Like the word ‘epitome’*, ‘Rock Lobster’ by the B-52s had, for the longest time, a curious double life inside my brain. I knew that there was a band called the B-52S, and that they sung a song called ‘Rock Lobster’. I also knew that I liked this song, though I didn’t know what it was called. Eventually, I put two and two together, and made a tentative decision, that, perhaps, four was a possible correct answer.

Anyways and all, the B-52s’s’s’s’s’s’s first album in 16 years in being released in the coming weeks. Entitled ‘Funplex’, it bears a lead single of the same name. Let’s have a look at it, shall we?

Here are the good things about it:

1. The intro has some muttering and some guitars. I am fond of both muttering and guitars.

2. The chorus is seven assorted types of excellent.

3. At about 2.06, the negative points that I’m about to make doesn’t matter, because the record just WORKS, if only for about 10 seconds.

Here are the not good things about it:

1. Schneider’s voice grates. Immensely. I know sprechgesang’s his schtick, but he’s been doing the same thing in the same way for nigh on 30 years. Maybe he could vary intonation? Dynamics?

2. I am disappointed at the lack of a video for the song. Hopefully this will be remedied. Or, some clever Youtube person will super-impose the song over this track

Homework for this week: Outkast’s ‘Hey Ya’- the ‘Love Shack’ of our generation? Discuss, using secondary references.

*Epitome- I used to think that there was the word ‘e-pit-oh-me’ and the word ‘epi-tohm’, in the same way that I thought of both ‘Rock Lobster’ and the song that turned out to be ‘Rock Lobster’.

Ailbhe Malone is 21 years old. Her father told her the other day that she was 'going to change the world'. She remains sceptical.
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