Music Banter - View Single Post

Oriphiel · 12-18-2014, 10:08 AM

Guess what? We've now officially looked at twenty albums! There've been LP's, CD's, Compilations... but personally I've always had a soft spot for Singles and EP's. So to celebrate this "20th Anniversary" of sorts, I've decided to bring three EP's with me in what I'd like to call... EP Madness!

Bangles

The darlings of the Paisley Underground, The Bangles (Known simply as "Bangles" back then, and before that they were called "The Bangs") are very well known nowadays due to a string of hits, the foremost of them being "Walk Like An Egyptian". Before their success, they were less on the Pop side of things and more of an Alternative/Post-Punk Revival band. This EP, simply titled "Bangles", was one of their first commercial recordings (after their single "Getting Out of Hand"). Comprised of bassist Annette Zilinskas, guitarist Susanna Hoffs, drummer Debby Peterson, and lead guitarist Vicki Peterson, they all contributed to the harmonies, and took turns being the lead vocalist.

1. "The Real World" - A great intro to the EP, this is a really catchy number with great vocal harmonies! I also really love the drumming and guitar playing, as the lack of production value gives all of the songs on the EP kind of a "real" and unpolished feeling.

The Bangles!

2. "I'm In Line" - Definitely ingrained in the sound of the sixties, the vocal harmonies work really well with the steady drumming and the Psychadelia-tinged guitar breaks. Man, The Bangles are catchy as hell!

3. "Want You" - This one opens with a nice vocal harmony, and then just slams into you with a wall of sound! Catchy but with a nice bite to it, the dirty guitar break and the loud drumming definitely spice things up. I think this is my favorite track of the EP!

4. "Mary Street" - Kind of has a bit of the Beat-Music and Folk-Pop feeling of the sixties to it, and definitely pays tribute to sixties bands like The Byrds and The Beatles.

5. "How is the Air Up There?" - The roughest song of the EP, this one just kicks out with it's great distorted guitar work and slamming drums (not to mention the great harmonica line)! Fantastic vocals, killer instrumentation, and a whole lot of guts. What's not to love?

You know what? The Bangles are actually really awesome! I guess I was just used to hearing their softer songs on the radio, but I'm actually surprised by how much I liked their first EP! This is definitely something you should really give a shot sometime, and I highly recommend it! Alright, next up in our EP Madness we'll be looking at a band I've already introduced to you all before... Coming up in Part Two!

12-18-2014, 10:08 AM	#48 (permalink)
Oriphiel Ask me how! Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: The States Posts: 5,355	EP Madness! Guess what? We've now officially looked at twenty albums! There've been LP's, CD's, Compilations... but personally I've always had a soft spot for Singles and EP's. So to celebrate this "20th Anniversary" of sorts, I've decided to bring three EP's with me in what I'd like to call... EP Madness! Bangles The darlings of the Paisley Underground, The Bangles (Known simply as "Bangles" back then, and before that they were called "The Bangs") are very well known nowadays due to a string of hits, the foremost of them being "Walk Like An Egyptian". Before their success, they were less on the Pop side of things and more of an Alternative/Post-Punk Revival band. This EP, simply titled "Bangles", was one of their first commercial recordings (after their single "Getting Out of Hand"). Comprised of bassist Annette Zilinskas, guitarist Susanna Hoffs, drummer Debby Peterson, and lead guitarist Vicki Peterson, they all contributed to the harmonies, and took turns being the lead vocalist. 1. "The Real World" - A great intro to the EP, this is a really catchy number with great vocal harmonies! I also really love the drumming and guitar playing, as the lack of production value gives all of the songs on the EP kind of a "real" and unpolished feeling. The Bangles! 2. "I'm In Line" - Definitely ingrained in the sound of the sixties, the vocal harmonies work really well with the steady drumming and the Psychadelia-tinged guitar breaks. Man, The Bangles are catchy as hell! 3. "Want You" - This one opens with a nice vocal harmony, and then just slams into you with a wall of sound! Catchy but with a nice bite to it, the dirty guitar break and the loud drumming definitely spice things up. I think this is my favorite track of the EP! 4. "Mary Street" - Kind of has a bit of the Beat-Music and Folk-Pop feeling of the sixties to it, and definitely pays tribute to sixties bands like The Byrds and The Beatles. 5. "How is the Air Up There?" - The roughest song of the EP, this one just kicks out with it's great distorted guitar work and slamming drums (not to mention the great harmonica line)! Fantastic vocals, killer instrumentation, and a whole lot of guts. What's not to love? You know what? The Bangles are actually really awesome! I guess I was just used to hearing their softer songs on the radio, but I'm actually surprised by how much I liked their first EP! This is definitely something you should really give a shot sometime, and I highly recommend it! Alright, next up in our EP Madness we'll be looking at a band I've already introduced to you all before... Coming up in Part Two!