Customer Reviews

Ready to Go

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Why this band didn't make it and hold their ground after the 80's backlash is beyond me. They were never a typical "Hair Band" and the bass that they had was monstrous.

Now this cd doesn't have the funk anymore but this is solid Rock. No flash, no grunge, no alt/nu metal. It's just straight up rock in the vein of AC/DC and GnR. It has two weak tracks that I could have lived without but then I would have complained it was too short. So I will live.

If you liked them in the past and you still like strong rock or love to play air guitar, well then pick this up. This is a very solid release that doesn't scream has beens like many returns that you hear today.

This cd is as good as Velvet Revolver or Brides of Destruction.

Joe Leste has re-formed Bang Tango with some of his new buds and released possibly his most commercially viable albums to date. Written and recorded in about 2 weeks while waiting for mixing and production to get underway for the new Beautiful Creatures album "Deuce", Joe and BC band mates Alex Grossi (lead guitar, Matt Star (drums), Anthony Focx (rhythm guitar) teamed up with Curtis Roach (bass) to bang out one of the most solid hard rock albums to come out of LA in recent years. Taking a sound and writing style from the pre-grunge era, these guys have found a way to make it sound current without depressing you or using the typical nu metal tricks that have overstayed their welcome. This album has something for everyone, blistering (yet melodic) guitar solos, metal anthems, catchy hooks, and the long forgotten power ballad. By the second time through, you will find yourself singing along with Joe and the boys. The opening track, "Ready to Go" kicks thing off with a hint at what's to come. With the dirty bluesy, borderline glam sound that made LA's rock club scene famous in the 80's, Alex Grossi pumps out riffs and solos that show us why he is one of the most in demand guitarists on the west coast. On this album, he uses a style that is very similar to Gilby Clarke's, which is fitting considering G'N'R's Dizzy Reed plays on 2 tracks and former Motley Crue singer and Gilby collaborator John Corabi co-wrote 2 other songs. Dizzy plays piano and organ on "Love the Life (I Live, Live the Life I Love)", a song that anyone who has make a living playing the music they love can relate to. "Most Important Thing" is the type of power ballad that could be a crossover hit if Shrapnel had the staff to give it the push it deserves, it would be at home on any AOR, adult contemporary, or easy listening station. Weather you are a Bang Tango or a Beautiful Creatures fan or just love non-depressing metal, this disc will soon be a favorite.

This cd is for anyone who just likes good old fashioned rock n roll. There is no nu-metal, no hate lyrics. This is just guitars and vocals with the occasional keyboard. It is refreshing to hear what I consider real music again. It is not ground breaking, but the songs are likely to stick in your mind. And for those of you who were Bang Tango fans in the past, this is their best offering. So if you want a great cd, buy this you won't be disappointed. Now hopefully, we'll get some beautiful creatures as well.

this is the best cd that i bought since the last alice cooper cd came out , its why im n2 rock its why im gonna live the life i love and love the life i live - if your n2 hard rocking on the edge cd then you gotta buy this killer cd from the boyz that brought us beautiful creatures i hope they release the 2nd cd from bc sooner .

THIS ENTIRE CD ROCKS MY WORLD, CAN'T SEEM TO GET IF OFF THE CD PLAYER TO HEAR THE REST OF MY BANG TANGO COLLECTION! SO FULL OF EMOTION, YOU'LL SURELY FEEL IT RIGHT DOWN TO YOUR SOUL! EVERY TRACK IS KINDA GROOVIN' KINDA FUNKY KINDA MELODIC AND DEFINATELY LEAVES YOU WITH WANTING MORE! WHATEVER/WHOMEVER INSPIRES MR. LESTE TO BELT OUT SUCH ROCK---MAY GOD BLESS THEM!! ENJOY! KELLY

Once again Joe Leste surprises me with his vocal abilities. Not only does this CD have great songs that are catchy and hard rock but Joe's voice gives an emotional edge to each song that will truly blow you away and leave you wanting to hear more. Alex Grossi and Anthony Focx are amazing with the guitars and the rhythm of Chris "Curtis" Roach's bass blends beautifully with Matt Starr's drums. This is one CD where you can definitely hear and feel the great collaboration of the band. It's not just another CD...IT IS A WORK OF ART!

10 years after the release of their last studio album, (some of) Bang Tango was back in action with 2004's Ready to Go. By 2004, Bang Tango was essentially vocalist Joe Leste and some guys, but after hearing this hard rocking album, you won't really care about the lineup specifics.

Ready to Go could have fit in right after the band's 1989 debut Psycho Cafe and before their 1991 funk rock effort Dancin' on Coals. It's essentially a hair metal album. I know nobody wants to be associated with that term now, but that's what Bang Tango was, it's why they were popular, and it's what's so great about Ready to Go. Sure, the album's not as lyrically cheesy as Psycho Café. Leste is older and presumably wiser, so he's not serving up another variation of Love Injection this time around, but the rest of Ready to Go definitely captures the spirit of the old Bang Tango. This is an alcohol-fueled rock & roll album, short on the dreary introspection of modern rock like (shudder) Coldplay, and long on great melodies, catchy riffs, and killer solos, all with that unmistakable L.A. edge.

If you were a Bang Tango fan back in the day - and not just of the funkier stuff - you're going to like today's Bang Tango as well. Between this band and Beautiful Creatures (who are also well worth checking out), Joe Leste is doing his best to bring back the Sunset Strip sound, and my hat's off to him for doing it. There's a reason we all loved that kind of music in the 80's. Sometimes, you just want your rock & roll to be fun and make you feel like part of the action.

I recently purchased the two beautiful creatures cds. I really liked these cds so I purchased this bango tango cd. Its a pretty good cd, but its not one that I would listen to over and over again. the music is just a lot more mellow than the beautiful creatures cds.

I like Bang Tango. And, when I saw they had a new CD out, I was quite curious and decided to give it a spin. Boy, I'm glad I did!
Something about this record just seemed very rock 'n' roll to me just by the title and the packaging. So when I held it in my hand, I couldn't wait to rip it open and pop it in. And, from the first guitar lick, I knew I made the right choice. It's very metal. Very cool indeed.
Joe Leste returns to his original band of fame as he releases this record after a highly acclaimed release by Beautiful Creatures, his other band. This album, though, is Bang Tango and not Beautiful Creatures. And, that is not a bad thing. While I liked Beautiful Creatures, a slightly more melodic album is more befitting the Bang Tango name and legacy. And, it delivers!
As I said, the opening cut titled Ready to Go really kicks off the album in a great way and the energy stays true throughut the record. Track 3 titled It Ain't Easy might possibly be the best song on the record as it has the best guitar and musical bridge I've heard in years. That solo really makes the song and frankly the song should be played on the radio if there were any justice in rock 'n' roll.
Rainy Day and Most Important Thing are two beautiful songs with Rainy Day actually sounding a bit like a heavier version of the late Beatles sound and a sound attributed to Guns N' Roses as well. Great musicianship as I complimented in It Ain't Easy are on display here and once again it is criminal that Rainy Day isn't in heavy rotation at every real rock channel in America.
Other great stand-out songs include The Other Side, She Knows Better, and Save Myself for You. All of these songs have a different feel with different range by Joe Leste but a constant high quality rock 'n' roll feel that does not apologize for being rock 'n' roll complete with solos and attitude.
If you are a Beautiful Creatures fan and loved their debut album and Deuce, you'll probably also get a kick out of Bang Tango's Ready to Go. It's not as heavy as BC but it certainly does deliver a lot of the same elements that make BC great. And, if you are a Bang Tango fan, this album is what all the real rock bands that came from their genre should sound like in new releases. Melodic, hard, and catchy. There is no futile attempts to be "cool" on this record. It just feels like Leste wanted to do something for himself and for the Bang Tango fans. And, I am appreciative of it! Pick this and Deuce up together!

Being a long time fan of the so-called Funk-Rock sub-genre (LOVE Primus and the Chili Peppers) I got into Bang Tango 15 years ago and grew to believe that Kyle Kyle was one of the better bass players, ranking him right under Claypool (all time bass god) and Flea (2nd by a hair).

I own their 1st 3 CDs (3rd being live), LOVE "Dancin' on Coals" and always wondered what happened to them. (All I have around here is Best Buy and Wal-Mart so I had no idea!!) So, one day, on a lark I started searching Amazon for bands I "wondered what happened to" and found that Bang Tango (well...Leste anyway) never truly went away, they just went independent.

So I immediately ordered both "From the Hip" and this title. It's quite good, though a lot different and as a few reviewers have already mentioned, is completely "funkless". And upon reading the packaging I realized that it's not even the same band, just the singer and a bunch of new guys (guess Leste owns the name!) So I'm guessing the rest of the band (Kyle Kyle mostly) is where the funk came from and I have to say I miss it!!

I also have to wonder why Leste left the funk out this time around, considering how popular and successful Primus, The RHCP and others are today, I can't imagine it's a marketing decision. Makes me want to go find out where the rest of the original members are now.

Bottom line, if you liked old Tango you may miss the funk like I do, but this CD is still worth the price of admission.