Customer Reviews

Bangin

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just got this CD and listened to it for the first time in 10 years. Boy did it bring back some memories. The Outfield was mine and most of my friends favorite band in high school. Everyone loved them, but unfortunately, they were very underrated. Moving Target is my personal fave on this, but Bangin and No Surrender also are very well put together. Oh, and who could forget Since You've Been Gone?

Great album, if you've never listened to any of the Outfield besides Play Deep and Diamond Days, this and Voices of Babylon are two worth buying.

Even though Bangin' is the trio's second album and is therefore classified as a sophomore effort, it has no signs of carrying the typical sophomore curse. If anything it is Better than Play Deep.... It contains the classics Since You've Been Gone and No Surrender, but it also contains hits such as Bangin' On My Heart, Main Attraction, Alone With You ( a beautiful ballad), Somewhere In America, and Playground. If you liked Play Deep and you want to experience more of the fresh sound of the Outfield, buy Bangin'!

It's a mystery why the Outfield's sophomore effort, or should that be second inning? didn't yield many runs, because it should have. The catchy characteristic guitar riffs from John Spinks and Tony Lewis's wailing vocals that made "Your Love" a hit are still present in "Somewhere In America", a grim song about the competitive nature of America, where "a joker deals and makes the rules/a game of chance, a game that was made for fools/like me and you." Other songs too share those attributes, but maybe it's because the consistency in sound sacrificed anything that could be picked out as a single, at least by the record company. I for one have singled out a few that could've helped push more units of this album.

"Bangin' On My Heart" has guitar chords worthy of a Bryan Adams song from Reckless and could've been a single. Just when one's heart is settled from someone who was just not another girl, her returning is the last thing one needs, right?

"No Surrender" was the second single and despite the quick rhythm guitar played over the synths, and the slow lyrics, it's easy to see why this didn't make the Top 40.

Why wasn't "Moving Target" a single? Again, Spinks' characteristic guitars in the chorus make this rocker worthy of radio play. The psychological exhaustion comes from being a moving target and the inevitability of one's end makes it kind of a bummer, as Lewis sings "No need to shoot me down, my time will come." Another singleworthy track is the mid-paced ballad "Long Way Home", which has a Bryan Adams-like sound a la Into The Fire.

That old scenario of seeing someone across a crowded room and wanting to talk to her, but only being able to dream of that is the theme of "Alone With You." It's a ballad with more intensity than "Everytime You Cry" from their first album.

"Main Attraction" is kind of muted, but their equivalent of an all-out rocker about a girl who's the title attraction. It's not specific what she is, presumably a stripper or something. A standout cut, and second best cut here.

Finally, best for last. The first single, the yearning "Since You've Been Gone" was the only one from Bangin' that cracked the Top 40, and again, Spinks' representative power chords that pushed them to the Top Ten with "Your Love." This deserved a Top Ten charting at least.

A more consistent and stronger sound is present on Bangin', which despite the filler tracks, proves the Outfield was good enough for a second inning.

This is one cd that I keep playing over and over. I love every song on it. It starts out with Somewhere In America and Bangin' On My Heart two songs that are two of my all time favorite songs. The last track was the hit Since You've Been Gone which is another favorite. While this did not do as good as their first cd Play Deep it is an even better cd. This is one group that should have been a big time act but never made it. After the success of Play Deep they never got much airplay. If you like Play Deep or anything else by the Outfield this is a must. I highly recommend this any anything by them. Other cds they have done Voices Of Babylon, Diamond Days, Rockeye, Extra Innings, Big Innings(Best Of).

Simply put, in my honest opinion, when rock went to hell in the mid to late 80's when everyone was using the synths and not using real drummers or bass players here were bands like the Outfield staying true and delivering a great guitar driven album of songs like this. John Spinks is definitely underated, and almost forgotten, as a songwriter and a guitarist. I recently re-discovered this band and have been listening to a lot of their work. Good stuff!

It's not easy being a follow-up album to the best-selling record a group has released, but in this case, make no mistake - "Bangin'" delivers! "Since You've Been Gone" is the most recognizable song from this CD, and it represents the rest of the material found on this release, in my opinion. It's somewhat darker than "Play Deep", but that doesn't mean it's not bright, airy pop - staples of music by The Outfield! "Bangin' On My Heart" is a driving tune with a fabulous, moving guitar solo, and "Moving Target" is a selection that I would recommend giving close attention. A solid album from Tracks 1 - 10.

If you're a fan of guitar rock, you shouldn't be without this album. "Bangin'" is The Outfield's second album and my personal favorite. While their first album may have been more "radio friendly" to many, I believe there is a growth from that album in their song-writing, both lyrically and musically. John Spinx's guitar-playing is amazing! (gotta be among the world's most unheralded six-stringers) You can just sense his feel and passion- listen to the solos in "Bangin' On My Heart" and "Long Way Home" and see what I mean. And Tony Lewis's voice is as recognizable and powerful as ever. The drum playing is solid as well. This album covers it all- from hard, driving rock such as "Main Attraction" to beautiful ballads like "No Surrender" and "Alone With You." The Outfield were and are often characterized as an eighties band, but whatever you may think, these guys plain know how to write and perform music. This album proves that.

I couldn't help but to notice a sense of "80's guilt" hidden in some of the old reviews.
Let's get one thing clear: The Outfield was not one of your typical 80's band. They stood true to the rock and roll spirit. These guys rocked!

Do not make the mistake of underestimating this album by it's cover; I never got the cover concept myself.
It does stands to it's title, it is bangin'!, from start to finish. This is a superior album to Play Deep.

It's no easy task to follow-up on your own multi-platinum debut bestseller, "Play Deep". Many bands choke after their own big seller. However this band did not give up as they came up with a respectable release, "Bangin'". I have just read from their official website that the reason for "early release" of "Bangin'" was that they had too many songs during the recording of "Play Deep"! My favourite songs on this CD are, "No Surrender" (hence the title of my review), "Long Way Home" and of course the famous classic single from this album, "Since You've Been Gone". Having taken the challenge to tackle their multi-platinum bestseller deput "Play Deep", one is relieved that there is, "No Surrender" with this magnificent band!

It is a mystery to me why every website I visit states that "Bangin'' was released in 1986. My CD lists the year as 1987. The lead single was "Since You've Been Gone" which was released in late spring 1987.

The last single from Play Deep was 'Everytime You Cry' which was released in the fall of 1986-about a year after that album came out.

Amazon, Wikipedia, and All Music all say this came out in '86! Was it simply delayed six months or so for America? Just wondering...