Dancin' on Coals (1991)

In the wake of Guns N' Roses' megasuccess, it seemed as if every record label wanted its own group of hard- rockin' bad boys. Bang Tango's first album, 1989's Psycho Cafe, with its hard-edged funk and untamed rawness, proved that this quintet was anything but a wannabe. Dancin' on Coals, the group's second full-length record, jumps light years ahead in maturity, leaving all comparisons by the wayside. With tunes like ''Soul to Soul'' and ''Emotions in Gear,'' Bang Tango has gotten smooth, gotten cool, and gotten down. Funk weaves its way seductively through nearly every song, and the production is sharp and slick. The band still can rock out with a wild number like the title track, but they can also ooze soulfulness with the ballad ''Midnight Struck.'' Dancin' on Coals brings Bang Tango into the mainstream with both integrity and fire.