Arthur Alexander. Arthur is … Steppin’ Out! The first step/track is “Woman,” a song that opens with a blistering drum intro, and then the electric wet reverb jumps in, taking Arthur Alexander close to a “Wipeout,” but not quite. We get a great opening track full of energy that blasts beyond the surf to a new world of music. That world revolves around Arthur Alexander’s … Steppin’ Out!.

The opening track is Woman, although it is reminiscent of surf rock revisited. It isn’t. It is full-on rock and roll. And that is where Arthur Alexander shines. He has a lifetime of musical influences, and when he lets them out, we get songs like Woman.

I had to do my homework on the second track, It’s Not Love Anymore #2. I was not knowledgeable of SORROWS, a band that Arthur Alexander was a part of in the late ’70s and early ’80s, so I was off searching for Arthur Alexander in 1981. New York was a hotbed of music in 1981, with bands playing in every nook and cranny all over The Big Apple. Out of all the venues, CBGB was the place to play, both on and off the stage. Arthur Alexander and SORROWS played CBGB and had a hit album, Teenage Heartbreak. Look them up on Apple Music or YouTube; it’s a good album.

I have enjoyed listening to SORROWS. They had a straightforward pop-rock act in the same vein as The Cars or The Romantics. They were easy to enjoy with two guitars, two lead singers, and steady bass and percussion. I can see why they would have been an excellent act to take in at any club, but especially CBGB.

Back to the future, it’s 2023, and I am moving forward to Arthur Alexander and his new album … Steppin’ Out! It has elements of SORROWS, which is only natural since it is in his musical heritage. On the other hand, … Steppin’ Out! is also fresh, and it finds Arthur Alexander exploring new soundscapes.

 Track number three, (She’s a) Red Hot Lover, is a synth-pop song that sees Arthur Alexander exploring new musical territory outside the two-guitar band SORROWS. There is still a guitar solo, but the synths propel this song forward and make (She’s a) Red Hot Lover the great track that it is.

One Life (Is All You Got) I let Arthur Alexander tell you about this track.

“One of those reflective pieces… we’re here only for a short time and just passing through, so don’t sweat the small stuff; stand up for yourself and what you believe… ’cause one life IS all you got! No

do-overs! Somehow, the song reminded me of the “Aftermath” era Stones vibe, and when the breakdown comes, I wanted to really throw a left curve to the listener and make it a “WTF is this?!?!” moment. “Aftermath“?… Brian Jones fucking MADE that album! I was working on that song when I went to Europe to see my brother just before the pandemic hit. I took the tracks with me and recorded him playing Oud for the breakdown part, “This one’s for you, Brian!”… and I’m sure no one will mind that it climaxes with some of The Who’s tried and true clichés before it all crushes back into the song! ;)”

Track five is Ashes, and it reminded me of The Kinks. I don’t know why. It’s a breakup song. Nuff said.

Lulu, Won’t You Be My Girl is a bit of fun, and yes, Arthur, you succeeded. I am quoting Arthur Alexander again. “I love the old-style trad jazz, swing music and vaudeville songs from the ’20s and ’30s. The guitar break reflects my love for Django Reinhardt; it’s just too bad my playing ability does not. I was trying to make this song as corny and camp as I possibly could, and, gosh darn, I hope I succeeded.”

Norman says, “Yes, you succeeded.”

Why Can’t You Come harkens back to the SORROWS‘ edgy punkish, push-the-boundaries type of music. I love it. The lyrics have a dark edginess that the grungy guitar pushes violently across the soundscape straight at our faces. Early 80s punk, yeah, it works.

I Miss You is a fun, quick bit of mid 60’s pure pop music. It doesn’t pretend to be more than that; it is just fun to listen to.

A Little Too Much gives us Arthur Alexander playing around with the synth again. I hear some of Gary Numan’s Cars floating around in this track until it blasts into a synth-infused rock and roll number, booting Gary’s synth aside with more of Arthur Alexanders’ guitar work. Interesting transitions are happening in this track; I listened intently, trying to hear everything that is going on between the notes. I’m still listening. I feel there is still more for me to hear.

Humming Blues In Four presents four short stories for us to peruse.

Silver Cloud in Arthur Alexander’s words: “Believe it or not, I wrote this one also while with the Poppees. Alas, by then, they were still in their “She Loves You” phase while I was in my “All Things Must Pass” and “Dark Side of The Moon” phase, so, of course, the band had zero interest in it. Sorrows did actually cut a demo of it which one can hear on the Bomp! “Bad Times Good Times” release, but we never got to do it “for real.” So here it is, finally, as it was intended.”

Norman’s words: “I hear more late-career Beatles, so yes, I agree with the “All Things Must Pass” assessment. I don’t hear DSotM, and I know that album inside out and backwards, and no, there are no Satanic messages when played backwards. Silver Cloud is still a good song, no matter which influencer you relate it to.

Flying Shadows

Arthur Alexander: “A total fluke, this one!… I was about to record Luis’ drums for “Fly Away,” but I still didn’t have any lyrics to put down, even a scratch vocal track for Luis to follow the song structure. Without giving it much thought, I grabbed a guitar and recorded a quick scratch track of the melody line so that at least he had something to follow and be able to tell a verse from a bridge, etc… When I listened back to it, I was stunned! It sounded like The Shadows, one of my biggest musical influences and a band probably not only responsible for me making music at all but equally responsible for where and how rock and roll went as it did, period! At least in Europe, and actually, as a consequence, the rest of the world! Hearing that inspired me to pay a real homage to my heroes!” 

This turned out to be a winner for us. A great closing track with the same ethos as the opening track and a tonne of great music between those two book ends. Arthur Alexander has gifted us with a great album with … Steppin’ Out!. It sparked a desire in me to listen/relisten to some music from the early 80s as well as the joy of hearing this most excellent album.