Customer Reviews

Steppin

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This cd is the cd to have to appreciate the early days of the Pointer Sisters. I was seven years old when this album was released and continued to listen to it in my twenties. I'm thirty-five and have searched for this cd for a long, long time. I am thrilled to see it released on cd. I believe $40.00 for this cd is a bit much, but I can honestly say it's worth it. Every song is great, but Sleeping Alone, penned by Stevie Wonder is my favorite and Save the Bones for Henry Jones was my favorite song during my childhood. I use to perform it for my mother's company....how sad is that and I still remember the lyrics....now that's really bad and sad :-) Anyhoo, it's a nostalgic trip for me, but one I don't mind taking over and over again.

Enjoy!!!

I've been trying to get this album on CD for years. It's been available as an import for awhile, and I ordered it as such from several venues, including Amazon, only to be told after waiting 6-8 weeks that it was unavailable. Well, Amazon vendors finally listed it (and the other truly great PS album, live at the Opera House) and I ordered both albums. They are both far better than the pile of albums the PS recorded later of all covers, but Steppin' with its Duke Ellington medley, Stevie Wonder cut and everything else, is a really great album. Now if I could only find LaBelle's album Phoenix on CD, life would be good.

Thanks to the Japanese once again for reissuing the Pointer Sisters' first four albums on CD. Like the other three, this one is outstanding. The only reason I give it four stars instead of five is because of two glitches: 1) a misspelling in the first track on the back cover (which is rather comical, actually); and 2) a slight drop-out at the beginning of "Easy Days." Aside from that, it's perfect and well worth the money.

"Steppin'" is one of the funkiest,FIRIEST of the Pointer
Sisters LP's.The main reason in addition to the hit "How Long"
is the Herbie Hancock/Headhunters collaberation "Chainey Do" in
whitch these snazzy sisters throw down the JAM in fine style!
The rest veers from jazzy vocalese that was the Pointers then
stock in trade but it's ALL so worth it!

STEPPIN' is a high point in the Pointer Sisters 70's output, and their final album for Blue Thumb; with plenty of space for their 40s style Big band chorus singing, as well as some of their heaviest funk of all time. Once it occurs to you that this album plays like the bulk of a musical the P-Sis might have written about a woman who's man recently left her high and dry, and is now STEPPIN' out to find her own way; it's hard not to see how these songs follow this theme. "How Long" starts as a slow funk burner and establishes the cheating man theme, while the elastic tempoed "Sleeping Alone" states the obvious in an oddly assembled composition that works nonetheless (probably one of the least catgorizable songs of their career; written by Stevie Wonder). "Easy Days" takes it down to an Issac Hayes ballad tempo (one of the writers) and falls into a Broadway style 70s show music tune about dreamin and hopin for a day alone without a worry. "Chaney Do" is one of the hard funk numbers here, about searching the town for some lovin' but finding that Mr. Chaney is the only one who satisfies. It begins with a wonderful African chant and progresses into a funky rhythm section, wah wahed out guitar and stanky clavinet by Stevie Wonder, in a lengthy solo section before breaking back down to a chanted ending. "Nothing But The Blues" is a remarkable tribute to Duke Ellington which flows back and forth between six different songs by Duke. The slow build, strings and superbly arranged vocals take us near both the 40s and Broadway again (or more accurately 40s Harlem's 125th Street), while the P-Sis build to an ending where lines from several songs are delivered alongside one another for a rather smart climax. "Henry Jones" is a throwback to the earlier P-Sis 40's style hot Jazz, about a dinner party guest who doesn't eat meat. This is one of the most humorous P-Sis songs in their catalog and the accompaniment is perfectly styled. "Wanting Things" juxtaposes a practically 'Love Story'-style ballad arrangement with a lyric that deals with some serious spiritual questions about desire. "Going Down Slowly" (next to Sleeping Alone, Chaney Do, Nothin But The Blues and Henry Jones) is one of the classics from this album. This Toussaint composition is the absolute heaviest P-Sis 70s funk you'll ever hear (unless you get into their back-up work for the early 70s Betty Davis albums), and was included (edited to more than half it's length) in the Best Of Blue Thumb double album that came out the next year. The lyric is a classic cautionary tale about people born into freedom loosing their freedom and soul while they wait for the others. "Going Down" is a slowly burner that drops a funk bomb with the P-Sis belting it out so heavy you'll get chills up your spine! Not sure how the finale here fits into the earlier theme, but someone needs to consider putting together a 'Mama Mia'-style musical out of Pointer Sisters songs; it'd kill! An amazing way to end an already solid album that could easily have been the P-Sis break through album, rather than 1983's BREAK OUT. Instead they're probably remembered for their 70s work more from the CAR WASH Soundtrack than this amazing album.

The Pointer Sisters got seriously into the funk with this 3rd album. It's a must to hear the complete version of their own " HOW LONG [ BETCHA GOT A CHICK ON THE SIDE ] " with it's long into with strings & orchestra, wah-wah guitars and all those intricate vocals. As funky as anything out of the 70's heyday of funk. Glorious , hypnotic and intoxicating, it certainly propelled the group into a more fitting contemporary sound. The similar influences & styles can be heard on " GOING DOWN SLOWLY ", SLEEPING ALONE " written by Stevie Wonder, and " CHAINEY DO ". I also really love " EASY DAYS ", sung gorgeously by Bonnie. It's a contemporary song, but also has an old time feel to it, and one of my favorites on this album for it's diversity.

I remember the comical " SAVE THE BONES FOR HENRY JONES " from seeing them perform it on " THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW " [ they did " HOW LONG " too ]. The Duke Ellington Medley is classy, and " WANTING THINGS " is a slow Bacharach/David ballad sung by June. Nice to have, though it sounds out of place on this album. A very funky album that was well neeeded for the Pointers progression , and really a step in the right direction .

I had bought this when it first came out on a 33 1/3 record, so I was happy to see it come out on CD. If you're a Pointer Sisters fan and enjoy a bit of blues, you'll love this CD.

I owned this LP back in the late 70's and recall the June Pointer solo "Wanting Things" so I was happy to have finally located this on CD since that song is so beautifully written and showcases the late June Pointer's vocal talents. The rest of the songs are mostly jazzy songs including a tribute to Duke Ellington. I always thought the cover art was so funky and unique so grab a copy of this rare CD before it disappears.

The summer of 1975 sets the Pointer Sisters in a stylish R&B mode. Most people don't think of this album's lead song "How Long(Betcha Got A Chick on the Side)" when remembering the Pointer Sisters, and unfortunately so as this #1 R&B hit(which made it to #20 on the pop charts)is undoubtedly one of their best with signature funk grooves and an extended ending consiting of the tightest harmonies ever recorded on vinyl. Next comes "Sleeping Alone," another soulful classic laced with a jazzy piano solo by Stevie Wonder and featuring Anita's sweet yet agonizing lead backed by the vocal collage of Ruth, Bonnie, & June. "Easy Days" features Bonnie taking lead with her silky rich vocals, while "Chainey Do," sets all the sisters in motion and is supported by Herbie Hancock and his jazz band playing a set that sounds like it came straight from a New Orleans festival. If you prefer nostalgic jazz, as the Pointers always included on their early releases, then you'll also enjoy a Duke Ellington tribute in which all the sisters trade leads, followed by a classic by The Andrew Sisters in "Save the Bones for Henry Jones," which I find as the album's only weak point. The album closes with another funk classic as Ruth takes the lead with her deep vocals on "Going Down Slowly," but the real surprise is the late June Pointer's beautiful solo turn on the ballad "Wanting Things." June sings the song with such a pensiveness as if she identified with the words right away, and one song where she reminds listeners of jazz greats like Billie Holiday. Despite the attempted redistribution of a couple of the older jazz songs(just not a personal favorite)I still give this release five stars as it shows how the sisters were heading in more of a dance and funk format in their career.

This CD is worth buying for "Betcha Got a Chick On the Side" alone. It is 7 minutes of pure funk. The vocals are stunning, and the beat is funky as hell. It amazes me that this song isn't more well known. It sure beats the hell out of the 80's junk they put out. The other show stopper on this CD is "Going Down Slowly". Again just 7 minutes of pure, unadulterated funk-disco bliss! "Chainey Do" is another funky, hypnotic, song that will keep you moving. The rest of the album, while quite good, can be bland at times. "Sleeping Alone" has nice vocal harmonies, but not much else. Another jazzy number is the tribute to Duke Ellington. "Save the Bones for Henry Jones" is campy fun, and would not sound out of place on a Bette Midler album. It does sound out of place on this album though. Better to buy the Blue Thumb compilation CD, it has "Betcha..." and "Going Down..." in their entirety, as well as standouts from all of their Blue Thumb releases. Much cheaper also!