Wild Planet

B-52's

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: September 1980
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner 1980
• ASIN: B000002KLM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #123,075 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

After the likes of "Rock Lobster" and "606-0842," a lot of new wavers were curious about what Athens, Georgia's fun-loving B-52s were going to do for an encore. The answer came with this rollicking second album in 1980, which found flat-toned Fred Schneider and twin bouffant-topped, gogoing chanteuses Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson nearly equaling the giddy highs of their debut. From the riotous "Party Out of Bounds" and "Devil in My Car" to the ahead-of-the curve couch potato classic, "Private Idaho" to the ever-kitschy "Strobe Light" and the other-worldly "53 Miles West of Venus," this collection proved the B-52s were no flash in the lava lamp. --Billy Altman

Product Description

Wild Planet is the ultimate in new-wave party albums, starting with the opening "Party Out of Bounds." The song sums up everything that's great about the B-52s, the kitschy, minimalist dance band that somehow managed to overcome its primitive musicianship and crank out a big pile of hit records. The B-52s keep the dance beats coming while amusing any party people who take care to pay attention to the group's witty, oddball lyrics. "Runnin' Around," "Private Idaho," and "Strobe Light" are the other standout tracks here. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You're invited to a party out of bounds. RSVP, now!, July 21, 2004

By	Rocco Dormarunno (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

There's no way I could forget how captivated I was when I first heard WILD PLANET, and how impressed I was again by the B52s sound: it was part pop, part surf, part 60s, part "Monster Mash". Like the first album, this one had me hooked from the first listen. Words cannot express how in awe I was of Fred's Jersey-tinged, slightly effeminate bark, and Cindy and Kate's esoteric harmonies. And the songs, a little more varied this time, were each incredible. The two songs which featured Kate and Cindy, "Dirty Back Roads" and "Give Me Back My Man" are incredible experiments in harmonies. Ricky Wilson's under-appreciated guitar work scorches through "Runnin' Around", "Devil In My Car" and, of course, "Private Idaho". "Strobe Light" has Fred at his most manic. The album ends with the hypnotic "53 Miles West of Venus", which, to me, echoes back to the first album's "Planet Claire".

WILD PLANET is wild fun. Accept their invitation to a "Party Out of Bounds", even if the place smells of "House-A-Tosis".

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wild Planet is one party out of bounds, June 18, 2002

By	Daniel J. Hamlow (Narita, Japan) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Well, chalk up another planet in Star System B-52 (the first one was Planet Claire). The second planet after Claire is Wild Planet, and also the second album by the Athens, GA (then) quintet. On their second go-around, the B-52's still have the punchy, kitschy/positive/optimistic surf guitar sound and attitude that made their debut an unqualified hit.

Here's my piece in describing Wild Planet's nine satellites. Fred Schneider's "Surprise!" is the first word of "Party Out Of Bounds." Kate and Cindy then ask for the ice box and punch, and there's the party started, right there. "Private Idaho" is Wild Planet's "Rock Lobster," being Wild Planet's most well-known track. Ricky Wilson's guitar keeps the pace. "You're living in your own private Idaho/On a ground like a wild potato." This is another on the short list for a party mix-tape should "Rock Lobster" not be available for any reason.

For sheer jamming, nothing beats "Devil In My Car" and "Strobe Light." The first is a funny song on a car possessed by the devil. The saying "Drive like hell and you will get there" comes to mind. Anyway, the hapless narrator can't lock the door, or put on my safety belt and is going 90 mph. He thus cries out "Help! The devil's in my car!" The humor's very kitschy, with devilish motifs such as "I don't wanna go to hell" and "I don't need no batteries/I've got the devil in my car."

"Strobe Light" is a seduction number, focusing on making love under the title appliance. No one sings about kissing body parts and responding to the same as Fred and the girls, respectively. When he gets to a very personal part of his date's body, he uses a euphemism that's the same as a certain large fruit. A shrill synthesizer blasts in response.

"Quiche Lorraine" deserves mention here, about a man and his dog, Quiche the poodle. The dog runs away after a German Shepherd, leaving the man broken-hearted and vindictive for being abandoned. In addition to backing vocals, Kate or Cindy provides Quiche's sharp barks. Given the description of Quiche, whose body is dyed dark green, who is two inches tall with a strawberry blonde ball, sunglasses and a bonnet, and designer jeans with appliques on, I wonder, isn't that dog somewhat overdressed? Sounds like an SPCA case to me, but at least the song's funny.

"53 Miles West Of Venus" is another one of their space songs. The lyrics are very simple--you figure it out. Hmm, I wonder if that's the hyperspatial wormhole distance between Wild Planet and Venus.

With the exception of the mid-paced "Dirty Back Road," the pace doesn't let up.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A BLAST!!! This Follow-up is Even More Fun than the Debut!, January 15, 2006

By	Rich Latta (Albuquerque, NM - Land of Entitlement) - See all my reviews

To my mind, this is a New Wave classic - weird, sometimes quirky, sometimes sexy - really groovy rock music. The self-titled debut gets more credit, deservedly so, because it put the band on the scene and gave us "Rock Lobster" which started it's very own dance craze (sinking to the floor during the "Down! Down!" part). But while some people prefer the consistancy of THE B-52S (which was always a great one to throw on at a party), I actually favor the wild diversity found on WILD PLANET. Tied with MESOPOTAMIA as my fav B-52s record. Favorite track - tie between "Private Idaho" and "Strobe Light."