B-52's-Cosmic Thing 24kt Gold Review

The B-52's sound is filled with pop hooks galore and funky grooves and those elements were at their zenith on Cosmic Thing (1989).

Now with this reissue of their highly successful Cosmic Thing in Audio Fidelity's famous 24 karat gold format I have to say what they mean to me has taken on a slightly different slant. So what is the bottom line then? In my estimation this is an excellent album that has held up quite well. It does sound like post new wave/alternative yet it has a warm and fuzzy feel to it thanks to outstanding vocals of Cindy Wilson brought out nicely on this edition along with a poignant guitar sound backed by a gutsy rhythm section.

The 24kt edition not only brings out the warmth and sunshine of this release out front with all the quirky and bouncy lyrics but the actual music you hear allows the previously absent pleasure of all the subtle nuances courtesy of a not so typical reprocessing. It is not the archetypal digitally remastered with bonus tracks kind of release, it's like listening to the B-52's as they would have sounded on vinyl in the mid- seventies for instance...that robust and crackling rock sound that always gave you the fix you needed for the day. That is what I find consistently in this series of 24kt releases and I absolutely love it.

Cindy's vocals reminded me so much of the eighties and other bands that made their mark but this was a unique release and sound that remains on firm ground in a standalone way for the respective genre.

The title track is outstanding along with "Love Shack", "Roam" and the idiosyncratic but lovable "Bush Fire". I like the way the album closes out with an instrumental that puts you on the beach in the sun for awhile and begs you to start the CD all over again.

This is a job well done again by Audio Fidelity and a good choice for their perfected sound for all classic rock music. Admittedly I am no B-52's expert or lifetime fan but now there is room for expansion with my tastes for music like this thanks to this release.

4/5 Stars

Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck

February 16, 2010

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Tracks:
01. Cosmic Thing
02. Dry County
03. Deadbeat Club
04. Love Shack
05. Junebug
06. Roam
07. Bushfire
08. Channel Z
09. Topaz
20. Follow Your Bliss