All Over the Place (The Bangles album)

All Over the Place is the debut studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles. Released in 1984 through Columbia Records, the sound is lively and shows more Bangles collaboration and fewer keyboard overdubs than were used later on their more commercially successful albums. Although the album was not a major commercial success — peaking at #80 on the Billboard 200 albums chart — and didn't produce a hit, it sold respectably, mostly through steady airplay on college stations. It also gave them the chance to perform as an opening act for Cyndi Lauper and Huey Lewis and the News, and brought the group to the attention of Prince, who would write "Manic Monday", their first hit.

All Over the Place
Studio album by
The Bangles
ReleasedMay 23, 1984 (1984-05-23)
Recorded1983–1984
StudioCrystal Sound and Soundcastle (Hollywood, CA); Skyline Recording (Topanga, CA).
Genre
Length31:33
LabelColumbia
ProducerDavid Kahne
The Bangles chronology
Bangles
(1982)		 All Over the Place
(1984)		 Different Light
(1986)
Singles from All Over the Place
  1. "Hero Takes a Fall"
    Released: 1984
  2. "Going Down to Liverpool"
    Released: 1984
Retrospective professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Record GuideA–[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[4]
Spin Alternative Record Guide8/10[5]

Two singles were released from this album: "Hero Takes a Fall", which peaked outside the UK Top 40, and "Going Down to Liverpool", written by Kimberley Rew of Katrina and the Waves,[6] which won the Bangles the BPI Award, the British equivalent of the Grammy. The video for "Going Down to Liverpool" features Leonard Nimoy, who plays the part of the band's chauffeur.

The album was reissued in 2008 on the Wounded Bird Records label (WOU 9220) adding a bonus track: "Hero Takes a Fall" (Single Remix). In 2010, UK label Cherry Pop re-released the album with one bonus track, their cover of The Grass Roots "Where Were You When I Needed You", which was originally released as the b-side to "Hero Takes a Fall".

Commercial performance

The album spent 30 weeks on the U.S. Billboard album charts and reached its peak position of #80 in November 1984.[7]

Critical reception

Reviewing for The Village Voice in October 1984, Robert Christgau found the songs "thoroughly realized in both the writing and playing", with "familiar heart-stopping harmonies", and wrote in conclusion: "Though the style is as derivative and even retro as on EP, they don't seem to be dabbling any more. Maybe they project such confidence because they know exactly what they want to say: don't fuck me over."[8]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Hero Takes a Fall"Susanna Hoffs, Vicki PetersonHoffs2:54
2."Live" (cover of The Merry-Go-Round, 1967)Emitt RhodesDebbi Peterson2:36
3."James"V. PetersonHoffs2:36
4."All About You"V. PetersonV. Peterson2:26
5."Dover Beach"Hoffs, V. PetersonHoffs3:48
6."Tell Me"Hoffs, V. PetersonHoffs and V. Peterson2:15
7."Restless"Hoffs, V. PetersonV. Peterson2:41
8."Going Down to Liverpool" (cover of Katrina and the Waves, 1983)Kimberley RewD. Peterson3:41
9."He's Got a Secret"V. PetersonHoffs2:42
10."Silent Treatment"V. PetersonV. Peterson2:07
11."More Than Meets the Eye"V. PetersonV. Peterson and D. Peterson3:19

Notes

"James" was originally sung by Peterson but her vocals were replaced by Hoffs' by the time the album was recorded. Its intro contains elements of "The Rock and Roll Alternative Program Theme Song"[9] from their Ladies and Gentlemen... compilation.

"Hero Takes a Fall" was given a subtle remix for its single release. It was backed by the non-album track "Where Were You When I Needed You", a cover of The Grass Roots tune.

"Hero Takes a Fall" (Single Mix) was included on the Bangles Greatest Hits album.

Personnel

The Bangles

Guest musician

Production
  • Producer and Engineer – David Kahne
  • Additional Engineering – Andrew Berliner
  • Mixing – Joe Chiccarelli
  • Mastered by Jack Skinner at Sterling Sound (New York, NY)
  • Art Direction – Nancy Donald and Tony Lane
  • Inner Sleeve Collage Design – Pete Lamson
  • Collage Photography – Ed Colver, Mike Condello, Terry Dorn, Bruce Kalberg, Pete Lamson, Larry Rodriguez, Jeffrey Scales and Bob Seidemann

References
  1. "The 50 Best New Wave Albums". Paste Magazine. August 30, 2016.
  2. Deming, Mark. "All Over the Place – Bangles". AllMusic. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  3. Christgau, Robert (1990). "B". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved August 16, 2020 – via robertchristgau.com.
  4. Evans, Paul; Lechner, Ernesto (2004). "The Bangles". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). London: Fireside Books. pp. 43–44. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
  5. Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  6. "Going Down to Liverpool by Bangles - Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  7. "The Bangles Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard.com. 2019. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019.
  8. Christgau, Robert (October 30, 1984). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  9. "The Bangles - Rock and Roll Alternative (Theme Song)". YouTube. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
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