B-52's - Time Capsule: Songs For A Future Generation

Taken in one concentrated best-of dose, it becomes evident what a coup the B-52's pulled off when they turned their own concentrated craziness into genuine hits. This is some of the weirdest stuff ever to make the charts, much less be loved by the masses. It's all here though--the mad surf guitar of Ricky Wilson (and later Keith Strickland), the banshee wails of Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson, and, of course, the, um, well, let's say vocalizing of freaky Fred Schneider. "Party out of Bounds" with a "Rock Lobster" on "Planet Claire," or "Roam" over to the "Love Shack" in "Private Idaho." Whatever you do in the B-52's universe will at least be good, clean, perverse fun. Contains two new songs. --Michael Ruby Amazon.com

Some of the greatest pop to come out of the US

Was debating with myself whether to give this compilation 4 stars or 5 and opted for the latter due to the presence of three absolute classic pop songs. They are:

Rock Lobster: when I try and list the greatest songs of a particular country, this one often tops my list for that of the US. Some people doubt the bona fides of this song...actually, no one's actually ever agreed with me that this is a number one contender. Here's why I rate this song so highly: it's a fun song which doesn't take itself to seriously. It's experimental in the sounds that it produces. It has a cool bass line and an infectious keyboard melody. The twin pronged all girl backing singers have fun with the silly lyrics and sounds they make. Towards the end of the song it sounds like the band have captured the ultimate jam session and saved it to vinyl. Really, if the silly lyrics put you off, you are missing a wonderful, pop sound scape.

Private Idaho: a song that inspired a movie title, if not a movie [i.e. "My own private Idaho"]. Intriguing lyrics [not as silly as "Rock lobster"], infectious guitar and keyboard and harmonies.

Roam: the twin attack female 'backing' singers take centre stage again and have the vocal duties all to themselves in this classic song. Has a lovely, ethereal intro, a distinctive guitar riff and later on a cool bass line. Not unusually, the lyrics are sexually suggestive.

Here in Australia songs like the above get regular airplay on FM stations. My least favourite single from the band, "Love shack" is the most commonly played here, folllowed by "Roam", then "Rock lobster". "Private Idaho" is a rare song here, but you do it here it occasionally...more's the pity...I'd be happy if radio stations played this every time they wanted to play "Love shack". One song from this compilation which I think would deserve airtime on FM radio here would be "Summer of love". Again, the 'twins' take vocal duties all for themselves in this dreamy, catchy pop song. Did make a note about the REM classic "Imitation of life". Something about this song must have reminded me of that REM song.

A few other songs from this album that I don't mind are:

Planet Claire: this song sounded vaguely familiar. Maybe it once got airtime in Australia? Has a Peter Gunn [a tv cop show or something] referencing guitar riff [have heard a few songs which reference this tv show-The Scientists have one such song, but I forget its title. Maybe Gary Numan has one such song. Any other songs have slipped my memory]. Like a few songs on this compilation, there are science fiction related lyrics and some sci-fi type sound effects. "Rock lobster" was a big hit for this band in Australia, I think, and this song might have got airtime here in its wake.

52 girls: Another all girl vocal show. Guitar driven, bass, good harmonies [as per usual] and seems to reference Aussie band The Easybeats' classic "Sorry" as far as the guitar riff goes.

"Is that you Mo-Dean" and "Hallucinating Pluto": two more spacey songs with spacey sounds and sci-fi related lyrics. The former seems to have an unusual instrument...a zither or something. The latter has a lead guitar and solid drum sound.

Haven't mentioned the male lead singer-Fred Schneider -not a good singer per se, but has loads of character, vocal wise.

The female singers, Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson, are great singers. The proof of that is that some of them [I'm not sure which] have featured as backing singers to other pop/rock act's songs. E.g. the classic Hoodoo Gurus [Australian pop/rock band] song "Bittersweet" features one of the girls; the classic R.E.M. song "Happy shiny people" also features one of the girls. The last instance I can think of, at the top of my head, is the Lou Reed song "Candy". Wilson and Pierson are one of the elements of the B52s which makes them so great...not unlike the Bull sisters in the Australian blues pop/rock act The Black Sorrows, where they turn really good songs into great songs with their vocal prowess. Whether backing Schneider or doing it for themselves, Wilson and Pierson perform admirably.

Have mentioned this band's sci-fi type songs and sexually suggestive songs. They do have another kind of song to be found in this compilation: character based songs. E.g. "Song for a future generation". Or, I think, "Party out of bounds" and "Strobe light". The latter has an example of the band's sense of fun and illustrates my point about their sometimes sexually suggestive lyrics: "kiss your pineapple". Odd lyric, but funny, no?

Lastly, a couple of songs had elements which reminded me of other songs:

Quiche Lorraine: had a Doors type organ sound to it. Another example of a song which is sort of like a play set to music.

Mesopotamia: had an element to this song which reminded me of the Hall and Oates classic "Dance on your knees" [reviewed the album this came off of here, recently, "Big Bam Boom"]. The title as sung here is just another musical sound, delivered vocally...sort of like a word drum-beat.

The B52s are an experimental and innovative pop band that created some all time pop classics which charted very well, here in Australia and elsewhere. May 21, 2008

Remembering the 80's

This Cd really funks and rocks. Rock lobster and private idaho are timeless. CD quality is amazing. Thanks to these 'remastering technology' stuff. If you are a fan. This is a must have. May 19, 2008

Time Capsule: Songs For A Future Generation

The B-52's-Time Capsule:Songs For A Future Generation *****


Basically Time Capsule is a greatest hits collection, and a really good one at that. I hate collections, I really only buy them if I own everything else by a band and want this in my car or think of them as only a singles band. Well I love The B-52's.

This collection of songs from "the worlds favorite and most perfect party band" is exactly the kind of thing the casual fan would want. This has all the classics, all the big hits and two new tunes. Playing in chronological order from 'Planet Claire' off the self titled debut, through 'Is That Mo-Dean' of Good Stuff, then the bands last album and on to the two new tracks 'Debbie' and 'Hallucinating Pluto' both of which play out as classic B-52 tracks.

For a newbie, this is a great place to start and for just the casual fan this is for you, but I strongly urge you to at the very least by the bands first two albums, The B-52's, and Wild Planet as they are both classics. March 28, 2008

A B-5'2s Best of MISSING key songs...WHY? You can fit more on the CD!

While this is a nice recap for novices, how can you call this CD a true "best of" when is omits key 52s classics - how can you have a 52s CD without GIVE ME BACK MY MAN? (which was a single BTW), LEGAL TENDER? (which was a single BTW), DANCE THIS MESS AROUND? I could go on - we don't NEED the sub-par "new" bonus tracks that are but a faint ghost of the real 52s magic. What we need is a COMPLETE collection for the fans! in the meantime, rush out and BUY 52s' new FUNPLEX which drops 3/25! March 10, 2008

Astro Sounds

Like James Brown, the B-52s worked a formula but what a durable one! With their radio dial set somewhere between Sony & Cher and early Prince, the B-52s amalgamated Sputnik, (teevee) Batman, Jiffy Pop, Alshire Records, day-glo, Twister, Barbarella and the shrunkwrap funk of the 5th Dimension into one iconographic fun machine. New Wave! Beach Blanket Bingo, Danelectro bite and a gamma ray of Ed Wood noir. "Rock Lobster" follows "Wipeout" and "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" into rock riff immortality, of course, but "Deadbeat Club" accompanies Hate and Eightball into postmodernity. (Most underrated track: "Mesopotamia"; most glaring omission: "Dance This Mess Around.") As earlier camp felicities ("Private Idaho") morphed into denser, moodier schtick ("Roam"), Kate Pierson provides the secret weapon. Remember Mystery Date? The Outer Limits? "Psychedelic Shack"? Nancy Sinatra? Devo was for the undergrads and the Cars were strictly lumpenprole, but the B-52s were as populist hip as Sock It To Me. Good stuff! "Planet Clair" and "Love Shack" remain maximum klassic. Here's the bi-polar Sixties, irradiated and phosphorescent. December 21, 2007

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