Wild Planet
| Wild Planet | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover art by Lynn Goldsmith | ||||
| Studio album by The B-52's | ||||
| Released | August 27, 1980 | |||
| Recorded | April 1980 at Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 34:44 | |||
| Label | Island Records (UK) / Warner Brothers (US) | |||
| Producer | Rhett Davies, The B-52's, Chris Blackwell (executive producer) | |||
| The B-52's chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [2] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 7/10[3] |
| The Village Voice | B+[4] |
Wild Planet is the second studio album by The B-52's, released in 1980.
As with their first album, The B-52's traveled to Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas to record Wild Planet. Several of the songs from the album had been concert staples since 1978. The band consciously did not record them for their first album because they had too many tracks and wanted a strong second album, knowing that performing the tracks live would make fans look forward to it. Rhett Davies co-produced the album, and more emphasis was put on production for Wild Planet. It was very well received by critics, most of whom regarded it as a strong second album following the success of their first. Wild Planet was quickly certified gold. Many fans consider it their best album.
Director Gus Van Sant thanks the band in the credits of the 1991 film My Own Private Idaho for the use of the song title, "Private Idaho." The song itself is not referred to anywhere in the movie.
Track listing
All tracks written by Fred Schneider, Keith Strickland, Ricky Wilson, Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson, except as noted.
| Side One | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "Party Out of Bounds" | 3:21 | |
| 2. | "Dirty Back Road" | R. Wilson, Robert Waldrop | 3:21 |
| 3. | "Runnin' Around" | 3:09 | |
| 4. | "Give Me Back My Man" | Schneider, R. Wilson, Strickland, C. Wilson | 4:00 |
| 5. | "Private Idaho" | 3:35 | |
| Side Two | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 6. | "Devil in My Car" | Schneider, R. Wilson, C. Wilson, Pierson | 4:28 |
| 7. | "Quiche Lorraine" | Schneider, Strickland, R. Wilson | 3:58 |
| 8. | "Strobe Light" | Schneider, Strickland, R. Wilson | 3:59 |
| 9. | "53 Miles West of Venus" | Schneider, R. Wilson, C. Wilson, Pierson | 4:53 |
| Total length: | 34:44 | ||
"Party Out of Bounds" lends its name both to singer Fred Schneider's radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio, and to an annual charity benefit party held in the band's hometown of Athens, Georgia.
Personnel
- Kate Pierson – vocals, organ, keyboards. keyboard bass
- Fred Schneider – vocals, cowbell, glockenspiel, additional keyboards
- Keith Strickland – drums, drum machine, Venus sounds
- Cindy Wilson – vocals, bongos, tambourine
- Ricky Wilson – guitars
Chart performance
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 18 |
| UK Albums Chart | 18 |
Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA – U.S. | Gold | October 21, 1981 |
References
- ↑ Cleary, David. "Wild Planet – The B-52's". AllMusic. Retrieved October 16, 2004.
- ↑ Considine, J.D. (2004). "The B-52's". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. pp. 67–68. ISBN 0-743-20169-8. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
- ↑ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN 0-67975574-8.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert (March 2, 1981). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved November 29, 2011. Relevant portion also posted at "B-52's: Wild Planet > Consumer Album Guide". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved March 31, 2006.