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Steppin' Out

Neil Sedaka - Steppin' Out Audio CD

A fair review of the Neil Sedaka "Steppin' Out" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Neil Sedaka reviews here, or go back to the Neil Sedaka tabs.

Band: Neil Sedaka
Title: Steppin' Out
Rating:

Release Date: 1998-07-14
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Sing Me 2: You Gotta Make Your Own Sunshine 3: #1 with a Heartache 4: Steppin' Out 5: Love in the Shadows 6: Cardboard California 7: Here We Are Falling in Love Again 8: I Let You Walk Away 9: Good Times, Good Music, Good Friends 10: Perfect Strangers 11: Bad and Beautiful 12: Summer Nights 13: (Baby) Don't Let It Mess Your Mind [*] 14: Time Waits for No One [#][*] 15: (Is This the Way To) Amarillo [*] 16: Should've Never Let You Go [*]

Steppin'Out is OK
". Only a couple of familiar songs, mostly bought the cd for the duet of "Should Have Never Let You Go.

One of the best singer/songwriter albums of the '70s!
Fresh off of two number one smashes ("Laughter in the Rain" and "Bad Blood," his duet with Elton John), Sedaka was at the peak of his comeback. Neil Sedaka's "Steppin' Out" is simply one of the greatest albums of the '70s decade, an era in which the singer/songwriter reigned supreme; and it is an overlooked gem that still sounds as fresh and vibrant today as the day it was recorded. He recorded his third album for Rocket (Elton John's label), which would become his first album of originally recorded material to be released simultaniously on an international level (his previous Rocket albums, "Sedaka's Back" and "The Hungry Years" were actually compilations of various England-only releases). Unfortunately, the album did not perform to Neil's standards, and Sedaka cried foul, demanding that Rocket did not put enough promotion behind the effort. This led to a strain between Sedaka and the fledgiling Rocket Records (and Elton John, who had just come out as bisexual in Rolling Stone Magazine), leaving Sedaka to pursue other options and sign with Elektra in 1977.

So why exactly did this album not become the smash it deserved? Sedaka did promote the heck out of it himself, including an hour-long television special featuring guest star Bette Midler. Maybe it was the backlash from Elton's Rolling Stone announcement that led in part to Rocket's demise. Even such hitmakers as Kiki Dee, Judie Tzuke, and Cliff Richard struggled with their Rocket albums of the time, despite releasing strong albums that are among the best of the era.

How does "Steppin' Out" rank with Sedaka's other albums from this period? It is the best of his three Rocket albums, and often the most underrated - nearly every song on the album had hit potential. The album includes two re-recorded classics from 1970'a fantastic album "Emergence," the opener "I'm a Song (Sing Me)" and the haunting "Cardboard California" (NOTE: Sedaka would also re-record "(Baby) Don't Let It Mess Your Mind" from his 1971 collection "Solitaire," and release it as a b-side - it is included on this disc re-issue as a bonus track). The disc does include three chart hits, the rousing "Love In the Shadows," "You Gotta Make Your Own Sunshine," and, featuring prominent background vocals by Elton John, "Steppin' Out," though none of the singles performed as well as his previous efforts. Other highlights include his country-based "#1 With a Heartache" (which, even today, is begging for a re-make by a country diva), the wonderful "Bad & Beautiful" (which, thirty years later, became a hit in Japan when used on an Anime series), and the stunningly beautiful ballads "I Let You Walk Away" and "Perfect Strangers. " The production by Robert Appere is fresh and timeless, despite the fact that this was recorded in 1976, it does not put the listener in a time warp like so many other recordings from that era.

The cd reissue includes such bonus tracks as his hit version of "Amarillo" from his equally underappreciated 1977 George Martin-produced Elektra debut "A Song," his 1980 duet with daughter Dara on "Should've Never Let You Go" from his album "In the Pocket," and an early 70's unreleased gem "Time Waits for No One," from a period when Sedaka didn't have a label and wrote songs for other artists, as well as the aforementioned re-recording of "(Baby) Don't Let It Mess Your Mind. "

The album is a five-star must have for any Sedaka fan or fan of the great singer/songwriter era of the 70s. .

Steppin' Back In Time
I bought "Sedaka's Back" and from then on, purchased all of his albums. I was first turned on to Neil Sedaka upon hearing Laughter in the Rain on the radio when it was first released. Like many people, I have a collection of Sedaka vinyl LPs in the basement and only recently revived some great memories by dusting them off and playing them on the (also dusty) turn table. Upon listening to my collection of 70's Sedaka albums, I searched Amazon to see if any of them were available on CD. To my pleasant surprise, there were some out there. Of the "Sedaka's back era" albums, Steppin' Out is one I always enjoyed listening to. It wasn't because of the three tunes that broke the Hot 100 ("Love in the Shadows," "Steppin' Out," and "You Gotta Make Your Own Sunshine"), but the creative writing and performances on the album's tunes that never hit the air waves. For me, the best tracks on the album are "Bad and Beautiful" and "Perfect Strangers. " I really like the whole album, except for the cover art work. What's up with the black leather??? This is so "not Neil. " Anyway, it was great to hear this album again, sans the scratches of the old vinyl. It doesn't stack up with "Sedaka's Back" or "A Song," the album that originally contained "Amarillo. " I agree with one of the other reviewers that it was great to hear bonus cuts like Amarillo and "Should Have Never Let You Go," which was released on a lesser known album of Sedaka's called "In the Pocket. " That being said, I would much prefer to see all of Sedaka's albums released including "In the Pocket," "A Song," "All You Need is the Music," etc. I think that many Sedaka fans would agree that these albums contained very special tunes. Who can remember "Alone at Last," "You Can Hear the Love," and "My Friend?" In the words of Engelbert Humperdink, these albums are crying "Please Release Me!" .

Still Steppin' Out
I heard "Steppin' Out" on the radio (and I can still remember exactly where I heard it, like a lot of my favorite songs) and was hooked. I grew up in the 1970's and discovered Neil Sedaka during that period of his career. I bought the STEPPIN' OUT album, then picked up SEDAKA'S BACK and THE HUNGRY YEARS.
And I got them when they came out, all these years later, on CD.

What's interesting was that I first heard them as a child and wondered about the situations that would bring about those feelings.
Now that I'm older, I've experienced them myself.
And that makes a song like "I Let You Walk Away" cut that much deeper.

Favorite Neil!
The way old (and good) CDs are here today and then deleted tomorrow, if I were you I would not delay in ordering this excellent Sedaka musical work of art. If you are a Neil Sedaka fan and have mature musical tastes, then you should buy this CD. It is among his best and has become a favorite of mine. Like on his "The Hungry Years" CD, each song is different and Sedaka masterfully explores different musical styles. Each song is a success and the entire CD is a musical journey. It is a mature, thoughtful Sedaka with some of the best melody lines and arrangements of his career, including the duet with Elton John - "Love In the Shadows. " A particular favorite of mine is "Cardboard California. " - Talk about a song that paints a picture of Hollywood!! If you don't own this one - get it today while you can! As with the other re-released Sedaka CDs, the bonus cuts are also worth the purchase. If you love the Sedaka album "The Hungry Years" then you will love this one too. As a matter of fact, "Steppin' Out" could almost be a companion disc to "The Hungry Years. " If you don't own "The Hungry Years" and "Sedaka's Back" then I suggest you order those two along with your copy of "Steppin' Out" and you will have the best of this most talented singer/songwriter's work in the 70s with Rocket Records (Elton's company). I'm looking forward to more music from Neil in the 21st century and hopefully with newcomer Clay Aiken. I only wish we had more great singer/songwriters like Neil today - People like him, Carly Simon, Carole King, Paul Simon, Neil Diamond, Paul Anka, James Taylor and Brill Building co-writers and buddies are in a class all by themselves; and this CD proves that the talent keeps on coming.

You can see a complete list of all Neil Sedaka discography, or go back to the Neil Sedaka tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.