Throwback Rock'n'Roll by The Bangles

The vast majority of alleged rock'n'roll albums from the 1980s were "throw 'em back" albums, the harder thrown back into the bin the better. Not so The Bangles' "All Over The Place," a raw gem of throwback '60s-style rock'n'roll that was largely undiscovered. The hit single "Manic Monday" from their subsequent album, "Different Light," was what caught the fancy of the listening public. But that was a pure pop song from an album that was half-pop and half-rock and signaled an unfortunate change in direction for this all-girls band. Fueled by the success of "Manic Monday," by the time their next album, "Everything," was released, The Bangles had become pure pop and forever lost their edge. The only rocker on that entire album was "Crash and Burn." But for fans curious enough to dig back into the band's near past, "All Over The Place" emerges as The Bangles' true high point, representing a sound and style they never should have abandoned. There's not a bad song to be found on the entire album, and there are a lot of catchy ones that would appeal to afficionadoes of sixties rock'n'roll. "Live" is a jangly cover of a regional mid-'60s minor hit by The Merry-Go-Round and a much superior version to the original. "James" is a rousing three-chord rocker, and "He's Got a Secret" with its haunting minor chords is also terrific. Ditto for "Dover Beach." These are songs that would have been smash hits had they been released in the '60s instead of the '80s, by which time they had become anachronisms. Vicki Peterson can play a raunchy lead guitar on a plateau with many male virtuosos, and the harmonies are wonderful. But when the record companies decided exotic-looking rhythm guitarist Susanna Hoffs should be the star of this band and Debbi Peterson, Michael Steele, and Vicki Peterson reduced to supporting musicians, the strategy destroyed the chemistry of the band and eventually the band itself.