With a big push from their
Blue Thumb
label, who introduced the band by way of a full-page ad in
Billboard
magazine,
the Pointer Sisters
took their eponymous debut straight to the top of the
R&B
charts in summer 1973 on the strengths of their penchant for mixing classic '60s
with fresh forward-thinking grooves. Add the sisters' harmonies and complex vocal moves, and there's no doubt the group was destined for a fast rise. Produced by
David Rubinson
,
The Pointer Sisters
contained effusive covers that cradled two of
the Pointers
' own compositions. That remarkable combo, then, allowed the
Allen Toussaint
classic
"Yes We Can Can"
to rub shoulders with the original
"Jada,"
a
boogie blues
-shaded slab of
jazz
, and a perfect fingerprint of the eclectic style that would define
' core. That same bent also allowed them to give equal energy to the
Willie Dixon
gem
"Wang Dang Doodle,"
a song which quickly became a live set favorite, and also to their own
"Sugar."
Other high points include
"River Boulevard,"
a mid-tempo vocal that gives way to a light
rock
riot. It was easy to see exactly where
were headed. With talent to spare and an energy that was fresh and unending, this set emerges a cohesive and joyous cabaret, allowing the quartet to do what it does best. Listening to these earliest gems, it's no surprise, then, that the band would spend the better part of the next two decades in the charts. ~ Amy Hanson