Gold - The Greatest Hits - Steps > Reviews > GOLD, Always believe in your...oops wrong one

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Not applicable
Value for Money

Advantages:	Jam packed full of top 10 smashes for every occasion
Disadvantages:	One or two weak links (5,6,7,8/

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Steps Gold. Sounds vaguely familiar to Abba Gold. And to a lesser extent, Gold: the very best of Perry Como (R.I.P). For my first opinion in (does some quick arithmetic) 53 days (ok that took quite a while to work out!), I thought I'd write about my favourite members of Planet Pop. The all singing (well except Lee) all dancing, all glittery Kings and Queens of cheese. First, a little background:

- Steps are: H (Ian Watkins), Lisa Scott-Lee, Faye Tozer, Lee Latchford Evans and Claire Richards.

- Steps had their first hit way back in November 1997, the now cringeworthy homage to line dancing that was 5,6,7,8. Went down in history as the biggest selling single of the 90s to never make the top 10.

- Heartbeat/Tragedy spent 8 weeks in the top 10 before reaching the number 1 spot, and went on to spend a colossal 15 weeks in the top 10, selling well over 1 million copies. Has sold more than any other Bee Gees record.

- They have now achieved 13 consecutive top 5 hits, a tally beaten only by the Beatles!

- They are, sadly, no longer colour co-ordinated. Those day-glow yellow outfits really were something....

So, it seems that two things are clear. One, I am an extremely sad individual and two, Steps are possibly the greatest pop band since Abba. Debate it all you will, but no group since has kept such an impressive tally of hits and managed to get everyone declaring a Tragedy at every Christmas Party, leaving do or Bar Mitzvah across the country. So, with 15 singles, 3 albums, 4 tours and an endless line of merchandise, it's about time they released a Greatest Hits collection to further clog up the already saturated albums market pre-Yuletide. But at least this one's good. No fillers that weren't actually that big or that great (see Gabrielle/Five/the aforementioned Perry Como for more details), just an endless stream of poptastic smashes. Ok, so perhaps you aren't as fanatical as I am, but how many of you will deny ever dancing or singing along to a Steps record at some point in their now OAP-like stint on the UK charts??

Steps Gold showcases 17 of Steps' biggest hits (with the glaring and shocking omission of the dancefloor stomper You'll Be Sorry) plus 3 brand new tracks, which I will now preview:

~ Words are not Enough ~ The fivesome's assault on the Christmas charts comes in the form of this almost acoustic sounding ballad. Acoustic? Steps? Well, obviously it also features synths and the usual catchy chorus, but this isn't like much else you've heard from Steps. A bit tepid, but nonetheless a good sway-from-side-to-side 3 and a half minutes. See the £400,000 animated vid too. Went straight in at Number 5 on today's charts.

~ Baby Don't Dance ~ An intruiging blend of Voulez Vous by Abba and Don't Stop Movin' by S Club 7, this track is funky disco heaven in the mould of 2000 Number 1 "Stomp". Sees a single release in early 2002.

~ Only in my Dreams ~ Hmmmm, Abba lite, bland and rather annoying really. Sounds too much like a B side to be included in so much better company. *skip*

Whether you bung it on on Christmas Day when Granny's had too many Gin and Oranges, or if it brightens up your Monday morning drive to work, or if you just need cheering up, you should look no further than a few tracks of Steps Gold. One for Sorrow and It's the Way You Make Me Feel are some of the most memorable mid-tempo tracks of recent years, while Stomp, Here and Now and Better the Devil You Know will brighten up any school disco. Those who deride the Steps bandwagon are missing their entire point. They are not here to make thought-provoking musical masterpieces; they are camp, kitsch, and bloody good fun. While Westlife are one-trick ballad ponies and Hear'say are being bludgeoned to media death, Steps are still at the top of the proverbial tree 4 years after they were labelled one hit wonders. I wonder who's laughing now.

Track Listing:

1. Tragedy (peaked at Number 1)
2. One for Sorrow (#2)
3. Stomp (#)
4. Better Best Forgotten (#2)
5. Love's Got a Hold On My Heart (#2)
6. Deeper Shade of Blue (#4)
7. Last Thing On My Mind (#6)
8. Better the Devil You Know (#4)
9. Summer of Love (#5)
10. 5,6,7,8 (#14)
11. Chain Reaction (#2)
12. Baby Don't Dance (yet to be released)
13. It's The Way You Make Me Feel (#2)
14. After the Love Has Gone (#5)
15. Here and Now (#4)
16. Say You'll Be Mine (#4)
17. Only In My Dreams (not being released)
18. Words are Not Enough (#5)
19. When I Said Goodbye (#5)
20. Heartbeat (#1)