Break Out

Pointer Sisters

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1983
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000002W70
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,000 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How 'bout some soul?, June 30, 2003

By	Ryan Richards "reb77" (Midland, MI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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In this age of cheap, tacky, mass-produced pop music, it's so refreshing to get back to the heart and soul that is the Pointer Sisters' "Break Out" CD. Every song is a winner; although those '80s synthesizers are getting to sound kind of dated, the core of the music-- the gutsy talent of the Pointer Sisters themselves-- remains unblemished by time. These three women just sing about life in all its joys and sorrows--the thrill of new love, the grind of work, the wistfulness and pain of relationships gone wrong-- and make it rock with the kind of soul music doesn't have anymore. The simple truth is, I bought this twenty-year-old CD because the music has stood the test of time. It's not going away, and we're better for it.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An 80s milestone, absolutely., April 17, 2006

By	Dana C. Steinman (SyracuseNY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I remember when this album was first released in 1983 with a different mix, tracklisting, and even a song other than "I'm So Excited". ("Nightline"--a song that made its rounds at the time, being covered by Ellen Foley and Randy Crawford, as well.) I couldn't wait to get to the record shop to get the new Pointers LP with their new single: "I Need You". Sadly, this initial release from Break Out made only a modest dent in the charts. An honest, tender song it was, but the one to be released after it was the one that really perked radio and ears alike: "Automatic". Not only did it sound like nothing else that was coming over the airwaves in '83, it was also a brand new sound--an American sound in the midst of the second British Invasion. "Automatic" proved that tough, muscled American music at this point in history didn't have to be guitar-based rock-n-roll in order to have an audience. Ruth, Anita, and June had already been rocker chicks (with their Priority LP being the best of that phase of their career) and were out to conquer a new territory: The Age Of Machines. Richard Perry's been quoted as saying that Break Out was made with the intention of getting the Pointers back to their R&B roots, and soulful it is. But for me Break Out has long been the very first album by an American artist that brought machine-based music to the masses. This is the album that signaled the dawn of the techno that followed in the later 80s. Along with Eurythmics, the music on this album demonstrated that warmth, soul, and artistry were possible indeed with a computer and a drum machine. Softer tracks like "Telegraph Your Love" and "I Need You" were illuminated and sharpened by their techno foundations and enlightened and made plushy by the Sisters' sincere readings, while tracks like "Dance Electric" and "Baby, Come & Get It" are exemplary meetings of the rock-n-roll stage and the dance floor--on Mars! "Neutron Dance" is just about the best gospel Top 40 radio has ever seen; and the singles simply speak for themselves. My hope is that Break Out will eventually get remastered and re-issued in its original, un-remixed incarnation, which is really the best way to comprehend and appreciate what this gem accomplished and just how artistically and critically underrated it is. Even re-releasing it in '84 with a new track order, new mix, and the previously passed-on "I'm So Excited" was a clever way pushing a superior product into the market, making it a milestone record from more than just the aesthetic angle. Of course I'll take any number of bonuses on a re-issue (yes, even the omniscient "I'm So Excited"!) attached after the origial 10 tracks, but until then investigate this 80s necessity once again--or for the first time. It's truly worth it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Female " THRILLER " !, March 21, 2008

By	gassy goon - See all my reviews

What can you say about " BREAKOUT " except it is a classic! It has hit after hit on it - JUMP, AUTOMATIC, NEUTRON DANCE, I'M SO EXCITED, I NEED YOU, BABY COME AND GET IT - and stands the test of time. It's now 25 years ago that it was first released & it's still sounds fantastic. ANITA, RUTH & JUNE just gave it their all , as usual. You could call it the female " THRILLER " . You can hear the influences of soul, dance, rock, electronica , and new wave all over these amazing songs. A classic that deserves more recognition and an expanded reissue today. It's the Pointer Sisters at their peak here.