Buzz (Steps album)

Buzz received favourable critical response from different music magazines and websites. Everyone noticed the group's departure from the "ABBA sound" into their own musical style. AllMusic stated "They do in fact have their own sound, and it has revealed itself here, crystal clear". This album saw the group leaning toward a more mature and original sound influenced by electro and techno but still keeping the sound prominent to Steps' earlier work. This is seen as the album plays out through tracks such as "You'll Be Sorry", "Never Get Over You" "Happy Go Lucky" and "Buzzz". The art work and overall look for the album is prominent to the sound as their earlier albums had more colour and expression to resemble the enlightenment of the sound of their music. As their sound was more mature their appearances were more sophisticated and showed the progression of Steps into a new era that was carried on into the look of their next album, Gold: Greatest Hits. In an interview with whereitsat.tv when Steps were asked if their Pete Waterman days where behind them, Lee responded with: "We've been under Pete Waterman's wing for a good two or three years and I think with the third album Buzz, we've had an experience and sort of self-expression and things, you know. We've had our chance, we've wrote, we've helped produce and we've got th[ose] songs on the album Buzz. Now that the greatest hits album is coming out, [we're] writing and helping produce for that as well and then there's an album after that. It's almost like leaving an era behind and moving onto something else, so you could see it as a new beginning in a way." However, the album is said to be less successful than their first releases, only peaking at number four on the UK Albums Chart and achieving double Platinum status from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) – Step One was certified 8× Platinum and Steptacular was certified 4× Platinum. It is also considered to be their only album to not sell a million copies in the United Kingdom, before the group's Boxing Day split. To date, it has sold more than 680,000 units in UK, becoming their lowest-selling album while they were still together. The album also features solos from each member apart from Lee, though he is featured on the song he co-wrote, "Turn Around". ==Track listing==

• Mark Topham • Karl Twigg • Waterman }} • Topham • Twigg • Rita Campbell • Nile Rodgers • Bernard Edwards }} • Topham • Twigg • Waterman }} • Topham • Twigg }} • Topham • Twigg • Waterman }} • Elofsson • David Kreuger }} • Topham • Twigg }} • Topham • Twigg • Waterman }} • Ian Watkins • Andrew Frampton }} • Lisa Scott-Lee • Ray "Madman" Hedges • Nigel Butler }} • Claire Richards • Andrew Frampton }} • Andy Goldmark • Brad Daymond • Alex Greggs }} • Goldmark • Riprock 'n' Alex }} • Goldmark • Mark Mueller }} • Goldmark • Riprock 'n' Alex }} • Andreas Carlsson • Ali Thomson }} • Andreas "QUIZ" Romdhane • Josef Larossi }} • Topham • Twigg }} • Topham • Twigg • Waterman }} • Lee Latchford Evans • Michael Garvin • Oskar Paul }} • Goldmark • Mueller }} • Goldmark • Jimmy Bralower }} • Faye Tozer • Cyndi Lauper • Jan Pulsford • Jasper Irn }} }} • Topham • Twigg • Waterman }} • Elofsson • Kreuger }} • Goldmark • Mueller }} • Goldmark • Riprock 'n' Alex }} • Carlsson • Thomson }} • Romdhane • Larossi }} • Goldmark • Daymond • Greggs }} • Goldmark • Riprock 'n' Alex }} • Topham • Twigg }} • Topham • Twigg • Waterman }} • Stock • Aitken • Waterman }} • Topham • Twigg • Waterman }} • Topham • Twigg }} • Topham • Twigg • Waterman }} • Watkins • Frampton }} • Scott-Lee • Hedges • Butler }} • Richards • Frampton }} • Topham • Twigg }} • Topham • Twigg • Waterman }} • Evans • Garvin • Paul }} • Tozer • Lauper • Pulsford • Irn }} }} • Goldmark • Bralower }} • Topham • Twigg }} • Topham • Twigg • Waterman }} }} • Topham • Twigg • Waterman • W.I.P. (remix) }} • Barry Upton • Steve Crosby }} • Topham • Twigg • Waterman }} }} • Goldmark • Riprock 'n' Alex }} • Elofsson • David Kreuger }} • Goldmark • Daymond • Greggs }} • Goldmark • Riprock 'n' Alex }} • Dane DeViller • Sean Hosein • Elofsson • Goldmark }} • DeViller • Hosein }} • Topham • Twigg • Campbell}} • Topham • Twigg • Waterman }} • Carlsson • Thomson }} • Romdhane • Larossi }} • Topham • Twigg }} • Topham • Twigg • Waterman }} • Scott-Lee • Hedges • Butler }} • Goldmark • Mueller }} • Goldmark • Bralower }} • Watkins • Frampton }} • Richards • Frampton }} }} Note • "Mars & Venus (We Fall in Love Again)" is only available on the US edition of Buzz and has been left unavailable in the UK, although a remixed form appeared on The Last Dance. Sample credits • "Stomp" contains a modified orchestral riff of the composition "Everybody Dance", written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, performed by Chic. ==Personnel==

• Lisa Scott-Lee – vocals, background vocals • Faye Tozer – vocals, background vocals • Lee Latchford-Evans – vocals, background vocals • Ian "H" Watkins – vocals, background vocals • Claire Richards – vocals, background vocals • Patrik Andrén – keyboards • Greg Bone – guitar • Jimmy Bralower – arranger, producer, engineer, drum programming • Nigel Butler – arranger • Andy Caine – vocals (background) • Rita Campbell – vocals (background) • Mary Carewe – vocals (background) • Andreas Carlsson – vocals (background) • Chris DeStefano – bass, keyboards, engineer, drum programming • Dave Deviller – guitar, programming, producer • Tim Donovan – engineer • Lance Ellington – vocals (background) • Cyndi Lauper – vocals (background) • Jörgen Elofsson – producer • Mark Emmitt – mixing • Andrew Frampton – arranger, producer • Daniel Frampton – engineer, mixing • Andy Goldmark – bass, arranger, keyboards, producer, drum programming • Chaz Harper – mastering • Simon Hill – drum programming • Sean Hosein – programming, producer • Nick Ingman – string arrangements, string conductor • Henrik Janson – string conductor • Ulf Jansson – string conductor • David Krueger – producer • Josef Larossi – arranger, producer, mixing, instrumentation • Bernard Loor – mixing • Gustave Lund – percussion • Ernie McCone – bass • Esbjörn Öhrwall – guitar • Paula Oliveira – assistant engineer, mixing assistant • Jeanette Olsson – vocals (background) • Steve Price – engineer, mixing • Mark "Ridders" Risdale – engineer • Andreas "Quiz" Romdhane – arranger, producer, mixing, instrumentation • Shane Stoneback – mixing assistant • Mark Topham – bass, producer • Karl Twigg – keyboards, producer • T-Bone Wolk – guitar • Hakan Wollgard – string engineer • Richard Woodcraft – assistant engineer • Gavyn Wright – violin ==Charts==