B-52's Appreciation

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Re: B-52's Appreciation

Post by LanceLink » Wed Apr 11, 2012 10:22 am

Telliot wrote:I think their first album is still my favorite. As many times as I've heard it, I think "Rock Lobster" is a masterpiece.
+1 and yes to XTC (and the Dukes of Stratosphear)... and I'll raise you The Cramps...

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Re: B-52's Appreciation

Post by Unicorn Warrior » Sun Nov 18, 2018 8:13 pm

Sorry to resurrect a dead thread...but I came to echo the sentiments of everyone else pretty much. Was going to start a thread, but found we already discussed it 6 years ago. They came as a surprise to me. I was introduced by a friend and found that their music is more complex and emotional than I imagined. After all...all I had heard was"love shack" and "Roam" (which I thought was a GoGos song)

Very underrated group.

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Re: B-52's Appreciation

Post by timtam » Sun Nov 18, 2018 9:43 pm

Always good for a cool re-hash.

I remember first hearing Rock Lobster in 1979. In the midst of post-punk, it was just so weirdly iconoclastic and compelling. We had never heard of Athens Georgia but assumed it must be a very interesting place to have spawned the B-52's and REM.

The fact that the B52's penetrated the Billboard Top 100 in the US is somewhat surprising, given what qualified as commercial music in the US at that time ... due presumably mostly to college radio and dance clubs (MTV didn't launch until late 1981).

Private Idaho is one of the greatest pop songs ever IMHO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7t7cGwN7_0

The towering voice of Kate Pierson later dueted with Iggy Pop on the wonderful Candy ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBRsTyGM8aM

We should also be mentioning Ricky Wilson's very cool guitars esp Mosrites, and his unusual tunings ...
https://equipboard.com/pros/ricky-wilson-b-52-s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricky_Wil ... itars_used
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Re: B-52's Appreciation

Post by eskmsaul » Sun Nov 18, 2018 11:17 pm

Last summer I went through a feverish B-52s run. I had heard the big hits before, but they hadn't really stuck with me besides Kate on "Shiny Happy People", one of the best REM songs. On a youtube run I ended up listening to "Song for a Future Generation" and I got absolutely hooked. I immediately bought most of their discography, listened to them exclusively for two weeks nonstop, and caught a little of a free concert they had before I got kicked out because no one who planned that concert realized just how many people would come to a free B-52s concert in the middle of LA.

My favorite album is probably Bouncing Off the Satellites, which I think is very unjustly disliked. It's not as fun and bouncy as their previous stuff, but the band really proved they could make emotionally powerful songs too. Ricky Wilson's guitar work on it is still so top-notch. There are some fluff songs on there for sure, but the best songs more than make up for it.

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Re: B-52's Appreciation

Post by MattK » Mon Nov 19, 2018 4:07 am

It's essential to note that 52 Girls is one of the greatest guitar songs of all time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJwQuTqqPvo

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Re: B-52's Appreciation

Post by daemon » Mon Nov 19, 2018 4:47 am

Absolutely love the B52s. "Wild Planet" is probably my favorite. I mean who else could write a song about a guy who lost his poodle. Fred is just so delightfully unhinged on that one. Here's a great live version: The B-52's - Quiche Lorraine - 11/7/1980 - Capitol Theatre. Ricky even has a sweet double-neck 12-string:

Image

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Re: B-52's Appreciation

Post by shadowplay » Mon Nov 19, 2018 4:55 am

I think these days my favourite The B-52's song is Deep Sleep off Mesopotamia with it's rohypnol exotica lull. I can still remember buying the seven from Gloria's Record bar in 1982 on the way home from school.

Btw has anyone heard the most wonderful Carla Dal Forno's haunted mirror cover of Give Me Back My Man. Her Top of The Pops cover cassette which this is from is well worth hearing and you can check out my post on it here.

If you don't know Carla's original work Solo , with F ingers or Tarcar , you are IMO all the poorer for it since she's a shining talent.

D
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Re: B-52's Appreciation

Post by daemon » Mon Nov 19, 2018 6:24 pm

shadowplay wrote:
Mon Nov 19, 2018 4:55 am
I think these days my favourite The B-52's song is Deep Sleep off Mesopotamia with it's rohypnol exotica lull. I can still remember buying the seven from Gloria's Record bar in 1982 on the way home from school.

Btw has anyone heard the most wonderful Carla Dal Forno's haunted mirror cover of Give Me Back My Man. Her Top of The Pops cover cassette which this is from is well worth hearing and you can check out my post on it here.

If you don't know Carla's original work Solo , with F ingers or Tarcar , you are IMO all the poorer for it since she's a shining talent.

D
Wow, I pulled out my ancient copy of Mesopotamia for the first time in years, and that is a trippy tune. Definitely some exotica going on, but it almost sounds like there's a Chris & Cosey feel to the vocal delivery and some of the synths, (plus some Talking Heads-ish affectations). Very different for them, and a testament to their deep well of talent.

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Re: B-52's Appreciation

Post by shadowplay » Tue Nov 20, 2018 6:51 am

daemon wrote:
Mon Nov 19, 2018 6:24 pm
shadowplay wrote:
Mon Nov 19, 2018 4:55 am
I think these days my favourite The B-52's song is Deep Sleep off Mesopotamia with it's rohypnol exotica lull. I can still remember buying the seven from Gloria's Record bar in 1982 on the way home from school.

Btw has anyone heard the most wonderful Carla Dal Forno's haunted mirror cover of Give Me Back My Man. Her Top of The Pops cover cassette which this is from is well worth hearing and you can check out my post on it here.

If you don't know Carla's original work Solo , with F ingers or Tarcar , you are IMO all the poorer for it since she's a shining talent.

D
Wow, I pulled out my ancient copy of Mesopotamia for the first time in years, and that is a trippy tune. Definitely some exotica going on, but it almost sounds like there's a Chris & Cosey feel to the vocal delivery and some of the synths, (plus some Talking Heads-ish affectations). Very different for them, and a testament to their deep well of talent.
Yeah it's a great song and I'd love to have heard more songs like it from them.

D
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Re: B-52's Appreciation

Post by panoramic » Tue Nov 20, 2018 9:10 am

give me back my man is my favorite b52's track hands down, that love shack record was a trashfire but it did make them lots of $$$$$
I used to be cool, now I just complain about prices.

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Re: B-52's Appreciation

Post by Maggieo » Tue Nov 20, 2018 10:10 am

Telliot wrote:
Wed Apr 11, 2012 9:40 am
LanceLink wrote:I've been a fan since 1980 and do play them from time to time... I like it all but still favor the earlier recordings. Same goes for Devo...
B-52s (especially the early stuff), DEVO and XTC were on constant play, growing up. I still love that stuff!!

I should add King Crimson and Adrian Belew to that list, too...

And welcome back, Shadowplay!! :)
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Re: B-52's Appreciation

Post by scottT » Wed Nov 21, 2018 4:22 pm

I like Dirty Back Road (don't read too much into that) off Wild Planet, my first B-52's album. It's pure unadulterated Kate and Cindy, voices locked in and hypnotic. For my money, their blended voices are a national treasure. The best.

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Re: B-52's Appreciation

Post by danbind » Thu Jan 24, 2019 6:47 pm

I remember seeing them on SNL in, what, 1980? ...and my 16-year-old self thinking "this is a little out there--where did they get these guys?" A couple months later, my brother brings back the debut album from college, and I was hooked. I ended up across the state in Knoxville for college myself a few years later, and Athens bands would come up to play--Kilkenny Kats, BBQ Killers, Love Tractor... There was a good scene back then, between GA, NC, Knoxville...
remember / to kick it over

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Re: B-52's Appreciation

Post by Unicorn Warrior » Thu Jan 31, 2019 11:26 pm

danbind wrote:
Thu Jan 24, 2019 6:47 pm
I remember seeing them on SNL in, what, 1980? ...and my 16-year-old self thinking "this is a little out there--where did they get these guys?" A couple months later, my brother brings back the debut album from college, and I was hooked. I ended up across the state in Knoxville for college myself a few years later, and Athens bands would come up to play--Kilkenny Kats, BBQ Killers, Love Tractor... There was a good scene back then, between GA, NC, Knoxville...
I bet that was an interesting scene. Really an obscure place for it if you ask me

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Re: B-52's Appreciation

Post by TeenageShutdown! » Fri Mar 29, 2019 1:09 pm

Sorry to revise the necro thread. I spent the afternoon at Princeton Record Exchange today (awesome shop by the way) and after rummaging through the lp’s I headed over to the budget cd area. This is where I like to take low financial risks. After grabbing a few things I also grabbed the B52’s first self-titled album. This has been on my long list of stuff for awhile, so it was a no brainer at $1.99.

Holy shit! This album is fucking great!!! Start to finish is just awesome & fun. Anyone that remotely thinks Rock Lobster is great would surely be satisfied with this album. I’ll definitely have to pick up Wild Planet next.

Growing up in the late 80’s/ early 90’s I can remember the B52’s being on heavy rotation with Love Shack & Roam. That’s great in it’s own right, but I feel sorry for those that bought the singles cassette & didn’t expore them further. Such a tragedy that Ricky Wilson’s life cut short too.

Anyways, I’ve already listened to the album twice today & can’t wait for the old lady to get home so she can hear it too. I know she will enjoy it.

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