Arthur Alexander

Steppin' Out!

Big Stir

Alexander’s Big Stir debut mixes the late 60s and early 70s into a very tasty mix of rock, sometimes blues, sometimes new wave, sometimes power pop, sometimes folk/rock. And it all fits together seamlessly. He and his band nailed these songs, with expert production by Arthur.

The lyrics are about romantic ups and downs, one political song “Humming Blues In Four,” and one jazz  song, “Oh Lulu, Won’t You Be My Girl.” And they're good and sensible, even when he’s pining away for the woman of his dreams.

Alexander was in two bands before being on his own, the Poppies (and some of the songs here are from that time) in the 70s, and Sorrows in the late 70s and early 80s. Sorrows are what happens when a good band get screwed over by its label, and while I’ve not heard the album that landed in the music business jail, from what I read about it, I didn’t need to. What I did hear was Love Too Late...the real album, which is wonderful, and was finally released on Big Stir in 2022.

Steppin' Out! is a really good album: fun, rocking, and a blast on earbuds. It’s very enjoyable, and if you give it a chance, you’ll feel the same. Then pick up Sorrows, and have fun with that too.

Andrea Weiss