Customer Reviews

Pointer Sisters

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found this record and immediately bought it because of Yes We Can Can that will eternally be a 5 star song.
There's a lot of tongue twisting skatting and tight harmonies that really flaunt the Sisters' amazing jazz vocal talent. What's especially great about this album is that they don't take themselves too seriously: these babes don't hold back and obviously have fun singing together. This is vintage Pointer Sisters at their funkiest.

A decade before they got so excited doing the neutron dance, the Pointer Sisters were four: Anita, Ruth and June were joined here by Bonnie, who would leave several years later to pursue a solo career. Musically, their self-titled debut album is probably the least commercial-sounding one they've made. An edit of the six-minute "Yes We Can Can" cracked the top-20, but that song's funky, drums-and-bass driven sound isn't really representative of the rest of the songs on the album, which are a nod to the female vocal group sounds of the 1940's. What makes these songs work is the earnestness and enthusiasm the Pointer Sisters bring to them: Their fondness for this material is apparent throughout, and the fun they had recording these songs is conveyed to the listener. Their own contributions to the album were "Sugar," which they wrote and arranged, and "Jada," which they also co-wrote and arranged.

The best song on this disc is still "Yes We Can Can," but other highlights include the soulful "River Boulevard," with an insistent "Isn't it just a beautiful day?" refrain which will stay in your head for days, and the impressive vocal acrobatics of "Cloudburst." It's a safe bet that the Pointer Sisters never strayed farther from the mainstream than they did on "That's How I Feel," seven minutes of high-energy "shoo-be-doo-wah" scat-singing, set against a backdrop of an electronically altered voice singing the line, "The one who sings along," a male bass scat vocal and a drummer who sounds like he's having a blast, supplying the fills. It's an offbeat number, but it has more spirit and soul than all of the songs on the "Break Out" album, combined.

Good album - one for your collection of classics.

Their first album - very different to what most people would expect from the Pointer Sisters. They went "pop" after this. There were a few re-shuffles in the band and it was never the same for them.

Some good tracks on here - "Yes We Can" rocks (funky, good guitar). So does "Cloudburst" and "Jada" although these two are less funky but just as good.

Some top tracks and bad tracks in-between but finishing off with "Wang Dang Doodle" another little funky number which goes off on a mad one at the end.

I was a bit upset to see that the best track of the album has been left out of the CD though... if you find this EP on vinyl GET IT! "Beautiful Day" (which has been left off the CD version) was definately my favourite from this album. Still don't understand why they decided to leave the best track of the album off the CD version. Shame. But still... a decent album.

Somebody on here was ragging that some song called "beautiful Day" was missing. NO tracks are missing. I've had the vinyl since the day it was pressed and can tell you that this is wrong. The reviewer is referring to the song "river boulevard" which often has the line "isn't it just a beautiful day". THAT is what the reviewer was referring to. Please get this album. It is complete and wonderful!

Length:: 1:29 Mins

Great Gosh Amighty!

In the late '60's, early '70's, Oakland, North Bay Area, CA was the forefront of funk.

Sly and Family Stone started it, Tower of Power pounded it, and there were these gospelgirls that refined it.

Oakland Sisters draped in 30's dresses, coifed 40's hair, and singin' harmony that only the hard livin' Avenues knew.

This is a classic LP on CD. "Yes We Can Can", a Tousaint bayou clip made into an anthem, a jazzy version of "Cloudburst", and a down dirty "Wang Dang Doodle", makes this big fun and always timely.

Note: Pointer Sisters in the first wave of popularity were often guests on TV variety shows, mostly due to their unique look and pleasant personalities. That lasted about a year or so...then they made a Country Hit, "Fairy Tales" , but were not especially embraced by the C/W echelon of the time. Pointers rebounded nicely in the 1980's with even bigger hits, i.e.: "Fire" "He's So Shy" etc...

Have a listen and see what I mean. Great songs and thrilling vocals from the Pointer Sisters makes for a classic, and one of my favorite albums ever. A totally energizing experience.

This 1973 collection was the group's debut album. After years of backing artists like Taj Mahal, the sister act tried it on their own. This 1973 collection, originally released on the jazz/blues oriented Blue Thumb label (which also recorded Ike and Tina Turner's rarity, "The Hunter"), showcases the group's real vocal abilities, unlike their later pop/disco recordings, which, although wonderful, were never as musically adventurous. There's a fuller sound, as well, since the group at the time was a quartet rather than a trio before sister Bonnie's departure for a modest solo success at Motown. As a "schtick" the gals dressed in 30's outfits for these first couple of years, which may have helped the public notice them, but one listen to these songs and it's obvious that they really didn't need the costumes, with lungs like that. A bargain at twice the price!!

This album represents the Pointer Sisters as a young, not really 'discovered' group, who displayed a variety of music genres on this premier album. Although jazzy by theme, there is a wonderful gospel-like song called "River Boulevard" that reflects their religious singing beginnings. This album emphasized their prodigious vocal talent, and included all four sisters! Taj Mahal featured them on one of his albums, "Recycled Blues and Other Related Stuff".

Before the Disco/pop days the Pointer Sister put together some of the most intriguing harmonies out there. Very classy and it swings!! More jazz than pop, but you won't go wrong.