Alright, I said. I haven't played this one in forever. Let's see how it goes...
It would be easy to dismiss this album as throw-away Top 40 Radio, as "Love Shack" has been a radio staple for 22 years. However, Cosmic Thing was pretty much the opening salvo to the 1990s. Part hippy-dippy dream-scape, part pseudo-political banter, and mostly a feel-good party album, Cosmic Thing can't be your favorite album of all time, but it is listenable - especially on a hot summer day.
Created as a comeback album after the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson, it's probably safe to say that Cosmic Thing was the re-introduction of the B-52's to my generation. Sure, your parents or your older siblings might have let you listen to their classic debut album, which featured the awesomely weird beach anthem "Rock Lobster," but Cosmic Thing contained songs you heard on MTV... endlessly.
"Love Shack" and its sister radio hit "Roam" got overplayed on both MTV and radio between 1989 and 1992. "Love Shack" can still be heard everywhere - the doctor's waiting room, the DMV, your sister's wedding, Wal-Mart... but what about the other songs on the album?
The reason that this CD remains in my possession has everything to do with the other songs and B-sides. "Dry County" and "Deadbeat Club" are little mini-pop-portraits of bohemian life in the American South. I personally consider "Junebug" to be one of the B-52's better songs - try it at top volume in your car! With shouts of "Go girl go girl go go go!" I think it would make a great song for kids... You've got to hand it to them - for all of their weirdness and verve, the B-52's do keep things family-friendly.
However, the real gem on the album is "Channel Z." Fred Schneider's chanted lyrics "Irradiate! And keep it fresh forever..." and "Bombs! Cosmic lazers coming from the stars!" keep the politics front and center while Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson keep the harmony fresh and upbeat. I always thought that "Channel Z" was The B-52's first pick for a primary single:
As for my personal experience with Cosmic Thing, my first copy of it was taped off of a classmate's record. Having a limited budget in high school, I had a lot of bootleg cassettes. I obtained a CD copy several years later... and I'm glad I did. The production on this album is tight, bright and clean, thanks in part to the talents of Detroit-based producer Don Was... something you don't get to appreciate if you're listening to a gritty second-hand cassette copy!
My parting thoughts on this album?
I don't want to hear it again for another five years, unless I bring out the song "Topaz" as an anti-depressant... and I danced like a fool to "Love Shack" at my 9th grade winter dance when it was still a brand-new shiny pop song.
