The last time we heard new tunes from The B-52s, the year was 1998, and there were just two, “Debbie” and “Hallucinating Pluto” (included on the best-of, Time Capsule: Songs For A Future Generation). But you’d have to go back even further—1992, to be exact—for their last full-length studio effort, Good Stuff.
Down to a trio at that point in The B-52s’ history, Good Stuff was something of a disappointment. Cindy Wilson wanted to spend more time with her family, leaving Kate Pierson to harmonize with herself. The magic wasn’t quite there, but really any attempt to match the consistent brilliance of 1989’s multi-platinum Cosmic Thing (“Love Shack,” “Roam,” “Deadbeat Club”) would have fallen short. Perhaps someday I’ll revisit Good Stuff here at length; it’s a better album than most thought at the time and certainly warrants a second assessment (“Revolution Earth” should have been a hit).
But for today, the past shall remain the past, so on to the present day. With Wilson in the fold once again (as she was for the Time Capsule double-shot), the self-proclaimed “World’s Greatest Party Band” is back with a new album, Funplex, and a somewhat updated sound. The B-52s brought producer Steve Osborne (Happy Mondays, Curve, KT Tunstall) on board after guitarist Keith Strickland heard his work on New Order’s 2001 album, Get Ready.
Osborne’s electronic touch is especially evident in the second half of Funplex, where songs like “Deviant Ingredient,” “Too Much To Think About,” and “Dancing Now” sound like they could have been pulled from his New Order sessions (albeit with typically kooky B-52s lyrics and vocals). But Funplex has more than a few moments worth an extended spin, including the title track, a sort of “Love Shack,” sans love and, well, shack:
The album’s opener, “Pump,” features prominent surf-guitar riffs and signature Fred Schneider vocal shouts that make the song a clear descendant of “Rock Lobster” and “Private Idaho,” while bringing a welcome urgency not present in those early ’80s singles. My favorite song on Funplex is the girls-only showcase “Juliet Of The Spirits,” a lovely addition to The B-52s’ out-there oeuvre. Hear here:
Other Funplex standouts include “Ultraviolet” (which is a whole lot like “Love Shack,” come to think of it, though there’s a guitar line that reminds me of Nirvana) and the album’s beach-blanket closer, “Keep This Party Going.” And that seems to be The B-52s’ aim: Never straying too far from the fun-time template its fans expect, while freshening things up from time to time. And why not? It’s a winning formula that’s kept them going for almost as long as I’ve been alive.
Come on out and catch the feel-good vibes yourself. The B-52s are joining Cyndi Lauper and other artists for this summer’s True Colors tour.
(Oh, and in case you’re a fan and detail-freak, the band recently dropped the apostrophe from its moniker.)
