::ALBUM REVIEW::

Vickie Winans has a strong reputation for being labeled the hardest working woman in show business. At least in the gospel world. For those that may want to argue that notion, they may want to hold their peace after glancing over her latest work of triumph: the two-disc, thirty-three track "Woman To Woman: Songs Of Life". The collection is filled with surprises and multiple collaborations, a neat souvenir photo journal enclosed with the linear notes, several contributions from highly recognized album producers and plenty of creative spark from Winans. And while "Woman To Woman" is divided into two discs, Winans makes sure she delivers a set of live material; aptly showcasing her energetic charisma and unquenchable humor on production handled by Steven Ford.

The first disc stretches out to a eighteen track project containing the funk-urban sound Winans experimented with on her "Bringing It All Together" project while cooling down with neat ballads mostly produced by Cedric & Victor Caldwell (CeCe Winans). After hearing a passable two-minute prelude focusing on the album's title, the album jumps into the rhythm-and-praise "It's Alright". Featuring Kayla Parker-Colbert's background vocals and instrumentation handled by co-writer Aaron Pearce, the song will catch the ear of those familiar with Winans' "Shake Yourself Loose". "Never Separate (A Song For Friends)" makes great listening with its acoustic contemporary jazz vive captured by Tim Bowman on guitar and Winans' delivering vocals reminiscent of Anita Baker. While the disc is quite lengthy and may be hard to digest in one day, strong standouts include "Madly In Love" (with its strong production, spunky groove and catchy lyrics) and Rodney Jerkins' "Go Go Praise" (with go-go dance rhythms, horn arrangements from MO HORNS and a jamming groove probably aimed towards the Beyonce' crowd). Marvin L. Winans continues to prove his excellent ability to compose exceptional ballads on "God Of Comfort". Winans' vocals enraptures and milks the song with dynamic power while Cedric & Victor Caldwell recruits the Nashville String Machine to add to this brilliant cut. Those who remember the ever-popular soundtrack of "Sister Act II" will probably enjoy Winans' interpretation of Mervyn Warren's "Joyful Joyful". Derrick Starks and New Generation provides background duties while Winans spices the fresh production with her own style. The first disc also contains special tributes from Marvin Winans, Jr. and Mario Winans, along with a moving arrangement of Walter Hawkins' "Try Christ" - which sounds as innovative today as it did when it first appeared on "Walter Hawkins: The Hawkins Family" back in 1980.

Disc 2 is where Vickie shines: on the live recording sessions. With the "F-Team" (Steven Ford, Kenneth Shelton, Jamar Jones, Omar Edwards) handling the musical direction and a list of gospel celebrities including Jonathan Dubose, VaShawn Mitchell and Leanne Faine contributing to the mix, the live portion is sure to enlighten the faces of those expecting what Winans is known for. Bishop T.D. Jakes defines the character and texture of Winans with a moving, poetic introduction and then enters a majestic composition from the Winans' "Live at Carnegie Hall": "A Change Will Come". The song is short-lived though, but Aaron Pearce's "Everyday Is A Good Day" jumps forward; showcasing the intense stroke of genius from organ/synth extraordinaire Steven Ford with drum overdubs from seasoned drummer LaDell Abrams. Yes, Mario Winans contributes "Stand Up And Carry On"; a moving gospel composition featuring rhythm-and-bluesy grooves that seriously reveals the strength of this young buck's talents. It almost feels like an Isaac Hayes arrangement with the mesmeric horn and string arrangements from Lloyd Barry and the Nashville String Machine. "The Rainbow", penned by Brent Jones, is another powerful ballad capturing inspiring lyrics and sweetly rendered harmonies from the background crew. Other mega pickings on this set include the groove-a-licious "Waiting On Jesus" (which uses old cliche lines from gospel standards and a killer vamp filled with all the right ingredients for jam) and J.C. White's recipe for revival: the classic "Stretch Out" from the Institutional Radio Choir's archives. Serious critics will be looking forward to hearing Winans' take on Walter Hawkins' "I Love You Lord". Unlike Hawkins' version, Winans chooses to sing the song by herself and not as a duet. There are a few changes and arrangements to the cut, but nothing obviously disappointing. Once the first half of the second disc unfolds, studio tracks emerges once again. "He Loves Me", featuring production collabos from Marvin L. Winans, Jr. and Warryn Campbell, is enjoyable even though the chorus seems quite repetitive. The ladies will like "You're Still My Sister": catchy lyrics of reconciling and healing broken relationships is the song's major strength and works well with the album's headlining title.

The album title, by itself, is hard to swallow for many reasons. It implies that the listening audience should exclusively be women. But there's a lot here that men can and will enjoy. But for marketing reasons, it's possible that brothers may fail to pick this one up. If they do pick it up, you may find them looking awkward or nervous even at the sales' counter. And another problem rests here. Sometimes too much can be...well...too much. Winans crams two hours and a bundle of minutes into this collection. And even though there are a number of winning selections available, some of the sequencing feels out of order while some of the stronger cuts feel overshadow by surrounding cuts. If you look beyond these burdens, "Woman To Woman: Songs Of Life" promises to deliver satisfaction for both the contemporary and the traditional music lover.