Disco de The B-52's: “Whammy!”

I saw the B-52s at RED ROCK during their promotional tour for this album. They came out and sang "SONG TO A FUTURE GENERATION", sans any LIVE band, with this surreal "hello my name is Cindy, and I'm a CANCER" band introduction. I was STUNNED, because up until that time, the idea that a COMPUTER would play all the musical parts, and a band would just come out and sing to canned music, was unheard of. IT offended my every bone. Now this is almost the norm for many genres of modern rock. In that sense, this album was far ahead of itself. They were adding TONS of textures to their once ultra basic rock sound, thanks to the first programable sampler, which Peter Gabriel seemed to master for his album SECURITY, the Fairlight CMI. In that sense, this album is basically the band PROGRAMMING drum samples, keyboard samples, bass samples. So, the groove is a bit mechanical. SO, anyway, that concert. By the end of the concert, they were all jamming on real instruments, Cindy on her bongos, Kate on her Farfisa Keyboard, Keith and Rick on drums and guitar, and Fred using a little Casio type keyboard to push out some bass notes. I'm so sad to see that the Yoko Ono tribute they recorded on the first version of the LP, a version "Don't Worry, Kyoto", has not been released. Yoko had said publically she liked their sound. (It was obvious, that the B-girrrrls were influenced by Yoko.) So, that Yoko would force them to remove that song, is regrettable. BTW, for those who never heard that song, they basically had a one chord hypnotic backing track, and overtop that, Kate, and Cindy sang DONT WORRY over and over again, with Fred adding a spoken word "DONT WORRY" on top of that. It was cool, and didnt sound like anything else they had done, tho it sounded perfectly B-52s. I hated the song that replaced it, obviously something in the can from the sessions, that was not worth a B-side of a single. Oh well. This album is a holding pattern for the band, lyrically. Instead of ROCK LOBSTER or QUICHE LORRAINE, or even CAKE, you had BUTTERBEANS for the "FOOD" song. SCIFI was represented not by 53 Miles west of Venus, but rather TRISM. (a form of light speed space travel. far out.) IN that sense, I couldnt give it five stars. WHAMMY! isnt a first purchase for this band, but for fans, it's an essencial purchase.

This album, "Whammy!," is The B-52s' first move into electronic territory with including synthesizers and sessionmen, and everything. There are simply wonderful songs to be found here. The album has a wonderful start, "Legal Tender." Then, it continues with "Whammy Kiss," which is really good. Next, is my favorite, "Song For A Future Generation." Anyway, the songs are good, until the finish of "Queen of Las Vegas." I believe "Don't Worry" was originally track seven, but they ran into copyright problems with Yoko Ono, when the album was reissued, so it was pulled, and replaced by the weak "Moon 83'." Personally, from "Moon 83," on, the album has a sadly terribly weak finish. It's such a shame.

I must agree with the other reviewer in saying, "you can certainly tell the album was recorded in 1983..." Anyway, at times the synthesizer beats sound very clunky, but that's part of the kitsch and campiness The B-52's are all about. This album is truly a gem among their collection. I wish it only had "Don't Worry," and maybe the finish of the album wouldn't have sounded so weak.

This is not a bad album. Many listeners would cite Bouncing Off the Satelites or This album was a bit more of a musical shift for the group; almost having the influence of Devo. This album saw heavy use of drum machine as opposed to live drum kit, and allows the album to maintain the same feel thoughout. Easily a dance album. The music is not as produced as Mesopotamia, but is not as thinly textured as their 2 early albums. Legal Tender was their first real video on MTV; the subject matter of counterfeiting is novel. Queen of Las Vegas is also an interesting idea. Butterbean is one of their most fun songs ever and reflects their southern roots. Most people extol Song for a Future Generation, yet after many listens does not have the energy and variety of most of their songs. Trism has lots of interesting harmonies. Whammy just wasn't my favorite track on the album. Big Bird carries interesting vocal motifs by the girls. Having not grown up listening to all the B-52's albums until the 90's, I find it interesting listening to a bands discography out of order. I would say for most people, it's either take or leave on this album. If you purchase, keep an open mind.

Having used all of their songs on

and

the band had to again start writing more new material in 1981 for what eventually became 1982's

EP. But due to tensions with producer and Talking Heads frontman David Byrne the label scrapped several songs which the band would rework for 1983's "Whammy!" After the mixed critical reaction to the new musical direction of

the band clearly wanted to try something different again. With leftover material from the "Mesopotamia" sessions the band decamped to the Compass Point Studios in Nassau with producer Steve Stanley. After the darker, dense, moody atmospherics of

the band opted for a more stripped down sythpop sound that sounds oddly similar to Devo's

] and

] from that same era. During this era the band frequently toyed with musical styles and from

to "Whammy" to

to

they routinely switched things up in a way that was often frustrating and maddening to critics and fans alike, a trend they've continued up to their current Funplex.

The mood of the songs on "Whammy" is more upbeat and typifs the zany wackiness of the band. Topics explore the seamier side of life touching on such odd themes as counterfeiting, gambling, identity, and paranoia. "Whammy" is also often overlooked by fans in part due to it's mixed commercial and critical success, but in here are some classic B-52's tracks such as "Song for a Future Generation", "Legal Tender", "Queen of Las Vegas", "Whammy Kiss", "Butterbean", and the truly inspired cover of Yoko Ono's "Don't Worry", which was removed from subsequent pressings. One of the chief complaints is a pronounced sameness to tracks, a result of the intention to have all the tracks mixed into one continuous track as was done with their earlier "Party Mix", but the idea was scotched by their manager Gary Kurfirst and their label, Warner Brothers. After Yoko Ono threatened legal action over the use of "Don't Worry" that track was replaced by version of "There's a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon)" that doesn't really improve on the original. It would have been easy for the band to remake B-52's and Wild Planet ad nauseum and you have to hand it to them to take the harder route of refashioning their sound over the years. "Whammy" isn't for everyone but there's some real gems here!

I had all of the other B-52's other releases before I bought this one recently.

I had been watching the video for "Legal Tender" online and got hooked on that

song. It is a very clever song about "making money" in your basement. I now

have many favorites from this disc. "Whammy Kiss" is mesmerizing and Ricky's

guitar is outstanding. Other stand out tunes are "Butterbean" and "Trism". All

of the tracks are great and "Big Bird" is one of their strangest songs ever.

If you are a B-52's fan and don't have this disc you should buy it. There

are many amazing moments from one of the world's most inventive bands.