Ok, I have already reviewed a Steps Album, so after looking through my DVD collection I found my Steps ‘Gold’ DVD. Now if you have read my Steps ‘Step One’ album review then you will know that when Steps were still together I was a true die-hard Steps fan! I was totally crazy on them! Yes… ... Read review
It is regularly suggested that Steps are one of the hardest-working groups in pop and ... more
theGoldDVD provides further evidence that such an assertion is almost certainly true. Since crashing into the Top 20 towards the end of 1997 with the line-dancing ins...
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It is regularly suggested that Steps are one of the hardest-working groups in pop and ... more
theGoldDVD provides further evidence that such an assertion is almost certainly true. Since crashing into the Top 20 towards the end of 1997 with the line-dancing inspired "5,6,7,8" (the "in" craze at the time) the group have been constantly churning out top-notch tunes. Their videos have been as equally colourful, energetic and fun (apart from the video to "When I SaidGoodbye" which was shot in black and white). With their carefully choreographed dance moves, flashy locations and outrageous hairstyles and outfits, the videos have always been a top priority for the group. This collection ranges from the video for their more recent cover of "Chain Reaction" deceptively filmed in one continuous take, to the beach fun of "5,6,7,8" and are excellently matched to the style of each song. Admittedly some of the videos are rather cheesy, such as "Say You'll Be Mine", which is a pastiche of the group re-enacting scenes from recent Hollywood blockbusters, and the sleigh ride scene in "Heartbeat" (also the "bad hair" era for the female members of Steps). However the videos work best when a soap opera-style narrative is introduced, as with their flat-sitting escapades in the "Stomp" video, and the "Four Weddings and a Funeral" inspired video for their first number one single "Tragedy".On the DVD:This DVD is truly excellent value--literally bursting with extras, from a greatest-hits video medley, through to the single/album-cover interactive library. One member of the band concisely introduces each video, and there is an audio commentary by the group on selected videos (for "5,6,7,8", "Heartbeat", "Tragedy" and Deeper Shade f Blue) and bonus material includes the group performing "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" on ITV's "Motown Mania". The CD-ROM option allows even more extras, such as additional footage (look out for, and click on the Steps logo that appears on selected videos) and web-links. The disc also contains the software "PC Friendly DVD" making it even easier and fun to play the DVD on your home computer. However this collection has an annoying aspect; the numerous menus you need to pass through to access each of the videos individually. There are also no interactive options to guide you through the legendary dance moves --John Galilee
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Countless tribute and sound-a-like bands have had various stabs at mimicking the magic of ... more
ABBA. Of the bunch, Steps have been the most successful in their attempts to nurture a similar ABBA-esque musical style and image. It comes as no surprise that Steps should call their "best of" anthologyGold, just like the bestselling "best of" from their Swedish heroes. The ABBA influences can be heard right from their earliest material--"One For Sorrow" to "After The Love Has Gone" (October 1999), through to newer compositions such as "Baby Don't Dance" (an updated version of "Voulez-Vous?"). Released at the peak of the line-dancing craze in the UK, their thigh-slapping debut "5,6,7,8" thus sounds remarkably out of place. Proving that they're no puppets of Mr Waterman, the Euro-pop style "Only In My Dreams" is the first song written by Steps as a group. Their cover of Diana Ross's 1986 number one "Chain Reaction" looks destined, along with "Tragedy" and the 70s disco inspired hit "Stomp", to become the songs which future generations will best remember Claire, Faye, Lisa, H and Lee for. --John Galilee
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Production Year: 1999 - Music / Performing Arts - Original Language: English - Classification: Exempt - Starring: Donny Osmond, Joan Collins, Richard Attenborough
Advantages: A great oppertunity to learn all the dances! Disadvantages: Some boring songs.
...I have already reviewed a Steps Album, so after looking through my DVD collection I found my Steps ‘Gold’ DVD. Now if you have read my Steps ‘Step One’ album review then you will know that when Steps were still together I was a true die-hard Steps fan! I was totally crazy on them! Yes… I know… SAD!!!
Steps Gold was the first DVD released by Steps and also the last! It was released not long before they split up and is a collection of ... ...of the DVD is actually Steps Gold – Greatest Hits. I suppose the Greatest Hits bit should have given it away that they were due to split up as many bands/groups seem to do after releasing a Greatest Hits album. (They released an album around the same time as the DVD with the same title!)
Anyway, on with the review!
*** What’s on This DVD? ***
As I said earlier this DVD is a collection of ... more
Ok, I have already reviewed a Steps Album, so after looking through my DVD collection I found my Steps ‘Gold’ DVD. Now if you have read my Steps ‘Step One’ album review then you will know that when Steps were still together I was a true die-hard Steps fan! I was totally crazy on them! Yes… I know… SAD!!!
Steps Gold was the first DVD released by Steps and also the last! It was released not long before they split up and is a collection of the music videos to all the songs released by them. The proper title of the DVD is actually Steps Gold – Greatest Hits. I suppose the Greatest Hits bit should have given it away that they were due to split up as many bands/groups seem to do after releasing a Greatest Hits album. (They released an album around the same time as the DVD with the same title!)
Anyway, on with the review!
*** What’s on This DVD? ***
As I said earlier this DVD is a collection of all the Steps singles along with the music videos to them. When the DVD first comes on you are given the option of whether you would like Steps commentary or would just rather watch all the videos non-stop.
If you have commentary on, then a member of the band, who will also tell you a bit of info about the making of the video, will introduce each video to you.
The DVD plays as follows (song length in brackets):
Chain Reaction (3:53): This song is off the ‘Buzz’ album and the video is set in a hospital, with ‘H’ playing the part of a patient and the rest of Steps playing Doctors and Nurses! Towards the end of the video we head out of the hospital to a kind of stage area where Steps are as always doing the dance routine to the song. I love this song, and I actually sang it so badly once that my little step-sister who was visiting us not long after the songs release refused to enter the room until I stopped singing! I also like the video to this song although I think the dance routine is a little complicated for me!
Here and Now (3:26): This is also off the ‘Buzz’ album. The video to this is set in a magical steps garden, where members of the band can walk past a hedge and flowers will magically appear where they have just touched! At the end of this video Steps fly off in a magical space ship which goes on to land in their next video…
You’ll Be Sorry (3:34): This video is set mainly in the spaceship from the last song and the fascinating fact about this video is the background wall which looks like a bubbly space-shippy wall is actually a load of polystyrene cups stuck very close together! I haven’t quite worked out the connection between the two songs; personally I think they just wanted to reassure fans that they hadn’t been kidnapped by aliens! I like both of these songs and the videos. They are nice and lively and just generally happy songs!
It’s The Way You Make Me Feel (3:11): This song is a moderately lively but also quite romantic song. It is really good for doing as a cheesy duet with your partner, you’ll have people reaching for a bucket in no time! The video features steps in Victorian style clothing in a large mansion singing and dancing their hearts out. Their dancers also appear in this video as other people at the gathering and also as love interests for the band! (Hence the name of the song!)
Stomp (3:13): One of my favourite songs is Stomp; it is lively and very upbeat with a really easy dance routine! The video is set in a big posh house that Lisa and H are supposed to be looking after, however they decide to call everyone and have a party! (Just what I’d do!) At the beginning of the video you see Claire driving a flash car and Lee riding a motorbike… the fact… they are their own vehicles! I wish I were rich! Back to the video! Steps have a massive party and trash the house and very quickly have to get the place cleaned up and looking perfect before the owner is back!
Summer Of Love (3:49): Another favourite of mine! Ok I know they’re all my fave! This is another lively and upbeat song, although the dance is not that easy! The video features Good Steps and Evil Steps! Good Steps are dressed in really bright and fun clothes, and Evil Steps in dark colours. Both Steps are doing the same dance and the video moves between the two, showing them doing the dance routine, the only problem is as it flicks between the two and you miss parts of the dance, which makes it harder to learn!
When I Said Goodbye (3:28): This is the only music video steps have done in black and white. The song is a slow one and is a duet between H and Claire with the other band members singing the occasional harmonies. I quite like this song, which is unusual because I don’t really like slow music. I’m not too keen on the video as it is a bit boring and mainly shows members of Steps sitting and standing on some steps singing.
Deeper Shade Of Blue (3:38): This video features Steps in the future. They are all dressed in blue (and slightly strange!) costumes, apart from H who has a gold costume… I don’t know why! The song is quite lively and I do like it, however it does have a limited lifetime compared to other steps songs.
Say You’ll Be Mine (4:22): I love this song! It is another of my favourites! It is very lively and a very happy song. There is also a really easy and cool dance routine to this one. The video has Steps all dressed in gold dancing on a stage along with snippets of them dressed as various movie stars doing scenes from movies including Armageddon, Austin Powers and Something About Mary.
Better The Devil You Know (3:26): This song is a copy of Kylie’s version of Better The Devil You Know. It is almost identical and according to my cousin who remembers the original, it has the same dance that Kylie had. In the video Steps are dressed as red devils and are performing live at one of their concerts.
After The Love Has Gone (3:57): Another upbeat song. The video to this one has an oriental theme. Steps are all wearing green costumes and they do the dance along with an oriental dragon! While Steps were filming this video they also took a trip on the Orient Express! I can’t say that I really have any preferences to this video so I’ll simply sum it up as “it’s OK!”
Love’s Got A Hold On My Heart (3:15): From green costumes to yellow ones in this video. Steps are at a fairground with a film reel of ‘The Steps Movie’ (don’t worry they didn’t really release one!) While they are there someone steals the film reel and the video follows them rescuing it. To me the video has nothing to do with the song, but they are still both good! The song is a nice happy song and the video is a sunshiny happy one! (That could be because they are dressed in yellow though!)
Better Best Forgotten (3:22): I love this song too! I always forget about it until I hear it and then remember how good it is! Blue costumes are the outfit of the day here! The video is of Steps making this video. It shows them playing with the equipment and as always it features a part where they show you the dance routine. A bit of useless information for you, the glass wall, which Faye is lying in front of actually fell down on her while they were filming, so she had to re-film and apparently she had loads of glass splinters in her bum!
Tragedy (4:23): This has to be the most well known song Steps have released (and I actually don’t like it!). It is a copy of the Bee-gee’s and the video is about Claire, Lisa and Faye getting married, but Lee and H go and rescue them all from their weddings and take them off to a party! The people in the various congregations in the video are actually members of Steps friends and families and the men who walk the girls down the isle are their dads in real life!
Heartbeat (4:17): This song was released as a double A-side with Tragedy, and I’m not particularly keen on this one either! This is a slow song and the video tells a story of H being kidnapped by evil little trolls and Claire, Lisa, Faye and Lee have to rescue him by first defeating the little trolls then the Snow Queen. This video wasn’t filmed in a snowy area really though, it was filmed in a studio and the background was added afterwards. When you watch the video this is really obvious as Steps and their snowmobiles and skis don’t look quite right on the background!
One For Sorrow (3:50): This song was also a really popular song when it was released, this was probably due to it simple dance routine, and the video of Steps playing in a field and just generally having fun, I think this would have caught the attention of loads of little kiddies! The video was filmed in Italy and apparently the place on the video may look all nice and dreamy sunshine, but it was right next to sewerage works and was really smelly!
Last Thing On My Mind (3:00): Another song I’m not too keen on. It was the second song they released and is a copy of the Bananarama song. I think it is more the video that put me off the song because the song itself is quite good and reasonably lively, however I always think of the video when I hear the song. The video shows Steps at a pool party and they are all wearing really bad outfits! They are all tight fitting for the girls, but they just don’t look right and the boys have trousers and baggy shirts on, but this look and they way they are in the video just makes them look really slimebally! It’s ok though because Lisa pushes Lee in the swimming pool!
5,6,7,8 (3:18): This was the first song released by Steps and because of its line dance style routine was very popular as a line dancing song. The video was filmed in Australia and shows Steps on a nice sandy beach in a really nice jeep, they then progress onto a party in a beach condo, it is at this point you see the dance routine for the first time. All the members of he band look really cheesy in this video, but I’ll let them off because it was their first video so it’s allowed!
One For Sorrow – US Remix (3:30): This is the US version of the one I mentioned earlier. The only difference to the song is that it is slightly funkier and is more like a dance song than a cheesy pop song. The video for this one is completely different though. The UK version had Steps in nice green fields, whereas this version has them in a club/party scene. I prefer this version and this video to the UK version, it is more fun and good to turn up really loud to get in a party mood!
Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (2:57): This song was not released as a single; it was a second track on one of the released singles and was performed by Steps on the first series of Abbamania on TV. The video to this is of the performance on the TV show. I really like this song, it is nice and bubbly, and the only thing is it’s a bit too short!
Ok there you have it, the whole play list of this DVD; they can be shown either with or without an introduction and are fab either way!
I have uploaded some pictures of various covers off the singles Steps released to give you a visual reminder of what type of costumes they used to wear! Enjoy!
*** The Gold ‘S’ ***
As you are watching the videos you will notice a small gold ‘S’ appear in the top right hand corner, if you press the enter/menu button on your remote this will take you into a secret access area where you can find out even more info on the song and the making of the video. I would say this is worth having a look at, however it will interrupt your viewing so you will have to watch it again!
*** The Extras ***
The extras on this DVD include behind the scenes footage, these are accessed through the gold S and through the main menu, as I said earlier they are worth a little look in if you are interested in the making of the videos and you also find out some useless bits of information like the bits I have included previously.
There is also a Steps Calendar which tells you all about the history of Steps and all of their successes. Again I would say this is worth a look, it is not particularly brilliant and it wont be the most fantastic thing you’ve ever seen but it does contain some interesting points including things like sell out tour information and various chart positions of different songs.
*** The DVD Box ***
The DVD is presented really nicely. The cover is a white background with a picture of Steps wearing smart cream and gold coloured clothes… their dress sense has come a long way since the days of 5,6,7,8 and Last Thing On My Mind! Above the picture of Steps is he Steps logo in Gold, and below the picture of them in smaller gold letters is the title of the DVD – Gold Greatest Hits.
The back of the box has some information about what’s on the DVD along with some clippets from the videos and a list of all the songs featured on the DVD.
Inside the box, you will be greeted by a nice shiny silver DVD. It is silver on both sides and the only bit of writing to define between the right and wrong side is in the centre saying Steps Gold. I would imagine that to someone who is new to DVD’s, has poor eyesight or generally just grabs a DVD looks for the shiny side and shoves it in the player that this would be quite confusing.
Also on the inside cover is what’s been described, as a ‘Stepsograpghy’ in this there is a collection of pictures of all the Steps single and Album covers. Underneath these there is a list of the Steps Gold Tour dates.
*** How Much Will It Cost? ***
I got this DVD for Christmas… the Christmas they split up :( so I’m not sure how much it cost back then, however I have seen it in the shops recently priced between £9.99 and £13.99 depending on where you go. I would say that this is good value for money if you were a Steps fan as this is like a collection of everything they have ever released. However if you weren’t a Steps fan I would really bother as I could see it either boring you or really irritating you with its cheesiness!
*** Looking Back ***
Looking back on this DVD, it is really clear that this was intentionally Steps last DVD and Album to accompany it as it is a greatest hits compilation and there are so many areas of the DVD which reflect on the whole of Steps history. This DVD was released along with the album approximately 2 – 3 months before the band split so I would say that the announcement on boxing day 2001 about the split being a sudden thing for them was not actually true and they had planned to split up but for maximum sales waited until after Christmas to announce it.
*** Overall ***
Overall I would say this is a fantastic DVD and I would recommend it. It is entertaining and is good to have even if you don’t watch it regularly as it is always good to put on and remind you of the ‘Steps Days!’ It is also a good ‘Child Occupier!’ as it will keep kids entertained with dance routines, fun and general steps madness!
Advantages: all the hits Disadvantages: bland front cover
A rewarding DVD if you happen to be a fan of this supergroup. This is a great disc as you get all the hits from their career. Who are they: UK pop group, comprising H, Claire, Faye, Lisa and Lee. They were at their peak at the turn of the century and notched up an impressive run of top ten hit singles. On this DVD: You get twenty videos, so pretty good value straight off. All the singles are included, from the early years up until 'Chain Reaction'. ... ...which is a feisty pop song with a superb set of chord changes to make even Abba smile. It will lift the spirits and leave you feeling elated. Good vocals on this from Claire too. I also recommend 'One For Sorrow' which is a great piano driven number with another Abba-esque chorus, this is what I would describe as the pinnacle of their career. Decent slower numbers can be found in 'Heartbeat,' where the video is set in the snow, some amusing scenes ...
benlepensive 23.02.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Steps - Gold - Greatest Hits (DVD)
Advantages: you can see all the videoes ! Disadvantages: None!
Steps Gold Greatest Hits is a great video to add to your steps collection!This really is a must have for every steps fan!
This dvd features all the videos to all the songs steps have released in the charts.
Chain Reaction
Here and now
You'll be sorry
It's the way you make me feel
stomp
summer of love
when i said goodbye
deeper shade of blue
say you'll be mine
better the devil you know
after the love has gone
love's got a hold on my heart
... ...This video was released in 2001 by Zomba.
Each video is introduced by the band themselves.On the video , steps reveal facts from when they were filming the videoes.
This video also shows behind the scenes of the video 'Chain Reaction!'
I give this dvd a 10/10! ...
xdonzx 25.08.2007
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Steps - Gold - Greatest Hits (DVD)
The tracklist includes 'Chain Reaction', 'Here And Now', ' You'll Be Sorry', 'It's The Way You Make Me Feel', 'Stomp', 'Summer Of Love', 'When I Said Goodbye', 'Deeper Shade Of Blue', 'Say You'll Be Mine', 'Better The Devil You Know', 'After The Love Has Gone', 'Love's Got A Hold Of My Heart', 'Better Best Forgotten', Tragedy', 'One For Sorrow', 'Last Thing On My Mind', '5,6,7,8' and 'Too Busy Thinking About My Baby'.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
SONY BMG; ARVATO SERVICES
Release date
15/10/2001
No of Discs
1
Catalogue No
9201418
Barcode
0638592014183
Performer
Steps
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Special Features
Behind The Scenes Footage, Steps Calendar Charting The History Of Steps, Photo Gallery, Discography
DVD Description
This collection presents those perky Steps popsters--Faye, Claire, H, Lisa, and Lee--in their music videos. Songs include: "Chain Reaction," "Here and Now," "Deeper Shade of Blue," "Tragedy," Last Thing on My Mind," "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby," and others. The release also features behind-the-scenes footage and more.
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