I'm wondering if that 1989 UK compilation Dance This Mess Around has any tracks from the original Mesopotamia... hmmmm.
― donut debonair (donut), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 02:50 (nineteen years ago) link
Oh, and obv. CLASSIC!, at least until Ricky's death. And therever after, presumably. (I've only heard the singles.) My fave: Wild Planet. (Partly out of nostalgia, since "Strobe Light" was playing when I first...nevermind...)
― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 05:56 (nineteen years ago) link
― kacka thompson (kacka), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 06:20 (nineteen years ago) link
― Colin Meeder (Mert), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 06:24 (nineteen years ago) link
― donut debonair (donut), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 06:30 (nineteen years ago) link
― donut debonair (donut), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 06:31 (nineteen years ago) link
― cutty (mcutt), Thursday, 30 March 2006 17:46 (eighteen years ago) link
― js (honestengine), Thursday, 30 March 2006 18:08 (eighteen years ago) link
My pick: "52 Girls". The only thing this song is missing is Fred interjections, but even without that it screams perfection. The tempo demands that you get out on the dance floor, the guitar and bass force your ass to MOVE and the vocals grab your arms and make you do goofy swimming motions, all while your brain rattles around your skull shrieking "THIS IS WHAT AN ETERNAL ORGASM FEELS LIKE!"
― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:08 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dr. Alicia D. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:15 (seventeen years ago) link
― LeRooLeRoo (Seb), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:18 (seventeen years ago) link
My pick would be Planet Claire. Predictable, I know, but it's just the most classic song ever.
― everything (everything), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:09 (seventeen years ago) link
― Baaderonixx in the year of the locusts (baaderonixx), Thursday, 5 October 2006 06:49 (seventeen years ago) link
― dave q (listerine), Thursday, 5 October 2006 09:48 (seventeen years ago) link
― Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Thursday, 5 October 2006 10:19 (seventeen years ago) link
Actually, they replaced "Don't Worry," the Yoko Ono cover.
Almost impossible for me to OPO. I concur with everything about the "52 Girls" review above, but since that does not contain "Fred interjections," and "Rock Lobster" is all about same, then that's my pick, but it could just as easily be "Planet Claire" or "Dance This Mess Around." One of my favorite LP sides ever.
― Daniel Peterson (polkaholic), Thursday, 5 October 2006 13:10 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 5 October 2006 13:43 (seventeen years ago) link
Huh, I thought I'd already posted something on this thread. Must have been a different B-52's thread. Oh well. Classic to the max.
― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 5 October 2006 15:37 (seventeen years ago) link
― 0xDOX0RNUTX0RX0RSDABITFIELDXOR^0xDEADBEEFDEADBEEF00001 (donut), Thursday, 5 October 2006 15:38 (seventeen years ago) link
I saw them at the Concord Pavillion one time in the early 90s, I think. I don't remember the show that well. All I remember is that the line to the women's toilets was too long, so after 20 minutes of waiting futilely I made a dash to the men's toilet. They pee into long troughs. A security guard made me leave, but the relatively speedy relief of my bladder was worth it.
The only example of bands/artists whose later work improved markedly with maturity that I can think of is Pulp. I hated the stuff that came before His'n'Hers. Well, maybe not hate, but I have no desire to listen to that. I'm glad they persevered to go on to make A Different Class, though.
― Melinda Mess-injure (Melinda Mess-injure), Thursday, 5 October 2006 21:09 (seventeen years ago) link
― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 5 October 2006 23:34 (seventeen years ago) link
You guys are leaving me alone tonight. Planet Claire and the whole first side of the first album vinyl "52 Girls" etc. are killing me to the core right now. So many clueless people have not even heard this delicious slice of funky post-punk groove.
Where are you Jeff W. when I need you? You know even Pretenders can't hold a prayer to the first B-52's album. And "Dance This Mess Around" is STILL my favourite, even though I love you if you say "Rock Lobster".
― Bimble, Saturday, 1 September 2007 02:43 (seventeen years ago) link
EVERYBODY GOES TO PARTIES THEY DANCE THIS MESS AROUND
― Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Saturday, 19 July 2008 17:36 (sixteen years ago) link
hippie shake
ROCKZ LOBSTER IS STILL THE MOST CLASSICKEST
― Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Saturday, 19 July 2008 17:38 (sixteen years ago) link
The music sounds like an Addams Family theme. Monster Mash. I mean what else do you want out of US post punk than the B-52's?
I have a black long sleeved shirt with the yellow sleeve for this on the front.
― Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Saturday, 19 July 2008 17:40 (sixteen years ago) link
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:IrF69RtMDg1MBM:http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00002632M.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
― Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Saturday, 19 July 2008 17:45 (sixteen years ago) link
b-52s being teabagged by sherman hemsley
― Bo Jackson Overdrive, Saturday, 19 July 2008 17:47 (sixteen years ago) link
Funplex wasn't that bad
― Catsupppppppppppppp dude 茄蕃, Saturday, 19 July 2008 18:33 (sixteen years ago) link
Until this thread I didn't know that they released two versions of Mesopotania. I love the original but my vinyl is fucked.
― Ned Trifle II, Saturday, 19 July 2008 19:08 (sixteen years ago) link
My kids totally love 'Wig'. They shout 'What's that on your head?' at random moments.
― Ned Trifle II, Saturday, 19 July 2008 19:13 (sixteen years ago) link
yeah I'm still listening to Funplex on shuffle. Pretty much the best thing they could have come up with at this stage
― baaderonixx, Saturday, 19 July 2008 20:34 (sixteen years ago) link
Didn't we have a thread specifically discussing the different versions of Mesopotamia? I recently go the 'Nude on the moon' comp and the "1990 remix" of the title song on there kills me.
― baaderonixx, Monday, 29 September 2008 12:44 (fifteen years ago) link
I have recently rediscovered, thanks to the Diplo/Santogold mix-CD, that I love "Mesopotamia" very very very much.
(I still think "52 Girls" is the best song they ever did, though.)
― i am the small cat (HI DERE), Monday, 29 September 2008 13:43 (fifteen years ago) link
I"ve really grown to love Mesopotamia, although I'm still not sure which version I own.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Monday, 29 September 2008 13:47 (fifteen years ago) link
I think I have the original Byrne one, but judging from that 1990 remix, the new version seems more to my liking
― baaderonixx, Monday, 29 September 2008 13:56 (fifteen years ago) link
Too lazy to go upthread to read the Mesopotamia stuff, but there are three versions, and here's how you can tell which one you have.
* If you have the Mesopotamia/Party Mix two-fer CD from 1990, you have the 1990 Remix version, i.e. "the rock mix"* If you have the Warner Brothers vinyl EP (the most common one on vinyl) or the Island CD-EP, you have "the original official mix"* If you have an Island EU vinyl EP, you likely have "the accidental mix" i.e. "the byrne mix". You have to listen and see if the songs are more sparse and dubbed out, but I haven't encountered an Island EU vinyl version that wasn't the accidental mix.
I'm so late on digitizing the accidental mix. Sorry guys. :( Once i get the vinyl I kept sorted, I'll let you know.
― Mackro Mackro, Monday, 29 September 2008 16:44 (fifteen years ago) link
An online quote by Keith Strickland I stumbled upon today:
A friend of ours in the journalism department back then – which was also journalism-slash-TV-slash-media – had access to this studio and he invited us over and we did this performance. And we were using these tapes. It was actually the way we performed in Athens at the beginning, using reel-to-reel playback on some of the stuff. I played congas, Ricky played guitar, we had second guitar on tape, and Fred, Kate and Cindy would sing. So that’s how we performed for this video that a friend of ours, Spencer Thornton, made. And so a couple of clips from that have surfaced.
Discovering these two primordial B-52's videos on Youtube this morning made me happier than a (giant) clam! These predate the first album by a year.
Lava: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG70rsLUjfQ
Devil In My Car: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpYRnVcNPto&feature=related
― Such A Hilbily (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 19:03 (fifteen years ago) link
One more, Hero Worship; brief snippet, but maybe my favorite of these.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_KKZhA9sPw&NR=1
― Such A Hilbily (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 19:15 (fifteen years ago) link
awesome
― congratulations (n/a), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 19:19 (fifteen years ago) link
My friend Scott's band opened for the B's last night in Charlotte. OPENED FOR THE B-52's! I realize this isn't as big a deal in 2009 as it would've been in the past, but he's been a gigantic fan of theirs for the 17 years that I've known him. I can't even imagine what that would feel like.
/personal babble
― Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 12 August 2009 19:30 (fifteen years ago) link
"Is that you Moe-dean" is godheadlike. honorable mention, not seen mentioned, for godheadlikeness:"Give me back my man"
― outdoor_miner, Wednesday, 12 August 2009 20:16 (fifteen years ago) link
"Ain't It a Shame" = secret highlight.
― Anatomy of a Morbius (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 20:18 (fifteen years ago) link
they had so much cool around the first two albums im surprised they didnt precipitate a black hole
― iro with the brown bag (Hunt3r), Thursday, 13 August 2009 04:21 (fifteen years ago) link
Based on "Love Shack", I pretty much ignored and avoided the B-52s for the past fifteen+ years. Listening to the first album, I guess that was a bad decision. BUT, aren't these songs too long for their own good?
― john. a resident of chicago., Monday, 29 November 2010 16:14 (thirteen years ago) link
No.
― look at it, pwn3d, made u look at my peen/vadge (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 29 November 2010 16:30 (thirteen years ago) link
they're long-ish, yeah, but b-52s were always emphatically a dance band, i think they wanted to keep the grooves going.
― tylerw, Monday, 29 November 2010 16:30 (thirteen years ago) link
If the first album went on forever it would still be too short.
― EZ Snappin, Monday, 29 November 2010 16:43 (thirteen years ago) link
The remixes on Party Mix are so awesome.
― look at it, pwn3d, made u look at my peen/vadge (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 29 November 2010 16:45 (thirteen years ago) link
Looks like a concert from just after Wild Planet went up on the YouTubes recently. B-52's obsessives are going to be DELIGHTED.http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhnmhDNF1JJiUMOz9qZgeiAFySF6R3lwX
― campreverb, Thursday, 24 July 2014 23:12 (ten years ago) link