A song by Michael Steele - not the former Republican Party chairman turned MSNBC pundit - but the Bangle who had also once been a Runaway (until Kim Fowley made things intolerable for her). In the song, Steele recalls the Los Angeles glitter scene circa 1973 "as a lost, broken world, with only Bowie’s “Hang Onto Yourself” as a souvenir. Vicki does her best Mick Ronson for the break."
So writes famed Bowieologist Chris O'Leary in a freakily fascinating in-depth essay on the Bangles, for his new-ish venture 64 Quartets. During which he establishes convincingly that (hard as it might be to believe) The Bangles were once cool - then proceeds to demonstrate in strangely gripping detail just how totally they became uncool, buckling quick to industry pressures. I still reckon the Paisley Underground is one of the non-events of rock history, but O'Leary held my attention to the end, and this is a lengthy piece of writing.
Now to read his similarly extensive essay on a band I actually care about - Throwing Muses (with side-bars, each essay length in their own right, on Pixies, Breeders, Belly)
