The Story of the B-52s: Neon Side of Town

by Scott Creney, Brigette Herron

The Story of the Neon Side of Town is the first critical history of one of the most legendary and influential bands in American popular music. Locating The B-52s in the intellectual climate of their hometown of Athens, GA and following the band from New York’s downtown scene in the early 1980s to their upcoming farewell tour, the book argues that The B-52s are much more significant political and musical influences on American society than their reputation as a silly party band suggests, and that their ongoing commitment to values including cooperation, mutual support, and using disruptive fun as a form of social change are an antidote to the neoliberalization sweeping both Athens and the rest of the Western world. For example, the book shows how the band synthesized influences from the modern artists displayed at the University of Georgia art museum, early queer activism on campus in the 1970s, and their experiences as queer people living through the AIDS crisis to create music that continues to be artistically and politically influential today. The authors are active members of the Athens, GA music scene, and the book includes original interviews with a range of number close to the band.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History, Biography

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2023

Reviews

[Troy Tradup · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to fathom how anyone could produce a book this airless about one of the most lively rock bands in history, although I guess it takes some cheek to attempt a line like: "Taken at face value, Lava turns into a song about a hyper-ejaculatory menage-a-trois."

Yikes.

[Alice Hubley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some laugh out loud moments and a lot of heartbreak along the way, this book does a great job of telling the story of the band and placing them within the Athens and New York scenes in particular. Highly recommended!

[Thomas Thieme · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a fan of the B's since hearing side one of their first album on a college radio station the month it came out. When I found out one of my third grade students was in fact Keith's niece, she saw me transform from her teacher into a wide-eyed fanboy right before her eyes. There has been nothing like the B-52s before or since. They are one of the most important American rock bands to come out of the 70s, if not the most important. I know some snob rock critics (the old-guard Greil Marcus and others of the Rolling Stone era) look down on them because after all, rock critics need the artists they write about to be Serious Artists in order for they themselves to be taken seriously. The B's are simply originals that sailed over the heads of the geriatric rock critics and resonated with people because they are fun and joyful, they speak for the outsider in all of us and they rock. The authors are obviously deep fans but pull no punches with their criticisms of the band's work when appropriate. They are also rightly defensive of the band's accomplishments. They are able to articulate much better than me why this band is so important. That's why I rate this book highly. I learned a lot about the B-52s and as the first serious biography of the band is, sadly, out of print, this is the book you'll want to turn to until the band members themselves publish their own accounts.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the B-52s and have been lucky enough to see them live many times, including back in the 1980’s. I was really excited when I saw this book. It was very well researched and had a lot of facts, but that was part of the problem. The book felt like a collection of facts, with no really storytelling, almost like a thesis paper. It was also very clear the authors were huge fans and included numerous tirades about how the band was under appreciated, etc.

[Sharon Falduto · Rating 4 out of 5]

A somewhat artsy rock journalism piece (as befits the Athens band) about the B-52s, from the early years as a group thrown together in their youth, to 50 years later, through the loss of Ricky Wilson and the "Love Shack" era. Parts of it were a bit dry; but this is a definitive biography.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The authors of this very academic look at the B52s and their catalog obviously loved the band. However, I am looking forward to the release of the band's own oral history which I feel will be much less dry and less biased in a way.

[Khalid Al-Babtain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written, detailed and informative!

[Bradley Morgan]

My interview with the authors.

https://newbooksnetwork.com/the-story...