If you're looking at the recent Bangles reissues from Wounded Bird, check out this past September's UK release of MANIC MONDAY: THE BEST OF THE BANGLES (on the Music Club Deluxe label). It's got all of ALL OVER THE PLACE on it, which is probably the most welcome of those Wounded Bird reissues. Amazon's third-party vendors have the 2-disc comp at pretty much the same price as Wounded Bird's individual CDs. Wounded Bird has put out some great stuff, but this continues a recent trend of UK labels making very useful compilations of acts just as Wounded Bird reissues single CDs of same.

---

2007 release of a double CD anthology of the all female pop band that played all their own instruments, wrote all their own songs, save for the occasional cover version. They came to the late Miles Copeland's attention in the early 1980's after he was already working with the Go-Go's, Another LA female pop group poised to make it big. After the Go-Go's had hit the summit, the Bangles sailed right in after them with a song written by Prince, "Manic Monday", followed by the #1 hit "Walk Like an Egyptian" and a cover of Paul Simon's "A Hazy Shade of Winter", recorded for the soundtrack of the film "Less Than Zero". Here are all the key tracks the gals recorded, long before the Spice Girls purported their "Girl Power" campaign.

Disc: 1
1. Manic Monday (UK No.2, US No.2)
2. Going Down To Liverpool (UK No.56)
3. Walk Like An Egyptian (UK No.3, US No.1)
4. If She Knew What She Wants (US No.29)
5. Hero Takes A Fall
6. Live
7. James
8. All About You
9. Dover Beach
10. Tell Me
11. Restless
12. He's Got A Secret
13. Silent Treatment
14. More Than Meets The Eye
15. Walking Down Your Street (UK No.16, US No.11)
16. In A Different Light
17. Following (UK No.55)
18. Standing In The Hallway

Disc: 2
1. Hazy Shade Of Winter (UK No.11, US No.2)
2. In Your Room (UK No.35, US No.5)
3. Eternal Flame (UK No.1, US No.1)
4. Be With You (UK No.23, US No.30)
5. I'll Set You Free (UK No.74)
6. Return Post
7. Where Were You When I Needed You
8. Let It Go
9. September Gurls
10. Angels Don't Fall In Love
11. Not Like You
12. Complicated Girl
13. Bell Jar
14. Something To Believe In
15. Watching The Sky
16. Some Dreams Come True
17. Crash And Burn
18. Everything I Wanted

Amazon USA:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000TJ6BB4/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000TJ6BB4/?tag=imwan-21

This looks pretty good. I liked this band a lot.

What's next, a Beatles/Backstreet Boys comparison?

Sadly, I've already seen that and an N*SYNC/Beatles comparison. Oh, no - I think I'm gonna be sick.

I'll never forget the magazine cover I saw many years ago that called Kenny Rogers "the new Elvis". Even Radiohead/Pink Floyd comparisons bother me, though. I think things really have to stand the test of time before you make those kind of statments.

But getting back to the subject at hand, this does look like a nice Bangles compilation. Their "Different Light" album helped get me through a walkathon back in the 80's, so I've always been especially fond of that material. Nice cover too.