Search - Cissy Houston :: Midnight Train to Georgia: Janus Years

BREAKING OUT OF THE BACKGROUND!

A. M. Smith | RICHMOND, VA United States | 06/15/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The voice of Cissy Houston...if you've heard it you can't forget it. It becomes part of you. Daughter Whitney sounds like Minnie Mouse next to the elder Houston, who sacrificed her own career to rear her children and to groom her daughter for stardom. This is a collection of Cissy's first solo outings. After years with the Drinkard Singers, New Hope Radio Choir, and of course, the Sweet Inspirations, pop music's first-call backup group, Cissy decided to go solo in 1969 - and did so with a real flourish! Sadly, the label for which she originally recorded most of these tracks (Commonwealth United) went under and the label (Janus) which picked them up didn't go to bat for the artist, so these gems were relegated to the eventual cut-out bins. (Gladys Knight and the Pips covered Cissy's original "Midnight Train to Georgia" as their first Buddha release after fleeing Motown and found renewed fame. Why, oh why couldn't it have been Cissy?) Now they've been unearthed - and better late than never. This voice will blow you away. Cissy belts her heart out on songs ranging from light pop to soul to gospel with equal finesse. A consummate artist and a remarkable human being is Cissy Drinkard Houston. May she live long and prosper!"

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!

Lance E. Boykin | New Rochelle, New York United States | 10/10/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just can't believe how a person can be blessed with such an extraordinary voice and still not have been up there with Aretha! I've heard Cissy's more recent albums (Think It Over, Face To Face, He Leadeth Me). But nothing prepared me for this one. She is definitely Whitney's mother. Cissy sings in a way that no one else does. Now I understand all the hoopla about her voice. Whitney has always been my favorite. But everything I loved about her voice is in Cissy's. TENFOLD!! Even in Whitney's prime, Cissy makes her sound like Mariah. Yes Whitney, you've definitely "Learned From The Best." If you have an appreciation for really good singing, this album is a must-have."