1. All Over The Place

3.727 stars

Guitar-heavy, basic production, reminiscent of Rubber Soul or Revolver, with a heavy dose of a “love me right — or I’m out of here” sentiment. Might be a welcome surprise to those who only know the Bangles for Walk Like An Egyptian, Hazy Shade Of Winter, and Eternal Flame.

Webomatica: All Over The Place

iTunes Store Link: All Over the Place — The Bangles

2. Different Light

3.666 stars

This mega-successful album (due to the hits Manic Monday and Walk Like An Egyptian features a nice variety of tempos, situations, and moods. However, the pop-centric production and tons of covers may have painted the group in a different light than they would have preferred.

Webomatica: Different Light

iTunes Store Link: Different Light — The Bangles

3. Everything

3.077 stars

An over-arching, commercial sheen obscures some competent songwriting. Contains the songs In Your Room and Eternal Flame.

Webomatica: Everything

iTunes Store Link: Everything — The Bangles

4. Doll Revolution

3 stars

The return of the Bangles is decent stuff, with some songs better than anything since All Over The Place, but there’s a different problem: too many songs for even this Bangle-phile, at fifteen tunes. Which unfortunately causes it rank even lower than Everything.

Webomatica: Doll Revolution

iTunes Store Link: Doll Revolution — The Bangles

The first Bangles’ album is a pleasure to revisit after many years. All Over The Place has aged well, and it’s a joy to listen to. The most distinctive revelation is that the group was once guitar-heavy — hardly a keyboard, drum machine, or reverb-drenched vocal is found on this disc, and the stripped-down, basic production highlights the band’s sixties roots. Yeah, there are some dodgy, out of tune vocals and a few goofy guitar bends, but these are part of its charm.

The lyrics are also of a different nature than the dreamy, romantic verses of Different Light and Everything. This disc’s running theme seems to be “love me right — or I’m out of here.” Men are warned to be true, and the Bangles dig up the truth regarding sneaky lovers. Other songs document wanting to be free and keeping secrets. The album’s title itself could possibly mean “all over” as in through with — the “place” some lover’s apartment, perhaps.

It’s a safe bet that if All Over The Place had debuted in 1993, the group would have been lumped in the same arena as the Lilith Fair crowd, and possibly the same snarky women’s league as Liz Phair. If only.

Hero Takes A Fall

= 5 stars

Fairly blasting out of the gates, plus the “ohs” delivered by Susanna, well, that’s a hook if I ever there was one. The fish is me. The “hero” being roasted is a former lover.

Live

= 5 stars

Another visit to “hook city.” I love the way Vicki’s voice alternates with some country-esque guitar hooks, splattered everywhere as if they’d be chased off-stage in a moment. It’s also reaffirming the album’s theme of not being chained to a partner.

James

= 5 stars

“James” is being left behind. The song has a goofy, mid Beatles’ groove, littered with choice guitar licks. There’s also one juicy guitar chord near the end.

All About You

= 2 stars

I’m not really into the jumpy pace of this tune. The final drum fill is worth one star, however.

Dover Beach

= 5 stars

There’s a wide-open feeling, plus the awesome back and forth between Hoff’s vocals and Vicki’s guitar licks. And the lyrics? Check out the poems “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (T.S. Eliot) and “Dover Beach” (Matthew Arnold). I’m sure there’s more to this, which I’d dig through… if I had the time.

Tell Me

= 4 stars

This hyperactive Bangle showcase reminds me of a television theme song (along the lines of The Monkees or I’ll Be There For You). I still crack a smile at the instrument trade-off of the solo section and the crunchy guitar chords during the verses that foreshadow Walk Like An Egyptian.

Restless

= 3 stars

Feeling “restless” so one can get out and “live.” This song is a bit more sinister than its sister.

Going Down To Liverpool

= 5 stars

This is a cover of a Waves’ (written by Kimberly Rew) song. The original is more political and cutting, while the Bangles (sung by Debbie) emphasize the dreaming part. There’s an unquestionable romanticizing of Liverpool for Americans because of the Beatles.

He’s Got A Secret

= 4 stars

Susanna sneaks around, figuring out what an unfaithful guy has been up to. One amusing detail reminds me of Elvis Costello’s Watching the Detectives for some reason: The phone always rings at seven-thirty-one every evening.

Silent Treatment

= 1 stars

Definitely not a fan of this one. I think it’s the section blaring “nothing” — repeatedly.

More Than Meets The Eye

= 2 stars

A very pretty, strings, acoustic guitar, and harmonies song, that goes on a bit too long. Still, one is left with the idea of a group with a bright future ahead.

Intra-Album-Rank-O-Rama: 3.727

Wikipedia: All Over The Place

Next Album: Different Light

iTunes Store Link: All Over the Place — The Bangles

This collection of Bangles tunes is lovely fun in the sun, with a bit of love gone wrong near the end. Part of Different Light’s charm is that it’s relatively short and sweet (twelve songs), with a nice variety of tempos, situations, and moods. Each Bangle is featured, and the secret weapon of Michael Steele has two stellar songs. There’s a generally tasteful mix of harmonies, guitars, and mid-80s synthesizers and drum machines, resulting in five songs I consider “perfect.”

The weaknesses are that the best songs are written by other people (Prince, Alex Chilton, Jules Shear, Liam Sternberg), lending the Bangles a perhaps undeserved reputation as the ultimate cover band (the other hit single Hazy Shade of Winter does nothing to help this). Second, a song like Walk Like An Egyptian enters a realm of so insanely pop-friendly and overplayed it’s not even a song anymore — more a punchline to a joke or a bad memory of 80s hair.

Manic Monday

= 5 stars

Written by “Christopher” (actually, Prince), featuring a shiny lead vocal by Susanna. Especially notable is the harpsichord which gets especially busy near the end, symbolizing the pressures of a busy day. Late for work on a Monday is a good song idea; something anybody with a job can relate to. But it isn’t until the bridge that we discover exactly this lady is late. The operatic vocal cascade leading into the gossipy-sung line “time it goes so fast when you’re having fun” is possibly the most polite melodic metaphor for a good time as I think exists.

In A Different Light

= 3 stars

Not a huge fan of this song, but it has some nice harmonies and an airy, spacious feeling.

Walking Down Your Street

= 4 stars

This is one of those tunes that sounds great on first listen but fades after the sugar rush is over. The synthy bass, harmonica, over a sort of jittery beat all add up to something inconsequential since it’s just a song about a girl who has the hots for a guy. The video seems to recognize the song’s paucity and stuffs it full of fun visual ridiculousness.

Walk Like An Egyptian

= 5 stars

From the first shaker sounds, this novelty song is immediately recognizable. Its structure serves to familiarize the listener with the band, if they’re so inclined. The first verse is sung by Michael, the second Vicki, and the last Susanna (after an abrupt key change to set things up for Susanna’s higher voice and eye wandering). But the song also featured some uniquely surreal lyrics and a bevy of instruments that were unfamiliar to 80s listeners.

Standing In The Hallway

= 2 stars

A little too much organ for my taste, over some obvious chords. A high note on “misery” recalls the Beatles’ song of the same name. Add nice background harmonies by Susanna and Michael, behind drummer Debbie Peterson’s vocals, but it’s not enough.

Return Post

= 2 stars

This song goes on much too long. This song’s main notable aspect is how it changes from a swing rhythm to a straight-ahead beat during its coda.

If She Knew What She Wants

= 5 stars

This song was written by Jules Shear and it’s a gorgeous one, showcasing the harmonies and guitar playing — there are some choice licks and a nice Byrds-y chiming guitar solo. It’s a song about a girl who doesn’t know what she wants and so never finds love. Maybe it’s an inversion of She Loves You with Susanna doling out advice in third person.

Let It Go

= 3 stars

Quite similar to In A Different Light, there’s a lounge piano at the center. And some nice harmonies. Its ending is similar to that of With A Little Help From My Friends.

September Gurls

= 5 stars

In comparison to the original Big Star version by Alex Chilton, the Bangles’ take has an obvious dose of polish, but several crucial differences have me prefer this version. One, the harmonies leading out of the bridge basically realize what Alex was going for but didn’t quite reach. Two, the divine, sped up guitar solo is similar to the keyboard solo of In My Life. Three, similarly to Manic Monday, the bridge features some sex play with another rising harmony sequence. And four, there is one descending guitar lick off of a suspended fourth chord at the end of the guitar solo and the last verse, that isn’t in the original Big Star song. Each time I listen to the Big Star version, I miss it.

Angels Don’t Fall In Love

= 1 star

This song is more biting in tone, similar to the “love me or I’ll leave” Bangles of All Over The Place. It warns how a new girl isn’t going to give Vicki’s former lover what he wants. Sadly, I don’t really care for the delivery of the chorus or the chords culminating into the song’s title.

Following

= 5 stars

This is a pretty scary song about a woman trying to shake off an ethereal stalker as if he’s a ghost. Pretty much Michael alone with a guitar, it’s not at all a sentimental song like Yesterday. This is more like Elvis Costello’s I Want You. But its darkness and contrast with the rest of the album are simply transcendent.

Not Like You

= 4 stars

After the darkness of Following, we burst into a happy, girl on a swing type ode, sung by Debbie, sounding appropriate for the Brady Kids or The Partridge Family. It’s a neat way to end the album on a high note.

Intra-Album-Rank-O-Rama: 3.666

Wikipedia: Different Light

Next Album: Everything
Previous Album: All Over The Place

iTunes Store Link: Different Light — The Bangles

This is a tough album for me to revisit, for as a teenager I listened to it incessantly. I think at one point I wrote out the guitar chords for each song. I’m sure the constant playing drove my parents nuts.

However, in retrospect, Everything, the third Bangles’ album, while holding some nostalgic joy, hasn’t aged too well. My biggest sadness is an over-arching, commercial sheen to the production, which obscures some competent songwriting. It’s as if following the mega-hits of Walk Like An Egyptian and Hazy Shade Of Winter a bunch of producers and songwriters were summoned to gild this album up into some sort of glossy, light rock perfection — which sometimes works, but much of the Bangles’ sixties vibe was smothered.

Yet there are definitely some great songs on Everything. I’m still a sucker for In Your Room, Waiting For You, and Glitter Years. Each tune has a bridge, and every harmony is pitch-perfect. But through my current refamiliarization, I find I prefer the tight, Byrdsy sound on Doll Revolution, the bare-bones, drier approach found on All Over The Place, or even the one song Everything I Needed off of the Greatest Hits collection (that should have been on this album). Still, the hair styles were right on the mark for this one.

In Your Room

= 5 stars

I’m a sucker and Susanna Hoffs can play dress-up in a bedroom any day.

Complicated Girl

= 4 stars

This sunny Michael Steele tune has a neat, descending hook and a retro-harpsichord for the bridge.

Bell Jar

= 3 stars

This tune skitters by nicely, but a Sylvia Plath inspired song needs more insanity or at least darkness.

Something to Believe In

= 2 stars

The only moment of beauty here is the hook-laden instrumental section that makes an appearance about halfway through. The rest is rather inconsequential.

Eternal Flame

= 5 stars

I can barely listen to this song now, as it’s so overplayed, but it’s still a Bangles high point.

Be With You

= 3 stars

The beat to this tune unfortunately collides with the Cure’s Why Can’t I Be You in my memory. The middle is the best part, almost turning into another song.

Glitter Years

= 4 stars

Nice recollection of a time and place (the early seventies), with energy, and a short David Bowie imitation.

I’ll Set You Free

= 3 stars

Nice tune here, although I would have liked a more substantial guitar intro. The payoff comes in the latter half where the music drops out, leaving drums and vocals.

Watching the Sky

= 2 stars

There’s a lot I don’t like about this song, from the easy cliche title and a pretty boring verse. The middle section is fascinating but better than the song itself. Not a good thing.

Some Dreams Come True

= 1 star

Not cutting it. Less cowbell.

Make A Play For Her Now

= 1 star

There’s a songwriting credit with Vinnie Vincent, which makes no difference.

Waiting For You

= 4 stars

Good use of a minor to major chord progression and some nice harmonies recalling If She Knew What She Wants. The middle is similar to that in the newer song Something That You Said.
Crash And Burn

= 3 stars

Nice retro-rock album closer, featuring some warm siren vocals (no pun intended).

Intra-Album-Rank-O-Rama: 3.077

Wikipedia: Everything

Next Album: Doll Revolution
Previous Album: Different Light

iTunes Store Link: Everything — The Bangles

I thought I would apply my recent song / album ranking formula to a different group. This time I’ve picked a band that doesn’t have that big of a oeuvre, so it won’t take too long: The Bangles, with only four albums to their name. I’ll save the more prolific artists like Elvis Costello, Radiohead, or the entire solo career of Paul McCartney for another day.

You may recall from my Five Things post that I fessed up to being a member of the Bangles fan club in my youth. So there’s some sentimental appeal to revisiting the 80s female pop band in a more objective manner.

So where is the band today? They broke up around 1990 I believe. Around 2000, The Bangles reunited for a tour and recorded a new, fourth album: Doll Revolution. The title track was written by Elvis Costello (his version appears on When I Was Cruel). In addition to a few Susanna Hoffs numbers, other songs are contributed by Vicki Peterson and a few by bassist Michael Steele. This album is more varied than its predecessors, but sags terribly during the second half. I think a smarter producer would have trimmed some of the fat. However, the album does mark a return to the girls, guitars, and harmonies formula that is the core of their sound, rather than some of the overproduced pop meandering, characteristic of the album Everything.

With Doll Revolution, the whole of The Bangles is definitely better than the pieces. Susanna Hoffs contributes songs that are mostly sentimental ballads. Michael Steele phones in one great song, and is expert at creating a story or imaginary mood. Vicki Peterson has some great ideas but some awkward chord progressions and a tendency to rely on an easy cliche for a lyric, frustrates me. But as a group, the vocal harmonies are inventive and outstanding, and in some places cover up some dodgy songwriting. There’s no question the combination of these talented women combines to form something unique with room to grow. Sadly, bassist Michael Steele left the group in 2005, so any future Bangle recordings will miss her subtle third voice — what I’d like to call the “Harrison” factor.

So without further ado, here’s my song-by-song breakdown. Other Bangle albums will follow in subsequent posts.

Doll Revolution

= 5 stars

A sequel to In Your Room, written by Elvis Costello. After several spins I’m thinking I prefer The Bangles’ version to Costello’s. It has a nice beat, some sneaky drum fills, and the Bangle harmonies. Susanna Hoffs can stick an action figure in a kitchenette any day.

Stealing Rosemary

= 3 stars

A strange beat, with some nice harmonies that cover up an otherwise odd and lackluster song.

Something That You Said

= 4 stars

This midtempo, romantic tune sounds phoned-in, direct from Susanna Hoffs’ solo career, but I’m a sucker for the straightforward, hook-laden chorus. Pity that there’s a perfect place for a guitar solo that isn’t realized.

Ask Me No Questions

= 2 stars

There’s a uniquely gorgeous second section to this slower Vicki song, but it takes a while to get there.

The Rain Song

= 2 stars

Not into this one.

Nickel Romeo

= 5 stars

This tune has a similar beat to Everything’s Watching the Sky but this is a real song, with some interesting allusions to XTC, I Am The Walrus, and Bob Dylan. Great key changes throughout. +1 for the flange-laden drum fill.

Ride the Ride

= 5 stars

The Bangles may be at their best when she sticks to these straightforward, friendly rockers. Again, a great harmony vocals make this into Simon and Garfunkel style duet.

I Will Take Care of You

= 4 stars

A Susanna Hoffs ballad, which near the end resembles Oasis.

Here Right Now

= 2 stars

A fairly unnecessary “movie theme” tune.

Single By Choice

= 3 stars

While I appreciate the sentiment, doesn’t do the concept justice.

Lost at Sea

= 4 stars

This song grew on me after a few listens, largely thanks to some neat harmonies near the end. I’m saying that quite a bit, aren’t I?

Song for a Good Son

= 1 star

Contributed by Michael Steele, resembles Suzanne Vega; a bit too fast to truly the needed atmosphere.

Mixed Messages

= 1 star

Don’t get this one.

Between the Two

= 1 star

Sadly, ditto. I think this might be an extra, added track.

Grateful

= 3 stars

A nice George Harrison / Beatley ending from Susanna. “All we are and all we need”… is love, right?

Wikipedia: Doll Revolution

iTunes Store Link: Doll Revolution — The Bangles