Ricky Wilson was essential.
Of course, the story is sad (literally speaking) immediately after, so I can't blame the band for Bouncing.. not being up to par (though I love "Summer Of Love").. but I only like 3 songs from Cosmic Thing and can't stand the rest and what followed.
the Fred Schneider solo record Fred from 1996 is awesome, however. (and I have Martin Mushrush to thank for turning my head to it.)
― donut debonair (donut), Monday, 18 April 2005 23:55 (nineteen years ago) link
Oh and if I can make anybody feel old here, then :)
― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 00:05 (nineteen years ago) link
Just Fred is indeed great. letting Fred rage over Albini production with backup from Six Finger Sattelite and Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet was an inspired move.
― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 00:09 (nineteen years ago) link
― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 00:11 (nineteen years ago) link
― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 00:19 (nineteen years ago) link
Good to see love for Whammy!, which often seems to be overlooked. But now I'm very worried about my version of Mesopatamia.
xpost: Haha, I just listened to that goofy white funk on Gabriel's So for the first time since I was a child. Woo-hoo!
― Nag! Nag! Nag! (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 00:31 (nineteen years ago) link
It's really grand. Both albums, actually!
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 00:39 (nineteen years ago) link
― f-a-b-o-l-o-u-s (adamwest), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 02:04 (nineteen years ago) link
I'd say Good Stuff is not their worst album. That would be Bouncing Off The Satelites.
― everything, Tuesday, 19 April 2005 02:42 (nineteen years ago) link
― Baaderonixxxorzh (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 07:33 (nineteen years ago) link
― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 07:39 (nineteen years ago) link
― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 13:04 (nineteen years ago) link
― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 13:10 (nineteen years ago) link
"Planet Claire" and "Rock Lobster" are classic in the extreme. The vocal on "Planet Claire" begins like two or three minutes in, and Fred is such a delightful spaz. It is a deeply weird track.
Hearing the B52s reminds me YET AGAIN about how rampantly eclectic was the mainstream pop music in my youth.
I mean, one still hears people saying that the 80s were a time of cookie-cutter bubblegum; of Reagan-era bright conformity. But right there on the top 40 as beamed by Casey Kasem into the American heartland, there were some strange-ass records being made--records that I doubt you could get in front of the youth of today.
― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 13:36 (nineteen years ago) link
― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 15:19 (nineteen years ago) link
― Schwip Schwap (schwip schwap), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 15:23 (nineteen years ago) link
― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 15:45 (nineteen years ago) link
― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 16:19 (nineteen years ago) link
― The Sensational Sulk (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 16:22 (nineteen years ago) link
― Schwip Schwap (schwip schwap), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 16:25 (nineteen years ago) link
― The Sensational Sulk (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 16:34 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ally C (Ally C), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 21:00 (nineteen years ago) link
DAN OTM!!!! I'm shocked to hear someone else feel that way. Never heard anybody mention it before and its totally a fave.
― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 21:18 (nineteen years ago) link
― ShakEy Mo Collier, Tuesday, 19 April 2005 22:10 (nineteen years ago) link
― Deric W. Haircare (Deric W. Haircare), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 00:53 (nineteen years ago) link
― fred schneider's chrysler, Wednesday, 20 April 2005 02:38 (nineteen years ago) link
I'm wondering if that 1989 UK compilation Dance This Mess Around has any tracks from the original Mesopotamia... hmmmm.
― donut debonair (donut), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 02:50 (nineteen years ago) link
Oh, and obv. CLASSIC!, at least until Ricky's death. And therever after, presumably. (I've only heard the singles.) My fave: Wild Planet. (Partly out of nostalgia, since "Strobe Light" was playing when I first...nevermind...)
― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 05:56 (nineteen years ago) link
― kacka thompson (kacka), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 06:20 (nineteen years ago) link
― Colin Meeder (Mert), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 06:24 (nineteen years ago) link
― donut debonair (donut), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 06:30 (nineteen years ago) link
― donut debonair (donut), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 06:31 (nineteen years ago) link
― cutty (mcutt), Thursday, 30 March 2006 17:46 (eighteen years ago) link
― js (honestengine), Thursday, 30 March 2006 18:08 (eighteen years ago) link
My pick: "52 Girls". The only thing this song is missing is Fred interjections, but even without that it screams perfection. The tempo demands that you get out on the dance floor, the guitar and bass force your ass to MOVE and the vocals grab your arms and make you do goofy swimming motions, all while your brain rattles around your skull shrieking "THIS IS WHAT AN ETERNAL ORGASM FEELS LIKE!"
― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:08 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dr. Alicia D. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:15 (seventeen years ago) link
― LeRooLeRoo (Seb), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:18 (seventeen years ago) link
My pick would be Planet Claire. Predictable, I know, but it's just the most classic song ever.
― everything (everything), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:09 (seventeen years ago) link
― Baaderonixx in the year of the locusts (baaderonixx), Thursday, 5 October 2006 06:49 (seventeen years ago) link
― dave q (listerine), Thursday, 5 October 2006 09:48 (seventeen years ago) link
― Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Thursday, 5 October 2006 10:19 (seventeen years ago) link
Actually, they replaced "Don't Worry," the Yoko Ono cover.
Almost impossible for me to OPO. I concur with everything about the "52 Girls" review above, but since that does not contain "Fred interjections," and "Rock Lobster" is all about same, then that's my pick, but it could just as easily be "Planet Claire" or "Dance This Mess Around." One of my favorite LP sides ever.
― Daniel Peterson (polkaholic), Thursday, 5 October 2006 13:10 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 5 October 2006 13:43 (seventeen years ago) link
Huh, I thought I'd already posted something on this thread. Must have been a different B-52's thread. Oh well. Classic to the max.
― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 5 October 2006 15:37 (seventeen years ago) link
― 0xDOX0RNUTX0RX0RSDABITFIELDXOR^0xDEADBEEFDEADBEEF00001 (donut), Thursday, 5 October 2006 15:38 (seventeen years ago) link
I saw them at the Concord Pavillion one time in the early 90s, I think. I don't remember the show that well. All I remember is that the line to the women's toilets was too long, so after 20 minutes of waiting futilely I made a dash to the men's toilet. They pee into long troughs. A security guard made me leave, but the relatively speedy relief of my bladder was worth it.
The only example of bands/artists whose later work improved markedly with maturity that I can think of is Pulp. I hated the stuff that came before His'n'Hers. Well, maybe not hate, but I have no desire to listen to that. I'm glad they persevered to go on to make A Different Class, though.
― Melinda Mess-injure (Melinda Mess-injure), Thursday, 5 October 2006 21:09 (seventeen years ago) link
― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 5 October 2006 23:34 (seventeen years ago) link
You guys are leaving me alone tonight. Planet Claire and the whole first side of the first album vinyl "52 Girls" etc. are killing me to the core right now. So many clueless people have not even heard this delicious slice of funky post-punk groove.
Where are you Jeff W. when I need you? You know even Pretenders can't hold a prayer to the first B-52's album. And "Dance This Mess Around" is STILL my favourite, even though I love you if you say "Rock Lobster".
― Bimble, Saturday, 1 September 2007 02:43 (sixteen years ago) link
EVERYBODY GOES TO PARTIES THEY DANCE THIS MESS AROUND
― Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Saturday, 19 July 2008 17:36 (fifteen years ago) link
hippie shake