Search - Bangles :: Essential

Confusing

Michael K. Allen | Jim Thorpe, PA | 04/27/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Instead of a pure greatest hits package (which has already been done), or a collectors disc to clean up the odds and ends from the Bangles discography which haven't been released on disc yet, this set offers falls short on both.



As stated before, "Going Down to Liverpool" is missing. And that fact alone would make the "average" fan opt for the 1990 Greatest Hits package. Which I would recommend over this if the goal was to have all the singles.



On the other hand, if Sony/Columbia wanted to satisfy the die-hards they would have cleaned the closet and gave us all those rarities. While its great to have "What I Meant To Say", why would they exclude "Getting Out of Hand" while its B-side "Call On Me" is presented? Very odd. What's even more frustrating is that only one cut from the Bangles 1982 EP is featured ("I'm In Line", probably the weakest track.) If they wanted a singles compilation, they should have included "Real World" instead, which was released as a remixed 12-inch. "I Got Nothing" is a pleasant surprise, however it's been dramatically remixed so anyone who wants the original still has to hunt down "The Goonies" soundtrack.



For an odds and ends disc other possiblities would have been "Mary Street", "Want You", "How Is the Air Up There", the rare "Bitchin' Summer (Speedway)" instrumental and the mega-rare live version of "Hero Takes a Fall". And while "I'll Be Your Mirror" and "I'll Keep It With Mine" are solo Susanna songs, they were made during her Bangles tenure. We also know that a live version of "Tell Me" was recorded in 1985 but is still sitting in the can. Let's not also forget "Get The Girl", the 1999 "Spy Who Shagged Me" cut, and the UK B-side edit of "In Your Room". Bonus or hidden tracks could have included the No Magazine ad (set to the tune of "Getting Out of Hand") and Michael's spoken word "El Polo Loco".



So you see there was enough obscure material for a 2-disc Bangles anthology which would have kept everyone happy."

Yet ANOTHER compilation

Lady Prudence | New York | 10/16/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"There must be at least 20 Bangle compilations out there, and this isn't better than any of them. This one differs in that it has Im In Line and Getting Out of Hand -- 2 wonderful early Bangle (minus Michael Steele) songs. It also has What I Meant to Say (Eternal Flame B-side) and I Got Nothing (from the Goonies soundtrack) 2 tracks that have been very difficult to get anywhere until now. But quite frankly, these two songs are mediocre and really shouldn't be on any "Essential Bangles" compilations -- only die-hard Bangle fans will be elated to have them on CD. To make this a five star album they should have included Going Down to Liverpool, How is the Air Up There from the Bangles EP and something from Doll Revolution, like Ride the Ride."

FYI

Hoffsteele | Long Island City, New York United States | 11/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I see people are blaming Sony for the final tracklist........if you want to blame anyone for the 15 wonderful songs that are on here, blame the Bangles, they hand-picked them for this release as mentioned on the official Bangles website.



The songs are pretty Essential, though I wish Sony had done a 2-Disc Essential for the Bangles as they've done with a host of other artists.



I wish that we could have gotten maybe another two or three songs on here as "Going Down to Liverpool" SHOULD have been included. It was originally supposed to be on this release when it was first scheduled to come out in 2003, but then the tracklist was changed so it wouldn't be just a Greatest Hits repackage(which it almost was, though we still get 11 out of the 14 songs on Greatest, the tracks that didn't carry over are the aforementioned "Liverpool," "Everything I Wanted," and "Where Were You When I Needed You.")



All-in-all though the tracks we do get are awesome, particularly the previously unreleased "I Got Nothing" mix that is on this disc. This is NOT the same song that was on the Goonies soundtrack despite what the liner notes may say. "Getting Out of Hand" on an official US released CD is also a bonus, because it was a rare track at one point, though it can now be found on a new RHINO boxset as well. "I'm In Line," another rarity is great here, though I prefer "The Real World" from the EP more, but hey....the Bangles chose these songs.



All five of their top 10 hits are represented here as well.



The only thing that was underrepresented was "All Over the Place," which is now out of print....I keep hoping they'll release a remastered version of it with bonus tracks or something, but alas.....



Recommended if you are either a die-hard Bangles fan who has to have EVERY release(like me) OR if you don't have the Greatest Hits yet.



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