Buzz (Steps album)
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
Buzz is the third studio album by British pop group Steps, released on 25 October 2000. It reached number four on the UK Albums Chart. The album saw the group edging away from the PWL sound to a more mature sound, working with producers from Sweden and songwriters such as Cyndi Lauper. This more mature sound was also echoed in the new material from Gold: Greatest Hits.
Each of the five group members co-wrote a track on the album, each in turn had a chance to have lead vocals in one whole track. The lead single from the album "Stomp" is a funky upbeat song that is lyrically about partying at the weekend and having a good time, and features a sample from Chic's single "Everybody Dance" The single peaked at number 1 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the group's second number 1 hit after "Tragedy".
Preceding singles "Better the Devil You Know" and "Summer of Love", were included on the album after they were released earlier that year with their double A-side singles "Say You'll Be Mine" and "When I Said Goodbye". "It's the Way You Make Me Feel" was the fourth single to be released from the album and reached number 2 in the UK after copies of the single were released a week early in shops, damaging their chance at taking the number 1 spot; however, this led to the band holding a chart record for the highest chart jump when the track went from number 72 to number 2. "Here and Now" and "You'll Be Sorry" were the final songs released from Buzz and were both included on a double A-side CD single which reached #4 in UK. The album was certified Platinum in UK and was released in Australia and US in 2001.
As with their previous two albums, some cover versions are included on the album. "Better the Devil You Know" is a version of the Kylie Minogue track and "Here and Now" was originally recorded by Worlds Apart.
Release and reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Yahoo! Music UK |   [2] |
| NME | [3] |
| Answers.com |  [4] |
Buzz received favorable critical response from different music magazines and websites. Everyone noticed the group's departure from the "ABBA sound", into their own musical style. AllMusic stated "They (Steps) do in fact have their own sound, and it has revealed itself here, crystal clear".[5]
This album saw the group leaning toward a more mature and original sound influenced by electro and techno but still keeping the sound prominent to Steps' earlier work. This is seen as the album plays out through tracks such as "You'll Be Sorry", "Never Get Over You" "Happy Go Lucky" and "Buzzz". The art work and overall look for the album is prominent to the sound as their earlier albums had more colour and expression to resemble the enlightenment of the sound of their music. As their sound was more mature their appearances were more sophisticated and showed the progression of Steps into a new era that was carried on into the look of their next album, Gold: Greatest Hits.
In an interview with whereitsat.tv when Steps were asked if their Pete Waterman days where behind them, Lee responded with: "We've been under Pete Waterman's wing for a good two or three years and I think with the third album Buzz, we've had an experience and sort of self-expression and things, you know. We've had our chance, we've wrote, we've helped produce and we've got th[ose] songs on the album Buzz. Now that the greatest hits album is coming out, [we're] writing and helping produce for that as well and then there's an album after that. It's almost like leaving an era behind and moving onto something else, so you could see it as a new beginning in a way."
However, the album is said to be less successful than their first releases, only peaking at number four on the UK Albums Chart and achieving double platinum status from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI)—Step One was certified 8× Platinum and Steptacular was certified 4× Platinum. It is also considered to be their only album to not sell a million copies in United Kingdom, before the group's Boxing Day split. To date, it has sold more than 680,000 units in UK, becoming their lowest-selling album while they were still together. The album also features solos from each member apart from Lee, though he is featured on the song he co-wrote, "Turn Around".
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Better the Devil You Know" |
| 3:49 | |
| 2. | "Stomp" |
|
| 3:22 |
| 3. | "Summer of Love" |
|
| 3:52 |
| 4. | "It's the Way You Make Me Feel" | Jörgen Elofsson |
| 3:17 |
| 5. | "You'll Be Sorry" |
|
| 4:06 |
| 6. | "Learn to Love Again" |
| Frampton | 3:27 |
| 7. | "Never Get Over You" |
| Hedges | 3:55 |
| 8. | "Hand on Your Heart" |
| Frampton | 4:03 |
| 9. | "Happy Go Lucky" |
|
| 3:33 |
| 10. | "Buzzz" |
|
| 3:21 |
| 11. | "Here and Now" |
| 3:45 | |
| 12. | "Paradise Lost" |
|
| 4:35 |
| 13. | "Turn Around" |
| Graham Stack | 3:24 |
| 14. | "Wouldn't Hurt So Bad" |
|
| 3:34 |
| 15. | "If You Believe" |
| Chris Porter | 3:52 |
| Total length: | 55:55 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stomp" |
|
| 3:22 |
| 2. | "It's the Way You Make Me Feel" | Elofsson |
| 3:17 |
| 3. | "Buzzz" |
|
| 3:21 |
| 4. | "Here and Now" |
|
| 3:45 |
| 5. | "Happy Go Lucky" |
|
| 3:33 |
| 6. | "Summer of Love" |
|
| 3:52 |
| 7. | "Better the Devil You Know" |
|
| 3:49 |
| 8. | "You'll Be Sorry" |
|
| 4:06 |
| 9. | "Learn to Love Again" |
| Frampton | 3:27 |
| 10. | "Never Get Over You" |
| Hedges | 3:55 |
| 11. | "Hand on Your Heart" |
| Frampton | 4:03 |
| 12. | "Paradise Lost" |
|
| 4:35 |
| 13. | "Turn Around" |
| Stack | 3:24 |
| 14. | "If You Believe" |
| Porter | 3:52 |
| Total length: | 52:21 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Wouldn't Hurt So Bad" |
|
| 3:34 |
| 16. | "Human Touch" |
|
| 4:00 |
| Total length: | 59:55 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Buzzz" |
|
| 3:21 |
| 2. | "It's the Way You Make Me Feel" | Elofsson |
| 3:17 |
| 3. | "Happy Go Lucky" |
|
| 3:33 |
| 4. | "Mars & Venus (We Fall in Love Again)" |
|
| 3:50 |
| 5. | "Stomp" |
|
| 3:22 |
| 6. | "Here and Now" |
|
| 3:45 |
| 7. | "Summer of Love" |
|
| 3:52 |
| 8. | "Never Get Over You" |
| Hedges | 3:55 |
| 9. | "Wouldn't Hurt So Bad" |
|
| 3:34 |
| 10. | "Learn to Love Again" |
| Frampton | 3:27 |
| 11. | "Hand on Your Heart" |
| Frampton | 4:03 |
| Total length: | 40:00 | |||
- Notes
- "Mars & Venus (We Fall in Love Again)" is only available on the US edition of Buzz and has been left unavailable in the UK, although a remixed form appeared on The Last Dance.
Personnel
|
|
Chart performance
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
Certification (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|---|
| Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[6] | 11 | |
| Irish Albums Chart[7] | 23 | |
| Japanese Albums Chart[8] | 53 | |
| UK Albums Chart[9] | 4 | 2× Platinum[10] |
Release history
| Country | Release date | Format | Label | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom[11] | Jive / EBUL | |||
| 30 October 2000 | Standard edition (CD) | 920117-2 | ||
| Standard edition (cassette) | 920117-4 | |||
| Australia[11] | 16 July 2001 | Standard edition (CD + bonus tracks) | Zomba | 920128-2 |
| United States[11] | 24 July 2001 | Standard edition (CD) | 01241-41752-2 |
References
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ Yahoo! Music UK review
- ^ NME review
- ^ Answers.com review
- ^ "All music critical reaction to Buzz" allmusic.com Retrieved 7 March 2010
- ^ "Belgian Charts > Steps". ultratop.be Hung Medien. Retrieved 08-03-2010.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "Irish Charts > Steps". irish-charts.com Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 November 2008.
- ^ http://www.oricon.co.jp/. Retrieved 15 November 2008.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Chart Stats > Steps". chartstats.com. Retrieved 15 November 2008.
- ^ "BPI Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 24 September 2009. Retrieved 04-09-2009.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c "Buzz release dates, editions, and information on official site" gensteps.co.uk Retrieved 7 March 2010
- "AllMusicGuide". Track listings, formats, trivia, etc. Retrieved 30 June 2007.