1979 was an interesting time for Athens, GA. Years before R.E.M. exploded onto the scene, The B-52s turned the world upside down with their campy, fun, sexually dusted, thrift-store, beach party, sci-fi sounds. Surf rock, garage punk, post-punk; it is impossible to put them in a single category, but there is no denying that the B-52s (and especially their debut album) were foundational to the New Wave movement. Uniting the misfits and weirdos and letting everyone know it was okay to be yourself, you can almost feel the beehives and John Waters mustaches in the riffs and vocals. Unconventional in every way, mad scientist Ricky Wilson even took the middle two strings off his guitar giving it a punchier and more angular sound, almost like a bass-rhythm hybrid that at times substituted for the absence of a bass player on the early albums. He is even credited for playing the smoke alarm. The missing middle strings left a wide open space in the mids for the 60’s girl harmonies of the dangerously dynamic duo of Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson to dance around the trademark sprechgesang (I learned a new word while researching for this review) of Fred Schneider, a mix of half-sung, half-shouted narration. And not to be diminished is Keith Strickland’s steady, no-frills drumming always providing the backbone of it all.
I was initially introduced to the B-52s sometime in the mid to late 80s (circa Private Idaho and then later the hit-heavy Cosmic Thing album) and was two years old when this album was released, so I somehow never realized that they had been going since the late 70s. Listening to the album with the release date in mind, it gives a whole different understanding of how different they were from the conventional. Instrument credits for toy piano, walkie talkies, and smoke alarms sprinkled nonchalantly in between vocals, tambourines, and drums in the liner notes. I always thought of the band as weird and fun. Listening to them always felt free like one would imagine a psychedelic alien beach party, and this album really embodies that. It is a blend of surreal party imagery, tongue-in-cheek sexuality, mid-century pop culture references, and offbeat storytelling. It is an invitation to a dance party you didn’t know you needed — one where the drinks are neon, the walls are leopard print, and everyone is doing a dance no one’s heard of before. It’s fun without irony, camp without cruelty, and it helped carve a space for weirdness in mainstream pop. Even 45+ years later, it sounds like nothing else.
The B-52’s took everything that “wasn’t cool” and made it cooler than anything else in the room.
HIGHLIGHTS
Planet Claire: kitschy opening track, like a sci-fi beach party scene in a spy movie, Tommy Gunn/Spy Hunter twangy reverb-heavy riff, mostly instrumental until Fred Schneider’s B-movie vocals
Dance This Mess Around: slow and quirky with a toy piano sprinkled in, picks up gradually then explodes into a chaotic party chant, Cindy and Fred vocally dance like Ginger & Fred
Rock Lobster: the HIT, psycho beach party, surf rock odyssey complete with catchy riff, wild tempo shifts, and sea animal noises
Lava: sultry and absurd seductive innuendo, campy, hypnotic groove, love & sex personified as a volcano
“It’s incredible to have people come up to you and tell you that you changed their life when their life was really, really dark. That you brought some light in. You also learn that it’s OK to be a weirdo and not follow the rules.”
-Cindy Wilson
The BEST (Rock) Lobster Roll
Credit: FoodieCrush.com
INGREDIENTS
1 lb frozen lobster meat (thawed) or cooked meat from two 1 ½ – 2 pound live lobsters
¼ cup minced celery
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp minced chives
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
¼ tsp kosher salt
4 split-top brioche, New England style hot dog buns , with sides trimmed off
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbsp butter, divided
DIRECTIONS
Rinse the lobster meat and pick through for any loose shells. Drain throughly so the mayo sauce doesn’t get watery when added. Chop or tear into large chunks and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the celery, mayonnaise, chives, lemon juice, lemon zest, kosher salt and ground black pepper.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and add the lobster meat. Cook, stirring for 2 minutes until warmed through and buttery all over. Use a slotted spoon to dish the lobster meat into the mayonnaise mixture and toss to coat. Discard butter and juice released from the lobster and wipe out the skillet. Melt the remaining butter in the skillet over medium heat; toast the buns on the cut sides about 2 minutes each side until golden and toasty.
Load each bun equally with lobster meat and garnish with more chives if desired. Serve with kettle-style potato chips and cold beer.
Serving Suggestion
Make it beachy: Serve the lobster rolls in paper boats or on melamine plates with bold, retro patterns.
Volume up: Let the record spin start to finish. The weirdness builds in the best way, and “Downtown” makes for a charming dinner wind-down.
Dance Break: When “Rock Lobster” hits, drop the lobster roll, grab your beer, and start imitating sea creatures with your guests. It’s your new tradition.
Bonus Hosting Tip
Add some kitsch — think flamingo stir sticks in your beer mugs, lava lamps, novelty sunglasses, or a bubble machine in the corner. The B-52’s aesthetic lives in extra, so don’t hold back.
Groove Rituals 