Funplex

B-52's pleases old fans and attracts the new ones

American collective B-52's is mainly known to the world as the performer of the title song on The Flintstones soundtrack. The band's line-up before 1985 when guitarist Ricky Wilson passed away included vocalists Cindy Wilson (Ricky's young sister) and Kate Pierson, vocalist Fred Schneider and drummer Keith Strickland. The most successful for B-52's proved its 1989's album Cosmic Thing with the singles Channel Z and Love Shack, and the most politically oriented was 1992's Good Stuff. After that the band continued performing for some time singing its brightly funny songs and then took a short break. At the beginning of the ХХI century the concerts started again, and soon the members felt the urgent necessity of the new material. Their ideas fulfilled in a new record Funplex, produced by Steve Osborne for B-52's liked its work on the New Order album Get Ready. Due to his efforts Funplex turned out to be sonically the collective's most powerful album with an essential percentage of production which is sure to attract new fans to it and please the old ones.

Funplex adds well to the overall picture of B-52's' creative work

Despite the fact that B-52's released its last album 16 years ago and that Funplex is a collection of absolutely new songs they wonderfully reminisce the band's all previous works. The unambiguous texts that have already become Fred Schneider's calling card are all here, and the vocalists' voices sound still harmonious and contagious. The album opens with a melodious song Pump with splendid drums which in fact never cease to please throughout the whole album. Track Hot Corner with quite a tough guitar and a great chorus performed by both vocalists is about making a party on a bus stop, and one of the most memorable tunes is on song Ultraviolet. Definitely the highlight is Juliet Of Spirits performed only with the female vocals and accompaniment of electro guitar with excellent harmonies by Cindy and Kate taking the highest possible notes, while the title composition is remarkable for a funny dialogue between the singers. Eyes Wide Open starting in rather a sullen way and turning into a great contagious composition with a disco flavor is sure to become many a listener's favorite. A somewhat calmer song Deviant Ingredient pleases with an unexpected sensuality whereas composition Too Much To Think About is the best example of a typical frank lyrics from Schneider. On the finale Keep This Party Going the hint at political theme does appear which is again reminiscent of the band's past and on the whole the record has added so well to the overall picture of B-52's' creative work that the long pause in it seems to have never existed.

Elating and carefree music

The most unusual thing in B-52's' new work is that very combination of the past, the present and the future which is typical for all of its works. Its songs have always reminded of old films about secret agents with the elements of science-fiction or of the most incredible parties and this mood sounds with a new power on Funplex. Although the production has changed the band's sounding to the better one cannot but feel nostalgic listening to the record for thirty years ago it would prove a hit. Naturally B-52's will not remain unnoticed today neither even though all the band members are over 50: they still have those fervor and the endless love of having fun due to which their surf rock combined with the elements of New Wave and dance music has become that popular. B-52’s has been and still is a unique band and its greeting from the past will become the present very easily – the collective gathers the crowds of fans on the concerts among which there are not only the generation that witnessed the beginning of its way but also young people able to appreciate all the advantages of this elating and carefree music.