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The B-52's

Autor(a) de Cosmic Thing

39+ Works 402 Membros 3 Reviews

About the Author

Obras de The B-52's

Cosmic Thing (1989) 88 cópias
The B-52's [sound recording] (1979) 68 cópias
Wild Planet (1990) 43 cópias
Good Stuff (1980) 30 cópias
Wig! (1986) 19 cópias
Whammy (1990) 16 cópias
Bouncing Off The Satellites (1985) 11 cópias
Mesopotamia (1990) 10 cópias
Funplex (2008) 10 cópias
Party Mix (1981) 8 cópias
Love Shack (1989) 6 cópias
Planet Claire (1996) 5 cópias

Associated Works

Hocus Pocus 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2022) — Contribuinte — 2 cópias
The Simpsons: Testify (2007) — Preformer — 2 cópias
Devil's Music (2011) — Contribuinte — 1 exemplar(es)

Etiquetado

Conhecimento Comum

Nome padrão
B-52's, The
Sexo
n/a
Nacionalidade
USA
Local de nascimento
Athens, Georgia, USA

Membros

Resenhas

Promotional copy not for sale - from the Whammy album
 
Marcado
DBezanson | 1 outra resenha | Feb 16, 2019 |
Product Details

* Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
* Number of Discs: 1
* Label: Reprise / Wea
* Catalog Number: 3471
* ASIN: B000002KLM
* Also Available in: Audio Cassette
* Average Customer Review: based on 28 reviews. (Write a review.)
* Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,508 in Music (See Top Sellers in Music)
Yesterday: #6,521 in Music

Listen to Samples
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1. Party Out Of Bounds Listen Listen
2. Dirty Back Road Listen Listen
3. Runnin' Around Listen Listen
4. Give Me Back My Man Listen Listen
5. Private Idaho Listen Listen
6. Devil In My Car Listen
7. Quiche Lorraine Listen
8. Strobe Light Listen
9. 53 Miles West Of Venus Listen
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
After the likes of "Rock Lobster" and "606-0842," a lot of new wavers were curious about what Athens, Georgia's fun-loving B-52s were going to do for an encore. The answer came with this rollicking second album in 1980, which found flat-toned Fred Schneider and twin bouffant-topped, gogoing chanteuses Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson nearly equaling the giddy highs of their debut. From the riotous "Party Out of Bounds" and "Devil in My Car" to the ahead-of-the curve couch potato classic, "Private Idaho" to the ever-kitschy "Strobe Light" and the other-worldly "53 Miles West of Venus," this collection proved the B-52s were no flash in the lava lamp. --Billy Altman
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Wild Planet is one party out of bounds, June 18, 2002
Reviewer: Daniel J. Hamlow (Farmington, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
Well, chalk up another planet in Star System B-52 (the first one was Planet Claire). The second planet after Claire is Wild Planet, and also the second album by the Athens, GA (then) quintet. On their second go-around, the B-52's still have the punchy, kitschy/positive/optimistic surf guitar sound and attitude that made their debut an unqualified hit.

Here's my piece in describing Wild Planet's nine satellites. Fred Schneider's "Surprise!" is the first word of "Party Out Of Bounds." Kate and Cindy then ask for the ice box and punch, and there's the party started, right there. "Private Idaho" is Wild Planet's "Rock Lobster," being Wild Planet's most well-known track. Ricky Wilson's guitar keeps the pace. "You're living in your own private Idaho/On a ground like a wild potato." This is another on the short list for a party mix-tape should "Rock Lobster" not be available for any reason.

For sheer jamming, nothing beats "Devil In My Car" and "Strobe Light." The first is a funny song on a car possessed by the devil. The saying "Drive like hell and you will get there" comes to mind. Anyway, the hapless narrator can't lock the door, or put on my safety belt and is going 90 mph. He thus cries out "Help! The devil's in my car!" The humor's very kitschy, with devilish motifs such as "I don't wanna go to hell" and "I don't need no batteries/I've got the devil in my car."

"Strobe Light" is a seduction number, focusing on making love under the title appliance. No one sings about kissing body parts and responding to the same as Fred and the girls, respectively. When he gets to a very personal part of his date's body, he uses a euphemism that's the same as a certain large fruit. A shrill synthesizer blasts in response.

"Quiche Lorraine" deserves mention here, about a man and his dog, Quiche the poodle. The dog runs away after a German Shepherd, leaving the man broken-hearted and vindictive for being abandoned. In addition to backing vocals, Kate or Cindy provides Quiche's sharp barks. Given the description of Quiche, whose body is dyed dark green, who is two inches tall with a strawberry blonde ball, sunglasses and a bonnet, and designer jeans with appliques on, I wonder, isn't that dog somewhat overdressed? Sounds like an SPCA case to me, but at least the song's funny.

"53 Miles West Of Venus" is another one of their space songs. The lyrics are very simple--you figure it out. Hmm, I wonder if that's the hyperspatial wormhole distance between Wild Planet and Venus.

With the exception of the mid-paced "Dirty Back Road," the pace doesn't let up.

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5 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
A Slight Sophmore Slump--But Fans Will Enjoy It, March 13, 2004
Reviewer: Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
Lots of bands suffer from the legendary "sophomore slump." The B-52's were no exception: WILD PLANET seems quite tame in comparison to their legendary, self-titled debut. Even so, the release offers several truly memorable B-52's classics--you'll just have to work a bit harder to get at them.

The big number here is "Private Idaho," and it stands alongside the absolute best of the band, a sharp and crackly piece with sardonic lyrics, a driving tempo, and a wicked sense of humor. "Party Out of Bounds" and "Devil in My Car" aren't quite in the same league, but they're still good enough to spin your head around. But the rest of the selections don't quite manage to cross the line into manic B-52's country.

"Dirty Back Road" and "Runnin' Around" are well done but not actually very memorable--and indeed, as I sit here fresh from the recordings I can barely call either of them to mind. "Give Me Back My Man," "Strobe Light," and "53 Miles West of Venus" seem to be slightly lesser reincarnations of cuts from the debut album, and while the notorious "Quiche Lorraine" starts well it overplays into pure silliness without ever finding the cutting quality for which The B-52's were and are so famous.

Listening to WILD PLANET today, it seems to me that the problem was less with the band than it was with management. The debut album got lots of critical attention and became a cult-smash, but then as now it proved too edgy for the sort of airplay that translated into big bucks with the buying public. I can almost hear the money men saying "Oh, that's fine--but if you'd only just..." and in the process tampering with the very thing that made the B-52's so memorable in the first place: their complete originality. Fans will enjoy this particular recording, but when everything is said and done its neither edgy enough nor pop enough to rank with the band's best.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer
… (mais)
 
Marcado
pantufla | Feb 22, 2006 |
Product Details

* Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
* Number of Discs: 1
* Label: Reprise / Wea
* Catalog Number: 3355
* ASIN: B000002KKD
* Also Available in: Audio Cassette
* Average Customer Review: based on 42 reviews. (Write a review.)
* Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,831 in Music (See Top Sellers in Music)
Yesterday: #3,611 in Music

Listen to Samples
To hear a song sample, click on "Listen" by that sample. Visit our audio help page for more information.
Windows Media RealOne Player
1. Planet Claire Listen Listen
2. 52 Girls Listen Listen
3. Dance This Mess Around Listen Listen
4. Rock Lobster Listen Listen
5. Lava Listen Listen
6. There's A Moon In The Sky (Called The Moon) Listen
7. Hero Worship Listen
8. 6060-842 Listen
9. Downtown Listen
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This record shook up the snoozing world of rock in 1979, becoming a truly classic disc, one full of landmark moments and heavy with possibilities. Most "real" rockers in the late '70s tried hard to ignore the Sex Pistols and the Clash, claiming the punk tumult was a merely a fad; but fun-loving types couldn't resist the magnificent hooks and grooves of the B-52's debut. They fell into the "new wave" while dancing their tushes off. The magnificent "Rock Lobster" remains unmatched in terms of its relentless, spastic power to move one's feet; ditto "52 Girls," with its nod to '60s trash rock. A Cramps-ish guitar grinds through "Lava," which features his-and-hers innuendo-laden lyrics. "I'm not no limburger!" goes one line from "Dance This Mess Around," but you just never question why. Brilliant. --Lorry Fleming
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7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
B-52.... BINGO!, December 13, 2001
Reviewer: Daniel J. Hamlow (Farmington, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
Unbeknownst to the majority of people, a satellite manned by an Athens, GA quintet detected the next The planet's name? Claire, which breaks the traditions of naming planets after Roman gods and goddesses. Anyway, the series of beeps heard from that planet is what starts off the first song from the B-52's

"52 Girls" is a cool, chugging ditty with the signature surf guitar that characterized the B-52's.

"Dance This Mess Around" is a mid-paced song with the amusing refrain, "Why won't you dance with me/I'm not no Limburger" shouted out by Katie Pierson.

The centerpiece is the 6:49 opus "Rock Lobster," which demonstrates the ne plus ultra of wackiness and fun for the quintet. The real surreal line that really caught me: "We were at the beach/Everybody had matching towels." If the B-52's played a party by the ocean, mermaids, fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, lamellibrates of all shapes and sizes would show up to boogie. And love that swirling effect after Fred sings "Down, down." There are too many silly sounds and bizarre lines in this song to mention.

"Lava" really goes into overdrive with the volcanic comparisons and similes, with references to Mauna Loa, Krakatoa, Pompeii. And here's real trip: "My love may be as high as the highest volcano" Volcano instead of mountain: now that I like. Oh yes, I guess just like the movie, they didn't realize that Krakatoa is actually WEST of Java. It's OK--not many people know that.

"There's A Moon In The Sky (Called The Moon)" (love that title!) is the other space song here, which might make astronomy students chuckle or make the subject fun for first-time students. If not, "you get a mouth, a mouthful of red Kryptonite." Ha ha! It's a real jamming tune, what with the chugging guitar.

Lists seem to pop up in B-52's songs. In "52 Girls", 25 girls are listed, if you count Kate's name sung twice, and if you count Jack as a truncated version of Jackie. So the number is 52 in reverse. OK. And what about those dances in "Dance This Mess Around"--the Shu-ga-loo, the Shy Tuna, the Camel Walk, the Hip-O-Crit, Aqua-velva, the Dirty dog, and the Escalator? Some are those have to be fictitious. Oh yes, and dig the marine life listed in "Rock Lobster."

Silly choruses: "Shake-a bake shake shake" and "Yeah yeah yeah yeah..." "Scoodoobie-wop!", "Won-ton-ton-ton rama-in-Andromeda" Silly and fun is the key to enjoying the B-52's, and anyone who's been raised on sour grapes or ugly fruit should recover in no time at all.

These are the only B-52's that will get the approval of an anti-war protester, and that's the way it should be. Well, I'm gonna either jump in a crater or ride in a golden meteorite with a bikini whale. So see ya later!

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Weird and wonderful, November 20, 2003
Reviewer: Joburgpete "irridium" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)
The B-52's added a welcome shot of humour to the post-punk scene from 1979 onwards. Not only did they look kitchy and weird in an over-the-top 1960s type of way, their sound was something quite distinctive and they wrote great songs.

It's still hard to define the music which is a fun blend of pop, quirky funk and experimental rock. In addition to the jerky arrangements, the innovative vocals are what made the mix so successful and distinctive. The male voice hovers between a singing and speaking style while the female vocals frame it with tight, urgent harmonies and shrieks. The closest comparison I can find of a similar band from the same era is The Flying Lizards, but they were much more obscure.

My favourite songs include the jerky Rock Lobster with its great hooks, the tuneful Planet Claire and the infectious Dance This Mess Around. Many of the tracks are good for the dancefloor too. Although not all the songs are up to the quality of the aforementioned hits, they're all innovative, funny and listenable. After all these years, this album still sounds unique.
… (mais)
 
Marcado
pantufla | 1 outra resenha | Feb 22, 2006 |

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Estatísticas

Obras
39
Also by
4
Membros
402
Popularidade
#60,416
Avaliação
3.8
Resenhas
3
ISBNs
4
Idiomas
1

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