Promotional copy not for sale - from the Whammy album

Product Details

* Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
* Number of Discs: 1
* Label: Reprise / Wea
* Catalog Number: 3355
* ASIN: B000002KKD
* Also Available in: Audio Cassette
* Average Customer Review: based on 42 reviews. (Write a review.)
* Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,831 in Music (See Top Sellers in Music)
Yesterday: #3,611 in Music

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1. Planet Claire Listen Listen
2. 52 Girls Listen Listen
3. Dance This Mess Around Listen Listen
4. Rock Lobster Listen Listen
5. Lava Listen Listen
6. There's A Moon In The Sky (Called The Moon) Listen
7. Hero Worship Listen
8. 6060-842 Listen
9. Downtown Listen
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
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
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7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
B-52.... BINGO!, December 13, 2001
Reviewer: Daniel J. Hamlow (Farmington, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
Unbeknownst to the majority of people, a satellite manned by an Athens, GA quintet detected the next The planet's name? Claire, which breaks the traditions of naming planets after Roman gods and goddesses. Anyway, the series of beeps heard from that planet is what starts off the first song from the B-52's

"52 Girls" is a cool, chugging ditty with the signature surf guitar that characterized the B-52's.

"Dance This Mess Around" is a mid-paced song with the amusing refrain, "Why won't you dance with me/I'm not no Limburger" shouted out by Katie Pierson.

The centerpiece is the 6:49 opus "Rock Lobster," which demonstrates the ne plus ultra of wackiness and fun for the quintet. The real surreal line that really caught me: "We were at the beach/Everybody had matching towels." If the B-52's played a party by the ocean, mermaids, fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, lamellibrates of all shapes and sizes would show up to boogie. And love that swirling effect after Fred sings "Down, down." There are too many silly sounds and bizarre lines in this song to mention.

"Lava" really goes into overdrive with the volcanic comparisons and similes, with references to Mauna Loa, Krakatoa, Pompeii. And here's real trip: "My love may be as high as the highest volcano" Volcano instead of mountain: now that I like. Oh yes, I guess just like the movie, they didn't realize that Krakatoa is actually WEST of Java. It's OK--not many people know that.

"There's A Moon In The Sky (Called The Moon)" (love that title!) is the other space song here, which might make astronomy students chuckle or make the subject fun for first-time students. If not, "you get a mouth, a mouthful of red Kryptonite." Ha ha! It's a real jamming tune, what with the chugging guitar.

Lists seem to pop up in B-52's songs. In "52 Girls", 25 girls are listed, if you count Kate's name sung twice, and if you count Jack as a truncated version of Jackie. So the number is 52 in reverse. OK. And what about those dances in "Dance This Mess Around"--the Shu-ga-loo, the Shy Tuna, the Camel Walk, the Hip-O-Crit, Aqua-velva, the Dirty dog, and the Escalator? Some are those have to be fictitious. Oh yes, and dig the marine life listed in "Rock Lobster."

Silly choruses: "Shake-a bake shake shake" and "Yeah yeah yeah yeah..." "Scoodoobie-wop!", "Won-ton-ton-ton rama-in-Andromeda" Silly and fun is the key to enjoying the B-52's, and anyone who's been raised on sour grapes or ugly fruit should recover in no time at all.

These are the only B-52's that will get the approval of an anti-war protester, and that's the way it should be. Well, I'm gonna either jump in a crater or ride in a golden meteorite with a bikini whale. So see ya later!

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Weird and wonderful, November 20, 2003
Reviewer: Joburgpete "irridium" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)
The B-52's added a welcome shot of humour to the post-punk scene from 1979 onwards. Not only did they look kitchy and weird in an over-the-top 1960s type of way, their sound was something quite distinctive and they wrote great songs.

It's still hard to define the music which is a fun blend of pop, quirky funk and experimental rock. In addition to the jerky arrangements, the innovative vocals are what made the mix so successful and distinctive. The male voice hovers between a singing and speaking style while the female vocals frame it with tight, urgent harmonies and shrieks. The closest comparison I can find of a similar band from the same era is The Flying Lizards, but they were much more obscure.

My favourite songs include the jerky Rock Lobster with its great hooks, the tuneful Planet Claire and the infectious Dance This Mess Around. Many of the tracks are good for the dancefloor too. Although not all the songs are up to the quality of the aforementioned hits, they're all innovative, funny and listenable. After all these years, this album still sounds unique. ( )