Search - Bang Tango :: Ready to Go

Very Impressive Outing By a Real Rock 'n' Roll Band

James Walsh | Mesa, Arizona United States | 01/23/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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!"

Bango tango

Lisa Martinez | colorado | 04/14/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"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'm ready!

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 06/13/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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.

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