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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
informative
slow-paced
I received a gifted copy for free from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
The Bangles were an all-female pop band in the 80s determined to succeed in a male-dominated music industry. This is an authorized biography of the Bangles given by Jennifer Bickerdike. This book also contains exclusive interviews, stories and much more with the assistance of the founding members of the band, Debbi Peterson, Susanna Hoffs, and Vicki Peterson. It is a tribute to an amazing pop band of their time!
I grew up listening to The Bangles. They were one of the bands that I first heard as a child. My mother would sing their songs right before bedtime. Eternal Flame was actually the only song I remember by heart, and it's also the song that would put me right to sleep! To be honest, I didn't know much of their background until I read this book! These women are such a talented bunch! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and you can tell that this was very well researched. When you read about the experiences the band had, it feels like you were there! I'm sure that this was just such a small glimpse into the lives of the band members.
This is a book I would have on my shelf for sentimental reasons. If there was one band I could always remember from my childhood, The Bangles were the first group that would always come to mind! If you haven't heard or if you want to read about an awesome girl pop group from the 80s, definitely check this book out!
The Bangles were an all-female pop band in the 80s determined to succeed in a male-dominated music industry. This is an authorized biography of the Bangles given by Jennifer Bickerdike. This book also contains exclusive interviews, stories and much more with the assistance of the founding members of the band, Debbi Peterson, Susanna Hoffs, and Vicki Peterson. It is a tribute to an amazing pop band of their time!
I grew up listening to The Bangles. They were one of the bands that I first heard as a child. My mother would sing their songs right before bedtime. Eternal Flame was actually the only song I remember by heart, and it's also the song that would put me right to sleep! To be honest, I didn't know much of their background until I read this book! These women are such a talented bunch! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and you can tell that this was very well researched. When you read about the experiences the band had, it feels like you were there! I'm sure that this was just such a small glimpse into the lives of the band members.
This is a book I would have on my shelf for sentimental reasons. If there was one band I could always remember from my childhood, The Bangles were the first group that would always come to mind! If you haven't heard or if you want to read about an awesome girl pop group from the 80s, definitely check this book out!
For any 80’s kid like me, growing up loving the songs, but having little knowledge of the history, this book was a joy. I can remember singing my heart out to many of the top Bangles hits, so when I saw this book, I just had to revisit my childhood and get the inside scoop.
What I found with this book is that the term “girl band” and all it’s associated stigmas, were something that greatly contributed to the destruction of the band, long before they should have been calling it quits.
Setting aside all of the normal sexist garbage women are faced with, there was also a deeper manipulation of the band by management who saw them only as a publicity opportunity, rather than the rock star garage band they were meant to have catapulted to stardom from.
Pitting band members against each other, inserting studio musicians to unnecessarily play on tracks to overshadow the group members, it was insane to see how the management, promoters, and the public picked them apart piece by piece.
This book was a great insiders story to the band members, and how they overcame the issues of their past to come back together and record, remaining overall supportive of each other in the end. Very fun journey back to the 80’s
What I found with this book is that the term “girl band” and all it’s associated stigmas, were something that greatly contributed to the destruction of the band, long before they should have been calling it quits.
Setting aside all of the normal sexist garbage women are faced with, there was also a deeper manipulation of the band by management who saw them only as a publicity opportunity, rather than the rock star garage band they were meant to have catapulted to stardom from.
Pitting band members against each other, inserting studio musicians to unnecessarily play on tracks to overshadow the group members, it was insane to see how the management, promoters, and the public picked them apart piece by piece.
This book was a great insiders story to the band members, and how they overcame the issues of their past to come back together and record, remaining overall supportive of each other in the end. Very fun journey back to the 80’s
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Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Books for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I was a tween and teenager when The Bangles hit it big, and I was obsessed with them! They were such positive role models for kids like me, a music group that had catchy, pop tunes, as well as some real rock ‘n roll Moxey. I was thrilled to get this ARC and dived right in.
Michael Steele declined to be involved with the project, which is too bad, because she was my favorite, but Debbi and Vicki Peterson and Susanna Hoffs, as well as many others in the group’s orbit, provide details of the band’s formation, ascension, and ultimate breakup.
This very thorough and intimate look at the band and its germination, hard fought battles for gigs, changing lineup of members, and the slow road to success are covered in detail. I really appreciated this, as when I was a kid, I only read the fan magazines. I’m glad of that, though, because the author shares some really heinous, misogynistic quotes from articles covering the ladies at the time. Really sexist stuff. Constant comparisons to the Go-Go’s, who were a great group, but the pitting of women against women is ridiculous. Two “girl groups” could, and can, occupy the same space at the same time. I didn’t realize at the time, but the band was frequently accused of not playing their own instruments, much like another favorite of mine, The Monkees, and no number of live performances could shut down the naysayers.
The stories of what the record label and management would ask them to do, especially the styling of the ladies, is really frustrating. They were very much a “thrift store” chic that I admired, yet, there were constant pressures for tighter clothes, shorter skirts, bigger hair, tons of makeup, etc. Looking back on it all now, the women said they put up with it because they didn’t want to make waves with the label, and they should have fought for more stylistic control.
Speaking of control, some real knot head sexist producers help make their records. The experiences the band had making their classic album Different Light are upsetting to read about, because they were really psychologically messed with during the whole process, and it soured them on the process of creating great music. However, they asserted their control for their next album and had much creative success.
The struggles the band went through as they gained exposure and success makes me admire the band even more. Each band member dealt with it differently, and those thoughts are shared by the band members. While Michael did not participate in the creation of this book, her thoughts are relayed in various interviews she’s given through the years. Vicki, Debbi, and Susanna provide a lot of stories that weave the tales of the band.
The genesis of some of the band’s greatest hits, including Walk Like and Egyptian, Eternal Flame, Hazy Shade of Winter, and Prince’s Manic Monday, are all explored. In fact, the Prince stories really stand out. He was an early backer of the band and would frequently pop up when the ladies were performing and ask to come onstage with them. The ladies, to this day, have no idea why Prince took a shine to them, although they are appreciative.
All in all, this a great official biography of one of my favorite bands during a formative time of my life. Highly recommend! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
informative
slow-paced