Search - Pointer Sisters :: Pointer Sisters

An often-overlooked early gem

rockland6674 | Massachusetts, USA | 02/18/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A decade before they got so excited doing the neutron dance, the Pointer Sisters were four: Anita, Ruth and June were joined here by Bonnie, who would leave several years later to pursue a solo career. Musically, their self-titled debut album is probably the least commercial-sounding one they've made. An edit of the six-minute "Yes We Can Can" cracked the top-20, but that song's funky, drums-and-bass driven sound isn't really representative of the rest of the songs on the album, which are a nod to the female vocal group sounds of the 1940's. What makes these songs work is the earnestness and enthusiasm the Pointer Sisters bring to them: Their fondness for this material is apparent throughout, and the fun they had recording these songs is conveyed to the listener. Their own contributions to the album were "Sugar," which they wrote and arranged, and "Jada," which they also co-wrote and arranged. The best song on this disc is still "Yes We Can Can," but other highlights include the soulful "River Boulevard," with an insistent "Isn't it just a beautiful day?" refrain which will stay in your head for days, and the impressive vocal acrobatics of "Cloudburst." It's a safe bet that the Pointer Sisters never strayed farther from the mainstream than they did on "That's How I Feel," seven minutes of high-energy "shoo-be-doo-wah" scat-singing, set against a backdrop of an electronically altered voice singing the line, "The one who sings along," a male bass scat vocal and a drummer who sounds like he's having a blast, supplying the fills. It's an offbeat number, but it has more spirit and soul than all of the songs on the "Break Out" album, combined."

Doo be doo be da ba do ba

03/17/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I found this record and immediately bought it because of Yes We Can Can that will eternally be a 5 star song.
There's a lot of tongue twisting skatting and tight harmonies that really flaunt the Sisters' amazing jazz vocal talent. What's especially great about this album is that they don't take themselves too seriously: these babes don't hold back and obviously have fun singing together. This is vintage Pointer Sisters at their funkiest."