Like X, The B-52's started off their
career as a fascinating - heck, darn near ENJOYABLE - combination of a whole
slew of different genres of music. The 2's (slang term for "B-52's" that I
just made up; my aim was never to confuse you) mixed 60s surf guitar and weird
go-go women with late '70s style ironic new wave (and snatches of pop and
hard rock too!) in a really wicked
creative manner that ROCKED up the new wave while taking surf music much
farther than any of today's traditional Venture-wannabes have bothered (probably
only Dead Kennedys have taken that twangy surf guitar sound in a more fucked
up direction, unless you count all those bands I've never heard - by the way,
while we're on the subject, I'd like to officially apologize for any time in
my reviews when I might have said something like "this is undoubtedly one
of the best metal albums ever recorded" or something like that. Who the hell
am I, no no, who the hell is ANY asshole critic to suggest that he is so
familiar with every album ever recorded that he can honestly make such a
stupid, conceited statement? Again, I apologize. I was a young man when I
began this site. A boy, some might say. But I've grown, sir. Into a neurotic
young man who wishes someone would send him lots of free money.). So it was
COOL, man! Dancey folk could wig out to it, rock
guys could dig the guitar lines, and poppy fans could enjoy the fun-fun-fun
dichotomy of punkish wailing female vox and an extremely homosexual-sounding man
just sort of saying things in a very deliberate manner - just like Jello
Biafra! Unfortunately, like X, The B-52's over time became more and more
conservative (especially after the tragic death of guitarist Ricky Wilson)
until they sounded pretty much like everydamnbody else. Simplistic keyboard-heavy
dance pop music. "Love Shack." Whoopee-doo. Fun, sure, but what are us
rock fans supposed to do now? Ooh! I know! We could go listen to the
Chemical Brothers' Dig Your Own Hole, undoubtedly the most innovative
electronica album ever released!
* The B-52's - Warner Bros. 1979. *
Great record. And by "great," I mean "I've enjoyed it
all four times I've listened to it." Isn't it time for a little honesty
around here? Sure it is! We're tearing ourselves apart! Four times is
enough, though. If an album isn't truly great, its false first impression
wears off after a couple of listens. This first impression still hasn't worn
off. And I've spent over THREE HOURS with the record!Nosy neighbor (as
portrayed by Bob Newhart): "Three hours? Wow. That... well, that.... that's
like, well, that's like... th... that's like..."
What's really cool
about this piece of Americana is that this particular conglomeration of musics had
just never been done before (had it? If so, tell me!). You can hear
surf guitar lines straight
from the early '60s (including a blatant rip-off of the Peter Gunn
theme in track one!), Petty-esque distorted hard rock axework, cold and
emotionless electronics, punk energy, the charming and unpredictable vocal interplay of
THREE different nutbags with over-the-top vocal deliveries, and hoppin' dance beats - all
produced raw and ready,
with tons of great hooks and veritable washing machines full of energy. I know these guys kinda
get the Athens buttshaft a lot, but for pure entertainment value, this LP
ranks up there with almost any of REM's albums (Life's
Rich Pageant is better, for sure, but aside from that one....). Have you
heard "Rock Lobster," for Pete Buck's sake? It's
just too bad they couldn't carry it out over a whole career like that smelly
pretentious jackass singer and his extremely talented band REM.
Just try to open your mind, that's all I'm asking. I certainly never would
have dreamt that I'd enjoy a B-52's album, but I was wronger than a schlebonger.
See, all the beats are bouncy and upbeat, but the gritty guitars never fail
to add an unexpected dark undercurrent of intrigue, even to tracks as harmless on the
surface as "There's A Moon In The Sky (Called The Moon)." In conclusion,
let's just say that this
album puts the "spy" back in "Danspyop."
Ah, hell, you're not falling for
that spelling, are you? Okay, how about it puts the "cock" back in "Hitchcock"?
No? Dammit. Foiled again!
The "marijuana" back in "Dwight
Eisenhower"?
- Reader Comments
- cbunnell@ix.netcom.com (Rich Bunnell)
I really like this album, the entire thing's like a huge
1979 punk party, especially the first 4 tracks. Each of the songs has
some redeeming quality, and while it's not my favorite, it's really
memorable. 8/10
- rdickinson@monmouth.com (Ross Dickinson)
This isn't a bad album or anything, but it's definately not my favorite.
The songs don't really stick out to me, but "Planet Clair", "Hero
Worship", and the rest are still good songs. I'll give it a 6
- WyldLash@aol.com (John)
"The '2's" is a good nickname for these guys (and gals). When I am feeling
especially clever, I refer to them as "The Beefs."
And if there's not already a band named "The Beefs," there should be.
- imes.judy@mcleodusa.net (Elliot Imes)
Crap, I love this cd. So does my 40-year old art teacher! The entire
album is just one big punked up dance party, and I can't get enough of
it. Some people just don't understand why I think "Rock Lobster" is one
of the best songs I've ever heard, and it is then that I have to smack
that person. To echo Mark, however, I just really wish that they could
have kept it up as opposed to going straight to the pits of hell with
shit like "Summer Of Love." Sigh.
- AWINAMP@aol.com
What can I say??
An execeptional piece of work for it's time. I grew up in Marietta, Georgia
and between Atlanta and Athens, The colleges provided a lot of alternative
inspiration for musicians and listeners alike. Nowhere else in the south were
you likely to have such a large concentration of, let's say Todd Rundgren or
Frank Zappa fans as these two cities around the seventies era. And the non-
commercial progressive formats of the college radio stations lent to that.
I think the B-52's not only capitalised on that point in time, but they also
added thier own twist of pop mayhem to the mix. It was most likely the very
beginning of alternative music as we know it today.
Add your thoughts?
Wild Planet - Warner Bros. 1980.
Very similar to the first one, and nearly as good. The
main difference on this one is that the dark shattered underbelly of the
American dream is creeping away,
replaced by the moody sorrow and high-speed goodtimes of tunes like
"Dirty Back Road," "Give Me Back My Man" and "Strobe Light" (three fantastic
songs). Get it? Less surf and spy, more Nerf and cry. (I wrote that "clever"
turn of phrase
about a week ago, and looking back at it now, I am genuinely getting the urge
to remove my own teeth with a pair of scissors.) Also, a few of these
songs are distinctly lacking in energy somehow; "Quiche Lorraine," for example,
absolutely DRAGS. But they're still doing their own thing, and it still
sounds really good - in places, even better, what with some gorgeous female
vocals bringing in a hint of aural beauty (especially in "Dirty Back
Road," which would be even cooler if it had some of those between-line "uh!"s
like Danzig's "Dirty Black Summer," which has a similar title) where none
much existed before. This is the end of the creative road, though, unfortunately.
After this record, they retreated.Say, here's something interesting - every
time I review a new band, I just take an old band review, do a "save as," and
fill in the new information. That way, I don't have to keep rewriting all the
HTML crap. So anyway, you know those bits at the top where you click on the
album title and it takes you directly to the review? That's done with a little
tag word. So about a week ago, I decided to review Circle Jerks. At random,
I pulled up my X reviews to do a "save as" and was delighted to discover that
the two bands had second albums entitled Wild Gift and Wild In The
Streets. Ha! So I could keep the tagword "wild"! Ha! Neat coincidence,
I thought. So the next night I started writing up the B-52's. Pulled up
Circle Jerks at random, and whammo - Wild Planet. Three bands in a row,
all with a second album whose first word in "wild." Isn't that "wild"? Don't
you expect to see a pair of boobs like in Blockbuster's "Wild comedies" section?
Huh? Don't you?
Well???
- Reader Comments
- DSwalen@Concentric.net (Douglas Swalen)
This is the one B52's album I own, and will
probably ever own (I already have "Rock Lobster" on a comp CD). The
draw for me on this album is "Strobe Light". The lyrics are nothing
new to a guy raised on overactive-libido-infused AC/DC. But the riffs are a
nifty blend of punk and surf music. No comment on "My Own Private
Idaho"? I'd get an argument but I consider this song and not "Rock
Lobster" to be their signature song. Hard to believe that this is the same
band that did a cover of the Flintstones theme song....
I guess I really have come full circle to my
high school days. I'm now buying all the tunes I labeled as crap when I was a
young metalhead. Time broadens your horizons I guess....
The Ventures? Pffft. Dick
Dale!
- cbunnell@ix.netcom.com (Rich Bunnell)
In my opinion this one is better than their debut, but
that's cause "Private Idaho" is so darn catchy, and I like all of the
dark songs. "Party Out Of Bounds," "Dirty Back Road," all of them really
nice. And yes, "Quiche Lorraine" drags, but at least it has the B-52's
signature weirdness to it. 9/10
- rdickinson@monmouth.com (Ross Dickinson)
I like this album alot better than the first. "Party Out Of Bounds,"
"Private Idaho," and "Quiche Lorraine" are really great songs. So are
the others, but these noticably stick out to me. I give it an 8
Add your thoughts?
Mesopotamia EP - Warner Bros. 1982.
Did I mention their image yet? They dressed very
colorfully, and
the two women (Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson) had big ol' crazy beehive hairdos.
Did I mention that this record fucking sucks yet? David Byrne produced it,
and brought to the table all the pretentious
seriousness that made his own work idiosyncratic, and made The B-52's work
sound completely dull and unlike The B-52's. Who knows? Maybe they were heading
this way anyway (heavy on the keyboards, light on the fun) and David just
helped them along. Whatever the order of events, these songs just aren't that
good. What happened to the rough fun of the first two? Who needs "art,"
for Larry Hagman's sake? Not I, Mark Prindle. Van Gogh? I don't need it!
Picasso? Don't need it! Degas? Don't need it! Da Vinci? Don't need it!
Warhol? Don't need it!
- Reader Comments
- cbunnell@ix.netcom.com (Rich Bunnell)
I don't HAVE the album, but I just wanna say how good the
title track is, since it's on their Time Capsule CD. At least THIS
David Byrne experiment worked.
- rdickinson@monmouth.com (Ross Dickinson)
I do NOT get how you can't like this album/ep whatever it should be
called! The songs on Mesopotamia might sound different from their
earlier albums and their newer albums, but it's still fun to listen to.
"Loveland," "Cake," and "Nip It In The Bud" are all really cool songs! 9
- Tbagml@aol.com
I think you just have to approach Mesopotamia in a different way than the
first two albums, how many albums could they make just like the first two
before you got tired of it? I think "Cake" is one of their best songs.
Add your thoughts?
Whammy! - Warner Bros. 1983.
Had this come directly after Wild Planet, it
would have felt like quite the letdown, relying on pre-programmed drums and
bass to an unparalleled degree, but with the cruddy Messobullameia in
its wake, it sounds A-OK! At least the fun is back, even if
that special B-52's vibe is history. There's still some guitar on here, but
it's almost unnoticeable - basically treated like a rhythm instrument in a sound
dominated by voices and keyboards. Lots of the songs are still catchy
as a baseball or hockey glove, though, and I guess that's the important thing. Personally, I get
a major league thrill out of the hits "Legal Tender" and "Song For A Future
Generation," but I may be the only person in the world who feels that way. My
girlfriend, for example, despises both songs. A few minutes ago, in fact, she
called "Legal Tender" a "stupid, useless song" and remarked that the keyboard
line (which I love) sounds to her like somebody stepping on a sea urchin. Sigh.
So this is the sound of modern-day B-52's. Basically straight pop music
topped with distinct vocals, it's obviously much less impressive than the
early stuff, but still fun, if you like fun at all.
Note to educators -
Please don't use that last sentence as an example of "writing that doesn't
sound like absolute shit."
- Reader Comments
- cbunnell@ix.netcom.com (Rich Bunnell)
You know that things are bad when they're using a drum machine
when they have a DRUMMER. This is probably my least favorite of their
albums, since all of the songs are so darn cheesy. "Legal Tender" is
okay, but the lyrics and tune of "Song For A Future Generation" just
make me cringe. Gotta love the remake of "There's A Moon In The Sky
(Called The Moon)" from the original album, though. 6/10
(a few months later)
I gave this piece of crap an above-average grade? This has
got to be one album that just gets worse over time; whenever I listen to
it to reappraise it, it just seems more idiotic and banal than on the
last listen and I don't feel like listening to it ever again. "Legal
Tender" is okay in a cheesy way (and it's the only one the band didn't
write), but everything else goes absolutely nowhere-- how could they go
from Wild Planet to this?!? I change my grade to a 2.
Add your thoughts?
Bouncing Off The Satellites - Warner Bros. 1986.
This was around the time that Ricky passed away. I'm
not sure whether he played on this record or not, but I know he co-wrote some
of the songs. Either way, there ain't guitar for shick, a delightful brand
of shaving razor available at your local grocery! That which is here
does NOTHING, and way too many of the songs sound like anypopband, USA - Cyndi
Lauper, Madonna - that kinda padiddly. Totally keyboard. Totally faceless pop.
Its only saving grace is that a lot of melodies will still get stuck in your
head. God, what the hell happened, dammit? This is NOTHING like their first
two records! How quickly they degenerated from an exciting amalgamation of
the history of rock and pop music into.... generic pop music '86. Disappointing.
Very, very disappointing. As far as I know, there were no hits off of this
one. "Summer Of Love," maybe? Now there's a "stupid, useless song."
You want another one? Anything the Eagles ever recorded. Including
the brilliant, autobiographical "Witchy Woman."
- Reader Comments
- cbunnell@ix.netcom.com (Rich Bunnell)
Everyone hates this album since it's so
disjointed, and always blame it on the death of Ricky Wilson. I guess I
should point out that he died AFTER most of the album's recording
sessions. I think it's really decent, though -- "Aint It A Shame" and
"Summer Of Love" are downright classics, even though they don't sound
B-52ish. 7.5/10
- rdickinson@monmouth.com (Ross Dickinson)
It's different from the other albums, but the songs are cool. The
production of them all sound the same though. 7
- shon@fuse.net (Shon Cope)
Bouncing Off The Satellites is, in my opinion, the best album done by
the band for the simple fact that it's the one album that they poured their
heart into after Ricky passed on, instead of shelving the project like
they originally intended to.
Good songs, good riffs and all B's... I love this disk.
Add your thoughts?
Cosmic Thing - Warner Bros. 1989.
The "comeback." Only commercially, though. This is
no less uneven than the last one, packed full of cheesy keyboards and
predictable vocals. It's not all bad, though. These songs seem to be split
evenly between "empty dance tunes" and "pop songs with really solid
melodies". "Love Shack" would be the former, "Roam" the latter, "Geraldine's
Bronze Poophole" a funny song title I just made up. Personally,
I could use a few more "solid melodies," but I guess it's the dance tunes
that sold the most units, so whatever. Was "Deadbeat Club" a hit? That's a
fantastic song. Gorgeous female vox. The last couple tunes are great
too. But "Love Shack"? Man, I hate that crap. It's not even very FUN! Aside
from the distinctive vocals (a B-52's mainstay), most of this music could have been
recorded by any worthless batch of anonymous studio musicians, and probably
was. Woe is us! What happened to that lil' Athens combo we used to know and
love? Aye! They all grew up and went lousier!There's an album after
this called Good Stuff, but
all sources indicate that it's not. Please leave your phone number so I can
give you a call if I ever hear it.
- Reader Comments
- cbunnell@ix.netcom.com (Rich Bunnell)
I've heard "Love Shack" at least 5 million times, and I
can't stand it anymore; the tune is good but it doesn't go anywhere and
the "bang bang on the door" part at the end is really pointless. Still,
the rest of the album is better than it, "Deadbeat Club," "Roam,"
"Channel Z," "Junebug," etc. The only other downer on the album besides
"Love Shack" is the stupid title track. "SHAKE YOUR HONEY BUNS!" It's so
STUPID! 8/10
- rdickinson@monmouth.com (Ross Dickinson)
Good CD here. The song "Cosmic Thing" comes off rather awkward to me,
but the rest of the album doesn't. "Channel Z" and "Topaz" are some of
the cooler songs on the album, and everyone can't forget "Love Shack"
and possibly "Roam" 8
- imes.judy@mcleodusa.net (Elliot Imes)
Hmm. Well, I suppose there isn't a whole lot more to this album other
than the four songs on Time Capsule. The two exceptions are the title
track (I disagree with Metal Man, I love that song!) and "Junebug",
which is just a really cool song to me. And I honestly believe that
anyone who actually likes the B-52's has got to like "Love Shack". How
can you not? It's such a fun song! One song off this that really grew on
me over time was "Deadbeat Club", cuz it's just so pretty. And "Channel
Z" is hilarious! I love the part when Fred says, "Narrow minds, space
junk, BOMBS!!!" However, the one song that really pisses me off here is
"Dry County". Oh god, that's annoying!!! Regardless, I dig the B-52's
and this is a cool album. 8/10.
- JASstanley@aol.com
This song is still rockin...I can still remember the day my gal pals and I
busted open our copy of the album, it was so cool. I still have the sounds
blazed in my brain from the day that some "punks" took over the loud speaker
at Fairfax High School (Hollywood, CA) and blasted Love Shack for all to
enjoy....a fine treat for a day filled with calculus and other non-essential
life studies...as the music blasted over the voices of our teachers, it was
like we all knew that someday we would have no use for calculus, but we would
always have use for "the shack", which proved to be so true...this weekend I
went to an engagement party and danced to the awesomeness of love shack with
my 10 year old daughter as I watched these 20 year old kids enjoying love
shack with the same reckless zest that I did 20 years ago...now that's a
classic!
- Pixiestiklvr34@aol.com
Cosmic Thing wasn't all that bad. I thought it was really good. Songs like
"Topaz," "Deadbeat Club," and "Junebug" were the ones that got stuck in my
head for being so damn cool. I was annoyed with "Love Shack." You hear that
song on the radio, at dances, at weddings, its just getting OLD! Derr, I know
its already old, but If I didn't have to hear it every where I went then
maybe I didn't have to get so sick of it. I was disappointed to see that
their old cheesy tunes were no longer apart of them. Its like they grown out
of Mesopotamia and Rock Lobster and all those other songs. Then they totally
went lame with "Roam." Omigosh why did you guys do that to your fans! You
were doing so good! And now......bah. Oh well.
- brian.kilburn@pmonboard.co.uk
If you're unfamiliar with the adjective 'philistine' then you probably fall
into that very category. Cosmic Thing was where the B52's came of age and
those that didn't then get the heady -and very likely unhealthy- combination
of inspiration, cheese, irony and downright mastery that were the component
elements of 'Cosmic Thing', most likely haven't got it now. If there was any
justice in this sad old place, then 'Cosmic Thing' should have been their
coda and they should have beamed back aboard their flying saucer to the
strains of 'Topaz' and 'Follow Your Bliss'.
But instead, what was to be their fate? 'The Flintstones'. The horror, the
horror.
Add your thoughts?
Good Stuff - Warner Bros. 1992.
Hey man! You didn't leave your number! You're an
asshole! A mother fucking asshole! Fuck you, you mother fucking asshole!
You hear me? Fuck you, you mother fucking asshole! Goddammit to fucking
shit bitch bastard asshole! This CD is lacking Cindy Wilson. Down to three
'2s. It's more pop-oriented than the last one, but sadly the melodies aren't
up to par. Several of them try to do a dreamy meditation hypnosis type vibe,
but they're mostly just booooooorrrrrring! It's got a couple winners ("Revolution
Earth" is beautiful), but the schtick has gotten old. Nobody cares anymore.
Maybe they should have called it a day when Ricky passed away. He was the one
with the cool guitar style! The guitarwork on this is just bland. It's not
a BAD album, mind you. It still sounds like The B-52's, who still don't completely
sound like anybody else (because of the vocals). It's just not worth buying
when there are so many other B-52's
albums that are similar but a bit more consistent. Understant? Blunderstadt?
Fluglehorn? Since it's been six years since this album came out, I'm going
to go out on a limb in my front yard and piss on cars.
- Reader Comments
- dunciad@bc.sympatico.ca (Animal)
I'll throw something in here, since no one but you and I seem interested
in the B-52's.
Yer fears about the B-52's degeneration might have revolved around the
fact that pretty much the best thing Kate did after that whole Warhol
thing was to appear on an REM album!?!?
Something to check out... Fred Schneider & the Shake Society from 1982
or thereabouts. There's a delightful little gem on there entitled
"Monster in My Pocket," now THAT'S entertainment.
- cbunnell@ix.netcom.com (Rich Bunnell)
"Revolution Earth" is great, the title track has stupid
verses but an awesome chorus, "Bad Influence" would be better if Fred
Schneider didn't try to be so political, and the rest of the album is
decent, even if it tries to be a little too spiritual for it's own good.
And honestly, a song dedicated to HOT PANTS? Give me a break! Still, I
like this album more than most people do. Probably cause I got it for
$4.99. 7/10
- rdickinson@monmouth.com (Ross Dickinson)
I LOVE this album! "Bad Influence" is such a cool song, not just because
it has a cool tune, but the song has some serious meaning to it unlike
their other songs(not that those are bad or anything, they don't really
HAVE any sucky songs). "Good Stuff," "Hot Pants Explosion," and
"Revolution Earth" are just some of the cool songs that are on this
album! 9
- LjrJR2@aol.com
Don't know, don't care, but they were in One Trick Pony as a joke.
- c_a_carlino@my-dejanews.com (Charles Carlino)
I like the CD, but then again, I found it in a cutout bin for $2. Can't
beat that, right?
- imes.judy@mcleodusa.net (Elliot Imes)
Disappointing. I checked it out from my local library, and I was just
disappointed. The only worthwhile songs on here are "Good Stuff" and "Is
That You Mo-Dean?", and maybe "Tell It Like It T-I-Is". But the other
songs! Dear god! So boring! Why do these songs have to last so goddamn
long??? And the one about hot pants! Stupid, stupid stupid! If only they
could go back to the days of stuff like "Rock Lobster" and "Planet
Claire". Now that was pimpin shit!
- Pixiestiklvr34@aol.com
Good stuff was okay. I think "Is that you Mo-Dean" is hilarious. I mean,
hey, where else are you gonna get an album with a song about aliens and space
ships?
Add your thoughts?
(Rich Bunnell
Reviews) Time Capsule: Songs For A Future Generation
-- Reprise 1998.
When mediocre albums like
Crappy!, Bleching At The Crappelites and
Turgid Crap have been released by this band, a
hits collection is absolutely necessary-- luckily,
after years of mediocre ignored compilations which
felt it necessary to include songs like "Wig" for some
reason, now we have this one!
The choices are primo, the mix of "Summer Of Love" is
better than the wannabe-spiritual album version, and
"Mesopotamia," despite Mark's rather merciless bashing
of the EP of the same name, is great. Really well-done
overlapping vocals. Produced by David Byrne too, a
status which makes it worth your money automatically--
well, sort of. I mean, this IS the same Byrne who was
responsible for True Stories and Naked,
so he can't be entirely faultless, now can he?
Back to the B's. My only problems with this
compilation are that "Give Me Back My Man" is
inexplicably excluded, and the cheesy wuss-fest "Song
For A Future Generation" from the cheesy wuss-fest
album Whammy! is not only included, but
incorporated into the frickin' title! Plus, as much as
I love "Quiche Lorraine," is it really necessary here?
I mean, it's a bit too trancy and uncommercial to be
included on a compilation meant to win the band new
fans.
Long analyses can't be lent to hits compilations, so
I'll end it here. A good B's buy if you don't want to
venture past their early work (actually a good idea),
plus the new songs "Debbie" and "Hallucinating Pluto"
are harmless fun, particularly the former, a guitar
rocker dedicated to everyone's favorite Blondie
headmistress. So, now that the band's back together,
WHEN CAN WE EXPECT A NEW FREAKIN' ALBUM?
- Reader Comments
- IllHandleYou@aol.com
Time Capsule introduced me to The B-52's before & after Cosmic
Thing and I must say that I love both bands! One is the quirky, hilarious, and
irrepressably joyful group which made "Strobe Light" so much fun. The
latter version of the band actually makes better music. It's slick and
beautiful and well-produced, yet still lots of fun! Either way, I can't help but feel
good when I listen to the B-52's! If any B-52's hear this, PLEASE MAKE MORE
MUSIC!!! And Kate, I love you desperately even though I'm gay.
- ScallyF@aol.com
PLEASE MAKE MORE MUSIK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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