Customer Reviews

All Over the Place

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The first full length album released by the Bangles is still far and away the best. If you've never really heard the Bangles before, start here. Prior to "Manic Monday", "Walk Like an Egyptian", and -egads- "Eternal Flame", this was the way the Bangles sounded, and it was good. They had the perfect harmonies, a rougher edge and a slightly grungier style. Most songs on this disc were penned, in whole or part, by Vicki Peterson (the best songwriter in the group), two great covers sung by Debbi Peterson, but unfortunately no lead vocals by Michael Steele (the only drawback). The Bangles were at their best like this, when no one member was the main focus and the music was.

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.

The reason why this album is so clever is that though recorded in the 80's it sounds nothing like the 1980's. If you remember that back then the airwaves abounded with Culture CLub, Duran Duran, Human League, Eurythmics, the Police you can see why the Bangles had nothing to do with the 80's. Except that they were women in a rock band. Since the Bangles, how many female rock bands (not pop vocal groups like the Spice Girls) have hit the Top Ten? How many have had the same success as the Bangles?This album has everything that was great about 60's music - though now written from a woman's point of view. Their harmonies (such as Live and Dover Beach) were immaculate, their lyrics sharp and witty (unfortunately their later original songs all lacked the punch and attitude of the songs here), their playing not great but adequate. They were a garage band after all, not supposed to be virtouso material. They harken back to the mid 60's in America and Britain when young people - however untalented - believed they could pick up a guitar and play and hundreds of garage bands were formed. Totally unpretentious, bursting with energy. In a world of MTV, million dollar videos and the great corporate machines that handle talent today, it's refreshing to hear the Bangles and think of a time when songs were this hip and this good. "Silent Treatment," "James", "Hero Takes a Fall" all written by Vicki Peterson and Sue Hoffs are some of the best tracks. It's a shame that their later "hits" were all covers because Peterson especially can write really good, well-crafted songs. The Bangles were aware that the power chord, the three guitar and drums combo, were the basic backbone of rock and because of this, like the Ramones, they could continue playing their music for decades since they weren't bound to a particular trend or sound. This is a must-have album!

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.

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.

Walk Like an Egyptian? Eternal Flame?
Forget it!
"All Over the Place" captures the Bangles as essentially what they were right before they caved to record company and producer pressures to record songs by outside writers with "commercial potential," full of keyboards and cutesy gimmicks. On this record, though, they were still a perfect powerpop band full of jangly guitars, sweet four-part harmonies and sixties influences. Between this one and their first (out of print, self-titled) EP for IRS Records, the listener can get a clear snapshot of a short-lived time and place - the "Paisley Underground" or early '80s Los Angeles.

Arriving as it did in the middle of 1984, the Bangles first full-length LP sounded like a mid-60's throwback in the midst of the
Purple Rain/Thriller era, but it has lost none of it's charm, exuberance or hooky-ness in the last 18 years.
Though the band had released a self-titled EP in 1982, "All Over The Place" was the first true flowering of the band's genius. "Hero Takes A Fall" was the big hit (even garnering rotation on MTV), but the album is chock full of great songs, tight playing and outstanding vocals by all of the ladies.
"Going Down To Liverpool", "Live", "James" and "He's Got A Secret" are my personal faves, but the real crown jewel here is the closer, "More Than Meets The Eye" featuring the Peterson Sisters (Vicki and Debbie) harmonizing like angels from heaven on a ballad that could have been a syrupy disaster in someone else's hands, but these ladies transform it into a mini-masterpiece. Over an achingly gorgeous string arrangement and the simple plucking of an acoustic guitar, the women sing in beautiful unison and close the album on a somewhat melancholy but effective note, you simply won't forget the sound of Vicki picking out a simple melody while the strings sigh and cry over her, and then the album is over.
If you like the feeling you get when you listen to a Beatles album from start to finish, then this debut from the leaders of The Paisley Underground will more than satisfy. A Classic.

In many ways 'All Over The Place' is in many ways similar to Blondie's 'Parallel Lines.' Both albums extract girl group and british invasion based 60s tunes and presents them in a contemporary musical style. 'Parallel Lines' uses new wave punk, The Banges use California bleached garage pop. Indeed the entire album evokes images of a band revving up on a hot sunday afternoon musing over relationships gone sour.

Indeed in many ways 'All Over The Place' is a very jaded album. Relationships gone bad, cheating boyfriends, the trials of working class life..this is epitomised in 'Hero Takes A Fall' probably the most 80s sounding track on the album. The melodic hooks on this track are something to die for, but the unison harmonies of the girls when singing this track, and indeed the entire album, is something to die for.

From there the album variates from jangly fast as an arrow power pop riffs (All About You) (Restless) (Silent Treatment) through to mid tempo and highly melodic girl group style numbers (Live) (James) (Tell Me) (Going Down To Liverpool) (He's Got A Secret) the latter showcasing the group's knack at vocal harmonies to breathtaking results.

'Dover Beach' is my one of my top favorite songs of all time. Amazing hard rocking guitar solos are interspersed with and awe inspiring bittersweet melody line about a woman's longing to run away from her busy and triling life with her boyfriend to a paradise. Musically and lyrically, it steals the limelight from the album. One of the strange songs that somehow is both uplifting yet incredibly sad. And to cap off the album, 'More Than Meets The Eye' is a slow sleepy ballad where the group's incredible harmonies are backed by a sparse violin. In stark contrast to the rest of the album.

By no means an absolute classic album, the lyrics don't break new ground nor does the music, it still is an excellent effort for what is it. Every singel track gets my two thumbs up, except maybe 'Restless' which altho is still good doesn't grab me as much as the other tracks. Just my two cents

I'm not saying anything that reviewers below haven't already said, but it bears repeating: this is an amazing record, one which gets better and better with age. Most people know the (kind of) hits, but everything here is remarkable, and "Dover Beach" -- AP-English mid-tempo guitar ballad though it may be -- is one for the time capsule: a well-nigh miraculous coincidence of guts, intelligence, power, and feeling. It's hard to believe that *Different Light*-producer David Kahne also manned the boards for this, so radically different are the two records' aesthetics. In the Bangles' ouevre, this is the real uncut gem that no one should be without.

I agree with the other reviewers here - this album contains most of the Bangles' best songs. With each successive album, the Bangles got a little more overproduced, through "Everything," which is still good, but quite a few steps down from this one.