Steps : Releases >>
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Gold: Greatest Hits >>
Countless tribute and sound-a-like bands have had various stabs at mimicking the magic of ABBA. Of the bunch, Steps have been the most successful in their attempts to nurture a similar ABBA-esque musical style and image. It comes as no surprise that Steps should call their "best of" anthology Gold, just like the bestselling "best of" from their Swedish heroes. The ABBA influences can be heard right from their earliest material--"One For Sorrow" to "After The Love Has Gone" (October 1999), through to newer compositions such as "Baby Don't Dance" (an updated version of "Voulez-Vous?"). Released at the peak of the line-dancing craze in the UK, their thigh-slapping debut "5,6,7,8" thus sounds remarkably out of place. Proving that they're no puppets of Mr Waterman, the Euro-pop style "Only In My Dreams" is the first song written by Steps as a group. Their cover of Diana Ross's 1986 number one "Chain Reaction" looks destined, along with "Tragedy" and the 70s disco inspired hit "Stomp", to become the songs which future generations will best remember Claire, Faye, Lisa, H and Lee for. --John Galilee
Gold: Greatest Hits >>
Buzz >>
Step One >>
When he split from his 1980s buddies Stock and Aitken, those who loved pop feared that there would never be another record to come from pop svengali Pete Waterman. Then, out of the blue, came Steps, a five piece who were shockingly group-by-numbers for their bland first single (the aptly titled "5,6,7,8"). Then, with "Last Thing On My Mind", an immense, Abba-like paean to heart-break, the group became whole--an immense camp beast, whose songs kept giving to everyone from Teletubby toddlers to ageing old queens. That the band are singing Waterman's trademark open-sore teen ditties helps ("One For Sorrow"--can you bear the pain?), but what completes the brilliant package is the routines. Each song has an aerobic-like succession of weird hand poses and body-twists that should, if you're being good, be learnt by rote from their videos. But what the hell--come on and do some bad vogueing to this great, bad-but-cool pop. --Charlie Porter
Steptacular >>
Following their initial inception in 1997, the five extraordinarily exuberant members of Steps rapidly gravitated to the very peak of the pop pile with an irresistible coalition of infectious melodies, lashings of personality and charismatic sparkle. Following hot on the heels of Step One, this second collection further consolidated the band's position as a seductively up beat Abba for the 1990s. Kicking off with the triple barrelled fusillade of "Tragedy", "After The Love Has Gone" and "Love's Got A Hold On My Heart", Steptacular proceeds into hitherto uncharted areas of down-tempo maturity with the contemplative, heart-string stroking of "You're Everything That Matters To Me" and melancholic introspection of "Since You Took Your Love Away". Yet Steptacular still boasts a rich surfeit of Lisa, Faye, Lee, H and Claire's singular sonic bounce--witness the lush simplicity of 'Say You'll Be Mine', yet another sure step on the stairway to pop heaven. --Ian Fortnam
The Last Dance >>
Words Are Not Enough / I Know Him So Well >>
