Doll Revolution | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 9, 2003 | |||
Recorded | June 2000–June 2003 | |||
Genre | Pop rock | |||
Length | 60:22 | |||
Label | Koch | |||
Producer | Brad Wood | |||
The Bangles chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
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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] |
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. It is also the final album to feature bassist and vocalist Michael Steele, who left the band following the promotional tour and was subsequently replaced by Annette Zilinskas, the group's original bassist whom Steele had replaced.
The Bangles initially disbanded in 1989 following the disappointing sales of their album Everything . They reunited in 1998 and released the song "Get the Girl" on the Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack, the success of which enabled them to return to touring for the next four years to finance their next record. The group self-released Doll Revolution through their independent label Down Kiddie Records, which had been largely defunct after releasing their debut single "Getting Out of Hand" in 1981.
Doll Revolution was first released on CD in Europe and Japan in March 2003, and distributed through deals with the EMI subsidiary Liberty Records and Victor. The record came out in the US in September of that year, on Koch Records. It was also released on cassette in Thailand and Indonesia, and on CD in the UK, Australia, South Africa and Taiwan. [13]
Doll Revolution contains 15 songs and is the group's lengthiest album. All tracks were composed or co-written by members of the Bangles, with the exception of "Tear Off Your Own Head," written by Elvis Costello and debuting on his 2002 album When I Was Cruel . Previous versions of some of the songs were released and performed by band members with other groups they worked with: "Mixed Messages" by Vicki Peterson and "The Rain Song," written by Vicki and Susan Cowsill, both appeared on Continental Drifters albums; while "Ask Me No Questions," written by Debbi Peterson, was released by 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 starting in 1994.
The album spawned three singles. The lead single, "Something That You Said", reached No. 38 in the UK, [14] 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. [14] All three songs had lead vocals by Susanna Hoffs.
In the US, a bonus DVD was included with one version of the album, containing interviews, a photo gallery and the "Something That You Said" video. The Japanese CD in 2003 included as bonus tracks both songs from the Bangs'/Bangles' 1981 debut 7-inch single, "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." All of these tracks are featured on the audio player on the US bonus DVD as well. [13]
In 2020 and 2021, the album was reissued in a 2-LP format in the US on four different colored vinyl editions by Real Gone Music. [13]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's a Doll Revolution)" | Elvis Costello | Hoffs | 3:57 |
2. | "Stealing Rosemary" | Susanna Hoffs, Debbi Peterson, Vicki Peterson | V. Peterson | 3:32 |
3. | "Something That You Said" | Charlotte Caffey, Hoffs, V. Peterson | Hoffs | 4:16 |
4. | "Ask Me No Questions" | Walker Igleheart, D. Peterson | D. Peterson | 3:26 |
5. | "The Rain Song" | Susan Cowsill, V. Peterson | V. Peterson | 3:41 |
6. | "Nickel Romeo" | Steve LeGassick, Brian Ray, Michael Steele | Steele | 4:57 |
7. | "Ride the Ride" | Hoffs, D. Peterson, V. Peterson, Daniel Schwartz | Group | 4:48 |
8. | "I Will Take Care of You" | Hoffs, Dillon O'Brian | Hoffs | 3:56 |
9. | "Here Right Now" | D. Peterson, Peter Rafelson | D. Peterson | 3:24 |
10. | "Single by Choice" | V. Peterson | V. Peterson | 3:41 |
11. | "Lost at Sea" | Hoffs, D. Peterson | D. Peterson | 3:55 |
12. | "Song for a Good Son" | Steele | Steele | 4:01 |
13. | "Mixed Messages" | V. Peterson | V. Peterson | 3:19 |
14. | "Between the Two" | Steele, David White | Steele | 3:42 |
15. | "Grateful" | Bill Bottrell, Hoffs, Daniel Schwartz | Hoffs | 4:59 |
Chart (2003) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [15] | 36 |
European Albums ( Music & Media ) [16] | 97 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [17] | 35 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [18] | 78 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [19] | 80 |
UK Albums (OCC) [20] | 62 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [21] | 23 |
The Bangles are an American all-female pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, in 1981. They are known for hit singles during the 1980s that made them one of the most successful pop rock groups of the decade. The band’s biggest commercial successes include "Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986), which became a worldwide phenomenon, "Manic Monday" (1986), a song written by Prince, and a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s "Hazy Shade of Winter" (1987), which was featured in the film Less Than Zero. Their ballad "Eternal Flame" (1989) became a big hit, topping the charts in several countries and is one of their signature songs. Other hits included "In Your Room" (1988) and "If She Knew What She Wants" (1986).
Victoria Anne Theresa Peterson Cowsill is an American rock musician and songwriter. She has been the lead guitarist for the Bangles since their founding in 1981. After their first disbandment in 1989, she has returned to the band for all subsequent reunions. In intervening years, she has performed with other artists, most extensively with the Continental Drifters.
Susanna Lee Hoffs is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She, Debbi Peterson, and Vicki Peterson founded the Bangles in 1981. Their debut album, All Over the Place, (1984) was acclaimed by critics but sold poorly. Their second album, Different Light, (1986) was also warmly received by critics and was certified double-platinum in 1987 and triple-platinum in 1994. It contained the US number two single "Manic Monday" written by Prince and the number one single "Walk Like an Egyptian". The group's third album, Everything (1988), included the US top ten charting "In Your Room" and number one "Eternal Flame", both written by Hoffs with Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. Hoffs was lead vocalist on five of the seven Columbia singles by the Bangles, which contributed to a public perception that she was a lead singer, even though all four members took lead vocals across their output. Following tensions including resentment at Hoffs's perceived leadership and the stress of touring, the band split in 1989. It reformed in 1999 and released the albums Doll Revolution (2003) and Sweetheart of the Sun (2011).
"Manic Monday" is a song by the American pop rock band the Bangles, which was the first single released from their second studio album, Different Light (1986). The song was written by American musician Prince, under the pseudonym "Christopher". Originally it was intended for the group Apollonia 6 in 1984. Lyrically, it describes a woman who is waking up to go to work on Monday, wishing it was still Sunday so that she could continue relaxing.
Michael Steele is an American retired musician, best known as the bassist for The Bangles. Under the name Micki Steele, she was a founding member of The Runaways but left in 1975, shortly before the band's major label debut. For the next several years, she played with various other musical groups for short periods of time.
"Walk Like an Egyptian" is a song by the American band the Bangles. It was released in September 1986 as the third single from the band's second studio album, Different Light (1986). It was the band's first number-one single, being certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and was ranked Billboard's number-one song of 1987.
All Over the Place is the debut studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles. Released in 1984 by 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 did not 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.
Different Light is the second studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles, released in January 1986. The album's Top 40 sound was a departure from their earlier 1960s-style rock'n'roll sound. It is their most successful album, reaching number two on the Billboard 200 and producing five charting singles, including the Billboard top two hits "Manic Monday" and "Walk Like an Egyptian". It is also the first album in which bassist Michael Steele sings lead vocals on some tracks.
Everything is the third studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles. It was released on October 18, 1988 through Columbia Records. Just like its predecessor, Everything produced a US Top 5 hit, and a number one single, "Eternal Flame," which became a chart-topper in almost every major country around the world.
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by American pop rock band the Bangles. It was released by their record company, Columbia Records on May 8, 1990, to fulfill the band's contractual requirements; by the time of the release of the album, the group had already broken up. The album peaked at #97 on the US Billboard 200 and at #4 in the UK Albums Chart.
Bangles is the eponymous first EP by The Bangles. It was released in 1982 by Faulty Products and reissued in 1983 by I.R.S. Records when Faulty Products went out of business. The songs remained widely unavailable thereafter, with only occasional rereleases of individual songs. The whole five-song EP was eventually reissued as part of the Bangles' 2014 compilation, Ladies and Gentlemen... The Bangles!.
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rolling stone the bangles album guide.