There is absolutely no reason to purchase this disc. Sure, there may have been a reason to pick it up back in 1986 when it was new, but the best moments of the disc are represented on another Bangles disc -- 1990's Greatest Hits.

Now, I don't mean to bash this disc or the Bangles, at all. In fact, the Bangles remain one of my favorite highly-commercial pop acts of all time, and I'll be the first in line when the band's brand new disc -- Doll Revolution -- is released in the U.S. this spring.

The problem with Different Light is that it suffers from a problem common to highly-commercial releases -- you get a few good songs and a bunch of half-baked, over-produced filler.

As for the "big hits" on the disc, they are truly songs which have defined the band's career and, to a certain extent, the 1980s. Who growing up in that decade could forget the lush, mid-tempo "Manic Monday" (which was written for the band by Prince, by the way). If the dense production, up-front lead and backing vocals, prominent keyboards and dreamy nature of the song doesn't scream "welcome to the mid-1980s," I don'e know what does.

And, then there's "Walk Like an Egyptian," a quirky, driving dance track which stands as yet another testament to the 1980s and is evidence of the impact the Bangles had on the decade. That one, to be sure, is another enjoyable tune.

But, wait! Both "Walk Like an Egyptian" and "Manic Monday" are on the aforementioned Greatest Hits compilation. Similarly, the other three truly enjoyable songs from Different Light -- "If She Knew What She Wants," "Walking Down Your Street" and "Following" (a surprisingly complex ballad) -- are also on Greatest Hits.

What this disc suffers from is the lack of truly great album tracks that will keep the listener pulling it out to hear something outside of the "big hits" and a couple of other decent songs. The only track outside of the aforementioned five which deserves any mention at all is Big Star's "September Gurls," and even that song is a half-hearted attempt to fill up space between singles. So, you get five very good songs and seven that are either horrible, dull or fair-to-middling.

The lack of great album tracks might have a bit to do with the fact the Bangles didn't exactly have a lot to do with writing the tracks here. Of the six songs I've mentioned so far, only one of them was written entirely by a member of the Bangles -- "Following" by bassist Michael Steele. Susanna Hoffs received a co-author credit on "Walking Down Your Street," but "Manic Monday," "Walk Like an Egyptian" and "If She Knew What She Wants" were written by folks completely outside of the band. In all, there are only four tracks on the disc written completely by band members, and that presents a bit of a problem -- one of the thing that made 1984's "All Over the Place" is the Bangles were free to draw from their influences from the 1960s (the Beatles, in particular). The ladies could then take the music which influenced them and update it a bit to fit the 1980s.

The reliance on rock from the 1960s is hard to find here, and all that remains is the wonderful harmonies which seemed to come effortlessly to the Bangles. So, all you've got left is a pure pop album with some wonderful harmonies. While that works on some tracks here, it's hard to deny the band got away from the very sound which attracted people to it in the first place. That's really too bad.

Now, there's been a lot of talk about this disc in some quarters. Specifically, the Bangles were all but accused of being another version of the Monkees in that a lot of session musicians were used here. The Bangles have stated, several times, they all played on the disc but chose to use session musicians here or there as needed. What does that all mean? I'm not sure, but the point should be raised, regardless.

So, if you're interested in this disc, pick it up if you can find it cheap (and, I'm sure you can). For a better look at the band's career -- and for the best songs on this disc -- pick up a copy of Greatest Hits.


Want to read more about the Bangles? Check out my reviews on Doll Revolution, Greatest Hits, Everything and All Over the Place. Enjoy!


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving