Funplex - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.co.uk
16 years between albums is a gap virtually unprecedented in modern music, so no surprises that the first question you want to know about Funplex is: how does it sound? Going on the opening track "Pump", you'd be forgiven for thinking not at all: there's Fred Schneider's delirious, delightfully unselfconscious shout, there's Kate and Cindy whooping like dropout cheerleaders, there's the enjoyably garish mish-mash of early rock'n'roll, B-movie kitsch and surfboard funk that's been the group's stock in trade since their emergence in the new-wave boom of the mid-'70s. Deeper into Funplex, though, there's evidence of a new electronic edge, which can be owed in part to the input of producer Steve Osbourne, who's previously worked with New Order and Sophie Ellis Bextor. At times, the presence of dance beats, echoing effects, and pulsing synthesiser make Funplex feel a little clinically handled, like a B-52s remix. But it's worth admission just for the glorious title track, a chaotic cops'n'hippies dust-up at the mall, and the mighty "Ultraviolet". "Keep doing what we're doing cos we're doing it right!" shouts Fred. "Four miles to a breakdown!" shout Kate and Cindy. 16 years on, the party's still going. - Louis Pattison

Album Description
Along with producer Steve Osborne (New Order, Happy Mondays, Doves) the band have created an album as cutting edge, distinctive & danceable as their debut album in 1979. The B-52's influence cuts a wide path through much of so-called Modern Rock-- from the low-fi efforts of nouveau garage bands and the Retro-Hip of Ultra-Lounge to the very ascendance of Dance music itself. Twenty years and 20 million albums into a career that began as a low-rent lark in Athens, Georgia, the B-52's remain the most unlikely Pop superstars ever. The first band to glorify Pop culture with an almost Warholian sense of purpose, their absurd B-movie style and off-kilter sound celebrated the weirdness lurking just beneath the surface of Americana. EMI. 2008.

Customer Reviews: Read 139 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

The Future Generation of the B-52's March 29, 2008
68 out of 73 found this review helpful

This is tough. When Loreena McKennitt emerged with her new album after a 10 year gap, half of the album was great, and the other was "ok". The B-52's are back with a full length studio album, their first in 16 years. Wow, 16 years is practically a generation! I am writing this as an ardent fan, I own all their albums, a smattering of singles, rarities, books, etc. But I am honest, too. So, the Funplex... Fred is still in good voice and everyone is in a party mood. But is this a Party Out of Bounds?

The first thing I noticed was the music, from note one it was great! Three songs later it still sounds like the same song. That's how you keep the party going. They all are in good voice! I can still distinguish Kate and Cindy, welcome back Cindy!! Two things struck me that were very different from the other albums. 1. Electronics are more on the foreground now. Beats, beeps and whistles and all. Good stuff (wink). 2. Sex. There are a lot of sexual innuendos going on in the lyrics! More than ever! Look no further than "Ultraviolet"! Fred belts "let's hit the G Spot!" and "tell your skirt to take a hike!". Over the top, funny and fun.

"Juliet of the Spirits" is a nice number from the girls and Cindy can still reach those high notes that have been showcased in songs like "Girl from Ipanema goes to Greenland" and "Deadbeat Club". The album's best moment comes with "Deviant Ingredient". Just perfect!!! Sounds like a lost song from BOUNCING OFF SATELITES!. Great lyrics, chemistry, energy, swingy and kitschy! "Funplex" the title track and first single is a great party tune, about a mall... or a state of mind, not sure.

All in all FUNPLEX is a great album and the future generations of the B-52's are gonna party like it's the year 3000! The Kings of the Zulus and Daughters of Dracula are still partymonsters and will provide you the vibes!! So sit back in that outer space chair, drink that Mojito, wear that shiny poly blend, and wear those sunglasses on top of your head!

FUNPLEX in five words:
Hypnotic, Harmonic, Sparkling, Dizzy and Futuristic!

2 out of 5 stars

A less than thrilling return March 25, 2008
59 out of 130 found this review helpful

If you've read Amazon customer reviews for awhile, you've learned that you can't really trust the dominant 5-star reviews of EVERY new product that comes out, especially from adoring fans who see only perfection from their faves. So here's an alternative perspective. First let me quote from two print reviews of Funplex that are less than 5 stars. EW (a B+ review): "...the B-52s are still gloriously single-minded party animals more interested in giddily rocking love shacks than stoking intellects." OK, they liked it. And from Mojo (one-star review): "...(now) Fred Schneider's ironic lounge lizard is just creepy." My own reaction was somewhere between the two, but closer to Mojo's view. Despite upgrades in the guitars and synths - they have modernized - the sound is still the same basic B-52 party rock, something that sounds pretty dated overall. They may have been THE party band for a time back in the '80s, but I'm not sure there's a place for this music in 2008. And I do think Fred's recitations sound desperate and a bit embarrassing by today's standards. So much of this music sounded all the same after about four songs - "Party - version 1," "version 2," "version 39," etc. The worst possible thing that can happen occurred while I was listening to Funplex - the songs blurred into the background, and my mind began to drift away to other things. So, not so fun after all.
You may now click on "no" below.

5 out of 5 stars

Fresh, modern, New Wave Dance Rock for the 21st Century!! March 25, 2008
42 out of 48 found this review helpful

Finally, the long wait is over and the B-52s, my favorite party
band has put out an excellent new record. The Band sounds in top
form on this collection, Cindy Wilson is back in the line-up and
Keith Strickland has taken his time with the help of producer
Steve Osborne and come up with a futuristic, modern, spin on dance rock
with a new wavish touch that does not dissapoint. Kate & Cindy sound awesome harmonizing together
and Fred's vocal interplays stand right out in the mix, always something
off the wall to listen to. Sexual situations clash with their
best music since they first started making records, this one's for everyones
collection. Pump starts the party off right and other highlights,
Eyes wide open, Juliet of the Spirits, Funplex, Hot Corner, Deviant Ingredient,
Dancing Now, hold you in their spell to the closer Keep this party going
making this a B-52s classic. Its great to have these guys back with
some fresh new music.

5 out of 5 stars

Thank You Bs--the FUN is back in music! March 25, 2008
41 out of 47 found this review helpful

This CD rocks and pops and dances along at a decent beat and it's so nice to have the Bs back.

The sound reminded me of their second album, WILD PLANET, because it's more "dance rock" than GOOD STUFF and it's not as "arranged" as COSMIC THING.

Think of "Dirty Back Road" transformed into 2008 and you'll know what to expect.

And I'm happy to say that I really liked the ENTIRE CD -- every song makes the iPod!

In these troubled times, thank you Bs for bringing some FUN back into music!

5 out of 5 stars

Ego-Free Vitality in an Age of Exhaustion and Angst April 11, 2008
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

The music of the B-52's, for me, has always been an acoustic narcotic. Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson have got to be the two most emotive singers I have ever heard (Mahalia Jackson comes in a pretty close second), and they contrast beautifully, the former being the tortured one (think "Hero Worship," "Give Me Back My Man," or "Ain't It A Shame") while the latter is all sunshine and positivity (think "Revolution Earth" or "Housework"). Fred Schneider is Fred Schneider; he can't sing and he can't dance, and he's brilliant at both.

Keith Strickland has the impossible job of compensating for the absence of Ricky Wilson, and it has to be said that he is the main brain behind the reinvention of the band. In his minimalism, Ricky Wilson was a fantastic guitarist. "Funplex" is the first post-Ricky album to capture the riff-happy playfulness of his style, and the album has a buoyancy and lift that "Cosmic Thing" and (especially) "Good Stuff" lack. It seems Strickland has learned from Ricky Wilson to keep it simple, straightforward, and energized.

There is nothing around today that sounds this exuberant. I'm thrilled that the B-52's are back, but it is something of a sad commentary that music nowadays, for the most part, simply isn't fun like this. Just because it's "party music" doesn't mean it isn't or can't be important (think Motown during the early 1960s). Yes, the B-52's are political (not that Amazon is the place to make that argument).

When I heard Steve Osborne was producing, I cringed a bit. He was ideal for New Order, but the B-52's sensibility seemed antithetical to the extremely polished tendencies of Osborne. I was totally wrong; Keith Strickland's choice to work with him was a stroke of genius (if only other vintage acts would make such a move). Osborne and the band really meet each other halfway, a truly inspired collaboration.

To really appreciate the production value of the album, you need to listen to it in full stereo on a more-than-decent system (it sounds muddy in my car and overly compressed on my mp3 player).

It amazes me how some people make their minds up so quickly, and have decided that the album is something of a letdown without really letting it grow on them. Remember, it took "Cosmic Thing" months to catch on. I have found that the more I've listened to it, the better it has gotten. The songs I initially didn't care for ("Dancing Now," "Deviant Ingredient") have become my favorites. Just no pleasing those dimestore critics out there, I guess.

I don't mean to sound greedy, but this can't be their last album...

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