Track Listing

1. Cosmic Thing
2. Dry County
3. Deadbeat Club
4. Love Shack
5. Junebug
6. Roam
7. Bushfire
8. Channel Z
9. Topaz
10. Follow Your Bliss

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1929 in Music
• Released on: 1989-06-06
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Nirvana made a lot of things irrelevant when Nevermind was released in 1991. Among the most unfortunate casualties caught inside the blast radius were the B-52's. Just two years prior, they had released their very first mainstream breakthrough album, Cosmic Thing. This album was featherweight, sun-kissed, playfully pansexual and, most importantly, danceable. Tracks like "Love Shack" and "Roam" reminded us there could be fun without responsibility. Alternately kitschy and lazy (I still insist that "Deadbeat Club" was a slacker anthem long before Beck's "Loser"), Cosmic Thing took the B-52's signature Trekkie-camp sensibility and slowed it down just enough to click on MTV and portable radios wonderfully. And let's be honest, anyway: would you rather road-trip to Kurt's sad refrain of "Well, whatever, nevermind" or Fred Schneider belting out, "The whole shack shimmies!!" at the top of his lungs? On second thought, don't answer that. --Todd Levin

Customer Reviews

PURE FUN
Another mix of fun and greatness from the Athenian Clan! Thank you for this LP!!!!!!!!!

Still Crazy After All These Years
I have to tell you, I found the experience of watching the music video to "Love Shack" a little distressing. It's clear our beloved B52s are not in their 20s any more. That aside, this was SUCH a good album for them! It finally bridged their gap between the old "alternative music" fans and the weaker minds that can only deal with today's "pop music." Love Shack did it brilliantly. It was hip, catchy and it wasn't too too hard to see them still trying to shake their 40-something booties. Frankly, that was my least favorite tune on the album though. Channel Z and Topaz were WAY better! A perfect carry-over of their 80s stuff into a new generation. Edgy, moody and perhaps somewhat of a compliment to the grunge scene which, unfortunately, did crush them for the duration of the 90s. A previous reviewer got that perfectly. The question now is...what are they doing TODAY!??? Just checked the web site and a new album is due out this year...HOORAY!

If you don't have this one though...get it...it's a mandatory part of any serious fan's collection.

I feel the whole shack shimmy !!!
The B-52s just don't get enough recognition for the excellent music they put out there. This album entitled Cosmic Thing still sells well today despite the passage of time and the lack of enough press for the band. Just one listen to this album proves that The B-52s remain an artistic force for aspiring artists to study today.

The CD track set begins with "Cosmic Thing." This pop rock number has an awesome beat to it and the group works hard to make this number really rock! The B-52s never miss a beat and you will enjoy "Cosmic Thing" very, very much! "Dry County" sports a great beat with some minor chords to spice up the melody; they rock hard without blowing your ears out--a major feat! Moreover, "Deadbeat Club" has a great spoken intro and the melody gives you a rock and roll flavor mixed with something akin to a mellow country twist. "Deadbeat Club" showcases the high quality control of The B-52s--really impressive!

Perhaps the highpoint of the entire album would be a major hit for The B-52s entitled "Love Shack." "Love Shack" sports a major rock beat with plenty of hot lyrics that don't leave much to the imagination! "Love Shack," a relentlessly upbeat tune that celebrates hot romantic encounters for young people, has great vocal backups by the ladies who also sing some of the verses of this song. I can just envision a bunch of college kids cramming into an old 1970s Chrysler as they head for the shore to have themselves some fun. Awesome!

"Junebug," the following tune, reverts back to a somewhat mellow feel that distinctly sounds like classic 1980s rock. Great beat, too! "Roam" continues in the same vein as "Love Shack:" This song, however, takes a look at a special one true love as they roam the world together. You're gonna love "Roam!" It's as fresh today as they day they recorded it.

"Topaz" gives us a beautiful beat with another romantic rock ballad; and the final track "Follow Your Blues," an instrumental track, has a mellow quality to it that strikes me as very beautiful. Terrific guitar, too!

The liner notes include the lyrics to each song--great! The artwork shines, too.

All in all, this album by the B-52s proves their vast talent beyond doubt. I highly recommend this album for fans of The B-52s (as if they didn't know that already); and fans of rock, pop and new wave.