Book Review: This Bird Has Flown

Jane Start is thirty-three, broke, and recently single. Ten years prior, she had a hit song—written by world-famous superstar Jonesy—but Jane hasn’t had a breakout since. Now she's living out of four garbage bags at her parents’ house, reduced to performing to Karaoke tracks in Las Vegas. Rock bottom.

But when her longtime manager Pippa sends Jane to London to regroup, she’s seated next to an intriguing stranger on the flight—the other Tom Hardy, an elegantly handsome Oxford professor of literature. Jane is instantly smitten by Tom, and soon, truly inspired. But it’s not Jane’s past alone that haunts her second chance at stardom, and at love. Is Tom all that he seems? And can Jane emerge from the shadow of Jonesy's earlier hit, and into the light of her own?

The Bangles - Different Light (30th anniversary)

Today (January 2nd) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Different Life, the second studio album from the Bangles. The record was the group’s best selling to date, having gone multi-Platinum a number of times over. It reached the number 2 spot on the US Billboard Album chart with a total chart run of eight-two weeks.

For my full review, click here.

For more from the Bangles, click here

The Bangles - All Over the Place (30th anniversary)

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of All Over the Place, the debut album from the Bangles. The album spent thirty weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 80.

For my complete review, please click here.

The Bangles - Bangles

This month marks the 30th anniversary of the debut album by the all-female rock band the Bangles. The original line-up in 1982 included Vicki Peterson (lead guitar, vocals), Susanna Hoffs (rhythm guitar, vocals), Debbi Peterson (drums, vocals) and Annette Zilinskas (bass, harmonica, backing vocals).

The five track EP titled Bangles was first released on the Faulty Products label. In 1983, I.R.S. Records re-released it. The four girls were joined by Craig Leon, who also produced the album, and Ethan James on keyboards.

The Bangles - Different Light

Happy fifty-third birthday today (January 17th) to Susanna Hoffs.

After their 1984 debut album All Over the Place (click here for my review of that one), the Bangles followed it up in January of 1986 with their second album Different Light. The record was the group’s best selling to date, having gone multi-Platinum a number of times over. It reached the number 2 spot on the US Billboard Album chart, number 2 in Australia, number 3 in the UK, number 5 in Norway and number 19 in Canada.

The Bangles - All Over the Place

The all-girl band that would eventually become known as the Bangles started out in Los Angeles in late 1980 when Susanna Hoffs (rhythm guitar) joined sisters Vicki (lead guitar) and Debbi Peterson (drums). In 1982, bassist Annette Zilinskas joined them and they recorded an EP.

When she left, former bassist for the Runaways, Michael Steele, joined up and the quartet of women released their first full length studio album All Over the Place in June of 1984. This first album went to number 80 on the US Billboard 200 album charts and number 86 on the UK album charts.