Doll Revolution
Doll Revolution is the fourth studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles. It was released in March 2003 in Europe and Japan, and in September of that year in the United States. It is the first album by the group since their 1998 reunion.
Doll Revolution | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 9, 2003 | |||
Recorded | 2000–2003 | |||
Genre | Pop rock | |||
Length | 60:22 | |||
Label | Koch | |||
Producer | Brad Wood | |||
The Bangles chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
BBC Music | Favorable[2] |
Entertainment.ie | [3] |
Entertainment Weekly | B−[4] |
The Guardian | [5] |
Jam! | Average[6] |
musicOMH | Positive[7] |
PopMatters | Positive[8] |
Robert Christgau | [9] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [10] |
Slant Magazine | [11] |
Uncut | [12] |
Background
The Bangles reunited in 1999, releasing the song "Get the Girl" on the Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack and spent the next four years touring to finance the record, which was first released in Europe in March 2003. The group resurrected their own label Down Kiddie! Records, on which they had released their debut single "Getting out of Hand" in 1981, to release the record, and struck a deal with Liberty Records, an EMI subsidiary, to distribute it in Europe. In the US, the record was released by Koch Records in September of that year.
Including 15 songs, it is the group's lengthiest album. All tracks were co-composed by members of the band, with the exception of "Tear Off Your Own Head" which was written by Elvis Costello and had previously appeared on his 2002 album When I Was Cruel. Some songs had been already released in the 1990s by band members on other bands they worked with after the band split: "Mixed Messages" and "The Rain Song", written by Vicki Peterson, had been released in the Continental Drifters albums, while "Ask Me No Questions" was released by Debbi Peterson with her band Kindred Spirit. "Nickel Romeo" and "Between The Two", while never released, had been debuted by Michael Steele with her band Crash Wisdom in live shows in 1994.
The album spawned three singles. The lead single, "Something That You Said", reached No. 38 in the UK,[13] and was a minor hit elsewhere in Europe. "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's a Doll Revolution)" and "I Will Take Care of You" were next released as singles, the latter reaching No. 79 in the UK.[13] All three songs had lead vocals by Susanna Hoffs.
In the US, an edition with a bonus DVD with interviews and the video to "Something That You Said" was released. In Japan, the group included as bonus tracks both songs from their first 45 single released in 1981, "Getting out of Hand" and "Call on Me" (the first time they had been released on CD), as well as an alternate mix of "Something That You Said."
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's a Doll Revolution)" | Elvis Costello | 3:57 |
2. | "Stealing Rosemary" | Susanna Hoffs, Debbi Peterson, Vicki Peterson | 3:32 |
3. | "Something That You Said" | Charlotte Caffey, Hoffs, V. Peterson | 4:16 |
4. | "Ask Me No Questions" | Walker Igleheart, D. Peterson | 3:26 |
5. | "The Rain Song" | Susan Cowsill, V. Peterson | 3:41 |
6. | "Nickel Romeo" | Steve LeGassick, Brian Ray, Michael Steele | 4:57 |
7. | "Ride the Ride" | Hoffs, D. Peterson, V. Peterson, Daniel Schwartz | 4:48 |
8. | "I Will Take Care of You" | Hoffs, Dillon O'Brian | 3:56 |
9. | "Here Right Now" | D. Peterson, Peter Rafelson | 3:24 |
10. | "Single by Choice" | V. Peterson | 3:41 |
11. | "Lost at Sea" | Hoffs, D. Peterson | 3:55 |
12. | "Song for a Good Son" | Steele | 4:01 |
13. | "Mixed Messages" | V. Peterson | 3:19 |
14. | "Between the Two" | Steele, David White | 3:42 |
15. | "Grateful" | Bill Bottrell, Hoffs, Daniel Schwartz | 4:59 |
Personnel
- Produced by Brad Wood & the Bangles
The Bangles
- Susanna Hoffs – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals
- Debbi Peterson – drums, acoustic guitar, percussion, vocals
- Vicki Peterson – guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, vocals
- Michael Steele – bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals
Additional musicians
- Dillon O'Brian – acoustic & electric guitars, Wurlitzer electric piano
- Bangle Boys Choir (Dave Grohl, John Crooke & Chick Wolverton) – background vocals
- Greg Hilfman & Chick Wolverton – keyboards
- Greg Leisz – lap & pedal steel
- Peter Holsapple – mandolin, accordion & keyboards
- Tim Russell – acoustic guitar and background vocals on "Here Right Now"
- R Walt Vincent – harmonium
- David Campbell – strings arranger on "I Will Take Care of You"
- Leah Katz – viola on "I Will Take Care of You"
- Melissa Reiner & Michael Nicholson – violin on "I Will Take Care of You"
- Guenevere Measham – cello on "I Will Take Care of You"
Charts
Chart (2003) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[14] | 36 |
European Albums (Music & Media)[15] | 97 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] | 35 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[17] | 78 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] | 80 |
UK Albums (OCC)[19] | 62 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[20] | 23 |
References
- Sendra, Tim. Doll Revolution at AllMusic
- BBC Music review
- Entertainment.ie review
- Feliciano, Kristina (September 26, 2003). "Doll Revolution Review". Entertainment Weekly. p. 95. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- The Guardian review
- Jam! review
- musicOMH review
- PopMatters review
- Robert Christgau review
- Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 43. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
rolling stone the bangles album guide.
- Slant review
- "The Bangles - Doll Revolution". Uncut. 2003. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- "UK Official Charts: Bangles". Official Charts Company. 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- "Austriancharts.at – Bangles – Doll Revolution" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 21 no. 12. March 15, 2003. p. 12. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Bangles – Doll Revolution" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- "Swisscharts.com – Bangles – Doll Revolution". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- "The Bangles Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2020.