Steps - General Discussion
- Thread starter johnoc2006
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Mvnl
Staff member
Something In Your Eyes & Father's Eyes are proper covers.
To The Beat Of My Heart was previously recorded by Mollie but never released.
So, Tears...had sold 26k by the Monday midweeks. I'm positive they can shift another 5k across Saturday and Sunday, so their sales are at least consistent if nothing else. It'd be nice to see them increase a bit, but at least they're on the same level.
I'm happy they're so close to number 1. At least he's not steamrolling them. With any luck, he's massively frontloaded and his Strictly performance will boost whatever he's singing but not his album, and Steps can overtake during the week.
I'm happy they're so close to number 1. At least he's not steamrolling them. With any luck, he's massively frontloaded and his Strictly performance will boost whatever he's singing but not his album, and Steps can overtake during the week.
I can't see it. Gary's far more likely to pick up casual sales in the week, especially with a Strictly PA.
Plus he's already ahead with half of the formats Steps have put out, and we know most hardcore collectors of both would've pre-ordered. So on that basis he'll probably extend his lead as we go on. #2 in Q4 is still amazing of course.
I've always been a fan of Steps, but nothing on this album is doing it for me this time around, i listened to it in full and by the time it finished, I thought to myself is that it? It felt to me like a rehash of everything they have done before? Is it just me?
Mvnl
Staff member
Luckily not to this extend but I was expecting to be blown away by every single song and that didn't happen for me. To me it's solid but I was kinda hoping for songs I absolutely LOVED within the ones I hadn't heard yet and.. not thusfar.
Currently not yet convinced this will be my album of the year and before hearing it I was convinced it would be because Steps?
Mvnl
Staff member
Yeah I think it's mostly a case of hearing too much before we got it. Had I heard half of Tears before it got released I might have felt underwhelmed too.. And then that had lower expectations and maximum excitement of it being their first new release in a decade
They/Them
Tears as an album felt like "they did THAT"
Future as an album feels like "WHY did they do that?"
Certain tracks are growing (Clouds, To The One and One Touch for sure) but it's not as good as I was expecting after hearing What The Future Holds. Scared of the Dark was a behemoth too but almost all the other tracks felt just as solid.
This album has some career highs (What The Future Holds, Something In Your Eyes, Clouds, Heartbreak In This City, Under My Skin) mixed with some career lows (Father's Eyes. To The Beat of My Heart, Don't You Leave Us Halfway)
But they way some songs keep growing is a good sign. I was never expecting them to top Tears anyway. It's likely going to be in my top 10 End of Year but not as high as I might have expected.
I prefer Smile and Chromatica to this.
Future as an album feels like "WHY did they do that?"
Certain tracks are growing (Clouds, To The One and One Touch for sure) but it's not as good as I was expecting after hearing What The Future Holds. Scared of the Dark was a behemoth too but almost all the other tracks felt just as solid.
This album has some career highs (What The Future Holds, Something In Your Eyes, Clouds, Heartbreak In This City, Under My Skin) mixed with some career lows (Father's Eyes. To The Beat of My Heart, Don't You Leave Us Halfway)
But they way some songs keep growing is a good sign. I was never expecting them to top Tears anyway. It's likely going to be in my top 10 End of Year but not as high as I might have expected.
I prefer Smile and Chromatica to this.
I do find it so interesting how opinions differ so much. For me, this album is a triumph. How successful they sound with a budget. No Tears On The Dancefloor was a brilliant album, but it’s budget limitations were clear. I loved it regardless. I do believe there’s a slight clear use of a “STEPS formula” on some of these songs, but they’re modern, they’re dark and they are most importantly, unashamedly POP.
For me this is great escapism and I love it. I don’t love all the tracks, but the highs really get me high.
For me this is great escapism and I love it. I don’t love all the tracks, but the highs really get me high.
Even though I love the album as it is, I think I get where people come from a bit. I think there‘s maybe a case to be made for the regular version to be two songs shorter (for me, these would be Don‘t You Leave Us Halfway and Father‘s Eyes, but the latter is probably controversial) and have a first deluxe version already. The album is much more varied than Tears so it probably can get a bit much by the end. And we would have another version to buy if they had done this ddd
I still haven’t made a proper opinion on this album yet. It’s not as instant as Tears for me but I could end up preferring it on the long run. A lot of the tracks are a little bit unconventional in their chord sequences and vocal distribution - it can be a bit jarring having four members singing one verse rather than just one member and I think that’s why some of the songs sound a bit messy to me.
Saying that, every track is revealing itself more on each listen. It’s definitely a lot more experimental and ‘mish mashed’ than I was expecting but I think it works, just.
Saying that, every track is revealing itself more on each listen. It’s definitely a lot more experimental and ‘mish mashed’ than I was expecting but I think it works, just.
He/Him/His
I’m struggling to pick a favourite right off the bat with this album, because of how strong everything is. Whereas with Tears On The Dancefloor, it felt like “this is very clearly my favourite”.
So at the moment, I’m inclined to say What The Future Holds is better. Who knows if that’ll remain the same after having the album for a few months?
Heartbreak In This City would be my choice for the next single, I’d love to hear that chorus on Radio 2.
So at the moment, I’m inclined to say What The Future Holds is better. Who knows if that’ll remain the same after having the album for a few months?
Heartbreak In This City would be my choice for the next single, I’d love to hear that chorus on Radio 2.