Ricky Wilson

By November of 1980, the B-52’s had two albums under their belt and were two months away from their debut Saturday Night Live performance. The New Wave band were quickly rising to national fame, and they were still touring with the original lineup which consisted of frontman Fred Schneider (who in this set’s liner notes is credited as playing both the glockenspiel and “various toys”), Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson, Kate Pierson and Keith Strickland.

Taken in one concentrated best-of dose, it becomes evident what a coup The B-52's pulled off when they turned their own concentrated craziness into genuine hits. This is some of the weirdest stuff ever to make the charts, much less beloved by the masses. It's all here through the mad surf guitar of Ricky Wilson (and later Keith Strickland), the banshee wails of Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson, and, of course, the, um, well, let's say vocalizing of freaky Fred Schneider. "Party out of Bounds" with a "Rock Lobster" on "Planet Claire," or "Roam" over to the "Love Shack" in "Private Idaho." Whatever you do in The B-52's universe will at least be good, clean, perverse fun

An aging rock star trying to put together a new album in the face of an indifferent record label and a talentless producer. At the same time, he's struggling to save his failing marriage.