Getting to the point

Press, 30 April 1981, Page 6

Getting to the point

By

NEVIN TOPP

There was no missing the point. The Pointer Sisters were on stage at the Christchurch Town Hall last evening.

During most of their show the Pointer Sisters gave a potted history, making it known that they started recording in 1973, recorded another album in 1974, recorded a single at Nashville, which in case there were any “dummies” in the audience was the heart of country and western music. Anita Pointer’s extended “solo” about their recording “fairytale” in Nashville, and the resulting invitation to sing at the Grand Ole Opry became boring. The Pointer Sisters showed

their abilities as vocalists on a wide range of musical styles, ballads, disco, rock ’n’ roll, and country, but the show was slick and without real feeling earlier on. The use of two Bruce Springsteen songs, including the Pointers’ cover hit, “Fire,” raised the temperature, and with the catchy disco hit, “He’s So Shy,” the show was getting’ somewhere.

Except for the unusual, exciting vocal techniques on the Charlie Parker-Dizzy Gillespie number, “Salt Peanuts,” and the use of harmonies on some of the iater songs, the Pointer Sisters’ concert was a repetition of last year’s effort, when it was more enjoyable.