Reviewed by George Luke

Unlike the soundtracks to her last two screen efforts, this is a Whitney album and not a various artists compilation, although guests abound and mum Cissy takes centre stage on one song. It's the gospel album she's hinted at on previous offerings, but never committed to fully (the fact that it took a film to get it out of her is something you might want to discuss amongst yourselves). Mervyn Warren (ex-Take 6) produces, the Georgia Mass Choir provide a perfect backdrop to Whitney's vocal pyrotechnics, and when Shirley Caesar joins them on "He's All Over Me" the result if just awesome. Bobby Brown, Faith Evans. Johnny Gill. Monica and Ralph Tresvant all chip in on "Somebody Bigger Than You And I", a team effort in the same vein as the Luther/Janet classic "The Best Things In Life Are Free", and Hezekiah Walker's choir accompany Cissy for a blinding interpretation of Psalm 23. There are a few let downs, both versions of the Annie Lennox-penned "Step By Step" being the biggest (and I didn't care much for "I Believe In You And Me" either). Having read in a dozen different music publications that Rev Run's acapella group Soul Tempo appeared in the film, I scoured the CD cover looking for their names - zilch! But apart from those quibbles, this is traditional gospel at its best; polished and exceptionally well produced - but for the soundtrack to a movie made by Penny Marshall for Disney, what did you expect?

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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