While the Bangles would later embrace a radio-friendly pop production style (and enjoy attendant commercial success) that separated them from their early peers, they were the only figures from the L.A. paisley underground scene who would go on to become genuine multi-platinum rock stars, and while their first full-length album, 1984's All Over the Place, showed that some of their rough edges were already being buffed away, of their major-label output it's the record that most openly embraces the folk-rock and garage rock influences that fueled their earliest music. Vicki Peterson's lead guitar and the band's stellar harmonies are the vehicles that drive these 11 songs, and if producer David Kahne was already pushing the group in a more commercially ambitious direction, there's no disguising the psychedelic guitar figures on "Dover Beach" or the Byrds-meets-Raiders jangle of "Tell Me," and the choice of the Merry-Go-Round's "Live" as a cover is especially telling. All Over the Place is also the Bangles' most unified full-length album; Susanna Hoffs hadn't yet been singled out as the star of the show, and the round-robin lead vocals, stellar harmonies, and tight, concise arrangements make them sound like a real-deal rock band, and the set's gentle but insistent sway from British Invasion-styled rock and West Coast pop feels natural, unforced, and effective. And when drummer Debbie Peterson and bassist Michael Steele feel like rocking out, the Bangles generate a lot more heat than they're usually given credit for, most notably on "Silent Treatment." The Bangles' second full album, Different Light, would sell a lot more copies, but All Over the Place is easily their best and most satisfying LP. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
All Over the Place was The Bangles' first full length album for Columbia Records. Released in 1984, the sound is lively and shows more Bangles collaboration and less keyboard overdubs that were used later on their more commercially successful albums. Although the album was not a commercial success, it gave them the chance to perform as an opening act for Cyndi Lauper and Huey Lewis and the News and brought the group to the attention of Prince, who would write Manic Monday, their first hit.
Two singles were released from this album, "Hero Takes a Fall", which peaked outside the U.K. Top 40, and "Going Down to Liverpool," written by Kimberley Rew of Katrina and the Waves, [1] which won the Bangles the BPI Award, the British equivalent of the Grammy. The video for "Going Down To Liverpool" features Leonard Nimoy, who plays the part of the band's chauffeur.
"James" was originally sung by Vicki but was relegated to Susanna by the time the album was recorded. "Hero Takes a Fall" was given a subtle remix for its single release. It was backed by the non-album track "Where Were You When I Needed You", a cover of The Grass Roots tune. (This and the remixed version of "Hero Takes a Fall" were later included in the Bangles Greatest Hits album.)