Product Description

Somewhat unfortunately, 1990's GREATEST HITS covers only the Bangles' years at Columbia Records, meaning that their great garage-rocking debut single, "Getting Out of Hand", and their fantastic self-titled 1982 EP are MIA. Also, the collection focuses almost exclusively on the Los Angeles power poppers' singles instead of their moodier and more experimentalalbum tracks, giving a rather unbalanced portrait of the band. That said, the singles are excellent, from the classic no-nonsense beat-pop of "Hero Takes A Fall" and "Walking DownYour Street" to languid ballads like the heartbreaking "If She Knew What She Wants" and "Going Down To Liverpool". Their non-LP version of Paul Simon's "Hazy Shade of Winter" is also including sparing you from the embarrassment of owning the soundtrack to the wretched LESS THAN ZERO. The set closeswith two previously unreleased tracks including a terrific folk-rock cover of Gary Zekley's "Where Were You When I Needed You".

Track Listing

1. Hero takes a fall
2. Going down to Liverpool
3. Manic monday
4. If she knew what she wants
5. Walk like an Egyptian
6. Walking down your street
7. Following
8. Hazy shade of winter
9. In your room
10. Eternal flame
11. Be with you
12. I'll set you free
13. Everything I wanted
14. Where were you when I needed you

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5615 in Music
• Released on: 1995-04-17
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced

From Amazon.com
The Bangles' transformation from Merseybeat and garage-smart guitar band to near-definitive example of buffed-and-polished corporate popsters is one of the great rock mysteries of the '80s. What was up with that video for "Walk Like an Egyptian," anyway? Greatest Hits puts it all in perspective, tracing the curve from the post-Beatles group sneer of "Hero Takes a Fall" to the deadly earnest Susanna Hoffs showcase of "Eternal Flame." Shortly after that ballad hit No. 1, the group split. Now unfairly remembered as little more than space fillers on turn-of-the-decade airwaves, the Bangles here make a good case for their spirit, their own songwriting gifts, and, of course, those voices. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews

Brilliant eighties rock band with sixties influences
In the eighties, when pop music (at least in Britain) was dominated by synthesisers, the Bangles provided a contrast with their guitar-driven rock music. They were not alone, of course – Dire Straits and Bruce Springsteen also come to mind – but they were very much in the minority. The Bangles recorded a lot of upbeat, fun songs so did not always get the credit they deserved.

This compilation contains the three huge international hits that everybody remembers. Manic Monday is an up-tempo rocker. Walk like an Egyptian is a novelty song that (to some people) destroys their credibility but I love it. Eternal flame is a lovely ballad, more recently revived by Atomic Kitten who had a huge UK hit with it.

Apart from those three, they had several other hits, not as successful as the famous three but very entertaining. These include the original songs If she knew what she wants, Walking down your street, In your room and Be with you, together with a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's Hazy shade of winter.

Anybody who loves guitar rock of the type that was common in the sixties and early seventies will surely love the music of the Bangles. If you want just one of their albums, this is the one to go for.

A Must For All Music Fans
The Bangles are the most successful all female band in UK chart history ( the Spice Girls are not a 'band' because they don't play their own instruments. They are counted as a 'vocal group'). When you listen to this hits compilation, it is easy to see why. The songs are terrific and varied; Susanna's voice is fantastic; the four members make top-notch harmonies and play their instruments skilfully. 'Eternal Flame', their 1988 no.1 , is of course a highlight, as are the well-known hits 'Manic Monday' and 'Walk Like An Egyptian'. Other standouts include the US no.1 'Hazy Shade Of Winter', Debbi's 'Be With You' and the Bangles' first single 'Hero Takes A Fall'. That said, every track is very good and most are excellent. Now that the band has reformed, expect to see this hits collection added to in the near future!

The Bangles are:

Susanna Hoffs (Vocals, Rhythm Guitar) Michael Steele (Vocals, Bass Guitar) Vicki Peterson (Vocals, Lead Guitar) Debbi Peterson (Vocals, Drums)

Worth a Try!
This one is such a hard call to make, the good songs are good, but the lesser ones are just that, lesser. Suzanne Vega, the lead singer has such a nice voice, it's soothing, innocent and yet motivating all at once. Her talent really comes out in songs like "Manic Monday", "Walk Like An Egyptian", "Hazy Shade of Winter", "In Your Room" and my favourite, "Eternal Flame". Whilst those five songs are of good quality, many of the remaining tunes seem like only fillers, which are not really worth the listen. If you are a Bangles fan - it would be a definite addition to your collection - but if you are kind of borderline, it may just sit and collect dust!