Standing shivering in the wind and drizzle at the bus stop for what seemed like hours this morning, I was cheered by the arrival of the B-52's' (sic) summery masterpiece She Brakes For Rainbows, from the overlooked Bouncing Off The Satellites album.
I'm a big fan of the B-52's. How did that begin F-C?, I hear you ask. Well, it was a case of buying an album because you liked the sleeve, something I've done a few times and have rarely been disappointed. But this was the very first time I'd done that. When pocket money was tight you couldn't afford to be a spendthrift, but something about their self-titled debut album called to me and saw in record shops week after week after week. So because I was born way after I should have been, and felt almost a nostalgia for the period they evoked, in May 1983 I took the plunge.
Needless to say it pressed all the right buttons with me, and the rest of their oeuvre followed. I even joined the fanclub. Sadly I've never seen them, but on the two occasions they've set up dates over here I've bought tickets - and they've cancelled. Oh well, sometimes it's not great to see old bands. They're better in aspic. That said, they had a new album out last year and it's great. They've definitely got more sensible over time, what with intra-band deaths, etc., but they're no less engaging. So kitsch. Such fun.
If all you know is Love Shack or Rock Lobster, look a little closer. While both those songs are good and quite representitive, I'm bored to sobs of them and urge you to dig a little deeper.
So what's hot? Here are my top 10 B-52's numbers (and the album that spawned them):
1. Dirty Back Road (Wild Planet)
2. Mesopotamia (Mesapotamia)
3. Deadbeat Club (Cosmic Thing)
4. Dance This Mess Around (The B-52's)
5. She Brakes For Rainbows (Bouncing Off The Satellites)
6. Don't Worry (Whammy!) - no longer available due to Yoko Ono copyright issues.
7. 52 Girls (The B-52's)
8. Legal Tender (Whammy!)
9. Deep Sleep (Mesopotamia)
10. Hero Worship (The B-52's)
And one of the best ever cover versions in Downtown (The B-52's)
What are they like?, some of you may be asking. Well it's really hard to say. There's a touch of The Cramps, punk, new wave, girl groups, a lot of Sixties...
Well, decide for yourself. Here they are doing Song For A Future Generation from Whammy!
