Take the title of CGI Platinum's
Divas of Gospel seriously -- this is contemporary gospel performed as if it were urban contemporary soul by such stars as
Vickie Winans, Kim McFarland,
Tramaine Hawkins,
Cissy Houston,
Sandra Crouch, and
Jennifer Holliday. To listeners accustomed to traditional gospel, contemporary gospel's reliance on modern production and songwriting techniques may come as a shock, but this is undeniably a good sampling of the style and some of its best artists. True, it may not necessarily feature the very best tunes from any of the featured artists, but they're all representative and most are quite good, making this a good budget-priced sampler, especially since it clocks in at a generous 75 minutes. That is quite generous, considering that it retails at just under six dollars. The length and price combined make it a good bet for the curious and the casual fan. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine