Wild Planet

Infobox Album
Name = Wild Planet
Type = Studio album
Artist = The B-52's


Released = August 27 1980
Recorded = April 1980
Genre = New Wave
Length = 34:44
Label = Warner Brothers (US) Island Records (UK)
Producer = Rhett Davies and the B-52's,
Chris Blackwell (exec.)
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:oueyxdabjolf link]
*Review-Christgau|B+|album=202
*"Rolling Stone Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/theb52s/albums/album/259322/rid/5943590/ link]
Last album = "The B-52's" (1979)
This album = "Wild Planet" (1980)
Next album = "Party Mix!" (1982)

"Wild Planet" is the second studio album by the The B-52's, released in 1980. The album has a slightly more psychedelic and even paranoid sound than that of their debut. "Wild Planet" also contains the band's first experiments using electronic drum machines.

As with their debut, The B-52's travelled to the Bahamas to record "Wild Planet". Several of the songs from the album had been concert staples since 1977 but were omitted from the debut album by choice of the producer, Chris Blackwell. More emphasis was put on production for "Wild Planet" with the tracks having more of a slick feeling than the first album. It was fairly well received by critics, most of whom regarded it as a strong sophomore album following the success of the eponymous debut. "Wild Planet" was quickly certified gold.

Track listing

All songs written by Fred Schneider, Keith Strickland, Ricky Wilson, Cindy Wilson, and Kate Pierson, except as indicated.
# "Party out of Bounds" – 3:21
# "Dirty Back Road" (R. Wilson, Robert Waldrop) – 3:21
# "Runnin' Around" – 3:09
# "Give Me Back My Man" (Schneider, R. Wilson, Strickland, C. Wilson) – 4:00
# "Private Idaho" – 3:35
# "Devil in My Car" (Schneider, R. Wilson, C. Wilson, Pierson) – 4:28
# "Quiche Lorraine" (Schneider, Strickland, R. Wilson) – 3:58
# "Strobe Light" (Schneider, Strickland, R. Wilson) – 3:59
# "53 Miles West of Venus" (Schneider, R. Wilson, C. Wilson, Pierson) – 4:53

Miscellanea

* "Party out of Bounds" lends its name both to singer Fred Schneider's radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio, and to an annual charity benefit party held in the band's hometown of Athens, Georgia.
* Director Gus Van Sant thanks the band in the credits of the 1991 film "My Own Private Idaho" for the use of the song title, "Private Idaho." The song itself is not referred to anywhere in the movie.

Personnel

*Kate Pierson – guitar, keyboard bass, organ, vocals
*Fred Schneider – keyboard bass, toy piano, walkie talkies, vocals
*Keith Strickland – drums
*Cindy Wilson – guitar, bongos, vocals
*Ricky Wilson – guitars, smoke alarm

Chart performance

Certifications