The B-52s
Bouncing off the Satellites

“Bouncing Off The Satellites,” released in September 1986, will remain in the band's history as their most troubled and hard-fought album, labeled as one of their lesser works.

But even if the platter shows a band running out of steam (after five years of a fast-paced charge marked by generally high-quality work), not everything is to be discarded….

The studio sessions began as early as 1985, but guitarist Ricky Wilson passed away during the recording of the album due to AIDS, which in my opinion affected the final outcome of the work. The album was released in September 1986, presenting several fillers along with a few truly worthy tracks. The drum machines and the plastic atmospheres of the 80s make an imposing appearance, even more so than in the previous Whammy, where electronic technology applied to music played a significant role. Their peculiar mix of surf-rock, pop, and new wave here becomes diluted, emptied, and further plasticized. The adolescent and synchronized voices of Pierson and Wilson remain the same, but now they serve melodies and arrangements decidedly more subdued compared to the recent past.

The Athens group, at this point in their career, lost the power and compactness of the sound of their beginnings, but also of Whammy, a work which, while not astounding, was definitely more successful.

Analyzing in detail: The album starts poorly but redeems itself in the second half, ultimately reaching, in my opinion, a dignified though meager passing grade. The opener “Summer Of Love” is permeated by a decidedly "rigid" melody and ultimately insignificant, and the subsequent “The Girl From Ipanema Goes To Greenland” and “Housework” barely stay above the minimum standard of decency, certainly not improving the situation. The next three tracks, which I call the triad of triviality: “Detour Thru Your Mind”, “Wig”, and “Theme For a Nude Beach”, are decidedly bland. This mini-sequence of bland songs (only Wig has some small self-ironic prompts in the lyrics and sound) could be a heavy blow to the album; however, at this point, something changes.

From here on, the level suddenly (and fortunately) steps up. “Juicy Jungle” is at least a fairly successful rendition of their futuristic rock songs, and with the omnipresent and pounding background of its electronic trumpets, it recreates that alienated atmosphere typical of their early tracks, giving some verve to an album that was dragging towards a flat end. In my opinion, “Communicate” is even better, which, besides being another track in full B-52s style, offers us a chorus that became quite famous, sung (or rather spoken) almost in a “hip hop” style.

But the true gem of the album is still “Ain't It a Shame”, which, with its languid and dark pace, draws a truly convincing melody in my opinion, recreating a melancholic atmosphere typical of the best eighties. The closure is entrusted to the calmest and “cheesiest” track of the entire work, the ethereal “She Brakes for Rainbows,” perhaps less incisive but at least with the merit of closing this not-so-memorable album in a sufficiently decent manner.

In today's consolidated musical criticism opinion, “Bouncing Off The Satellites” competes for the title of the worst album by The B-52s along with “Mesopotamia” and “Good Stuff.” I go against the tide and absolutely do not include the often-denigrated “Good Stuff,” which in my view is produced, conceived, and played as God intended. Certainly not a blockbuster, but an often underrated album that at least flows smoothly to listen to all the way through without major falls. All things considered, for me, the worst is Mesopotamia, but obviously, this is not the place to delve into that.

In the end, without being too harsh or meticulous, let's say that these songs are even pleasant to a superficial listen, but if we dissect them well, we realize they certainly do not stand up in comparison to their best works. However, the highs are there and all found on the B-side.

This is the classic album that to be “saved” needs to be listened to immersing oneself in the era in which it was released. Let's say it is a typical slice of the '80s and a good example of synth-dance of that period….let's take it that way. In my personal way of experiencing music, I save it because I have a soft spot for the Georgia group and have an extreme resonance with these sounds, so even the less successful material I find somewhat enjoyable…but I realize that stripping away one's preferences and observing the situation from a neutral point of view, we are here on two and a half stars.

What ultimately saves the album in extremis from the abyss is that the sound is not at all subdued or lackluster, on the contrary, the production is as lively as in the good old times…unfortunately, it's the quality of the melodies and arrangements that is subdued in at least half of the tracks.

For me, it remains a mediocre but overall listenable album; B-52s songs tend to capture even when they are ordinary, and the good second part of the LP holds weight, so I generously round it up to three stars.