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

by Scott Creney (Author), Brigette Adair Herron (Author)

The Story of the B-52s: 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.

Back Jacket

The Story of the B-52s: Neon Side of Town is the first critical biography of one of the most unique popular bands in American music. The B-52s were far more than just a "tacky dance band." Their aesthetic was shaped by the radical social and political conditions in Athens, Georgia, and their arrival in New York City profoundly influenced the next several years of music and art to come out of that city. The Story of the B-52s provides a deep critical analysis of the band's music and original insights into the extraordinary people who made it. Their story, told here in full for the first time, contains all the elements of a great novel--success and failure, tragedy and triumph, life and death. Yet, at the heart of the B-52s music is a love for being alive that verges on the radical.

Author Biography

Scott Creney is author of the work of creative nonfiction Dear Al-Qaeda: Letters to the World's Most Notorious Terror Organization (Black Ocean). They have written about music, books, and film for Clash Music, The Fanzine, Collapse Board, and Ablaze!, among others, and contributed six entries to 101 Albums You Should Die Before You Hear. Scott was also the bass player for the Athens band Tunabunny.
Brigette Adair Herron holds a Ph.D. in Adult Education from the University of Georgia and is author/co-author of numerous peer reviewed academic articles and a scholarly monograph. Her writing on music has been featured in the book 101 Albums You Should Die Before You Hear, and on the web publications Collapse Board, Vice, and Eldredge Atlanta. She is a multi-instrumentalist with a long history in the Athens music scene.