Cindy Wilson
In 1987, Bill Cody and Tony Gayton filmed the seminal music doc Athens, GA - Inside/Out featuring R.E.M., the B-52's and Pylon, among many other bands. Thirty years later, Bill returns on a new journey that uncovers a Southern city that is leading the way in progressive politics and the beginnings of true racial equity. Once again featuring members of R.E.M., the B-52's and Pylon, only now bolstered by a new generation of artists and activists including Mariah Parker aka Linqua Franqa, Kishi Bashi, Patterson Hood and the Drive-By Truckers. Follow along the journey through the social changes that have come to the forefront of our American dialogue.
The B-52s were celebrating the 34th anniversary of their first-ever live show on Valentine’s Day in 1977 in the same town. This disc is also the first B52s concert now officially released on DVD. Not surprisingly, as the group had no new material to promote, it’s a retrospective of their work from 1979 to their last new studio album, 2008’s Funplex.
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
Tommy faces responsibility when Dil, his new baby brother, is born. As with all newborns, the child becomes a bane to Tommy and the rest of his gang. They decide to return Dil to where he came from, the hospital, but they get lost along the way. Can they find their way home and can Tommy and Dil learn to get along?
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.
