Bangles – Greatest Hits

The Bangles – Greatest Hits

Greatest Hits brings together 14 essential recordings from "The Bangles", capturing the Los Angeles group's rise from the early-1980s Paisley Underground scene to international pop-rock success. Originally released in 1990 on Columbia/CBS, the compilation appeared shortly after the band had split up and collects key material from their three studio albums, All Over The Place (1984), Different Light (1986) and Everything (1988), alongside tracks that had appeared elsewhere.

The recordings span 1984–1990, although most of the material comes from the band's highly successful 1984–88 period. It opens with the breakthrough single “Hero Takes A Fall” from 1984, followed by “Going Down To Liverpool”, “Manic Monday”, “If She Knew What She Wants” and the huge 1986 hit “Walk Like An Egyptian”. The compilation also showcases the Bangles' jangly guitar sound and strong harmony vocals, elements that connected their early alternative-rock roots with their later mainstream pop success.

Among the highlights is their atmospheric interpretation of Simon & Garfunkel's “Hazy Shade Of Winter”, recorded for the 1987 film Less Than Zero, while “In Your Room” and “Eternal Flame” represent the more polished pop sound of the Everything era. “I'll Set You Free” and “Walking Down Your Street” are represented by their single versions on this edition, while “Everything I Wanted” was a previously unreleased recording when the compilation appeared in 1990.

The closing track, “Where Were You When I Needed You”, is a Bangles version of the Steve Barri/P.F. Sloan song that had originally appeared as the B-side to “Hero Takes A Fall” in 1984. With Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Peterson, Debbi Peterson and Michael Steele at the centre of the group, Greatest Hits provides a concise overview of the Bangles' distinctive blend of jangle pop, new wave, guitar pop and polished 1980s pop rock.

Tracklist

1. Hero Takes A Fall – 2:52
2. Going Down To Liverpool – 3:39
3. Manic Monday – 3:03
4. If She Knew What She Wants – 3:48
5. Walk Like An Egyptian – 3:22
6. Walking Down Your Street – 3:15
7. Following – 3:19
8. Hazy Shade Of Winter – 2:46
9. In Your Room – 3:27
10. Eternal Flame – 3:55
11. Be With You – 3:01
12. I'll Set You Free – 4:50
13. Everything I Wanted – 3:36
14. Where Were You When I Needed You – 3:05