FEATURE:
Second Spin
The Bangles – Different Light
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I am not sure whether to call…
IN THIS PHOTO: The Bangles in 1986
the band ‘Bangles’ or ‘The Bangles’ as I have seen it written both ways. I am going to use ‘The Bangles’, as that is what I know them as. I love the band, and I vividly remember hearing them for the first time when their third album, Everything, came out in 1988. It was a bit of an eye-opening hearing this band that was so different to what I was listening to at the time. I was largely listening to all-male bands and what was in the charts; The Bangles provided something fresh and exciting. All Over the Place was their 1984 debut, and it is a more spirited album than what they would produce later in their careers. That album scored some great reviews and, with songs like Hero Takes a Fall and Going Down to Liverpool (a cover of the Katrina and the Waves track), it is small wonder the U.S. band received a lot of love. I think Different Light gets unfairly overlooked as a less successful and impactful version of their debut album. It was, as the title suggests, a change of pace and a step on from their debut. Rather than embrace a more 1960s-influencfed sound, The Bangles’ second album was inspired more by the current Pop sound. Released in January 1986, Different Light is a fantastic record that, despite some mixed reviews, spawned singles like Walk Like an Egyptian and Manic Monday. Different Light is the first album where Michael Steele (their bassist) sings lead on some of the album’s tracks.
Whilst more underrated cuts like Walking Down Your Street, Let It Go and Following do not get a lot of mention, one of the songs that is pretty much synonymous with Different Light is Manic Monday. Written by Prince, the icon wrote the song as a result of meeting The Bangles’ Susannah Hoffs in 1985. Hoffs asked Prince to provide the band with songs for their next album, and Manic Monday was used – Jealous Girl was pitched but rejected. A lot of people attack Manic Monday as being a bit too Prince, but it is a brilliantly written song that sports a wonderful lead vocal by Hoffs. Many jabbed at Walk Like an Egyptian as a bit novelty and Pop. I think Different Light mixes the harder edges and 1960s influences of their debut with a more contemporary sound. I like the mix of sounds and the fact there are the big singles and slightly less commercial numbers. I want to bring in two reviews of Different Light. One is quite mixed, whilst the other is more positive. As I said, the album has not really been given the respect and praise it deserves, so that is why I wanted to shine a spotlight on it now. This is what AllMusic wrote when they reviewed Different Light:
“The Bangles' first album, All Over the Place, may have earned them a smattering of radio and MTV airplay, but it's clear that with Different Light they were aiming for much higher stakes, especially when Prince -- who was reportedly infatuated with Susanna Hoffs -- offered to write a song for them. "Manic Monday"'s baroque, keyboard-dominated sound was a far cry from anything the Bangles had recorded before, and while Hoffs' breathy voice and her bandmates' fine harmonies fit the song like a glove, it also sent the group down a path that led them away from the '60s-influenced pop/rock that was their strongest suit, and though Vicki Peterson does get to show off her guitar work on a few songs here, the differences between Different Light and All Over the Place are telling and a bit sad.
The drum machines that dominate "Walk Like an Egyptian" and "Walking Down Your Street" rob the performances of the organic feel of this group's best music, the funky accents of "Standing in the Hallway" are simply out of place, and while covering Big Star ("September Gurls") and Jules Shear ("If She Knew What She Wants") may have sounded good on paper, neither performance captures what makes each song special. And while the album struggles to rally in the last innings with the more personal air of "Following" and "Not Like You," most of the songs struggle to stand up under David Kahne's overly slick production and the layers of gingerbread added by a handful of guest musicians. Different Light turned the Bangles into bona fide pop stars, but it also transformed a spunky and distinctive band into a comparatively faceless vehicle for a hit-seeking producer; the group tries to let its personality shine through despite it all, but the effort fails most of the time”.
I agree that, perhaps, the drum machine is over-used in places, but I would argue against the assumption that songs such as Walk Like an Egyptian suffer because of them. Different Light is an album that was definitely reacting to the tastes and tones of the 1980s and, as such, maybe some critics preferred The Bangles when they were channelling the cool and sparser sounds of the 1960s. I think Different Light has not dated too much, and it sounds pretty damned catchy, cool and current today. I can hear artists of today who, in some way, have taken various elements from The Bangles/Different Light for their own work. SLANT reviewed the album in 2003 and made some interesting observations:
“Though it was considered a slicker, more commercial move for the Bangles at the time of its release, Different Light (the band’s sophomore effort) sounds surprisingly fresh in hindsight. From their Beatles-inspired moniker to their warm, Mamas & The Papas-esque harmonies, the band seemed determined to pay homage to the past. But their ‘60s-style pop melodies and classic rock references (check the Doors-ish, carnival-like keyboards and quirky guitars of “Standing in the Hallway” and “Return Post”) were deftly matched with the then-current new wave and rock rhythms of the early ‘80s. “Following” is a dark acoustic ballad reminiscent of Joni Mitchell’s brand of ‘70s folk, while the title track rollicks along with genuine pop-punk fervor.
Guitarist Vicki Peterson’s voice might pale in comparison to Susanna Hoffs’ distinctive vocal, but her songwriting skills are clearly the strongest here: “I wanna paint your portrait/Hang your colors on my wall/Discussing form and content with my friends and drinks.” And while its biggest hits were written by other artists—the Prince-penned “Manic Monday,” the novelty tune “Walk Like an Egyptian” (a slice of ‘80s-pop kitsch that sounds out of place here), and “If She Knew What She Wants”—album tracks like “Angels Don’t Fall in Love” and “Let It Go,” which were written by the Bangles themselves, are the glue that holds Different Light together”.
The Bangles would pick up some new support for 1988’s Everything, but even that album does not really get the positivity that it warrants. The fact that Susanna Hoffs (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Debbi Peterson (drums and vocals) and Vicki Peterson (lead guitar and vocals) share lead vocals affords Different Light a richness and variety that was missing from so many Pop albums of the 1980s. Different Light is an album I would recommend people check out if they haven’t already and, for those who were a little underwhelmed when it came out, spin it now and see if your opinion has changed! The Bangles’ second studio album is definitely…
WORTHY of fond reappraisal.