The band that introduced Dave Grohl to a “world of weird music”
During the 1990s, Nirvana arrived on the music scene and introduced the hair metal-fatigued teens to a whole new world of sound. Their choruses were just as catchy as any of the rockers that preceded them, but they were buried under a newfound murkiness; under gritty, distorted guitars, Kurt Cobiain’s dark lyrics and thunderous drums provided by Dave Grohl.
Grunge was pushing into the mainstream, and Nirvana were at the forefront of it. Tracks like ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, which would have once been contained to the walls of underground venues and dingy practice rooms, found their way onto the radio and into the walkmans of the masses. Their sound took everyone aback, from a young Jack Black to legendary Beatles songwriter Paul McCartney.
But before Grohl and his bandmates introduced audiences to their sonic sphere of grit and grunge, the drummer discovered the world of weird music through the sound and stylings of quirky icons, the B-52’s. Over a decade before Nirvana began forging grunge music in Washington, the ‘Rock Lobster’ creators were providing some of the most playful and party-worthy entries into the new wave genre.
During a chat with Melody Maker, the former Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters leader spoke specifically about the band’s self-titled debut album, The B-52’s, which was released in the summer of 1979. Grohl first discovered the band through a performance on Saturday Night Live, which he suggested “introduced [him] to the world of weird music.”
“I was young,” he recalled, “my parents were asleep. Songs like ‘52 Girls’, ‘Rock Lobster’, of course… they definitely opened up a whole new world to me.” It’s easy to see why. ‘Rock Lobster’ is one of the most absurd songs in popular music history, but it’s also one of the greatest. Over surf-infused soundscapes, the band sing of giant clams and bikini whales, of mermaids and mermen, and of rock lobsters.
It’s weird and wonderful, just like the rest of the tracks on The B-52’s, and just like the whole of their catalogue. The synths and strange lyrics to ‘Dance This Mess Around’, the charming chanting of ‘6060-842’, the silly cover of ‘Downtown’, it’s unflinchingly eccentric from start to finish. It’s the perfect introduction to the weirder world of music, an experience they’ve provided far more than Grohl.
With their catchy, campy style, The B-52’s introduced a whole host of new fans to strange songwriting and aquatic dance parties. Though four decades have passed since their debut was first released, meaning four decades of weird music have succeeded them, The B-52’s still stand out as one of the most outlandish and weirdest bands in music history.
‘Rock Lobster’ remains a staple party tune (and one of the best routines you can complete on Just Dance), while ‘Love Shack’ is guaranteed to urge everyone to the dancefloor at even the most reserved wedding. The B-52’s kitschy sound remains well-loved for its accessible oddity.
Though Grohl wouldn’t go on to make music anywhere near as kooky as The B-52’s, he would create another sonic world of his own with Nirvana and, later, with the Foo Fighters. Rather than detailing parties with rock lobsters and playing around with synths, Grohl preferred darker, dingier soundscapes, but soundscapes that were equally stunning nonetheless.
