The Last Dance
Mark | Saugus, CA United States | 02/20/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"UK pop group Steps took the world by storm in the late '90s and early 2000's with their brand of neo-ABBA dance pop. Unlike most of their peers, the mixed gender-quintet didn't sex themselves up or aim for streed cred by delivering weak R&B imitations. Instead, they proudly strapped on their dancing shoes and partied the night away in their own bubblegum disco fashion. Steps scored one international hit after the next, and racked up two UK No.1's and fourteen Top 10 entries before abruptly splitting in December 2001. The Last Dance comes nearly a year after the group's demise, and really it only serves as a last-minute cash-in. The Last Dance spans two discs- the first one filled with B-sides and unreleased tracks, the second padded with exclusive remixes of their biggest hits. Some of the unreleased songs are quite solid- "Human Nature", previously found only on the Japanese edition of their album Buzz, ranks among the best they've done, and their take on ABBA's "Lay All Your Love on Me" is surprisingly good (probably because the group borrowed so heavily from ABBA's style that actually covering one of their songs is so effortless). Others, like "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" and "Why" aren't quite up to par, but that's precisely why they never made the final cuts. Disc 2 only works in a club setting, as the remixes are all at least six minutes in length and don't make any remarkable improvements upon the originals. Nothing too spectacular, and certainly nothing as comprehensive as their Gold- Greatest Hits collection, but for the gotta have it all fan, it'll do just fine."
A must have for fans
D. Casto | St. Petersburg, FL USA | 08/06/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Great songs here for the STEPS fan, but only for the true fan. Enjoy."