Boys in bikinis, girls on surfboards

#14 - The B-52's, The B-52's

This exercise is beginning to make me wonder if I'm bi-polar. I made my list in about an hour, all on the same day, so that would have been a lot of manic-depressive states in a short period of time. Let's hope I'm wrong.

I acquired this one in high school. After hearing the song, "Rock Lobster", while visiting my aunt and uncle in NY, I had to have it. Because it is their debut, it is very raw. When I hear it, I imagine them playing dive bars in Athens. This album is ridiculous in the way you expect the B-52's to be, but it is also musically genius. The way they use their voices as instruments, creating all sorts of transitions in each song makes the whole album a real production. Its like an opera or a Broadway show except that it a) is good and b) doesn't take itself too seriously. When I play this record, I am always amazed at how well it has aged. Although it was recorded 27 years ago, it continues to be a breath of fresh air. I've never heard anything else like it.




#13 - Sean Nos Nua, Sinead O'Connor

Papa surprised me with this a few Christmases ago. I didn't know anything about it, but he knows I love Sinead, since I have several of her albums. Although she has made many attempts to cover various genres, this is the best. It is an entire album of Irish folk songs which, of course, comes naturally to her. (Unlike reggae. I love Faith and Courage but I can't help thinking that she's trying too hard.) I, being a Kennedy, feel connected to this music in spite of being several generations removed from it. I adore Irish female vocals and have always unconsciously mimicked that style in my singing. This record is all about Sinead's voice and the stories it tells.