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]

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)

Production

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

Critical reception

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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

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  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

Charts

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Chart (1991) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[18] 113

References

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  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.
  18. ^ "Bad Tango Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2024.