Nude On The Moon: The Anthology
Given that the B-52's 1998 greatest-hits package,Time Capsule, comprehensively surveyed their best and most commercially pervasive missives while including a newly recorded track, "Debbie"--inspired by Debbie Harry and reprised wholesale onNude on the Moon--it's fair to question the wisdom of this sprawling two-disc set. While new edits, live versions, and remixes pad the sessions and are nice and all, wigged-out chestnuts like "52 Girls," "Rock Lobster," "Dance This Mess Around," "Planet Claire," "Love Shack," and "Roam" really goose the action. That said, revisiting the perennial fashion risks from Athens, Georgia, remains a rare joy. Those old enough to remember the group's landmarkSaturday Night Livedebut--those wigs, that suit, those far-out gyrations!--will look back fondly not just on the B-52's florescent musical bounty but on the weirdly enduring resonance of their interstellar psychobabble.--Kim Hughes