♫ Before I talk, I should read a POLL! ♪ ILM Artist Poll #93 ♪ B-52’s ♫

this song is horny as hell

Haha otm I love Bushfire!

Re: Cake, sounds like the Byrne mix is actually just a rough cut demo, which makes a lot of sense to these ears

http://diffuser.fm/b52s-mesopotamia/

In Island’s haste to get Mesopotamia printed and in stores, the label accidentally included longer rough mixes of “Cake,” “Loveland” and “Throw That Beat” – upping the EP’s running time by more than seven minutes. The error was found and corrected, but the fans who got their hands on an initial version quickly dubbed the demo versions “David Byrne’s original mixes,” due to some funkier touches and denser sounds. Some listeners still prefer the rougher takes to the versions on the approved EP, which earned mostly mixed reviews from fans and critics

thanks, that article is really useful

I prefer pie tbh

https://i.imgur.com/UK2foHV.jpg
25. 6060-842

211 points, 11 votes. Highest position on ballot: 5

The B-52’s
live 1980

I know there's a place in one of the old B52s threads where Donut goes into a tremendous amount of detail abt the different versions of Mesopotamia

I love 'ya numbahz ben dis-ka-neck-ted' so much.

I love Mo-Dean and wish I'd had more room for it on the ballot

Like many Good Stuff tracks, "Is That You Mo-Dean?" is a minute too long.

Certainly not that euphoric last minute though...

― slack thompson (Drugs A. Money)

Absolutely! The "astro projector" part is one of my favourite moments in music.

love this track, but why isn't it 606-0842, as per conventional US phone number notation?

know there's a place in one of the old B52s threads where Donut goes into a tremendous amount of detail abt the different versions of Mesopotamia

hmm, i just searched through the other b-52's threads, and while he does bring up mesopotamia several times, i think he really only discussed the different sounds here:

I should underscore that the arrangements for most of the songs on the original vs. 1990 remix of Mesopatamia are like night and day. The original is far more sparse and dubby, and entire chunks are either amplified and echoed, or just muted out. The 1990 mix is just a nice succinct "rock" mix. Both work, but both are practically different releases.

love this track, but why isn't it 606-0842, as per conventional US phone number notation?

haha, you know, i've never really noticed that! they do sing

606 and I'm waitin' for you /
6060-842

those b-52's are wacky, maybe they were just being funny

Great song, too low.

I'm curious whether anyone voted for "Downtown".

had Downtown low and dropped at the last minute - my list was super Cindy heavy

Can confirm someone voted for "Downtown" :)

https://i.imgur.com/3YWyLKs.jpg
24. Devil In My Car

220 points, 10 votes. 1 first place vote.

Wild Planet
promo video, 1978
live 1978

ow too low :(

"I've got the devil juice in my caaaaaaaarburettor" is a favourite B's moment

Chris Ott (sorry) had this great line about how 'Disturbance at the Heron House' sounds like a band that's totally at ease, playing to their strengths.
I get the same feeling about 'Devil in My Car'.
My #1.

that Mesopotamia article answers many questions, thank you DAM

As I remember, contemporary Athens reaction to the Byrne collaboration was "Of course, yes!" -- the only disappointment was that it wasn't an LP. Remain in Light and My Life in the Bush of Ghosts were both still in constant rotation, so working with Byrne seemed an ideal way for the Bs to expand on the sound of the debut and Wild Planet.

https://i.imgur.com/y3T3QL6.jpg
23. Wig

246 points, 12 votes. 1 first place vote.

Bouncing Off The Satellites
appearance on UK’s Get Fresh, 1987

this great line about how 'Disturbance at the Heron House' sounds like a band that's totally at ease, playing to their strengths.
I get the same feeling about 'Devil in My Car'.

A lot of Wild Planet sounds like that! Which is really rather remarkable for a sophomore effort.

Wig is the fourth one from my ballot today, all clustered around the 7-12 area

Five from my ballot have now placed, all from my nrs 14-19

I love Wig because it's about three songs jammed into one.

https://i.imgur.com/tcVsb0D.jpg
22. Hero Worship

260 points, 13 votes. Highest position on ballot: 3

The B-52’s
1978 promo video

live 1978

Cindy's screaming = A+

You can really hear the Velvet Underground influence in that first promo clip.

Glad I re-did my ballot, thanks Karl.
Too low!

Wig is an impressively dead-on homage to 50s novelty numbers like Yakety Yak, but because the B's have such a deep bag of tricks, there's all these 'free lunches' thrown in, like the gossip breakdown (complete with laugh track) and Kate's(?) soaring high notes during the "Wig's on fire" call-and-response section

https://i.imgur.com/6hSQxoT.jpg
21. Channel Z

262 points, 12 votes. Highest position on ballot: 4

Cosmic Thing
music video

rehearsal for Saturday Night Live, 1990

creeped-out lol at that image

you are killing it, Karl

Where's DJP been lately, he should be here raving about "Bushfire" with us.

Something good is happening!

Poppy Bush Interzone homage in that image!

Living on the edge of Z
Waste dumps
toxic fog
irradiate, and keep it fresh forever
Good old boys, tellin' lies

that's good ol' boy lee atwater on the right

https://i.imgur.com/cHpMUDQ.jpg
20. Summer Of Love

282 points, 14 votes. Highest position on ballot: 4

Bouncing Off The Satellites
PSA for AMFAR

Points to Doogie Howser, M.D. for including scene of Doog listening to "Channel Z" while in post-breakup haze -- on vinyl!

see "Summer of Love" is too clanky

I love "Summer of Love" but I don't LOOOOOVE it. #18 of my 20.

It made my Top 20.

that AMFAR ad was probably the first time I ever heard of the B-52s, I remember buying multiple albums by them and being like "huh, I guess that song (Summer of Love) isn't on this one"

https://i.imgur.com/2m1WpUx.jpg
19. Girl From Ipanema Goes To Greenland

289 points, 15 votes. Highest position on ballot: 2

Bouncing Off The Satellites
music video

^^^^ love this thing -- a hook monster

I can tell it was assembled around the mixing desk, with those excellent synth whooshes covering for the lack of Ricky.

Are the BotS images in a golden ratio? Took me long enough to see it.

do not sleep on the video

My favorite image so far.

https://i.imgur.com/9zzA5u9.jpg
18. Ain’t It A Shame

294 points, 12 votes. Highest position on ballot: 2

Bouncing Off The Satellites
Cindy Wilson singing this at karaoke in 1989 (this is amazing)

I LOVE THIS SONG. shamefully, i didn't even really know about it when i submitted my ballot. now it would be top 5, i think.