Angie & Debbie

The Winans family has been described as gospel's equivalent to R&B's Jackson family, and that isn't a bad comparison — not many parents can honestly claim that eight or more of their children have been major recording stars. In 1993, Angie and Debbie Winans — the ninth and tenth children in the family — signed with Capitol as the duo Angie & Debbie and recorded this debut album. The generally decent, if uneven, CD fared well in the gospel market, but truth be told, Angie & Debbie is far from being a straight-ahead gospel album. Satisfying tracks like "Simply a Fanatic" (which Bebe Winans produced), "Come to Me," and the Prince-influenced, hip-hop-minded "Flashback" are essentially urban contemporary — and while the singers are coming from a Christian perspective, they don't beat listeners over the head with it. Most of the time, you have to pay close attention to the lyrics to realize that Angie and Debbie Winans aren't singing about romantic love exclusively. Capitol obviously wanted this CD to be palatable to secular audiences, and make no mistake — the album is enjoyable whether or not you consider yourself a Christian.