Dancin' on Coals

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Dancin' on Coals
Studio album by
Released1991
Genre
LabelMCA Records[1]
ProducerJohn Jansen
Bang Tango chronology
Psycho Café
(1989)
Dancin' on Coals
(1991)
Love After Death
(1994)

Dancin' on Coals is the second album by American hard rock band Bang Tango, released in 1991.[2][3] It peaked at No. 113 on the Billboard 200.[4] A single, "Untied and True", was a minor hit.[5] Bang Tango supported the album by opening for Cheap Trick on a North American tour.[6]

Production[edit]

The album was produced by John Jansen.[7] The Uptown Horns contributed to "Soul to Soul".[8]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Calgary HeraldC+[10]
Chicago Tribune[11]
Entertainment WeeklyA[12]
Los Angeles Times[13]
The Record[14]
Rock Hard7.5/10[15]
The San Diego Union-Tribune[8]

Entertainment Weekly wrote that "funk weaves its way seductively through nearly every song, and the production is sharp and slick."[12] The Los Angeles Times opined that "if the Cult was the Beatles, Goth-obsessed Bang Tango would be Badfinger: too close to the original to really matter but with enough twists of its own to resist easy dismissal."[13] The Record determined that Bang Tango "moves slightly away from the thunderous backbeats and heavy guitar sounds that characterized its first effort to spotlight a smooth, seductive funk groove."[14]

The St. Petersburg Times thought that "'Emotions in Gear' is the record's best work, a seductive song whose melodic chorus is countered by furious verses."[16] The Chicago Tribune concluded that "although singer Joe LeSte's lyrics are painfully bad at times ('Oh, my little philly, I'm gonna ride you'), the album is mostly a lot of raw, energetic fun."[11] The Calgary Herald lamented that "as much as Bang Tango create a sense of musical adventure, they never scale any peaks previously unconquered ... Their great approach doesn't translate into great songs, only gratifying moments."[10]

Spin deemed the album a hair metal essential, writing that it molds "goth-rock moods into urgently horny soul-metal."[17]

Track listing[edit]

  1. "Soul to Soul" – 4:14
  2. "Untied and True" – 4:50
  3. "Emotions in Gear" – 5:02
  4. "I'm in Love" – 3:33
  5. "Big Line" – 3:30
  6. "Midnight Struck" – 7:02
  7. "Dancin' on Coals" – 5:24
  8. "My Saltine" – 2:49
  9. "Dressed Up Vamp" – 4:37
  10. "Last Kiss" – 5:58
  11. "Cactus Juice" – 3:57

References[edit]

  1. ^ Phillips, William; Cogan, Brian (March 20, 2009). Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal Music. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780313348013 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "Bang Tango Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ^ Popoff, Martin (August 15, 2014). The Big Book of Hair Metal: The Illustrated Oral History of Heavy Metal's Debauched Decade. Voyageur Press. ISBN 9780760345467 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2001). Top Pop Albums 1955–2001. Record Research Inc. p. 48.
  5. ^ Sheffield, Rob; Greene, Andy (December 27, 2007). "Rocklahoma: Still Hair Metal After All These Years". Rolling Stone. No. 1042/1043. pp. 56, 58–63.
  6. ^ "SOMETHING OLD, NOTHING NEW". The Sacramento Bee. June 28, 1991. p. SC5.
  7. ^ "Album Reviews -- Dancin' on Coals by Bang Tango". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 24. June 15, 1991. p. 64.
  8. ^ a b Blue, Buddy (August 30, 1991). "Dancin' on Coals, by Bang Tango". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. C2.
  9. ^ "Dancin' on Coals - Bang Tango | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  10. ^ a b Miller, Glen (July 7, 1991). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald. Entertainment. p. B7.
  11. ^ a b Herrmann, Brenda (July 4, 1991). "Rave recordings". Chicago Tribune. Tempo. p. 7.
  12. ^ a b "Dancin' on Coals". EW.com.
  13. ^ a b Hochman, Steve (August 11, 1991). "Bang Tango, 'Dancin' on Coals'". Los Angeles Times. Calendar. p. 58.
  14. ^ a b Jaeger, Barbara (August 1, 1991). "Bang Tango, 'Dancin On Coals'". The Record. p. D9.
  15. ^ "BANG TANGO - Dancin' On Coals". ROCK HARD Heavy-Metal-Magazin.
  16. ^ Hall, Dave (July 12, 1991). "METAL THAT BURNS". St. Petersburg Times. Weekend. p. 16.
  17. ^ Eddy, Chuck (July 2008). "Essentials: Hair Metal". Spin. 24 (7): 105.