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Bouncing off the Satellites

 
Album Review: Bouncing Off the Satellites

  • Artist: The B-52's
  • Rating: StarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1986 09
  • Total Time: 45:55
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Two years after the release of Whammy!, guitarist Ricky Wilson died of AIDS, a shattering blow for the B-52's. The group recouped and finished Bouncing Off the Satellites, the album they were recording when Wilson died. Considering their loss, it's not surprising that the B-52's don't sound entirely focused throughout the record, and it's easy to forgive them for the momentary loss of direction. Musically, it's a continuation of Whammy!, with the group's signature sound being enhanced by drum machines, synths, and sessionmen. There are so many musicians on the record that it winds up sounding too carefully considered -- the polar opposite of the loose, inspired fun of their early work. That said, there are some flashes of inspiration scattered throughout the album ("Wig," "Juicy Jungle," "Theme for a Nude Beach," "She Brakes for Rainbows"). There isn't quite enough to make it of interest to anyone but the dedicated, yet those listeners will find that there's enough worth hearing on Bouncing off the Satellites, especially if they're in a forgiving mood. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Summer of Love (Lyrics) Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland, Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson The B-52's (4:02)
The Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland Keith Strickland, Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson The B-52's (4:22)
Housework (Lyrics) Kate Pierson, Tamara Rollins The B-52's (4:04)
Detour Thru Your Mind (Lyrics) The B-52's The B-52's (5:06)
Wig (Lyrics) The B-52's The B-52's (4:22)
Theme for a Nude Beach (Lyrics) The B-52's The B-52's (4:50)
Ain't It a Shame (Lyrics) Keith Strickland, Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson The B-52's (5:30)
Juicy Jungle (Lyrics) Fred Schneider The B-52's (4:50)
Communicate (Lyrics) The B-52's The B-52's (4:08)
She Brakes for Rainbows (Lyrics) Keith Strickland, Ricky Wilson The B-52's (4:41)

Credits

The B-52's (Main Performer), Fred Schneider (Vocals), Tom Beckerman (Guitar), Tom Beckerman (Guitar (Electric)), John Coté (Vocals (Background)), Michael Hutchinson (Engineer), Tony Mansfield (Synthesizer), Tony Mansfield (Producer), Tony Mansfield (Fairlight), Mark Mazur (Guitar), Mark Mazur (Guitar (Bass)), Steve Peck (Engineer), Don Peterkofsky (Assistant Engineer), Shep Pettibone (Producer), Shep Pettibone (Remixing), Tony Phillips (Engineer), Kate Pierson (Organ), Kate Pierson (Vocals), Kate Pierson (Vocals (Background)), Tim Rollins (Guitar), Keith Strickland (Bass), Keith Strickland (Guitar), Keith Strickland (Harmonica), Keith Strickland (Percussion), Keith Strickland (Guitar (Bass)), Keith Strickland (Keyboards), Keith Strickland (Sitar), Keith Strickland (Vocals), Keith Strickland (Vocals (Background)), Keith Strickland (Photography), Cindy Wilson (Vocals), Keith Bennett (Art Direction), Ricky Wilson (Guitar), Ricky Wilson (Guitar (Bass)), Adey Wilson (Guitar), Adey Wilson (Guitar (Bass)), Adey Wilson (Vocals), Adey Wilson (Vocals (Background)), Fernando Kral (Assistant Engineer), Kav DeLuxe (Art Direction), Tom Beckeman (Guitar), Kenny Scharf (Paintings), Phill Brown (Mastering)
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Wikipedia: Bouncing off the Satellites
Top
Bouncing off the Satellites
Studio album by The B-52's
Released September 8, 1986
Genre New Wave
Length 45:55
Label Warner Brothers
Producer Tony Mansfield,
Shep Pettibone
Professional reviews
The B-52's chronology
Whammy!
(1983)
Bouncing Off the Satellites
(1986)
Cosmic Thing
(1989)

Bouncing off the Satellites is the fourth studio album by New Wave band The B-52's, released in 1986. Guitarist Ricky Wilson died of AIDS during the recording. With the band too distraught to tour, the album received minimal promotion and failed to yield any hits despite some stations initially giving good airplay to "Summer of Love".

Contents

Track listing

  1. "Summer of Love" (Pierson, Strickland, C. Wilson, R. Wilson) – 4:02
  2. "Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland" (Strickland, Wilson, Wilson) – 4:22
  3. "Housework" (Pierson, Rollins) – 4:04
  4. "Detour Thru Your Mind" (The B-52's) – 5:06
  5. "Wig" (The B-52's) – 4:22
  6. "Theme for a Nude Beach" (The B-52's) – 4:50
  7. "Ain't It a Shame" (Strickland, C. Wilson, R. Wilson) – 5:30
  8. "Juicy Jungle" (Coté, Schneider) – 4:50
  9. "Communicate" (The B-52's) – 4:08
  10. "She Brakes for Rainbows" (Strickland, Wilson) – 4:41

Miscellanea

  • "Ain't It a Shame" is now regularly covered in live shows by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor.
  • The album's cover is by pop artist Kenny Scharfe, who also illustrated a book by the band's singer, Fred Schneider, entitled Fred Schneider and Other Unrelated Works (ISBN 0-87795-917-X).
  • All Fairlight CMI sounds and sequences for the album were created in a collaboration between the band members and Tony Mansfield, Roland JP8 synthesizer was played by Keith Strickland.
  • If the psychedelic talking at the end of "Detour Thru Your Mind" is played backwards, Fred Schneider can be heard saying "I buried my parakeet in the backyard. Oh no, you're playing the record backwards. Watch out, you might ruin your needle."

Personnel

Production

Chart performance

Chart (1987) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard 200 85

 
 
Learn More
Bouncing Off the Satellites (1986 Album by The B-52's)
Cosmic Thing (1989 Album by The B-52's)
Fred Schneider (Rock Artist, '80s, '90s)

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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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