B-52s
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
Wild
Planet
B-52s
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
The
B-52'S - 1979-1989
Anyone who has ever danced to the sound of
"Rock Lobster" or "Love Shack" will love the
images that go with these songs. One of rock and roll's most
underrated groups, the B-52's first came on the scene in 1979 with
"Rock Lobster," "Planet Claire," and
"Dance this Mess Around." Following the death of member
Ricky Wilson, they retreated a bit until releasing their opus,
"Cosmic Thing" in 1989. Several of their videos are
contained on this collection, including "Love Shack,"
"Roam," "Channel Z," "Song for a Future
Generation," and even a live version of "Rock
Lobster." See how Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson started, with
huge hairdos and ultimately ended up, with even bigger 'dos. See
Fred Schneider evolve from outrageousness to outright camp. --
Anonymous Review
Godass
Quirky ultra-low budget independent feature film
about a young girl struggling with having a gay dad played by Fred
Schneider (of the B-52's). Teri is a zine writer living with her
unbalanced family in North Carolina, and she's bored with the
country. Teri decieds to hit the big Apple with a few of her punk
buddies and try selling her zine to some shops in NYC. She finds
herself stranded without a place a stay except her gay dad's
house. She is finally forced to deal with her issues around her
dad's sexuality. The film's lots of fun if you can get over the
low-budget aspects. Great punk soundtrack with Lunachicks,
Sleepyhead, Speedball Baby, Ghost of Mankind, Oubliettes,
Challenge of the Future, Triple Crème, Rapture, Hammerbrain.
Director: Esther Bell
Starring: Fred Schneider, Nika Feldman,
George Crowley, Julianne Nicholson, Tina Holmes, Anna Grace, David
Ilku, Arik Roper, Preston Miller, Sarah Jacobson, Bill Plympton
