Sound Advice: CD Reviews - The Bangles (Different Light)

CD Review:
The Bangles are another edition of a band that was all over the '80s synth-pop sound. A group in the long list of '80s bands that add to the evidence that the '80s were the worse decade for music in history.

Never getting in the way of anyone with actual talent from helping them out, The Bangels were the '80s version of the Spice Girls except they held instruments while they sang. Alright, they did play their instruments but not very well.

This was their second and most popular album. They debuted with the full length album All Over The Place in 1984 for Columbia. But it wasn't really until the Prince penned song "Manic Monday" hit the charts that the band became well known.

Formed back in 1981, from the ashes of The Bangs in LA, the group got together when Susan Hoffs (vocals, guitar) put an ad in a local paper. The Peterson sisters, Vicki (drums) and Debbi (guitar) answered the ad and the fourth member Annette Zalinskas (bass) joined soon after.

They put out some singles and EPs before signing with Columbia, most notably the self titled EP on Faulty Records. Their original sound was a punk style of '60s rock with Vicki giving the band most of its inspiration.

But they would lose what credibility they once had when they signed with Columbia. Never shy to rework other people's music (early covers include bands such as Love and The La De Das), they moved full tilt into synth-pop after Annette left the band and Michael Steele joined. All Over The Place was like the title, sporadic. They held to a more '60s and '70s rock mood on this album covering bands like Merry Go Round and artist Kimberly Rew as well as some of Vicki's best writings.

But they left most of the '60s and '70s behind with Different Light. They also left what talent they had also. Adding in keyboards from Mitchell Froom (who was with Crowded House), with covers of Jules Shear, and Alex Chilton, and songs written by Prince and Leon Sternberg, the Bangels show that the talent was not even with the band. They may have sung and played some instruments, but their fame was because of people outside of who was actually on stage and in the videos. Pop is writhe full of this hegemony and the Bengals pretty much allowed it to happen.

The three hits off the album "Manic Monday," "Walk like an Egyptian" and "If She Knew What She Wants" were all written by others. The production was done by David Kahne (who did most of the band's albums) so all the girls had to do was show up and do what they were told.

Mostly just a pop cover band that could have been more self reliant (as their early stuff hinted at it), they decided to basically sell out and go for the easy way to stardom (on the backs of other people). It showed and the band didn't last longer than a few years releasing 3 albums and fading away. Even their best known singles weren't that great, "Walk like an Egyptian" being the most blatant.

Scott D. Brown