The B-52’s: The B-52’s/Wild Planet

I had planned to feature an album by the beloved Warren Zevon this week … but there’s too much sadness in my life right now. What we need is to kick our shoes off and throw our arms out and dance and sing and celebrate the joy in this world. And who better to dance and sing and feel joy with than The B-52’s? (You with me, Dale?)

But I can’t feature just one album. The B-52’s and Wild Planet, the band’s first two albums, are a set and must be listened to as one. Nine months separate the release date — The B-52’s in July 1979 and Wild Planet in April 1980. They work together, and I can never remember which songs are on which album.

The B-52’s and Wild Planet have eighteen of the catchiest tracks in my CD closet. Who hasn’t worn the body out dancing to “52 Girls” and “Lava,” “Private Idaho” and “Quiche Lorraine,” “Give Me Back My Man” and “Dirty Back Road,” “Party out of Bounds” and “Strobe Light”? Or I hope you have. Brilliant songs all, but I must single out three from their debut album.

“Rock Lobster”: No telling how many times I’ve danced my heart out during these seven glorious minutes, nearly embarrassing myself by my body’s wild abandonment of any insecurity or decorum. It’s fun with a furious beat and, according to the laws of nature, you must dance when it plays. Or sing. I scared the hell out of Otto, my cat, the other day while singing Cindy Wilson’s part at the end. Because I must. Sing along. Loudly.

“Planet Claire”: The most fun two-and-a-half minute intro from the post-punk/new wave era, and the coolest 1950s sci-fi movie theme recorded in the late 1970s. Simeon once wanted to film the opening to the song and would often storyboard it for me (I can still visualize his vision); too bad we weren’t digital back then.

“Dance This Mess Around”: Includes the best lyrics ever written for a heartache song, as belted by Kate: Why don’t you dance with me? I’m not no limburger. We’ve all had someone who left us feeling like a limburger, just a limburger. And that toy piano in the background is, to quote Lauren, the sh*t.

It’s hard to believe these two albums are more than 25 years old. They don’t sound dated … or maybe they don’t sound dated to me because I was of that moment, and I can’t bear to think of myself as dated.

Hey! So, Fred, don't that make you feel a whole lot better? Huh?
I say, dunn’it that make you feel a lot better?
What you say? I'm just askin'!

Just writing about The B-52's made me feel a lot better. Of course, I'm listening to the albums while I write this, so I've had to take several must-dance breaks.

I’ve seen The B-52’s perform at least five times — at a large outdoor party in Normaltown (outside Athens) in 1978, at Atlanta's Fox Theater and Chastain Park, and on UGA’s Legion Field for the Cosmic Thing tour (several entertaining stories there, worthy of a future post). My favorite time seeing them was at the Agora Ballroom during 1980’s Wild Planet tour. It was during my WRAS* days, and Ricky and Cindy Wilson came by the studio for a fun on-air interview that afternoon. I went to the show with my station boys — Mike and David and Dane and Sandy (and I met Stephen during that show, but he’s a story we’ll save for an omigod post). We frugged and sang all night long. The B-52's had as good a time as we did. It was one of the best shows I saw that year — and, as the WRAS giveaway girl, I saw a lot of shows that year. Mike borrowed — and lost — my Devo flowerpot hat at the show, and I haven’t fully forgiven him for it. Although that plastic hat did stink.

*WRAS, the radio station of Georgia State University since 1971, has long been considered one of the best college stations in the nation. I was a part of that great staff in 1980-81. It's where my music-obsessed self fully came into being. The best part of my college years.

* * * * * *