The Boss
While hardly as superfine a Ross vehicle as theChic-producedDianaof a year  later, 1979'sThe Bossdoes offer a few tracks of primeAshford and  Simpson-helmed disco-pop. Foremost among them are the title track  (also heard on this augmented CD reissue in an even better 12-inch  remix), "No One Gets the Prize," and "I Ain't Been Licked." All three  offer a mix of sass and vulnerability that's among the diva's most  pleasing stances. "All for One" and "I'm in the World" try too hard in  their ways to reinvent Ross's showbizzy anthem "Reach Out and Touch,"  but neither truly offends.--Rickey Wright