Disco de The Bangles: “All Over the Place”

Before their breakup in the late 80s, the Bangles released 3 albums. "All Over the Place" was the debut album of "The Bangles". This represents the pre-"Manic Monday" work by the Bangles. "All Over the Place" didn't have any Top 40 hits. In fact, this album is overshadowed by the hugely commercial "Different Light" and "Everything" albums, however this album should not be overlooked. This album represents as solid a debut album as anything and greatly benefits from the lack of commercialism on it. These tracks have some very nice lyrics and are complimented with superb instrumentation.

The Bangles aren't a band that just sings. The four female members each play an integral part to the music of the album. All four members do vocals and three members (Debbi Peterson, Vicki Peterson, Susanna Hoffs) actually do lead vocals (Michael Steele does background vocals). The members also play their own instruments: Hoffs and Vicki Peterson play guitars, Michael Steele plays Bass, and Debbi Peterson is the drummer. All songs except the Katrina and the Waves "Going Down to Liverpool" were written by the members of the band. While there is a perception that Susanna Hoffs is the lead vocalist, this really isn't the case on "All Over the Place". Vicki and Debbi do an outstanding job at lead vocals as well. Susanna is the lead vocalist on 4 tracks ("Hero Takes A Fall", "James", "Dover Beach", "He's Got a Secret"), Vicki is the lead vocalist on "All About You", "Restless", "Silent Treatment", Susanna and Vicki share leads on ("Tell Me") while Debbi and Vicki share lead vocals on "More Than Meets the Eye". The real surprise is that Debbi Peterson is the lead vocalist on the two strongest tracks on the album - "Live" and "Going Down to Liverpool". I think Debbi's contributions are as solid as any of the other members of the band.

This CD contains 11 tracks but the 11 tracks total only about 31+ minutes of music. Eight of the 11 songs are under three minutes while "Dover Beach" is the longest track at 3:48. This is kind of a double-edged sword on the collection. The quartet does a great job at making the most of the short song - you won't feel there is any wasted time. But you also get the feeling that some of the songs could have been longer. Many of the songs have an "underground" feel to it - they are catchy songs and songs that you hear in a coffee house. Although they have an 80s feel, they clearly lack the "pop" element and commercialism of songs you would hear on "80s Hit" radio. Most of the songs are up-tempo and have a fast beat - only the finale "More than Meets the Eye" (which is the weakest track) would really qualify as a slow song.

The Bangles strength is some of the great harmonies and background vocals produced by the quartet. This will also be the strength of this collection. "Live" is the best example of this. While Debbi does a great job at cranking out the lead vocals, the harmonic background vocals are solid as any. "Going Down to Liverpool", "Silent Treatment", "All About You", "Hero Takes a Fall", and "Dover Beach" are other highlights at some of the great background vocals. For the fans of Susanna Hoffs, you'll hear some of the trademark vocals you when she sings lines such as "look out - hear it comes again" on "Hero Takes a Fall". When I hear her sing that, I can almost envision the famous eye motion she did in the video for a later song they did - "Walk Like An Egyptian". Speaking of "Walk Like an Egyptian", the song "Silent Treatment" has some chords in it that remind me of the song (but I wouldn't say it sounds a lot like it).

The liner notes are disappointing with one exception. The good thing about the liner notes is that it tells who is the lead singer on each of the tracks. The bad news is that the lyrics aren't included (at least in the version I have). The songwriting credits are on the actual disc itself. A photo collage is included of the members of the band. This CD also shows the members of the band on the cover sitting in a living room type warehouse room. The CD also lists Miles Copeland (who worked and produced the Police) as part of the management team for the band.

One interesting personal note. I met the Bangles in Las Vegas and actually had a chance to talk with them. I mentioned how much I liked "All Over the Place" and all of the members were greatly appreciative for pointing out what is probably their least known album and noted to me how proud they were of this piece of work. They should be proud of it - this is a winner.

It's so easy to dismiss the Bangles, isn't it? To so many, the Bangles were a pleasant, somewhat tacky and amusing product of the feel-good '80s. Indeed, later in their career, recording songs like "Walk Like An Egyptian" and "Eternal Flame" didn't exactly help to diminish that perception.

But the fact is the Bangles were one of *the* greatest '60's influenced garage-pop bands ever. They brought songs by Big Star and Emitt Rhodes to the masses. They were one of the best harmony-vocal-ensamble acts of all time. Female-shmemale; the Bangles were and are one of my absolute favorite bands ever, period.

The songs on All Over The Place are power pop of the highest order. With chiming guitars, a powerful rhythm section, and those oh-so-perfect harmonies on top, the Bangles created a sound indebted to many but in many ways all their own. And their criminally underrated songwriting (particularly Vicki Peterson's) was at it's best here. In particular, the sublime pop masterpiece "Dover Beach" is beautiful and epic in its scope.

The two followups (Different Light and Everything) are brilliant pop albums in their own right, if a bit glossier and compromised. But All Over The Place stands alone as their greatest achievement. The undeniable finest moment of an incredibly talented band.

Pop quiz: Name the L.A. area band with sibling guitarist and drummer, a bassist named Michael, and pouty prima dona lead singer. If you said Van Halen, you win, and were probably rockin' out to "Jump" the same year that our quiz's other correct answer, The Bangles, released their gem of a debut.

Whether you call their music "paisley underground" (ugh), pop, power pop, girl group, or just rock & roll, The Bangles delivered a wonderful album of up-tempo, jangly rock that sounded like the Go-Go's covering the Byrds (or the Pandoras with a lot less paisley). "All Over The Place" was their purest album, before they overtly sought fame and fortune on their next two albums by mainstreaming their sound.

Bonus hypothesis: while I can't prove it, I think the Smithereens were singing about Michael Steele in "Behind The Wall of Sleep":

"She had hair like Jeanie Shrimpton back in 1965.

She had legs that never ended; I was halfway paralyzed.

She was tall and cool and pretty and she dressed as black as coal.

...

Well, she held a bass guitar and she was playing in a band.

And she stood just like Bill Wyman. Now I am her biggest fan."

Now I ask you, who else could it be?

A great album from the most recent hurrah of power pop, the early 1980's. Five stars.

Hands down the best Bangles album, and I'd go so far as to call it one of the best power pop records ever. "Hero Takes a Fall" grabs you in the first 5 seconds, harmonies and kickass punch and great songwriting, a modern feminist anthem. "James" was, as they said when I saw them open for the Psychedelic Furs at Radio City in '84, Marshall Crenshaw's favorite Bangles song. Drumming Peterson sister Debbie sings the lost Emmit Rhodes classic "Live," Susannah breaks your heart on "Dover Beach," and my God, the Katrina & the Waves cover "Going Doen to Liverpool" is so insanely happy you'll jump up and play it again. Everything good about power pop-- hooks, harmonies, jangle, guitars-- and even better because it's all girls, and they're great. The legend of the Bangles starts here. Make your world a netter place and buy this record. Go on... add to basket. You know tou want to.

PS: Vicki: Text me, OK?

All Over the Place is a masterpiece. Every song on it is a classic. The jangly guitars and the four-part harmonies are what set the Bangles apart from other artists from the eighties. I don't know why songs like Live, James, Dover Beach, Tell Me, Restless, and Silent Treatment were not released as singles, because I'm positive that they would have all been big hits. The one and ONLY drawback is that Michael Steele (the bassist) did not sing lead vocals on any of the tracks. Her voice is so beautiful. Even so, I would recommend this album to any fan of good music.