "Where Did We Go Wrong" -- which resurfaced several years later on Ross (1978) -- plus an update of the '50s pop love song "Since I Don't Have You" that was intended for the Diana & Marvin (1973) duet album. But as Gaye never recorded his vocals, the song remained shelved. Rounding out the entire package -- for the sake of completeness no doubt -- is the unedited "Last Time I Saw Him." ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide