Obsessive fans know the sheer agony of waiting years, even decades, for their favorite oldies (ahem, classic) artist to finally release a new album of substandard material on a record label no one has ever heard of. Amazingly, some of these ancient relics manage to claw their way back from the brink of blinding obscurity. Anything to escape the horrors and degradation of the hotel casino circuit. Here are a few examples from the recent millennium.

The B-52’s — Funplex

Rock Lobster! Yes, it’s been approximately 8,000 years since Miss Fred Schneider screeched those immortal words and summed up the state of an entire inebriated generation. The nation’s collective lobster was indeed rockin’! Fred, Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson & Keith Strickland came streaming out of Athens, GA with sky high hairdos, thrift store fashion sense and a jubilant, camp attitude that no other group could match. Despite being labeled (and often dismissed) as a mere gimmick or cult band, they continued to spin off numerous iconic albums and singles. The B’s eventually reached their glossy, funky zenith in 1989 with the hit album Cosmic Thing. The band thrilled devoted fans and earned legions of new ones when they got their global groove on with the shiny, happy single “Love Shack,” baby.

Despite a huge mainstream breakthrough, an endless 16 years went swishing by before the group finally unleashed their seventh party platter with 2008’s Funplex. Music director Keith Strickland recruited producer Steve Osborne (of New Order & Sophie Ellis-Bextor fame) to pull the band’s retro sound solidly into the current decade. Suddenly they were off the oldies circuit and back into the studio where they belonged — making candy-coated musical extravaganzas. Funplex retains the band’s trademark cool quirks and dizzily enjoyable style of neon dance pop. This time around the recipe stirs in equals parts throbbing synthesizers and drum machine beats and then seals it over with an Aquanet sheen. Sometimes you’ll wonder if you’re trapped in a thumping remix on an infinite loop – one that you may never want to end.

The giddy title track “Funplex” discovers delirious leading lady Fred in glorious kitsch mode, shouting tales about malls and diet pills — timeless themes, indeed. High-haired harlots Cindy and Kate are still spinning gorgeous, effortless harmonies as if thirty years had simply stood still. The single was served up in January 2008 and took its party out of bounds where it reached #14 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. One track in and it’s already obvious that betting on Steve Osborne has resulted in an eclectic jackpot. Stroll further through the carnival and you’ll find even more sideshow attractions and electronic feats of strength. Classic B-52’s beats collide with what passes for modern dance on “Eyes Wide Open.” Robots of various genders invade Fred’s dreams in “Love in the Year 3000.” Second single “Juliet of the Spirits” flew to #8 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. “Ultraviolet” finds Fred extolling the virtues of highway rest stops and g-spots. Yeah, that sounds about right. These highlights, paired with dancefloor shakers like “Hot Corner,” are a sweet, high reminder of the band’s long-ago glory days. We can only hope it won’t take until the year 3000 for those days to return.

Is all of this inspired by early-era rock, Beach Boys harmony or just plain musical schizophrenia? Yes, it is! Funplex topped off at #11 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and sold approximately 30,000 hot platters in its first week of release. Overall a nice return to form for music’s premiere party band. The whole shack shimmies, kids! (more…)