Bang Tango - 'From The Hip'
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Released through Perris Records on September 26, 2006
THE BAND:
Joe Leste - vocals
Mark Simpson - guitars
Timmy Russell - drums
Lance Eric - bass



TRACK FRAGMENTS:
1.) "It's All Ok" - This track opens with Timmy playing a snare drum fill.  As Timmy moves the fill from tom to tom he begins to slow it down.  Do not let the very simple sound of the rhythm patterns of the intro fool you, they are intense!  In the way Joe arranged the first few vocal lines of the pre-verse were very similar to Enuff 'z' Nuff.  Underneath the vocal lines of this pre -verse there were two different rhythm guitar arrangements.  The lead vocal lines of the pre-verse were spoken instead of sung.  After the first main verse the band drastically change the entire musical and vocal arrangement.  After the first chorus the song switches back to the pre-verse arrangement.  The lead guitar solo was right after the second pre-verse and was influenced from late eighties guitar heroes such as C.C. Deville.    
2.) "Ain't Nothing' Better" -Some of the rhythm guitar riffs of this intro was influenced from early Angus & Malcolm Young of AC/DC.  Mark overdubbed his rhythm guitar tracks to give the song a heavier sound.  The main instrument of the verse is really the drum rhythm.  This is due to the fact that the rhythm guitar and bass line has so many breaks within it.  The verses and choruses run one into another with nothing connecting the two, other than a small rhythm change.  There is a very strange guitar effect that connects the second chorus to the lead guitar solo.       
3.) "Go, Go, Go" - This track opens with the rhythm guitar track coming out of only the left speaker.  There are several musical rests in between the vocal lines.  This lets the vocals and drums carry the verses.  There is a minor lead guitar solo after the first chorus.  After the minor lead guitar solo the musical arrangement goes into a musical breakdown.  The band placed the major lead guitar solo after the third chorus.
4.) "Carry Me Up" - This ballad opens with a classic eighties hard rock ballad intro arrangement.  Lance's bass line was turned up for the opening of the verse.  The main rhythm guitar riffs of the verse were very laid back playing just rhythm chords.  There was a vocal echo added to the end each lead vocal line of the verse.  After the first verse Timmy and Mark change the rhythm structure of the song.  If it had not been for this small rhythm change this song would have been just another hard rock ballad.  There was no guitar solo.
5.) "Mother Mary" -This track opens with a very simple lead guitar riff.  The rhythm & lead guitar arrangements of the pre-verse and verse have a seventies feel to them.  Leading into an underneath the first couple lyric lines of the chorus Mark overdubbed two different rhythm guitar arrangements. 
6.) "Get Use To It" -This track opens with a classic hard rock intro section.  Joe's vocals are just a little to scratchy for the rhythm guitar sound.  One of the biggest highlights underneath the short verses was Lance's drum work.  Running at just two-minutes long this track was way too short!!!
7.) "I'm The One" -This track opens with a heavy metal blues intro.  There was a very simple rhythm guitar change separating the verse and chorus.  The guitar solo was very short and simple.   
8.) "Simple" -This semi-ballad opens with  huge drum fill.  The rhythm guitar riffs of the intro and pre-verses had a very laid back feel.  Mark overdubs a lead guitar change over the top of the main rhythm guitar underneath the verses.  Throughout the entire song it is constantly sounding like it is going to erupt into a heavy metal explosion, but never does.  However, the guitar solo was very cool!
9.) "One More Spin" -The pre-musical intro to this track has a heavy metal funk feel to it.  The main musical intro is fairly the same only in more of a hard rock style.  The rhythm guitar riffs of this song have a mean sound to them.  At times a few of Joe's lyrics have a echo attached too them.  The lead guitar solo runs under the first half of the last chorus.  This song was another song on the CD that was very short.
10.) "Angel Devil" -This track was done acoustically.

   
    My first recollection of Bang Tango was while performing with my own band.  If my memory servers me correct, we were taking a break and I had stepped outside for some fresh air when I was approached by a girl who asked if we knew any Bang Tango material.  That was between sixteen to seventeen years ago and I'm just now getting the chance to hear the band.  I really hope the band's first release sounded better.  With this release either the lyrics are good, or, it is the music. I can't think of one song on the CD were they both come together.  With all honesty and a clear conscious I can not even tell dedicated Bang Tango fan's to buy this.  Unless this is what the band has always sounded like, then buy it.  But do not say you was not warned!