Heaven

Amazon.com essential recording

While dated by its synthesized keyboard work, Heaven still stands as some of the best work BeBe and CeCe Winans have done. BeBe had a hand in writing each tune, with the exception of Paul Simon's "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The interplay of the two voices is striking amid the marriage of popular music's production values and Christian-based lyrics. Additionally, this disc laid a foundation that ushered in a new phase of contemporary gospel, paving the way for solo careers and the likes of Kirk Franklin and Sounds of Blackness. Heaven features longtime compatriot Whitney Houston as guest vocalist (nearly a decade later, CeCe and her old pal would have a hit with their track on the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack), and the duo caught some flak when some folks thought their material wasn't Christian enough. --Paige La Grone