Customer Reviews

The Bangles: Return to Bangleonia - Live in Concert

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3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
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I have been waiting for a live Bangles concert since MTV's professionally produced broadcast of the band's December 1986 Pittsburgh performance. Even though I subsequently recorded a VHS copy of the rebroadcast live performance I was hopeful and official version would some day become available. Alas, it has not. Not yet, anyway. The next best thing is RETURN TO BANGLEONIA.

The 2000 performance was filmed at the famous House of Blues and is captured from various roving cameras. The digital recording is of superb quality. RETURN TO BANGLEONIA is truly a professional product. I hope that a CD version of the performance eventually becomes available. More importantly it was great to see the Bangles together again.

I was initially wary of buying this DVD. Some of the reviews gave rise to the belief that this was not a whole uninterrupted concert. The cartoony-looking DVD cover only served to perpetuate my quandry. When I finally made the purchase I was happy I did so. The DVD is a complete performance, and then some.

The Bangles went their separate ways when the group was just about at their peak. Following the very successful albums/CDs DIFFERENT LIGHT and EVERYTHING, the group stalled. The greatest hits CD, very often a warning sign, and its VHS companion hit store shelves in 1990. The Bangles went their separate ways. It was a decade before they fully reunited for an AUSTIN POWERS soundtrack and subsequently released DOLL REVOLUTION. Unfortunately the decade break took its toll. Marriages, families, and other important distractions ensured that the Bangles would enter the public eye at infrequent intervals.

Even in RETURN TO BANGLEONIA we are treated to some of the wear and tear on the band. Unlike the 1980s' Pittsburgh concernt, where the gals bubbled with energy and enthusiasm, Susanna Hoffs appears to be the only member of the band truly enjoying the performance. Even Michael Steele seems more distant. Maybe this was a precursor to her hopefully not permanent departure from the band. At the conclusion of the House of Blues concert you see her strut off stage while Hoffs and sisters Peterson group hug-bow. It is too bad that Steele does not appear in any of the interview segments in the special features.

In watching and listening to the BANGLEONIA DVD I noted that many of the numbers were performed in a more folksy manner. Accoustic guitars are more evident in this concert. There is no great effort to try and replicate the sound of the original recordings. In some ways this was a disappointment and in others it was refreshing. In any event, the price is right and DVD is high quality.

Now that Michael Steele has left the band, this concert performance is even more memorable. It was one of the first concerts the band performed after they announced their reunion in 2000, so if you're looking for concerts clips of the band in the 80's, this is not it. Instead, the girls are surrounded by lavender-colored candles, giving the whole concert a warm, incandescent, neo-hippie glow, and yes, there are
bum notes, off-key harmonies, Vicki's guitar string breaks but they're great! Like the great garage bands of they sixties that they so loved, the Bangles are unpretentious and have a genuine affection for all the songs they play (even the overplayed Eternal Flame and the dreaded Walk Like an Egyptian). Their affection comes through in their playing. With a warm hometown audience this concert shows the Bangles a bit older, wiser, without the 80s hype (and angst) doing what they love to do -- play together. It proves that the band was always about four equally-talented women and the music they loved since they were girls.

I have been a major fan of The Bangles and when I heard about the release of the dvd I wanted to get it since I had seen the show years before when the House Of Blues website still let people view live shows and The Bangles were one of the band's that was on the site.
When I first saw the show on the website it was awesome I loved the performance with all their hits and new songs it was so cool and when the dvd came out I was excited but disappointed that some of the songs were edited especially when they did Manic Monday they had orignally included Waiting For The Man at the end it too was also edited out.
This dvd is still enjoyable but the music market needs to stop editing out so much stuff its getting so ridiculous that I am sure other fans are also getting fed up with them.

Return to Bangleonia is simply a must have for fans of The Bangles. The music spans the career of the band from the mid 80's to their latest recording, Doll Revolution (2003). It features some of their best songs, and captures the magic of the group live, showcasing their musicianship, and the lead and harmony vocals that are a signature part of their sound. And since Michael Steele has left the group, this performance may be one of the last remembrances featuring the original members.

One of the pioneering all female bands in rock, The Bangles found commercial success in the 80's with their 60's influenced brand of melodic pop rock. After producing the albums All Over the Place (1984), Different Light (1986), and Everything (1988), the group disbanded for a time, but reformed in 1999 to record for an Austin Powers film, and then eventually their first album in fifteen years, Doll Revolution in 2003. This concert was shot in 2000 on their home turf, at the House of Blues in Hollywood. The band has their musical stuff solidly together, the venue is great, and the ladies look fantastic while rocking out. Joining them on keyboards is Greg Hilfman.

The vocals are an ultra-critical element, in this band where all four members sing lead. When you put these voices together, you get something that can be really special , greater than the sum of the parts. The intimate nature of the Hard Rock makes it an ideal venue for The Bangles, where their vocals and clean and clear guitar sounds, can really be heard. On a small stage, with the audience literally a few feet away, the tight camera angles make you feel like you are right up at front of the stage, grooving with the rest of the enthralled audience. It is a warm and happy place. As the song goes `There's no place better than here right now'.

There aren't an excessive number of cameras shooting, but there are enough for good coverage and variety, and the editing is mostly well done. The sound mix is marvelous, as you can hear the individual voices and the instruments quite distinctly. If the bass was cranked up a bit more, it would be perfect.

The set list includes most of the big hits, and is a nice blend of the old and new. Besides classics like `Manic Monday', `Walk Like an Egyptian', and `Eternal Flame', there is a healthy dose of material from Doll Revolution, a remarkably excellent album. `Here Right Now' is done in a mellow groove with an acoustic flavor, while `Between the Two' features a driving beat and some infectiously jangly guitar. The kickass upbeat version of `Stealing Rosemary' has the band humming along at full speed, while the super bouncy Beatlesque `Get The Girl', from The Spy Who Shagged Me, is another cool tune. Some of the older material like `Hero Takes a Fall', sound reenergized and edgier live.

Unfortunately, the show is over much too soon, running about 70 minutes. Rockers like `Walking Down Your Street', `Make a Play for Her Now' and `Different Light' would have been great additions. Doll Revolution was a truly remarkable achievement, from which the band could have easily featured a few more songs. Michael in particular shined on the album, and it would have been wonderful to see the haunting `Song for a Good Son' performed live, if it had been written at the time.

The DVD features some nice extras, including intimate live performances of `Manic Monday' and `Ride the Ride' featuring acoustic guitars. Hopefully some other songs were recorded in this session, and might be available someday. `The Story of Bangelonia' is a short interview feature with the remaining members, Susanna Hoffs, and sisters Debbi and Vicki Peterson. It's kind of usual, but there is a commentary track for the concert, also featuring Susanna, Debbi, and Vicki, offering lots of remembrances, both on and off topic. It's not too serious, mostly for fun, and gives you some idea about the personalities of ladies. It's a shame The Bangles haven't been more productive when it comes to recording, but that only makes this a release to be appreciated even more. As of this date, The Bangles continue to tour, and hopefully will release some new music soon.

I finally got around to ordering this DVD and wow, I love it! The Bangles have always been my favorite band but I was so young in the 80s I never got to see them perform live. Very happy with this DVD and enjoyed the commentary and interview with Susanna, Vicki and Debbi. Love seeing them laugh together. Unlike artists today, these girls really have talent! They sound excellent live.

This concert was filmed in September, 2000 at the House of Blues in Hollywood, California. These women can really "Rock". I've been a big fan, since they came out in the 80's. This is one great concert, containing 18 songs. It has an approximate running time of 95 minutes. It's nice to watch some beautiful women rock, and these women can definitly rock!!!

The line-up includes:
Susanna Hoffs - vocals, guitar
Debbi Peterson - vocals, drums
Vicki Peterson - vocals, lead guitar
Michael Steele - vocals, bass
Also, you get a man playing piano

The song set:
1.Hazy Shade of Winter
2.Live
3.If She Knew what she wants
4.Between the Two
5.The Rain Song
6.Manic Monday
7.Here Right Now
8.September Girls
9.Goining Down to Liverpool
10.I will take care of you
11.Get the girl
12.In Your Room
13.Stealing Rosemary
14.Angels Don't Fall in Love
15.Hero takes a Fall
16.Walk like an Egyptian
17.Pushin' too hard
18.Eternal Flame

You also get some great bonus stuff:
Bonus acoustic performances of Manic Monday & Ride the Ride.
The Story of Bangleonia (interview with the band).
Band Commentary
Photo Gallary

Overall, this is a great concert dvd, and I highly recommend it. Thanks!!!!

Arguably, the 80's were not the greatest period for good music, but there were some outstanding songs, some great bands and some wonderful periods. Whether you were there or not, the songs of the Bangles have filtered down now to "classic radio" and have become part of the mainstream. But this concert shows these four musicians/singers to be one great band with all the requisite hooks, harmony, personality, looks and charm to keep most of their material from being time-warped and restricted only to oldies shows. The songs are still strong today (even with the exception of the overly cute "Walk like an Egyptian") and the new material is easily equal. With loyal keyboardist Harpo, the Bangles state their case that they weren't a formula band, not some clever marketing idea, but a real life rock and roll band. This is one enjoyable show - not perfect - just a great deal of fun, with great music from four musicians who enjoy what they do and an obviously appreciative audience.

Wow. I never did get a chance to see the Bangles live. Seeing the music video on MTV or VH1 when they actually played music did the Bangles no justice! Seeing this concert I thought how sexy the other 3 members were. Of course I felt Susanna was always sexy. But to actually see her in concert. I would've thought she just stood there and sang(most bueatiful women don't have to jump around to get your attention, lol). But to see her rock and move to all the songs played was a treat in itself. And sexy she is. Hearing her say she used to "do splits on stage because she could" was like "Wow I wish I'ld seen that back when". But now years later seeing Debbie, Vicke, Michael I thought these women had a natural beauty to them that I missed. Shame on me for only watching Susanna those years back. I can only hope for another reunion. Michael come back...

Well, I just got back from Bangleonia and all I can say was that I had a lot of fun there. It's great to see the Bangles back together again and know that they are still making music. I hope to see them live someday.

I understand some of the criticisms of this DVD, like perhaps the sound production, but the fact remains that you get a live concert, two bonus tracks -- one of their great hits plus my personal favorite song off of "Doll Revolution" -- and a commentary track. So, this can be watched and enjoyed at least twice. Oh yeah, there's some documentary footage too, and I found it worth watching since I have very little "behind the scenes" knowledge of Bangles history or folklore.

The commentary track is a lot of fun, and it's quite interesting and informative to hear the band members tell stories about the songs as they are played. I enjoyed the commentary as much as the concert.

So, it's easy to nitpick, but the fun factor is certainly there, and it's about as close to a Bangles live performance as I'm likely to get.

Finally! A live concert DVD from The Bangles! Better yet, a concert at the House Of Blues in LA that I was actually at and it's just as great as I remembered it!! The show is from 2000, so it's before Michael left and we get the original line up. In addition to most of their classic album tracks and singles, we get a live version of their reunion song "Get The Girl" and preview of a half dozen or so from their reunion album (which would be released a couple of years after this show) that would be called "Doll Revolution". Great new songs like "Ride The Ride" mix seamlessly in with their standards and the girls look and sound great. In fact, I think they look BETTER here in the year 2000 than they did in their heyday. As a bonus, for me, I'm in about 40 or 50 different shots of the audience, smiling and bobbing my head in time to the hooks! Rock on, Bangles!!