POLL if you want to...POLL around the world: The B-52's Cosmic Thing

Weird to me that Enjoy the Silence was such a bigger hit than PJ tbh

LoveSong was a single after Fascination Street and Lullaby in the States?

"Lullaby" was third in North America.

"Enjoy The Silence" was much more radio friendly, compared to PJ which was harder and darker. (x-post)

yah but Personal Jesus seems way more iconic, whereas I always remember Enjoy the Silence as the other (great) single from that album

and not just because M Manson's cover either

This was right around when I first started paying attention to pop music - I'd be shocked if "personal jesus" hadn't gone top 40 at all, heard it plenty on the radio, but I can believe "Enjoy The Silence" was even bigger.

with "orange crush," "fascination street" "motorcycle" and "channel z" it looks like the traditional "first single ropes in the people who already like the act on modern/rock radio, second single goes for crossover" roll-out for a career act. I guess you could say that for Depeche too, as "Personal Jesus" is definitely the more "rock" song, even if such a rock song was atypical for them.

"Enjoy the Silence" took off summer '90. It sounded great rubbing up against industrial strength Janet Jackson LET ME TELL YOU.

it really was a great time to be a little nerd listening to radio - a lot of "weird" acts were having their bubblegum crossover, so later when I started reading Rolling Stone I learned the historical reasons to like these bands besides that they were funny lookin' and catchy, and could tell people i'd been into college rock since 3rd grade.

"rubbing up against industrial strength Janet Jackson"

alfred didn't mean to turn me on

tbh this alterna crossover is one of the reasons I loved that era so much; I really felt like all of the bands I was listening to were pop bands that could totally have mainstream success if people would only just pay attention (and Depeche Mode and REM had already had one big pop moment apiece with "People Are People" and "The One I Love") and that year and a half felt like a rolling wave of vindication

iirc Personal Jesus wasn't advertised as 'coming from an album' or anything. Violator was still being finished, didn't have a title yet. people weren't sure (at least in the UK) if it would be on the album. album was out like.. a full year after? or near as dammit.

LOL I always felt that Cosmic Thing kinda predetermined for me a fascination with post punk, ie early Fall, Slits etc

xp to croup

yeah basically i went from goofy "college rock" videos to rolling stone to album guides saying shit like "oh hey if you like REM, you'll like the velvet underground, and if you like the velvet underground you'll like the feelies." It wasn't until years later I remembered that what originally grabbed me was people dancing goofy to "Stand"

i have a fond memories of seeing a team of classic cars stroll down the street to "So Alive" during a 4th of July parade in Greeley, CO. From Bauhaus to that within a decade, not bad guys.

fortunately college rock has never lacked for goofy dancing

Prior to its release, advertisements were placed in the personal columns of regional newspapers in the UK with the words "Your own personal Jesus." Later, the ads included a phone number one could dial to hear the song.[7] The ensuing controversy helped propel the single to No. 13 on the UK charts, becoming one of Depeche Mode’s biggest sellers. The single was particularly successful commercially thanks to the fact that it was released six months prior to the album it would later appear on. Up to that point, it was the best selling 12" single in Warner Brothers history.[8]

between this period and the ability of everybody from the Meat Puppets to the Butthole Surfers getting hits through the 90s, I can't help but be bummed that our current crop of college faves have uniformly failed to make that total crossover. Though the success of shit like the Lumineers and Of Monsters and Men suggests the Arcade Fire would have had several hit singles by now if they'd jumped to a major.

no need to crossover when in the bands' minds they've got a niche perfectly happy to keep'em in clover with publishing rights; and, hey, they can always sell their songs to Volkswagen.

who are the current college darlings who aren't completely terrible

MIA one of the last I remember crossing over the traditional way.

oh right, ha

everyone can ignore my last post, was being dumb

"Hi guys!"

http://i.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/aaohio__oPt.jpg

uh

shake your honeybuns!

http://b-52s.blogspot.com/2008/07/fake-nude-photo-of-kate-pierson.html

Hehehehe... it's so obvious where the face has been cropped... different colour hair was a bit of a giveaway :P

MIA one of the last I remember crossing over the traditional way.

― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), mardi 13 août 2013 21:32 (2 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Daft Punk ?

ROLLING THROUGH A FIELD OF MOLTEN FLOWERS

in the reeeeeeeeed muuuud!

Song For The Future Generation is better than anything on this album IMO.

Deadbeat Club is such a jam

that first side is gold

Always been impressed with Keith Strickland's guitar on this - really great rhythm stuff on here, wisely a completely different style to RW

I just noticed how different the first and second verses are melodically, almost as if Cindy and Kate each had a turn to improvise a verse melody and in the end they went with both. The effect is kinda extraordinary: the song is just lobbing new hook after new hook at you as nonchalantly as somebody dealing a hand of cards

Would have voted for 'Topaz.' Such a gorgeous song.

Xp my last post was about Deadbeat Club

SMOKE IN YOUR EYES

Was 'Deadbeat Club' a single? Am I crazy for remembering hearing it on the radio?

Yes. Third one to hit the top forty.

a comparative flop though -- one of those singles though you might remember as bigger than it was thanks to MTV play.

Well I was only 9, I'm surprised I remember it as vividly as I do.

This fucking album.

thank you for this revive, i am now stoked to put this on

Quite worth the listen:

http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/hit_parade/2018/07/how_r_e_m_and_the_b_52_s_became_legit_hit_makers_by_the_1990s.html

My go-to summer album. Timeless, and various other cliches.

I realized today that "Deadbeat Club" and Pet Shop Boys' "Being Boring," out within a year of each other, cover similar thematic ground.

They do rather! I've always found both ridiculously affecting. Very surprised to see "DbC = worst track" posts early in the thread.

Still never heard this album (I should) but the lyricless vocalizing they do at the end of Deadbeat Club is gorgeous. Hard to imagine it being the worst song here

The production of this album has aged very well, and 'Roam' remains one of my favourite tracks of all time - it never fails to boost my mood!