Great album, if you've never listened to any of the Outfield besides Play Deep and Diamond Days, this and Voices of Babylon are two worth buying.


Sophomore effort scores home run.....   January 14, 2000
Jami Marie Taylor (Redmond, WA USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Even though Bangin' is the trio's second album and is therefore classified as a sophomore effort, it has no signs of carrying the typical sophomore curse. If anything it is Better than Play Deep.... It contains the classics Since You've Been Gone and No Surrender, but it also contains hits such as Bangin' On My Heart, Main Attraction, Alone With You ( a beautiful ballad), Somewhere In America, and Playground. If you liked Play Deep and you want to experience more of the fresh sound of the Outfield, buy Bangin'!


Underrated sophomore effort from Outfield   December 22, 2003
Daniel J. Hamlow (Narita, Japan)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful

It's a mystery why the Outfield's sophomore effort, or should that be second inning? didn't yield many runs, because it should have. The catchy characteristic guitar riffs from John Spinks and Tony Lewis's wailing vocals that made "Your Love" a hit are still present in "Somewhere In America", a grim song about the competitive nature of America, where "a joker deals and makes the rules/a game of chance, a game that was made for fools/like me and you." Other songs too share those attributes, but maybe it's because the consistency in sound sacrificed anything that could be picked out as a single, at least by the record company. I for one have singled out a few that could've helped push more units of this album.

"Bangin' On My Heart" has guitar chords worthy of a Bryan Adams song from Reckless and could've been a single. Just when one's heart is settled from someone who was just not another girl, her returning is the last thing one needs, right?

"No Surrender" was the second single and despite the quick rhythm guitar played over the synths, and the slow lyrics, it's easy to see why this didn't make the Top 40.

Why wasn't "Moving Target" a single? Again, Spinks' characteristic guitars in the chorus make this rocker worthy of radio play. The psychological exhaustion comes from being a moving target and the inevitability of one's end makes it kind of a bummer, as Lewis sings "No need to shoot me down, my time will come." Another singleworthy track is the mid-paced ballad "Long Way Home", which has a Bryan Adams-like sound a la Into The Fire.

That old scenario of seeing someone across a crowded room and wanting to talk to her, but only being able to dream of that is the theme of "Alone With You." It's a ballad with more intensity than "Everytime You Cry" from their first album.

"Main Attraction" is kind of muted, but their equivalent of an all-out rocker about a girl who's the title attraction. It's not specific what she is, presumably a stripper or something. A standout cut, and second best cut here.

Finally, best for last. The first single, the yearning "Since You've Been Gone" was the only one from Bangin' that cracked the Top 40, and again, Spinks' representative power chords that pushed them to the Top Ten with "Your Love." This deserved a Top Ten charting at least.

A more consistent and stronger sound is present on Bangin', which despite the filler tracks, proves the Outfield was good enough for a second inning.


One Killer Cd   May 5, 2005
Harry Hollingsworth (Indianapolis, Indiana United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This is one cd that I keep playing over and over. I love every song on it. It starts out with Somewhere In America and Bangin' On My Heart two songs that are two of my all time favorite songs. The last track was the hit Since You've Been Gone which is another favorite. While this did not do as good as their first cd Play Deep it is an even better cd. This is one group that should have been a big time act but never made it. After the success of Play Deep they never got much airplay. If you like Play Deep or anything else by the Outfield this is a must. I highly recommend this any anything by them. Other cds they have done Voices Of Babylon, Diamond Days, Rockeye, Extra Innings, Big Innings(Best Of).


Great Form Beginning To End!   March 19, 1999
Richard "Skippyhead" (Florida!)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Simply put, in my honest opinion, when rock went to hell in the mid to late 80's when everyone was using the synths and not using real drummers or bass players here were bands like the Outfield staying true and delivering a great guitar driven album of songs like this. John Spinks is definitely underated, and almost forgotten, as a songwriter and a guitarist. I recently re-discovered this band and have been listening to a lot of their work. Good stuff!