Whammy!
Encyclopedia
Media response to Whammy! was mixed, but generally positive; most critics agreed that while the album was generally weaker in songwriting structure than The B-52's' first two albums The B-52's
and Wild Planet
, it was an overall improvement over their previous album Mesopotamia, which received poor reviews from critics, being described as a "botched collaboration", and "lackluster". Stephen Thomas Erlewine
of Allmusic commented "[...] [Whammy!] is certainly entertaining, even with its faults," praising the songs "Legal Tender
", "Whammy Kiss
", "Butterbean", and "Song for a Future Generation
" and overall regarding the album as a strong follow-up to Mesopotamia. Robert Christgau
continued his support making it a "Pick Hit" and stating "[t]hough [The B-52's] still pick up some great ideas at interplanetary garage sale
s, their celebration of the pop mess-around is getting earthier."
Ben Wener of The Spectator
commented favorably on Whammy!, calling it an "underrated gem". However, the album also attracted criticism; Allmusic criticized the album's overuse of drum machines and synthesizers.
Additional musicians
Production
Artwork
The B-52's (album)
Critical reception for The B-52's was generally favorable; critics praised the album's kitschy lyrics and party atmosphere.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Fred Schneider – cowbell, toy piano, keyboard bass, Vocals, walkie talkie...
and Wild Planet
Wild Planet
Wild Planet is the second studio album by The B-52's, released in 1980. It contains the band's first experiments using electronic drum machines....
, it was an overall improvement over their previous album Mesopotamia, which received poor reviews from critics, being described as a "botched collaboration", and "lackluster". Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
of Allmusic commented "[...] [Whammy!] is certainly entertaining, even with its faults," praising the songs "Legal Tender
Legal Tender (song)
"Legal Tender" is the first single released by The B-52's from their 1983 album Whammy!. The single was their third Billboard Hot 100 chart entry, at #81. The song also peaked at #9 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart, along with album tracks "Whammy Kiss" and "Song for a Future Generation"...
", "Whammy Kiss
Whammy Kiss
"Whammy Kiss" is the second single released by The B-52's from their 1983 album Whammy!.The song reached number nine on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart, along with the album tracks "Legal Tender" and "Song for a Future Generation."-Chart positions:...
", "Butterbean", and "Song for a Future Generation
Song for a Future Generation
"Song for a Future Generation" is the third single taken from The B-52's 1983 album Whammy!. It peaked at #63 on the UK Singles Chart and also reached number nine on the U.S...
" and overall regarding the album as a strong follow-up to Mesopotamia. Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
continued his support making it a "Pick Hit" and stating "[t]hough [The B-52's] still pick up some great ideas at interplanetary garage sale
Garage sale
A garage sale, also known as a yard sale, rummage sale, tag sale, lawn sale, attic sale, moving sale, or junk sale, is an informal, irregularly scheduled event for the sale of used goods by private individuals, in which "block sales" are allowed, so that sellers are not required to obtain business...
s, their celebration of the pop mess-around is getting earthier."
Ben Wener of The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
commented favorably on Whammy!, calling it an "underrated gem". However, the album also attracted criticism; Allmusic criticized the album's overuse of drum machines and synthesizers.
Track listing
Personnel
Band- Kate PiersonKate PiersonCatherine Elizabeth "Kate" Pierson is an American vocalist and one of the lead singers and founding members of The B-52's. One of the multi-instrumentalists in the band, Pierson played guitar, bass and various keyboard instruments...
– lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Fred SchneiderFred SchneiderFrederick William "Fred" Schneider III is an American rock singer, best known as the frontman of the rock band The B-52's, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well-known for his sprechgesang which he developed from reciting poetry over guitars.-Early life:Schneider was born in Newark,...
– lead vocals - Keith StricklandKeith StricklandJulian Keith Strickland is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and one of the founding members of the The B-52s. Originally the band's drummer, Strickland switched to guitar after the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson in 1985...
– lead vocals (on "Song for a Future Generation"), drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones... - Cindy WilsonCindy WilsonCynthia Leigh Wilson is a vocalist and a founding member of new wave rock band The B-52s.- Career :...
– lead vocals - Ricky WilsonRicky Wilson (American musician)Ricky Helton Wilson was an American instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and musician. He was best known as the original guitarist and founding member of New Wave rock band the B-52s...
– lead vocals (on "Song for a Future Generation"), guitar, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, synthesizer
Additional musicians
- David Buck – trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
(on "Big Bird") - Ralph CarneyRalph CarneyRalph Carney is an American musician. While his primary instruments are various saxophones and clarinets, Carney collects and plays many instruments, often unusual or obscure ones....
– saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
(on "Big Bird")
Production
- Steven StanleySteven StanleySteven J. C. Stanley , is a Jamaican audio engineer, record producer and keyboardist who has worked in the reggae, dub and rock music genres since 1975, most notably with Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club and Black Uhuru....
– producer; engineering - Benji Armbrister – engineering assistant
- Dennis Halliburton – engineering assistant
- Ted JensenTed JensenTed Jensen is an American recording engineer. Jensen is the chief mastering engineer at Sterling Sound. He started his career as a mastering engineer in 1976 and is currently the most active Mastering Engineer in the industry...
– mastering
Artwork
- Gene Greif – art directorArt directorThe art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
- Vikki Warren – clothingClothingClothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
- William WegmanWilliam Wegman (photographer)William Wegman is an artist best known for creating series of compositions involving dogs, primarily his own Weimaraners in various costumes and poses.-Life and career:...
– photography
Chart performance
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
29 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
33 |