167. Patio of Doom

167. "Private Idaho" by the B-52s

Thanks to the Columbia Records and Tape Club, I was able to buy the B-52s album "Wild Planet" for a fraction of a single cent. That's how far we could stretch our money back in our high school days. Music was practically free!

The reason I bought "Wild Planet" was because I'd heard the song "Quiche Lorraine" on the radio and thought it was quite funny, both lyrically and musically. Also, in 1980 there were a very limited number of songs about a two-inch,  dark green, run-away poodle with a strawberry-blonde fall (fall?) that wears sunglasses, a bonnet, and designer jeans with appliqués. Basic economics tells us that when there is a very small amount of a good, the demand for it will go way up. Economics also tells us that when the price of something goes down, the demand for it will go up. When you consider the rarity of wacky poodle songs in the 80s and the low price of joining the Columbia Records and Tape Club and getting 10 albums for a penny, I think I was pretty much compelled by the laws of economics to buy that album. However, after listening to the entire album a couple of times, it turned out "Quiche Lorraine" wasn't my favorite song. Begin a native Idahoan that spent a good portion of his summer in a blue, blue, blue pool full of strangers, "Private Idaho" quickly became the frontrunner.




I remember playing "Wild Planet" during a scout service project involving the painting of the Marley's house. I didn't expect everyone to like the album that much, so I wasn't shocked or disappointed when I was asked to turn it off. It was a different kind of new wave music that wouldn't become really popular until after the emergence of MTV.

I think "Cosmic Thing" is the B-52s best album. "Love Shack" is definitely their most popular song. But I think "Rock Lobster" has to be their most influential song, as it was an underground hit in the late 70s that made an impact on many other artists, including…John Lennon! He decided to come out of retirement and make music again after hearing "Rock Lobster," so without the lobster song, we probably wouldn't have "Double Fantasy," which has to be the greatest rock album ever…to have included Yoko Ono songs. The reason I chose "Private Idaho" to be on my top 200 list over most other B-52 songs is probably because Mrs. Marley indoctrinated us in 4th Grade Idaho history class to love the gem state and all of the beautiful things in it. And this song more than any other helped to keep Idaho beautiful in the 80s by warning all the new wave freaks to stay the hell out.