Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute

Performer: Various Artists
Engineer: Danton Supple; Richard Chappell; Ruadhri Cushnan; Steve McLaughlin; Ben Findlay; Brian Tench
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Proceeds from the sale of DIANA PRINCESS OF WALES TRIBUTE will go to benefit the charitable trust fund created in her memory. Producers include: Queen, George Michael, Stephen Lipson, John Reynolds, Lili Fini Zanuck. Personnel: Logos Baptist Assembly, Mariah Carey (vocals); Chris Hughes , Richard Chappell (programming). Audio Mixers: Gerard Smerek; Humberto Gatica; Mark Carey; Michael Patterson ; Mick Guzauski; Ross Cullum; Aretha Franklin; Sean "Puffy" Combs; Ash Howes; Jeremy Wheatley; Bruce Swedien. Photographers: Patrick Demarchelier; Lord Snowdon; Andrew Murray; Mario Testino; Tim Graham. Unknown Contributor Roles: SWV; Curtis Mayfield; 112; Dru Hill; Faith Evans; Case; Gerald LeVert; Lauryn Hill; Mary J. Blige; Mona Lisa; Monica; Monifah; Montell Jordan; Tony Rich; Total; Zhan�; National Philharmonic Orchestra. Arrangers: Clay Ostwald; Dan Shea; Enya; Gloria Estefan; Enya Cullum; Jorge Casas; Mariah Carey; Marty Paich; Michael Kamen; Nicky Ryan; R. Kelly; Whitney Houston; Brian May; Walter Afanasieff. It's hard to pull off a tribute album to a recently deceased celebrity with grace and style, but Diana's Tribute works extraordinary well. None of the songs on the two discs are explicitly about Diana, but the generally wistful, melancholy tone captures the feeling of mass mourning and regret. And, on the most basic level, it offers a collection of strong mainstream '90s pop songs. Only three of the songs -- Neil Finn's new solo acoustic take of "Don't Dream It's Over," Peter Gabriel's "In the Sun" and Rod Stewart's fine cover of Dylan's "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" -- are new recordings, and most the collection features familiar items: Queen's "Who Wants to Live Forever," Annie Lennox's "Angel," Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia," Seal's "Prayer for the Dying," Des'ree's "You Gotta Be," Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone," Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart," Whitney Houston's "Greatest Love of All," Celine Dion's "Because You Love Me," Gloria Estefan's "Don't Want to Lose You," Simply Red's "Stars," Puff Daddy's "Miss You," Mariah Carey's "Hero," and Spice Girls' "Mama." There's a few worthwhile surprises (Paul McCartney's "Little Willow" reveals itself as one of his loveliest numbers in years), and there's a few clinkers -- Placido Domingo and Michael Bolton's "Ave Maria" sounds particuarly embarassing in comparison to U2 and Luciano Pavarotti's soaring "Miss Sarajevo" -- that are inevitable in a project this size. Even with those minor flaws, it's hard to ignore that Diana's Tribute is one of the few charity albums that fulfills its goals with grace and style -- in other words, it's a fitting tribute. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Benefiting the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, this double CD brings together some of the biggest names in several genres of music, from R.E.M to Aretha Franklin to Placido Domingo, who dedicate both well-known and brand new material to the memory of the Princess. Included among the classic pop hits are Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven," Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia," and Diana Ross's "Missing You," all touching, melancholy ballads which underscore the tragedy of Diana's death and the depth of the loss felt by those who mourn. Some of the songs written especially for the album include Peter Gabriel's spare "In The Sun," Sinead O'Connor's soulful version of the hymn played at Diana's funeral, "Make Me A Channel of Your Peace," and a moving remake of the Eurythmics' "Angel" by Annie Lennox. A moment of uplift is provided by the Pretenders' hopeful "Hymn to Her:" "She will always carry on/Something is lost, but something is found/They will keep on speaking her name/Some things change, some stay the same."

Rolling Stone (12/11/97, p.80) - 3 Stars (out of 5) - "...varied...both in its quality and in the range of artists represented....will move all those who found in Princess Diana a symbol for the struggles of their own lives..."

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