The B-52's - Mesopotamia
First and foremost, Fred sings a lesson for us all: "I ain't no student of ancient culture. Before I talk I should read a book." Listen, I know this EP is considered a misstep by most. After the self-titled debut and 'Wild Planet,' one critic had the witty line the B-52's were trying to take the "p" out of "party," but I remind you there was more than enough blame to go around for this hiccup, from the band's manager to the label bosses to a certain highly respected artist who maybe shouldn't have taken on producer duties when he was more interested in working on his solo project. All of that aside, I must admit I quite like this song, and it was fun to dig out and play for an apt pupil in the LTL household today. That's what I call getting a good education.
6 comments:
I'm surprised to hear you refer to 'Mesopotamia' as an EP, as, to the best of my recollection, I'm sure it was marketed as a bona fide album in the UK - albeit a pretty short one. I was also unaware that it was regarded as a misstep by the fans. I remember particularly enjoying it at the time of release. It has been a while though.
Good luck with that homework!
Top tune!
I have it filed as an album Swede!
Hey, boys. I have always thought of it as an EP, but I didn't exactly look up that fact. Rooting around, I can find references to it as an extended player (including the less than reliable wiki), but I see more spots that call it an LP or mini album. Appearing on the Billboard 200 is a nice piece of evidence in your favor too. Although we both only got six songs, our paltry 25-minute version pales in comparison to the 32 you fellas got in the UK. The whole sound and feel is different too, although I believe the title song is identical. The intro of that song is wonderful and reminds me of Cities. I like Mesopotamia, but it's a coulda been or shoulda been record for me. The 10 songs became only six when David Byrne got too busy or lost interest (depending on the story you believe). It was kind of a mess in the studio, but I think the band made the best of a sticky situation.
I always refer to Mesopotamia as the album where B-52's went into the studio with David Byrne and came out with a DEVO album. The track Deep Sleep, though, is pure David Byrne as performed by Fred + Co.
Bleedin' teachers eh?
Right on, Echorich. Agreed on both points.
SA, Ooh, an opening to crack wise, but I will resist the temptation. Most of you are tops. Homework aside, this year has been even better than usual. My youngest is as engaged as I have ever seen him.
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