Album of the Day

To record the follow-up to their eponymous debut, The B-52’s returned to Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas and emerged with another off-kilter new wave gem, WILD PLANET. The quintet had been polishing some of this material in concert for a couple of years and it paid off; highlights of the 1980 Warner Bros. set include “Private Idaho,” “Quiche Lorraine” and “Party Out of Bounds.” While the eccentric and exuberant vocals of Fred Schneider, Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson command the spotlight, the collection also shows guitarist Ricky Wilson and drummer Keith Strickland to be first-class instrumentalists. Strickland was born on this day in 1953, and in his honor we'll pay another visit to WILD PLANET.