STYLE: R&B RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 5234-4925 LABEL: Warner Alliance WBD4151 FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1
Reviewed by Karl Allison
The most impressive thing about the Winans is that they are still getting better. After 20 years in the business, this album looks set to sell even more than the hit 'Return', and that went gold. Any hype you've heard about this album is true: it's massive. So massive, in fact, that we had difficulty classifying it. In the end, we chose to call it R&B Gospel, but there's also hip-hop, not a little soul and even the odd jazz influence. Every ballad brings blessing and every dance track cries out to be a single. And no matter how strong the grooves get, the brothers still have the vocal character to leave you in no doubt about who you're listening to. "All You Ever Been Was Good" is as masterful a blend of gospel and dance as I've yet heard, with choral arrangements reminiscent of The Sonds Of Blackness. "Heaven Belongs To You" is a cracking good celebration of the life to come ("Angels singing/Joy bells ringing/It's yours, it's yours, it's yours") and there's a revival of "Tradewinds" which Randy Crawford sang many moons ago. I guess that with Quincy Jones as executive producer they could scarcely go wrong, but it is still an awesome offering. I believe it will stand for many years as a comprehensive statement of how gospel can incorporate a variety of styles without losing its soul.
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Posted by Don in state of Delaware @ 22:03 on May 16 2011
As an avid listener to Bebe & Cece Winans; I tuned into ccm
radio and heard a song entitled, "Love Will Never Die". I
just loved this song immensely!! The song was duet with pop
icon Kenny Loggins; the song spelled hit immediately! The
Winans duet with other top recording artists on this cd, to
include top country artist Ricky Van Shelton (boy talk about
a collaboration of vocal styles). R. Kelly duets on
"That
Extra Mile" which he co-wrote; and Lalah Hathaway duets on
"It's Not Heaven If You're Not There". I have other classic
recordings by the group to include the wondrous "Tomorrow"
from 1984 (luv this song!)
GOD Bless! - Don
As an avid listener to Bebe & Cece Winans; I tuned into ccm radio and heard a song entitled, "Love Will Never Die". I just loved this song immensely!! The song was duet with pop icon Kenny Loggins; the song spelled hit immediately! The Winans duet with other top recording artists on this cd, to include top country artist Ricky Van Shelton (boy talk about a collaboration of vocal styles). R. Kelly duets on "That
Extra Mile" which he co-wrote; and Lalah Hathaway duets on "It's Not Heaven If You're Not There". I have other classic recordings by the group to include the wondrous "Tomorrow" from 1984 (luv this song!)
GOD Bless! - Don