Bangles Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
The Bangles were once upon a time a great band. When they first started out as fresh-faced kids back in the mid-'80s, they captured the jangle of the Byrds, the melody of the Left Banke, the attitude of the Shangri-Las, and the rich harmonies of the Mamas & the Papas (without the Papas, of course) and wrapped them all up in a sweet and catchy package. Their first album was a bright, shiny pop album full of all kinds of promise, which they thereafter either fulfilled or wasted depending on where you stood. Having a hit with the Billy Steinberg-penned novelty song "Walk Like an Egyptian," doing Prince songs (even though "Manic Monday" is a song that deserves its pop classic standing), hiring faceless session musicians to make the second album sound more in tune with the times: these all deserve votes for wasted. The rest of their career was strewn with one landmine after another, like Susanna Hoffs being picked out as the focus of the band because she was "glamorous," the terrible power ballad (and number one hit) "Eternal Flame," more cover songs as singles (even though "Hazy Shade of Winter" was pretty darn good) and finally, the bitter breakup. So far it is not a story unique to the Bangles. Nor is the eventual, inevitable reunion. Doll Revolution is the result of the Bangles' re-formation. It would be nice to tell you that it was a triumphant return. It would be nice to tell you it was an interesting return. Sadly, it is neither. It is a bland, overproduced, and safe-sounding record that fails to leave much of an impression at all. Sure, all the things one would expect from a good Bangles album are here -- jangling guitars; full, sweet harmonies; and earnest, emotional lead vocals. All that is lacking are songs. There are a couple that are decent, like "Ask Me No Questions," a sweet Debbi Peterson sung ballad, and "Ride the Ride," a catchy Hoffs folk rocker, but mostly they are forgettable or worse. Picking Elvis Costello's recent self-derivative song "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's a Doll Revolution) to cover as the lead track was a mistake. Michael Steele's songs sound like they should be on a different band's record, the dark lyrical themes and clunky music drag Doll Revolution down. As do Hoffs' MOR soul "Something You Said" and her weak power ballad "I Will Take Care of You," which sounds like an attempt to duplicate the success of "Eternal Flame." The rest of it sounds like a solid attempt at a Sheryl Crow record, and that is something the pop world did not need from the Bangles. Doll Revolution won't add much to the Bangles' legacy. It won't do much to ruin it, either, perhaps that is the most fans of the band should have hoped for. [Initial pressings of Doll Revolution came with a bonus DVD featuring behind the scenes footage of the group filmed during the recording of the album, unreleased tracks, photo galleries, and the video for "Something That You Said."] ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The band's second album went to number one on the strength of the first single, "Manic Monday," twritten especially for the band by Prince, and its follow-up, "Walk Like an Egyptian," penned by '80s hit-making giant Liam Sternberg. Though even more polished than the debut, Different Light is a testament to the mid-'80s sound, replete with synthesizers (Mitchell Froom assisted); even on Jules Shear's magnificent "If She Knew What She Wants" and Alex Chilton's standard "September Gurls," the band's vocal strengths shine through the gloss and their pop sensibilties are not completely lost. ~ Denise Sullivan, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Released in 1985, Different Light elevated the Bangles to pop stardom, but at a price -- it was a significantly less interesting and cohesive album than their debut, All Over the Place, and the production as well as the addition of outside musicians and songwriters robbed the group of a great deal of its fire and personality. In many respects, 1988's Everything was more of the same, but success seems to have emboldened the Bangles just a bit -- while producer Davitt Sigerson still keeps the sound slick and radio-ready and a flock of guest musicians were brought in for the sessions, the album's approach seems less inclined to smother the group's identity, and the West Coast garage and folk-rock accents of their earlier work come back into the picture, albeit in muted form. A number of outside songwriters were brought in to work up material for Everything, but each of them collaborated with at least one member of the group, and while it's anyone's guess how Vinnie Vincent was tapped for this project, the songs suit the group better than, say, "Manic Monday" or "Walk Like an Egyptian." "Complicated Girl," "Be with You," and "Some Dreams Come True" are fine songs and strong performances if you can look past the studio gingerbread, and while Susanna Hoffs was positioned front and center on the album's two singles, "Eternal Flame" and "In Your Room," they at least suited her vocal style and the latter is an irresistibly hooky rocker. "Glitter Years" is a fun and high-kicking salute by Michael Steele to her days in the Runaways, and if the Bangles had to have another guitarist imposed upon them, David Lindley was a far better match than most. In many respects, Everything is a work dominated by compromises, but at the very least it allowed the Bangles a shade more freedom and autonomy than Different Light, and of the two it's easily the better album, though it still falls well short of the promise of their first recordings. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
While the Bangles would later embrace a radio-friendly pop production style (and enjoy attendant commercial success) that separated them from their early peers, they were the only figures from the L.A. paisley underground scene who would go on to become genuine multi-platinum rock stars, and while their first full-length album, 1984's All Over the Place, showed that some of their rough edges were already being buffed away, of their major-label output it's the record that most openly embraces the folk-rock and garage rock influences that fueled their earliest music. Vicki Peterson's lead guitar and the band's stellar harmonies are the vehicles that drive these 11 songs, and if producer David Kahne was already pushing the group in a more commercially ambitious direction, there's no disguising the psychedelic guitar figures on "Dover Beach" or the Byrds-meets-Raiders jangle of "Tell Me," and the choice of the Merry-Go-Round's "Live" as a cover is especially telling. All Over the Place is also the Bangles' most unified full-length album; Susanna Hoffs hadn't yet been singled out as the star of the show, and the round-robin lead vocals, stellar harmonies, and tight, concise arrangements make them sound like a real-deal rock band, and the set's gentle but insistent sway from British Invasion-styled rock and West Coast pop feels natural, unforced, and effective. And when drummer Debbie Peterson and bassist Michael Steele feel like rocking out, the Bangles generate a lot more heat than they're usually given credit for, most notably on "Silent Treatment." The Bangles' second full album, Different Light, would sell a lot more copies, but All Over the Place is easily their best and most satisfying LP. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
