The B-52’s – Mesopotamia (1981)

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The B-52’s – Mesopotamia (1981)

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This is the unique album from the B-52’s and David Byrne, was never released in the U.S. The recording sessions were aborted prematurely and six songs were released as an EP. Due to a record company error the initial copies of the Island Records version of the EP released in the UK and other non-US territories contained some extended versions and different takes of the songs. Mesopotamia is considered a departure in style for The B-52’s. On their two previous albums the band basically recorded songs as they would sound live on stage. Mesopotamia, however, was recorded with vocal overdubs, horns, layered percussion, a greater number of live instruments and an altogether richer sound. Prior to the release of Mesopotamia, The B-52’s were known for their fun and wacky songs and simple, infectious guitar riffs. The tracks on Mesopotamia are arranged in more of an “extended groove” style (a style associated with producer David Byrne and his band Talking Heads) and don’t really have pronounced guitar riffs. Live versions of the songs were performed by the then five members of the band with two extra musicians on trumpet and saxophone. During the band’s Mesopotamia “era” of 1982, Pierson and Wilson’s trademark wigs began to get more unconventional. While Pierson had for the previous years favoured a number of similar auburn beehive shaped wigs (one of which she can be seen wearing on the cover of Wild Planet), the Mesopotamia tour shows saw her in wigs generally brown in colour and somewhat Eastern or exotic in style. Perhaps reflecting the Middle-Eastern album title, Pierson also styled herself in “geenie” like outfits. When the band appeared on the soap opera Guiding Light in 1982, Pierson wore a beehive slightly warped in shape for the performance. On tour in 1982, Wilson opted for longer false tresses often blue, pink or even metallic gold in colour. She also debuted one of her favourite wigs, which she calls the “birdcage”. A towering cylinder of chicken wire-like black hair atop a pixie style crop, Wilson wore the “birdcage” on Guiding Light. The representations of the band members on the album’s cover were based on paintings by band member Cindy Wilson.