So, we all know I love the ultimate party band, B52s. Like, duh. But I’ve loved them since the very start, when irreverent songs like this were uncommon. Just watching this video reminds me of every single reason the B’s are and always have been brilliant party music makers. The lyrics to Private Idaho are mental, but it’s never been about that. It’s about bouffant hair and silly dancing. From the first moment I’d heard Strobe Light, I loved the theatrical comedy of it all: the sex talk, both obvious and innuendo, and the double entendres in words like pineapple. When narrates all the things he’s gonna do, and the girls willingly gasp and approve, I am sold. There really is little better in this world than the booming vocals of Fred Schneider and the harmonies of Kate & Cindy.
From the historical writing archive. Original date: December 11, 2019. Recovered from local source material; editorial review is still in progress.
