Reviews (page 9 of 11)
Nonsense
Weird but good. The guy got some Bauhaus style singing.
Loved this, classic album, weird yet catchy.
not sure why they took off at all really. fucking awful it sounds like they gave a bunch of toddlers instruments that can only play in one key
I've never been a fan of this band's quirky singing-but-not-QUITE-singing and goofy cartoon music style.
я как прошаренный слушатель уже знала про рок лобстера! но вообще что-то не моё)
Iraq lobster 3
Yeah. Fun B-52's music. Rock Lobster! Other than that song, the rest is just okay.
In high school, my friend had a car that only played cassettes, so he went to the thrift store to pick up some old tapes. One of the ones he grabbed was this album. We drove around one day listening to it, cracking up at how completely ridiculous it was. But damn, if this album isn't fun as hell.
7/10
Great energy
Having only heard love shack before wasn’t expecting much from this album, so I was pleasantly surprised, still became a drag near the end though. Not one I’ll be rushing back to.
3.5
Decent, sometimes feels a little dragged out and some songs overstay their welcome. And most are only above 4 minutes which is kinda saying something. This doesn’t have the best closer as well, Downtown kind of feels a bit repetitive and got irritating. Not a bad album, but not one you listen to front to back, more of a lick and choose specific songs kind of thing, whenever your in the mode for a song from here
I was hoping I'd like this one more, but nope. Still don't like new wave...
This is a very goofy album with some fun songs.
It still amazes me that this came out in ‘79. Such a great album.
Never been a fan of being weird for weirdness sake. Also, what are these songs so long?
Rock Lobster is one of my favourite songs. Great energy and creativity.
There're vibes of a low-budget horror movie, it's wonderfully kitchy, super catchy and every song is just pure fun. I'm in love.
Interesting stuff, there was life before Love Shack I guess.
Not super familiar with this record in this context, but a lot of these songs are familiar and this sound is certainly familiar. I think the B-52's are just ubiquitous in our culture at this point. Classic new wave vibes, and pretty fun to listen to a couple times through.
So annoying and bad
Always loved this album. For some reason Lava and Hero Worship aren't available on Spotify while the rest of the album is. Liked Songs: Planet Claire Rock Lobster
Agitating...in a good way? Nobody sounds like the B-52s. Never have and never will. Catchy and seemingly a-musical at times, the beat, shout-singing and throwback elements do combine for something listenable, and even enjoyable if you're in the mood. It never occurred to me that Gene Belcher from BOB'S BURGERS would probably rank this band at the top of his musical influences list. Is that a good or bad thing? I don't know.
un poco repetitivo, no me gustó.
Very good, some very catchy parts and unique
So british
This album showed me as a teen how weird and wonderful music can be.
I can only listen to the B-52's in the rarest of circumstances. My main problem with the band is that all of their songs sound alike and that Kate Pierson's vocal delivery is WAY over the top, bordering on the annoying. For me, they only have two or three good songs, none of which are not on this album. 2/5
C'est eclaté j ai bien aimé. Dur d'ecouté ca dans le sysfeme de son mais dans les ecouteurs c'est tres bon
Some great beats but I never liked the singing. Not a B-52’s fan.
Pretty fun album. I've always liked Rock Lobster, aside from the implication that all undersea animals sound like dolphins.
Great album. Band commercially super successful but not enough critical appreciation.
1/9, 11%
Impressive right out of the gate, and a true original sound.
LP
Wall-to-wall bangers!
So dancy and fun! More punk than I remember it being. I want to be their friends.
I don't know what is happening, but I like it.
I'd never listened to the B-52's outside of their famous songs. I find them a little repetitive but I do really like their sound, so it's okay. Besides "Rock Lobster," "6060-842" was the highlight for me.
A classic!
Excellent album. I saw a post here that said it was the Rocky Horror Picture Show of albums and so I went in with that expectation and boy did it not disappoint. Easily one of my favourites so far from this project
10th March 2023 Listened on the Monday because we spent the weekend in Napoli! Spiky, punky but with a funny spin and occasional surfers groove. Very unique.
An album from 1979, but in the moments you can hear the '90s. Not quite my tempo...
Very nice album in an unfollowable style. Nice to hear planet Claire again and of course i already knew the hit Rock lobster, but the other songs are also very nice. Great singing, especially from the female singer Kate . Dont know the titles anymore nut i added two songs to my favourites.
Not my cup of tea. Didn't age well.
Iconic, and I actually really enjoyed it. Very different from everything else. I had only heard Rock Lobster prior to this, but the rest of the songs are cool as well. Such a fun album. Fave track(s): Rock Lobster, Lava, There's a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon)
Ganske irriterende.
Have always loved B-52's, glad to listen to this whole album.
The intro song is killer. I'm getting retro-alien wartime vibes. The band may or may not be aliens posing as humans. So far really enjoying it. The B-52s exhibit a crisp rhythm section with staccato beats and ever-present synths, unique and dynamic vocals, and exciting flow in each of their songs. In their third song "Dance This Mess Around" the female vocals are making me feel something... All jokes aside, they've got serious skills. They know when to keep things simple, and when to dial it up and get noisy (in a good way). Rock Lobster. My god.... the vocals in this song. What is happening?! So far they have impersonated: stingray, manta ray, jellyfish, dogfish, catfish, searobin, pirana, narwhal, and let's not for rock lobster. This one was a wild ride that I was buckled in for and enjoyed the entire time. The B-52s were a refreshing blast from the past that I was unaware I was missing out on.
The B-52's were punk rock, the opening song Planet Claire was a statement, stating that you're on a ride and it's whatever the B-52's dish out. Rock lobster is a classic, a little long but a classic for the ages and should be played at every gathering henceforth.
What a bunch of atomic weirdos. I can't help but see drugged out people from the 50s with tin foil hats trying to contact aliens. That being said, the instrumentation keeps my head bopping and my energy high, almost like I'm caught in a ufo tractor beam of steady positive groove. I dig it. 9/10
Solid album
Enjoyable, endlessly danceable, and funny
I’m excited to listen to this album, as I’ve never heard a single bad song by the B-52’s. Admittedly, I’ve only heard two songs by them, but that’s still a 100% success rate. Songs I already knew: Rock Lobster Favourites: Planet Claire, Rock Lobster I really enjoyed this album. It’s the perfect blend of silliness and good music for my taste. The lyrics are complete nonsense at times, but I still want to boogie to it nonetheless. I do generally have a soft spot for music that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s a fine line between silly and stupid. And once you get into stupid then you’ve lost me. Thankfully, I found this album pretty great, and I’ll likely be keeping this in mind for party playlists in the future.
Nothing, in my opinion, will ever tip Love Shack. I have never liked Rock Lobster and I don’t really get the band so it wasn’t really for me I’m afraid.
Very surf very rock very fresh very aqua certainly lobster love it
It was a funky and fun album, overall it was ok. I like the instrumentals. I give it more like a 3.5/5.
groovy. wacky
Athens, Georgia was a rather unlikely place to be the next destination for rock and roll happenings but, in the late 70s to early 80s, that's exactly what happened, giving us bands that would not only influence many others but would end up finding a way to conjure up sounds that would change the world at large. The B-52's were the first of such groups to throw down the gauntlet. In under forty minutes, the mustard colored and lipstick scrawled universe that the three male and two female members inhabit show no signs of ceasing control and offering up a neverending vision of anarchic quirky fun that found hallmarks from often reviled sources of inspiration into becoming an inspiration of their own. This is the kind of record that garners repeat listening and full on immersion from start to finish.
amazing what happens when you listen to a full album, not just that one well known track
A quite enjoyable album, which clearly states their influences and ideas. They got a whole lot better in putting their ideas to the music in a more concisely defined way.
This is such an awesome album. I can not believe this was 1979. The vocals work so well with each other. Definitely a 4. 1. Rock Lobster 2. Lava 3. Dance This Mess Around 4. There’s a Moon in the Sky
This is painfully average and has a diabolically bad opening track.
Didn't like this at all, had all the tunelessness of that era of punk without the attitude and aggression or the cleverness in the lyrics. Also, all the songs are way too long, there's very little excuse for a punky song to hit 4 minutes, but most of these do, and Rock Lobster is almost SEVEN minutes long. Would not recommend this to anyone. 1/5.
Are B-52s thought of as a bit of a gimmick / daggy group? When their main songs are so famous, and are about rock lobsters etc, probably hard to avoid. But this album is a great listen, and Rock Lobster is actually a banger that holds up. They describe themselves on their own website as "The World's Greatest Party Band"...happy to run with that.
Somewhere between a 2 and 3 and I always round down. Rock lobster a banger, lot of songs that just didn’t get me going.
Weirdo geezer
You know those videos of some bimbo with a mic stopping random people to ask what song they're listening to? What if that happened to me today as I was walking to class, RBF and purposeful lesbian-walk fully activated, and in the most deadpan tone possible, I responded with, "Rock Lobster by the B-52s". God, I can only imagine the number of OHill furries that would come flocking to me. This album reminds me of a low point in my life. I'm talking about when I listened to Sleater-Kinney. This would be a 1, but I'd like to leave The B-52s under the false impression that their music was revolutionary when it really wasn't. I do have a tendency to lead people on.
I can’t with all these shitty albums anymore. It’s painful. Here’s another Family Guy video I guess. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZxdOeXUiJ0
You kiddos ever watch third rock from the sun? The hit 90s sitcom about aliens that are living on earth. Great television from childhood right there. Anyway, there's this one character played by french stewart, he was kinda like the sheldon before it became maybe the worst sense of humor ever (it still wasn't that funny, autistic mannerisms aren't my cup of comedy tea (most likely due to some of my 'tism tendencies)). This album sounds like it was made by that character, squinting the entire time and saying random shit that sometimes sticks and sometimes makes a scene so incredibly awkward that all you can do is laugh (I just looked it up, apparently Stewart's character squints the entire time because Stewart was high at his callback for the role, that's legendary stuff right there.) Except instead of laughing and being awkward, this album was bad and made me annoyed. Do better, there were even some nice surf rock vibes in there and it made me upset to hear it be reduced to trash. It feels harsh to give this one star, but it also feels so right, definitely better than sabres tho... Ok I should stop typing nonsense and attend to my alzheimer's patients.
Some songs were fun, some were really really annoying, reminded me of having a little brother. Brother gets 4 stars, album … not so much
You know it’s bad when one of the main compliments for an album is that “John Lennon said he enjoyed it”. Not that he loved it, was inspired by it, or couldn’t stop playing it. That he enjoyed it. Well, I enjoy my 10:30 AM shit’s, but you don’t see me putting that sh** in my Wikipedia page. And when I say 10:30 AM shit’s, I mean these albums. And when I say enjoy, I mean loath with an unbridled passion. If not for Rock Lobster, this would be a 1.
Difficult not to love the B-52s. A shame most people only seem to know Love Shack and a more recently, now also Rock Lobster. First 5 songs absolute stone cold worldies. Particularly Dance This Mess Around. Love love love. Lots of fun to be had elsewhere. Pure party band you have to get up and do all 16 dances to, and low key queer pioneers. Hey. So don't that make you feel a lot better?
Thanks to MTV, I suffered throughout my teenage years from overexposure to the B-52's and to this day I can't listen. The songs are good, but it's trauma.
Alright, not my sound. Rock lobster song tho 🦞
I'm pretty sure the B52s invented the whole "New Wave" genre with this album. I mean, that's gotta be something, right?
Not bad; perhaps just a bit too rowdy for me at 5am
Nothing earth shattering here but a crazy and oblique view. Solidly entertaining and just the right preparation for a night out.
huumehörhöt taas pästetty studioon...broidi vana kirjottanu random paskaa ja luuli että en huomaisThe whacked-out vocal affectation, pseudo-classical flourishes and bonkers lyrics give alienation a voice, sure, but more importantly a beat..shut the fuck up lava
Fun, kooky, surf-ish punk craziness - just right up my street. Might get a tad repetitive at points, but I just can't get enough of Rock Lobster, Planet Claire and well, most of the songs here.
Blaah
Menetteli
3,5/5
Rock para dançar divertido tem sua importância. Mas não reconheço nenhum hit.
really good loved it listening for the 2nd time really good work for their time nice tunes
I didn't get what they were going for with this album. I didn't find it very enjoyable.
If you like new wave then you love this album
This takes me back to the days when I used to go out dancing every weekend. There was a part of the evening where the B-52’s, along with King Kurt and The Cramps were always played in succession. The dancefloor was so packed you had to dance with your shoulders, and maybe a bit of elbow. These are floor fillers for a certain audience. I love the energy and whimsy. I’d happily get on the dancefloor now if Rock Lobster or Planet Claire were on the turntable. I don’t really need to hear a whole album but I loved that it flashed by very quickly without straining my patience. Always a bonus.
This is another favorite but not quite a 5 star album. It hits most of my criteria but not an album I'd play over and over. I just don't love it that much.
Some songs come very close to being too annoying, but mostly succeeds as Fun party music. I love Kate Pierson’s voice. Didn’t like the Petula Clark cover very much.
I love this album. From the opening "beep beep beep" of "Planet Claire" to the camp surf-guitar rock opera of "Rock Lobster," from hearts crackin' like Krakatoa to the unnamed moon in the sky, from every one of the 52 girls to... OK. You get it. The album is a 5-star affair up until "Hero Worship," which starts the slide into the final three tracks, which I still like while recognizing they're not as strong as the first 75% of the album. If we were to take the best of the second release ("Dirty Back Road," "Private Idaho," "Quiche Lorraine," "Strobe Light") and mash it with the best of this, you've got a masterpiece on your hands. Kate and Cindy's vocals, especially when harmonizing, are magic. Lyrically, this is so goofy, punctuated by one-off insights that make me chuckle every time I listen to it. Anyway, not a perfect album, but this band came out of left field 53 miles west of Venus and stirred the hot lava in my heart.
Thumb's up for originality. I dig the aesthetic. For a bit, at least. But as with Joy Division, a little goes a long way. Rock Lobster is a prime example. That song should be 1/3 as long. Still, the band is tight and they're fun. If this was the house band at a beach-side bar, I'd be thrilled.
While Wikipedia likes to use the term “kitsch,” I prefer “High Fidelity Class.”
YES!! An album I've been meaning to listen to! First up, Planet Claire, this build up is wild, sounds like some 60's SciFi soundtrack in the best way possible, and here comes your man on the vocals, sounds like a space robot, perfect for the song! 52 Girls, jangly pop sort of driving beat like all their songs, it works well for them, ladies on the vocals. Dance This Mess Around, a song that you can't really dance to that's about dances! Amazing work! Rock Lobster, CLASSIC!! Lava, more straightforward rock song, well at least for them, and it's still weird! There's a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon), well that's the most B-52's song title I can think of, this is that out there stuff I expected from this band, a song about the moon and just shouting plants out, sign me up! Hero Worship, kind of just happening in the background, hardly noticed that the song changed, ooops! 6060-842, well they sing the title, wasn't expecting that! And they're saying it over and over, I really should have saw this coming! Has a new wave on acid feel musically. Downtown, I think this is a cover...the greatest cover ever! A great listen can get away from you and might be better mixed in with other songs.
I did not enjoy this. It's annoying.
Rockabilly millor del que esperava
This picked me up on this Friday. "The B-52's" is the debut album from the Athens, GA new wave band The B-52's. The best description I saw of their music is a fusion of pop, surf, avant-garde, amateurish funk and white funk. Yep. And a description of the band as bad hairdos, sci-fi nightmares, pastels and dance crazes. All perfectly fine for me. Almost every review I read referred to their lyrics as kitschy. I see the retro in the band's appearance but is bikini whale really kitschy? OK, it is. Anyway, lots of fun here. The album was produced by Chris Blackwell and recorded in the Bahamas. Morse-code keyboards and a Peter Gunn guitar begin "Planet Claire." Two minutes in and vocalist Fred Schneider joins. Right away we're into the weird sci-fi lyrics and story. She came from Planet Claire where no one has a head and the trees are red. Another keyboard start in their third single "Dance this Mess Around." Cindy Wilson on lead vocals, singing and screaming. Guitarist Ricky Wilson bringing the chorus. And we come to "Rock Lobster" where Ricky Wilson told the other band members "I just wrote the stupidest guitar line you've ever heard." Yeah, and one of the best. That surf guitar. That sci-fi keyboard. The cowbell. The best use of sea animal sounds ever. Little did we know what finding a rock lobster on a beach would lead to. I had to re-watch their Saturday Night Live performance. It's still just as great as when I saw it live. "Lava" starts the second side and is more straight-forward punk/rock. Minimal keys. Cindy Wilson stressing she just needs to have that hot lava. Yeah! Cindy Wilson also kills it on "Hero Worship. Melodic guitar lines at the start. This song has a Stonesy "Some Girls" groove to it. Sleater-Kinney was listening. The closest thing this album has to a guitar solo at the end. My favorite deeper cut on the album is "6060-842" and its vocal chorus from Kate Person, Schneider and Cindy Wilson. I still have it in my head. Rick Wilson's guitar sounding very Gang of Four-esque. "Your number's been disconnected." I think the first two B-52 albums are fabulous. This debut album still rocks. I first got it on cassette; I know I don't have that but I do have the 45 of "Rock Lobster" which I'll put on later.
Didn't mind this but it didn't shift my opinion of them as a band: quirky US college pop rock. I like the image and 'vibe', but it feels more of a homage than an update of those styles - see Deee-Lite for a more successful and interesting take on this, at least visually. 'There’s a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon)' sums up the intellectual level of the album neatly enough. Style over substance, for me, albeit a style that I usually quite enjoy. I won't be moving to Planet Claire any time soon.
Planet Claire was a youth club disco favourite around 1982. What the fuck is this? It sounded like nothing else that was around at the time. It helped that my gf at the time was also called Claire. Our planets never really collided. The is the dumb shit rock 'n' roll that I craved for earlier. Rock Lobster is as stupid as stupid can be. I bloody love it.
The B-52's were a new wave, post punk band, most famous for the song Love Shack, and Rock Lobster. This was their debut album. Their sound blends "surf rock" guitars with heavy synth backing and weird psychadelic, nonsensical lyrics. I enjoy the male/female vocal dynamic. This music is weird, but in a good way. Some of their stuff was too out there for me (like when their singing doesn't mesh with the time signature that the instruments are playing) but overall, I can see how many bands that came later drew influence from this band. Overall, an interesting listen today. Before this I was only familiar with their hits, but discovered a few more songs I hadn't heard before, but really liked. Favourite songs: Rock Lobster, Lava, 6060-842 (6060 842) Least favourite songs: 52 Girls, Planet Claire, Hero Worship, Downtown 3/5
No
Chispeante
A unique record that can be listened to again and again and that immediately spreads a good mood and where you can't sit still.
Funky and fun but it wouldn't blow me away.
One of the greatest debut albums of all time
Not my vibe. Not available on Spotify.
Take the same basic song - shout something surreal over the jangly guitars, add a few screeching girls and you have a hit album. Rock Lobster was fun, but a whole album of what is essentially the same song reprocessed is too much.
Some weird stuff, kinda dug it
A great album and it doesn't sound over 40 years old. A reminder of how much fun and inventive music used to be. Couldn't help putting it on again to listen to as I enjoyed it so much
It was fine
Classic trailblazer album.
Boys in bikinis! Girls on surfboards! Some things last a long time. To be honest, Fred Schneider‘s actual vocals are my least favorite thing about the band’s music. His lyrics are fun, the camp vibes alongside surfy, rock and roll vamps make for a joyful listen. Fred’s nasal delivery is just a little grating at times. I’ll take the bad with the good when it comes to the B-52s. Instant alien beach party.
Very good
Discordant and punky but irritating after a couple of songs
Another one of those bands I've never listened to a full album from. These guys were awesome. So weird yet fun and approachable. Great debut
Kitch, oddly tuned guitars. As part of the post punk scene this always seemed a bit odd with its 50s throwback shieky vocals and visual styling. Rock Lobster was a college mainstay. 3 (i think)
I can describe this abum in 6 syllables; One-Hun-Dred -Per-Cent-Fun, with appologies to Matthew Sweet. Side 1 is as infectious as music gets and side 2, though not the perfection of side 1 still keeps the dance party going. 5 stars
This made me say, "What the fuck am I listening to?" but in a good way??? I can't say I've ever had quite the experience I had while listening to this album before. Everything worked, strangely enough, when it should have fallen apart. It really should have fallen apart, but it just kept going strong through sheer force of will. Rock Lobster rocks. Everything on this album rocks. Count me in as a new fan of The B-52's.
Ugh
Well this is iconic. Not sure if you can dredge up anything bad to say? I'm sure they do though. From the opening track it sets it's mark: Inventive, stylised, fun and energetic. Great band and great album at one of the most pivotal years in music history. 1979
Really don't like the B-52s
The surfer heartbeat of this band has so much groove. The contrasting vocal styles is like you took everything about 60's surf culture, polished it to a mirror, and shot it back at the world. This album kicks ass.
I respect it, and can see where some may enjoy it, but not really my cup of tea. Not something I would choose to listen to again.
I feel like I should like the B-52’s because I like new wave and surf rock, but the constant speak-singing is just kind of off-putting to me. I like “Rock Lobster”, which I’ve already heard a couple of times.
For those of us who know how to party. I know the question you're asking right now: "Big Dog, what's stopping you from branding this thing a 5?" And the answer is nothing, nothing at all. Somewhat related: no one calls me Big Dog. Or Big Dawg.
Couldn’t even make it thru
Honestly a really fun album
Shite shouty deliberately quirky crap, it was always crap - remains crap 30 years later
Wenn Humor nervt… Es brauchte kein ganzes Album, um zu erkennen, dass ich die B-52's unerträglich finde, dafür reichten schon die einzelnen Songs von ihnen, die ich vorher kannte. Substanzloser Quatsch. Gerne bitte wieder.
Pas mauvais, rien de fou
Good fun, really enjoyed Planet Claire.
Tremendous fun. 🪨🦞 Fave track - "6060-842" is so catchy!
This album was what I assume experiencing the full spectrum of bipolar disorder feels like... in the space of half an hour. It was cool and cruisy, there were hokey "spooky" Monster Mash-type bits, sometimes we sang, sometimes we screamed seemingly uncontrollably, sometimes serious, sometimes all a big fucking joke. The punkier stuff was pretty grating but I genuinely like Rock Lobster (not a hipster, I swear), and the other couple of tunes that sounded similar did it for me enough to give it a 3/5.
I enjoyed this album a lot more than I expected! The vocals are interesting in a cool way. I love the cadence and way each singer utilises their voice to complement the songs. It feels almost chaotic but a controlled chaos. My favourite songs were 52 Girls, Rock Lobster and There's a Moon in the Sky.
I had heard Rock Lobster before, as I'm sure everyone has, but I never thought too much of it. Upon relistening to it, I loved it. This album is a ton of fun. I found that I was bopping my head and tapping my foot for the whole thing. I totally get why a lot of people give this album a low score, because it has a pretty unique sound, especially in the vocals. I, personally, love the unique sound this album brings. I'm a sucker for people with distinctive singing voices like this. I didn't expect to be giving this album such a high score, but here we are. My favourite songs were Dance This Mess Around and Rock Lobster.
A pretty interesting and very basic 80s album that came out just before the big wave. The new wave sound that the B52s used seem to be some of the most popular and crazy style sounds that make the music dated but is impressive since they were some of the first. Some of the songs like rock lobster are fun and catchy. Would revisit some songs. 6.0/10
Sounds like people having fun to me, but one listen was enough. Rock Lobster caught me off guard as I never placed the song with the band
A lot of shrieking. Rock lobster is good. So kitsch jah. It's shit is what it is. Like they're close to being listenable but they're just annoying.
B -5 Poos more like. Not for me. I kept thinking of that Family Guy episode when Rock Lobster came on which was the highlight.
This is just class. I think I needed to hear this when I went through my brief Cramps phase when I was about 20. Weird, punky, elements of Talking Heads at times with the natural awkwardness of DEVO. Could even hear echoes of Stories from the City by PJ Harvey, and bits of LCD Soundsystem in the guitar sound (especially the last 1min of Rock Lobster). Often flirts with becoming novelty but pull it back at the last second. Class. Mint. Belter. Toppa. 5/5 from me.
Was expecting an album as crazy as rock lobster but most the other songs started interesting and became increasingly repetitive, glad to have heard it but wouldn't go back.
Much of it was quite hard to listen to. Rock Lobster was a welcome reprieve.
Quite a strange album, liked only "Hero Worship". Wasn't really for me.
Bit silly.... Not for me. I have to give this 1 as I gave fats Domino 2 and I preferred that massively.
Such a fun album, B-52s bring that surf sound and have us all bopping along. Never forget that they had a cameo in The Flintstones movie as the BC-52s.
The vocal styles and music come together to create a fun and unique vibe. You definitely know you're listening to The B-52s when you hear them. The only downside is that this is the kind of album I have to be in the mood for; sometimes that kitschy style can be a little off putting. I'd probably give it a 3.5 but I think a bump to 4 for Rock Lobster and the overall abilities of the band.
Kitschy as hell. As it should be! It's a small doses listen for me, but a listen nonetheless.
I really don't have to listen to this one again, but I will cheerfully. 5 starts. I owned it on cassette and then CD. Was introduced to them when I worked at the YMCA with Daffy and Zipper back in 1985 and loved it. It's fun, it's different, weird, and it's under 40 minutes. Planet Claire, Dance this Mess Around, Rock Lobster, Lava are so repeatable for me, and just the title There's a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon) makes me laugh. This is music that is hard to be depressed and listen to.
The first track made me nervous, but then we get into more what's expected from the B-52s. I prefer the tracks that more heavily feature the female vocalists over the guy talk-singing. Overall fun, weird surf rock.
Rock lobster
either this concept was created to highlight albums from this time period that all sound the same or the creator just really liked pop-punk with punchy vocals and short repetitive riffs.
This album is not horrible, but I didn't need to listen to it before I die. The sound is grating to me. I grew up hating this band. I thought maybe I could hear them from a different perspective so many years later, but my opinion hasn't changed. I stick through the whole album just to honor this process, but I didn't enjoy it. Downtown was the worst
This was the fresh amazing sound of the B-52s that was never really repeated. This hasmy favorite songs. So fun.
He sings these songs like gay Joy Division
Gross for some reason
It has quite a unique vibe that I love but it doesn't hold well for long. Also, it's freaking hard to find online which pmo
HL: “Rock Lobster,” “Planet Claire”, “Downtown” 3.5 I think “B-52’s” (the album) will grow on me the same way its “Rock Lobster” did; for now I felt like I was being smacked in the head with its madcap energy after only 40 minutes. November 1, 2022
So singular—you know who it is from the first notes
Love the singles, rest of the album is fine
Pop un tanto extravagante, sin grandes alardes. No lo destacaría especialmente, aunque tiene un ritmo particular
i enjoy a bit of silliness now and then
I've never listened to an album by The B-52's. It was way less gimmick driven than I thought it would be. Some vocals verged on 90s grunge punk/grrrl power. I liked this one a lot.
Some kooky old classic B 52s, plenty of fun but won't make it to my play list as a regular
The B-52’s prove it’s possible to be quirky without annoying everyone. Right from the beginning, they establish their unique identity by flirting with punk, new wave and surf rock.
doodoodoodoo doodoodoodoo
I can only imagine what it was like to live in this era
cool
Classic B-52s album.
I'm sure they had a lot of fun making this, but that does not mean that I did when I listened to it. The band sounds tight with very nice guitar work, but the vocal duo are a bit irritating and the songs don't really work for me.
Started to get into it after a few spins and the lyrics really pulled it to a 4.
Very fun weird and energetic music. Has some good highlights and kept surprising.
Rating: 6/10
Not my cup of tea, and overall their style and sound feels like a bit of a joke.
not great, not bad. Rock lobs ter
I don't even understand the B52s. It seems like parody music, but it's not(?).
Banger
Not my thing really, but better than I expected
Not something I would listen to, but Rock Lobster is a great song not gonna lie
Heard it before?: No but have heard a few tracks already Enjoy it?: Yeah for what it is, this is just a bit of fun and something that can’t be taken seriously so in that regard it’s good, some good tracks and some that sound a bit silly because of vocals Favourite song: Track 5 - Lava
New wave excellence
Weird but surprisingly good
I expected this to be passibly entertaining. It was absolutely awful and grating.
Meh.
A little repetitive, but some absolute bangers. Overall really good
Not my cup of tea at all. Very quirky. One of them was a guest judge on ru Paul
Fun songs but the male singer's voice is annoying
Now I understand why I only know Love Shack.
Interesting tones that are definitely dated. Album intro definitely longer than any than I can remember with vocals coming in super late. Super fun tunes with guitars high in the mix. Strong show tune vibes are ever present. The back up vocals add a ton to the texture. I would love to see these guys live for sure.
Better than I expected
Had a blast listening to this. The vocals are so fun and silly. I love all the interplay and harmonies. Favorite part is when she makes the narwhal sounds in rock lobster. Pure joy.
Really weird interesting goofy fun album. Only songs I knew were rock lobster and love shack. Dig the guitar tones and surfy vibe His singing is kinda annoying but totally works for the songs If it were only the gal singer I probably would listen to this more
This is why I love the excercise we are doing because all I know by B-52s is love shack and I don’t particularly care for that song. His voice is annoying and I’m not sure why he was like “yeah I can be the singer”. Her voice is cool though. So much attitude. Especially on Dance This Mess Around. It reminded me of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Their lyrics are stupid.
Not a real big fan of the cheesy music that sounds more like parody and a meme than an actual serious band. Even rock lobster isn't enough for me to give this album anything more than a 2.
Bizarre and kitschy in all the right ways. Not sure what's in the drinking water in Athens, Georgia, but it makes some truly fun music. Favorite tracks: "52 Girls", "Rock Lobster"
This is a 4.5 and I was tempted to just give this a 4, but I found myself choosing to play this again more than once before getting round to rating it - so it's a 5.
Spunky, with B-Movie flair. Feels distinct not just for it's place in the past, but still in the present. Solid overall.
A very Austin Powers-like feel. I like it a lot.
I enjoyed it, very weird songs
I haven't explored their discography in a systematic way, but I love the B-52's so damn much. This isn't their strongest album, but "Planet Claire" and "Rock Lobster" alone are worth four stars. I assume we'll be seeing more of their albums in the future, and I look forward to it.
Classic. Rock Lobster is one of those crazy infectious songs you can't help to dance to. From my 20s to now, I have countless memories of dancing to it with friends. I love the sound of Planet Claire, and the whole album is quintessential B-52s.
I'm totally going to sound all hipster-y when I say that THIS album was my introduction to the B-52's. Several years before Cosmic Thing I was annoying my friends with this album. I got this album from an aunt of mine who was cleaning out her closets and I asked if I could have that album as she was going to toss it, and I always liked the look of that cover. So I got it home and listened to it and seriously it was life changing in that I'd never heard anything like it before. And I loved it. It was so weird. So many great tracks on here that I tend to revisit often.
Right out of the gates, Spotify is missing “Lava” and “Hero Worship”, so I feel cheated in this review. What is left had the bounce and camp I expected to get out of this cult favourite band. “Rock Lobster” alone makes this zany album worth listening to, but by no means saves it. Especially since it’s way longer and more nonsensical than I remember. Hearing songs outside of Lobster or “Love Shack” make me realize I wasn’t missing out on too much by not hearing this album. It’s maybe a little too experimental or avant-garde for my taste. The lyrical stylings of Fred Scnheider, Kate Pierson, and Cindy Wilson combine to make an interesting offering. I appreciate the risks being taken to some extent, but on the whole, don’t find their talent to fit what my ears would like to drink in. Are they better singers than me? Most likely, yes. But on the larger scale, this offering strikes me as being something that wouldn’t make it out of the first round of American Idol. But at least we still have the rock lobster!
Mostly unknown but enjoyable
Is ok
I remember first listening to this album in high school. And my swimming coach was like, "rock lobster!" but in a derogatory way. Yes, the B-52s are camp AF. Which was great when I was learning about music that didn't get played on the radio. I loved them because they were female led, and "weird," and (I didn't really have the language for it then) pop-y. 52 Girls is a legit great bop. The screams on Dance This Mess Around are pure Riot Grrl, with a 50s keyboard and surf rock guitar sound. No, this isn't high art. But it's definitely something different, fun, and absolutely a good album. Three stars for a solid album, and a fourth star because it came out in '79! 46 years later I still like listening to it.
Goofy, party music. I'm sure I've heard most of this record on the radio or at parties. I didn't really love it as an album, but the songs are all fun.
This is like if my buddy Roman was a record
For sure a fun album just missing something I can’t put my finger on to push it to a five
gloriously weird. incredibly fun. a little less than a 5, but a solid 4
I was happy back then....
One of the greatest debut albums of all time. Beneath the emphatic quirkiness of this band’s aesthetic, reappropriating the most eccentric elements of 50s and 60s fashion, there is a sound which is totally unique to the B-52s. Ricky Wilson’s guitar hooks lie at the heart of what made their initial run of albums so great, but every member of this band brings something vital to these songs. The chances of these 5 wacky individuals finding each other belongs to the realms of fate - if you remove any one of them, you lose something essential to the band’s sound. “Lava” and “6060842” are my personal highlights, but I can’t fault this album in any way. It’s the perfect realisation of a sound and aesthetic which would influence the next decade of alternative culture so profoundly. “Rock Lobster” has slightly consigned this band to the realm of novelty, but while they don’t take themselves seriously, their music certainly should be. This is the fourth perfect score I’ve given out in a row, but it’s also the most deserving of any of the 33 albums I’ve reviewed so far. The B-52s truly were the greatest little dance band around.
Iraq Lobster
Such a fun and interesting album. Well worth a listen.
Good music
Fun music, very different. Not sure if it's an every day listen, but enjoyable.
Great music for a montage of me hiding from a team of detectives with a dollar sign-marked burlap sack on my back. I love stupid goblin music and this album doesn't even slightly try to hide that it's stupid goblin music. Very strong 4/5! Please put this back on Spotify so I can add "Rock Lobster" to my shower playlist and feel like the baddest motherfucker around.
Decent background music
I played the HELL out of side-A on this cassette on my Walkman as a kid. I still love this album so much. It honestly makes me wish I could renormalize the rest of my album scores because this 5/5 is so much more significant than some of my others. To this day I pretty much compare anything coined as "psychedelic" to Planet Claire; such a cool, weird and creepy track. The way Kate and Cindy sing together on 52 girls, oscillating between unison, harmony, and dissonance is one of my favorite things ever. The catty call-and-response on Dance This Mess Around. Rock Lobster is loved by everyone and for good reason; song is a fucking banger, and Fred Schneider's beach party is clearly an interspecies rager. B-side of the album loses a little steam. Lava is pretty good and laid back; I love that they included the line "Krakatoa, East of Java" after the '68 disaster movie which misses the tiny fact that Krakatoa is west of Java. The vocals on Hero Worship are great; very unironically loose-in-a-tight-way. Closing track Downtown seems like a great drunken karaoke version captured. 10/5
Good album I've never heard before. Some songs did drag on though. Still fun. 3.5/5
Really didn't enjoy the vocals on the first track, though I thought the soundscape was interesting. But it did pick up after that with a really catchy "52 Girls" and "Rock Lobster".
Yeah, this is pretty good! Fast, fresh, eclectic. And "Rock Lobster" may be the most copied riff of the past 50 or so years. B
yes!
Well this is fun! Bet nothing sounded like this in 1979.
Catchy, and irritating in equal measure. Rock Lobster is possibly the highlight - but it's a low bar.
At their best, the B-52s are the kind of fun where you can just turn off your brain and enjoy the party. Unfortunately, this album is too much dumb and not enough fun. Also the cover of Downtown is all kinds of awful. Best track: Rock Lobster
B52s are an interesting band, the guy's voice is so distinctive and aside from that seems like a kind of spacey go-go music. I waffled between a 3 and a 4 listening to it, there are definitely some low points but damn if a lot of it isn't super catchy. It's kooky, camp, kitchsy, just so out there and unique that it definitely deserves a spot in this list.
nada de mais, é agradavel de ouvir pela primeira vez. mas imagino que enjoa bem rapido. meio estranho de um jeito legal. acho que é isso que se espera de new wave
This was a great funky pop/rock/new-wave album that I think really stands the test of time. A fantastic debut that feels well and truly like we have entered the 80s with this album, full of hook-laden beats and kitschy vocals. Definitely one to add to the playlist. Best: Rock Lobster Worst: Downtown
Another important album
Schneider, Pierson, and that Farfisa organ are hypnotic.
Ok but not for me
Wow, okay. This has very few redeeming qualities to me. Some tracks like 'Planet Claire' and '52 Girls' are tolerable, but it was truly an annoying chore to listen to this. To top it off, the album finishes by absolutely ruining 'Downtown' for me. I don't know, maybe I'm just no fun.
Lennon said after hearing the album: “It sounds just like Yokos music.” What a weirdly backhanded compliment… Nothing really does anything but slightly bore and annoy me until Rock Lobster kicks off - always a fun thrill. The last two songs are just plain ridiculous and unnecessary. Why on earth are they included? Possibly the world’s most heavily sedated party band. Best: Rock Lobster Worst: 6060-842 / Downtown
Kaut kads bluzs
Was expecting to like this more than I did. Rock Lobster is great, obviously, but not much else stood out. Something very similar rhythmically about many of the tracks - Planet Claire is Rock Lobster by another name for instance. Bit of a disappointment
Instrumentation is pretty good the vocals are a bit out there but it's a solid listen.
It's not really my style, it's fine but I'm not a fan of the old style music. It does have the iconic rock lobster song tho
Hearing surprising Michael Jackson sounds in the first track bass line
Fun as hell.
3/5 best - lava worst - 52 girls
Top notch, A++
Wowza!
I enjoyed this album a lot. I expected I would as I already knew love shack and rock lobster
Rock lobster…
Solid debut album, I enjoyed it.
I do have a deep love and appreciation for this album. In the early 80s, as a young teenager, it was the first time I'd connected with music outside of the mainstream that appealed to me individually and authentically. It featured volcanoes, planets, sea creatures, bouffant hairdos, and "Downtown." It didn't take itself seriously. It sounded wonderful and fun. I particularly remember riding around in a car with a friend, listening to it, feeling exhilaration and connectedness to something that finally felt like it was meant for me. "Rock Lobster" was my favorite song at high school dances because it was the only time everyone went crazy to the music and did their own thing completely joyously and unselfconsciously. There would be a lot of wonderful music to come from the B-52s, but this one is particularly important to me.
This album runs through my rotation every now and again. It is fun!
It takes talent to be this quirky, silly, and fun and not tip over into the annoying. But these are just the cool cats to do it. I love this album from start to finish. I need more of this feeling in my life.
I haven’t listened to this in a very long time. I smiled as soon as it came up. It sounds a great now as it ever did. Just perfect!
So kooky!!!
What if teenaged vampires went to the beach? You have to give the B-52's credit for making music like literally no one before or since. And that's all you have to give them credit for.
A sound mashed up from fifties rock and roll, easy listening and punk. I think that Wild Planet is a better album but it's a great debut.
Upbeat and quirky, but it all starts to sound the same after awhile. I gave it a few extra stars just for the weirdness of it all.
3, quirky rock lobster hours
A little bit of punk, a little pop and all somehow alien to the music scene of the late ‘70s. Headlined by a good single and featuring good tracks throughout.
Listening to this album feels like I am consuming all of what became "alternative rock" in the decades that follow its release. I hope that if I was a teenager in 1979 I would have been cool enough to like The B-52's. The kitsch dial is turned up near maximum on this recording but the songs and performances are just too fun to ignore. If the vocal harmonies don't make your spine tingle, do you even like music?
Mostly notable for "Rock Lobster", which is an astounding new wave anthem. I remember downloading it back in Ye Olden Days of Napster and being amazed to discover it's nearly seven minutes long. I mean, I know it is, but it doesn't feel like that somehow.
I liked this more than I thought I would. Musically quite good.
It's definitely the B-52s but it sounds more late-60s than late-70s. Overall, it was listenable but lava and maybe planet claire were pretty much the only notable ones and even those weren't amazing
I enjoyed how weird this was
I like that its 9 songs But nah man, other than that one song
Rock Lobster will be with us until the heat death of the universe, but as what I'm not entirely sure.
Liked it more than I thought I would but a bit chirpy
This gets three stars just for Rock Lobster alone
2.5
ROCK LOBSTER/10. Or 4/5, whatever.
Otros locales de Athens GA
Great debut
Tons of fun, of course, but more musically interesting than I knew and just long enough not to grate.
Was great to listen to this one again, though I can see why people could find it annoying or weird. On my first listen several years ago stuck in a car trip in between parents, the guitarist was the sole appealing factor in a sea of bat-shit insanity. And it was such good playing too. But as time went on the music didn't go away from my head. And with every listen there would be something else to appreciate each time. The keyboards and synth bass, the chaotic vocals, the steady but loud drumming, and most importantly the songs. B-52's is something I couldn't listen to in every circumstance as there are certain times when learning about the Moon in the Sky and the girls of the USA can be incredibly annoying. But when the mood and/or the atmosphere is right, it's a joy. Rock Lobster has always been my pick of the bunch, a fantastic riff and breakdown, steady rhythm, filled with beautiful harmonies, story telling lead vocals, and insane animal noises. Dance This Mess Around and Planet Claire are the other highlights and the rest range from good to great.
Rock Lobster was huge in Australia in the 80s - it was everywhere all the time. We covered in my high school band of course. However the none of the rest of this album made any impact at all for some reason. So I was interested to listen to them, and thought this wasn't bad at all.
Songs mostly 1/3 too long
Diferente, pero no me llega del todo
Takes me back
Better than I expected. I've held onto a longstanding animosity towards this band because Love Shack is one of the most overplayed and annoying songs of the last forty years, but it's fortunately not on here. The one hit single on here that I'm familiar with is Rock Lobster, a song I actually do like. Maybe the band is better than I give them credit - my only real exposure has been Love Shack, Rock Lobster, and Roam, a song that always felt like a particularly weak Blondie track. I also can't say I'm a fan of their kitschy aesthetic, something that always felt like Devo/Talking Heads idiosyncrasy but lacking the level of social commentary and taking a detour to the 50s/early 60s by way of John Waters. And while I like Devo and John Waters and love the Talking Heads, something about what the B-52s were doing always felt a little toothless by comparison. TLDR, I didn't hate it like I expected, but it didn't completely win me over.
Love The B-52s!
Loved the spooky surf vibe, hated the vocals. Most of the songs are just repetitive drivel with some shouty nonsense over the top.
I wish i was in the studio during the recording of rock lobster. A fun party as an album. Just not a party i would attend again
first listen there's something otherworldly about this band, like aliens on acid imitating human music
released in 1979.... sounds before it's time
I don't really enjoy the talk-singing throughout this album
This is the debut album from the new wave band The B-52's. The album was received well by critics, and the band quickly gained a fanbase as a result of this and the fun-loving lyrics and mood of their music. The band tried to emulate music from pop icons of earlier decades, but also add a little more funk and danceable beats. While this would seem like an imposter tactic, it paid off for the band because their music was in fact still good enough on its own. Although the music is good, I am not normally a fan of the pop genre, so that skews my opinion on this album.
I have owned this album on cassette, vinyl, CD and mp3. For years I had the cover of this album hanging on my office wall. This is one of my favorite, favorite, favorite albums. There is an exuberance and joy to these songs that has held a really special place in my heart for 40 years now. There's a reason the B's are so beloved by such a diverse group of fans. On a basic level, they make catchy party songs that are easy to sing and dance to. Musically, they have always done what they wanted, whether it's on trend or not, and people love them for that. There's something about the B's that resonates then with misfits, nerds and outsiders. The B-52's are having a big party in their big tent, and everyone is invited. As for the album itself, come on. The band came out swinging (okay, frugging, probably) with their very first album. I love all their stuff, but this album really is the best thing the B-52's ever did. Musically it's purposefully bare bones, but the songs are crisp, energetic, quirky, F-U-N. No filler at all, just 9 perfect songs perfectly arranged in 39 minutes. The B's took all the cool things about surf, garage rock and girl groups, artfully rearranging them for the post punk era, and somehow it works! The lyrics are cleverer than people give the band credit for, kitschy and silly for sure, but also with warmth and sly humor. Held up against the musical excesses of stadium rock, the anger of punk and the coldness of new wave, the B-52's are a breath of fresh air. It's such an unusual, singular sound, but there’s nothing not to love about it. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Rock Lobster, Lava, 52 Girls, Planet Claire, Dance This Mess Around, Hero Worship, Downtown, There's a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon), 6060-842
Classic! 4.5 / 5
Rock Lobster! I actually really like the dynamic the group has, even with the very different sounding voices. A fun album. 7/10
All the typical B52 things - weird voice guy, solid vocal gal, quirky lyrics and keyboards - with a bit more punk style vocals than I expected.
Punk-Rumba!
Kitschy, cool, unique, and fun. What's not to like? Great debut album. 4 stars.
I love the B-52's so much. Just out there in small town Georgia, all alone, inventing New Wave.
"Planet Claire" sounds like a Bond song. "Rock Lobster" is honestly not a good song, but it's humor factor and bassline make up for the rest of it. All in all not too bad of an album just early new wave.
New wave, post-punk. Está bien. Un 4.
Está bien. Pero sin más.
This is exactly what I was expecting when I receive the album this morning. I'm not sure if this is good but at the same time, it attends to my expectations. Well, I don't know, maybe my expectations were not good enough.
Knew a few of these but was surprised to find that this whole album didn't grab me as much as I had anticipated. Perhaps it's a grower.
iraq lobstaaa
Genre: New Wave 3/5 Better than your average New Wave venture, the B-52's self-titled album is one great half of music followed by what I would assume are six songs that they also tried on, but effort can't be heard, at least from where I'm standing. A few decent openers, and one mega-hit, Rock Lobster, but this is all The B-52's had to offer at this time. It makes for a semi-decent listen. This genre can sound grating at times, but we were early enough in the process when this album was conceived that this mostly sounds like punk/power pop continuation/progression. There aren't too many ridiculous arrangement choices a la Dexy Midnight Runners, and while it may lack in the experimenation department, this is decent inoffensive pop music. The vocals can be off-putting at times, but the arrangements are pretty straightforward. Much more boring than I was anticipating.
Mi fanno venire in mente i Magma, deliranti così.
This album is a personal favorite of mine and one of the strangest, funniest and overall best debut albums of a rock band. Part surf rock parody, part punk rock, part acid trip at a 50’s drive-thru movie theater, the album is filled with spiky guitar riffs and absurdist humor. Fred Schneider’s vocals get most of the attention in The B-52’s and understandably so; he sounds as if the Mad Hatter were a radio announcer. But Cindy Wilson deserves equal billing here. She’s an absolute maniac on the microphone, screaming and wailing one minute, and slurring her way through a bizarre baby voice the next. She’s a powerhouse on the hypnotic “Dance This Mess Around.” Side A is untouchable for me - the sequence of “Planet Claire,” “52 Girls,” “Dance This Mess Around” and “Rock Lobster” is incredible (the latter two are both top 100 songs for me). The second half of the album is a blast too though, with loads of goofy humor, sexual innuendo and a charming cover of “Downtown” to cap things off. How fun to hear a band experiment and fool around the way The B-52’s do here. It’s a brazen, joyful album that sounds like nothing else. I’ve listened to it dozens of times and it never gets any less strange or thrilling.