Taking Sides: "Rock Lobster" VS "96 Tears"

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Which? Explain.

― roger, Wednesday, 16 November 2005 09:50 (twenty years ago)

"96 tears" doesn't really go anywhere, does it? "rock lobster" is opera.

― stockholm cindy is in your extended network (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 09:53 (twenty years ago)

"rock lobster" sounds more fun. "96 tears" is good but probably would've had more impact on me back in the day.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 10:08 (twenty years ago)

"rock lobster" is opera.

and omg that guitar... for surf rock it sounds so cold and stalinist.

― stockholm cindy is in your extended network (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 10:13 (twenty years ago)

rock lobster is "bohemian rhapsody " of 80's new wave.
96 tears is repititive.

― retroboy, Wednesday, 16 November 2005 11:03 (twenty years ago)

upon further inspection, the mysterians' version of "96 tears" doesn't have all that much going for it. if it weren't for the far-out title and the farfisa/vox riffs, would anyone remember it?

― stockholm cindy is in your extended network (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 11:12 (twenty years ago)

"rock lobster" because of the "wauoooo" vocal harmony.

but, you know, i love me a bit of "96 tears" when the mood is right.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 11:21 (twenty years ago)

i love that middle eight in '96 tears', the way it sounds like they couldn't figure out how it joined back into the verse, and it takes a couple of bars for everyone to settle back into the riff again.
'rock lobster' is solid gold though.

― zappi (joni), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 11:31 (twenty years ago)

96 tears doesn't go "dilllllll"

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 11:34 (twenty years ago)

rock lobster....for the eeeooough impersonating a narwhal noise after " her comes a narwhal"

― toe-foo (toe-foo), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 11:41 (twenty years ago)

rock lobster pwns everything shockah

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 12:20 (twenty years ago)

"Rock Lobster" = fun.
"96 Tears" = irritating. Even the Stranglers' version.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 13:27 (twenty years ago)

especially the Stranglers' version.

Props to the Hot Rods one though.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 13:51 (twenty years ago)

it looks like i'm alone on this one (so far), but i have to go with "96 tears," if only because it's a major sentimental favorite of mine -- it's one of my dad's favorite songs, and it's one of my favorite songs, too. i guess i just like repetitive, irritating, go-nowhere music. and i would agree with two of those characterizations -- yeah, it is repetitive, and yeah, it doesn't go anywhere. but, you know, so what? (that said, i do love "rock lobster" as well. if you close this thread thinking, "spastic heritage doesn't like 'rock lobster!'," you'd be incredibly WRONG.)

― spastic heritage (spastic heritage), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 14:49 (twenty years ago)

you guys are saying "repetitive" like it's a bad thing! "96 tears" for men - it's so creepy and hateful! "rock lobster" has never been one of my favorite b-52s tunes.

― ZR (teenagequiet), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 15:05 (twenty years ago)

haha, i meant to say "me" rather than "men."

OR DID I?

― ZR (teenagequiet), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 15:08 (twenty years ago)

you guys are saying "repetitive" like it's a bad thing!

that's what i was thinking, too. repetition in the music and we're never gonna lose it! etc. etc.

― spastic heritage (spastic heritage), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 15:20 (twenty years ago)

no, i usually like repetition if there's some reason for it, like there's a dynamic build and an eventual payoff. there's none of that in "96 tears." it slogs along.

― stockholm cindy is in your extended network (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 16:03 (twenty years ago)

to me, "96 tears" is the perfect loop -- no payoff required. but yeah, i normally don't enjoy songs that are just repetition repetition repetition with no eventual money shot in sight.

― spastic heritage (spastic heritage), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 16:23 (twenty years ago)

i dunno, i just dig the obsessive drone of that organ riff, the lack of real payoff - it ends just as unresolved as when it began, ? still obsessing on the girl who's gonna cry (yeah, right - if that were gonna happen, we'd get some sort of resolution/explosion). it's a great iconic construction. plus it's catchy as fuck!

― ZR (teenagequiet), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 16:29 (twenty years ago)

My pick is "Rock Lobster," but I saw ? and the Mysterians at a reunion show at Coney Island High a while back and they rocked!

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 16:32 (twenty years ago)

The Hypstyrz cover of 96 Tears is great. I would maybe even call it dynamic.
I'd choose ?'s original over Rock Lobster. I'm in agreement that it's the "perfect loop," I like that. I sat in my parked car and listened until the end a few weeks ago. Rock Lobster is great and all, never had much of a personal connection to it.

― Tripmaker (SDWitzm), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 16:32 (twenty years ago)

There's a band called the Hypstyrz?

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 16:35 (twenty years ago)

"96 Tears" by a mile and a half at least. It's cool whilst "Rock Lobster" is dorky.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 16:36 (twenty years ago)

(x-post) There is indeed a band called The Hypstrz (note correct spelling, this has befuddled typesetters at locla music rags for decades!) One of Minneapolis' longest-running, hardest-rocking garage punk combos. Their 1980 live "Hypstrization!" has just been reissued.

96 Tears is a fun old song alright, but Rock Lobster is new-wave godhead. Dorky godhead maybe, but godhead nonetheless.

― Daniel Peterson (polkaholic), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 17:04 (twenty years ago)

if only that godhead had been "52 girls" or "dance this mess around"

― ZR (teenagequiet), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 17:07 (twenty years ago)

? and the Mysterians original 96 Tears, by a mile. (Though I do love the B52's)

I find it just such a haunting, obsessive piece. Sure, it's minimal . . just like the Seeds, Stooges, Suicide, Ramones etc. etc.

― Soukesian, Wednesday, 16 November 2005 18:43 (twenty years ago)

I think my failure to appreciate "96 Tears" is exclusively the fault of Gary U.S. Bonds, who ruined the hopes of me ever hearing it without thinking of his flatulently porcine rendition of it.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 18:57 (twenty years ago)

"96 Tears," much as I love the B's. "Rock Lobster" has some great moments, especially Fred Schneider yelling about a narwhal, but I'm like several other people here, it's just never quite been my favorite song by them. Maybe if I'd been around when it dropped it'd be different, but it just doesn't quite have the compact classicness of "96 Tears." And god, that organ riff. So simple and yet it says so much.

― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 16 November 2005 19:37 (twenty years ago)

"Private Idaho" is way better than "Rock Lobster," by the way.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 19:38 (twenty years ago)

"96 Tears" is one of the ten best songs of the 1960s, but we used to do air band to "Rock Lobster" on junior high track road trips and we NAILED IT EVERY TIME so that squeaks it out.

― The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 19:40 (twenty years ago)

"96 Tears," easy.

Though I do love "Rock Lobster" (though I love "52 Girls" way more).

― xhuxk, Wednesday, 16 November 2005 19:41 (twenty years ago)

"96 Tears" is my favorite song of all-time.

Fred Schneider is my least-favorite human being of all-time.

This thread is making me sad.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 20:47 (twenty years ago)

"Rock Lobster" >>>>>> "Liar, Liar" >>> ? & The Mysterians' "Action" album >>> ? & The Mysterians' "96 Tears"

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 20:58 (twenty years ago)

For that matter I like Primal Scream's version of "96 Tears" more than the original.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 21:00 (twenty years ago)

"Private Idaho" is way better than "Rock Lobster," by the way.

I believe you misspelled "Strobelight."

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 21:01 (twenty years ago)

I'm with the good doctor on this one.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 21:10 (twenty years ago)

There's a live video for "Rock Lobster" that is 5-plus minutes in length, with the band all manic and shouty and sweating buckets. It looks like it was filmed around the time the song first hit, and it's completely fantastic.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 22:59 (twenty years ago)

good dr bill, why do you hate fred so?

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 23:21 (twenty years ago)

tone down zaniness 500% please.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Thursday, 17 November 2005 03:54 (twenty years ago)

I think that you could start a thread called TS: [any song ever recorded] vs "96 Tears", and I'll pick the latter any day of the week.

For those who hate repitition, please terminate your heartbeats.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Thursday, 17 November 2005 04:13 (twenty years ago)

I love both but "RL" sounds fresher to me--more dynamic (yes I understand perfect loopism but in this case I prefer the opposite), plus on 5minutestolive.com's amazing Lost & Found Video Night: All Music Edition there is the Saturday Night Live performance of "Lobster" and it is one of the GREATEST THINGS EVER. JBR, Mackro, Morley Timmons, discoviolence, Ned, and many others will agree.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 17 November 2005 10:49 (twenty years ago)

ooh i'd like to see that.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Thursday, 17 November 2005 10:52 (twenty years ago)

For those who hate repitition, please terminate your heartbeats.

gah, how many times do i have to explain that i don't hate repetition? (oh the irony.)

― oh ilx my lionheart (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 17 November 2005 11:03 (twenty years ago)

seriously, you guys don't have to explain minimalism to me. I KNOW.

― oh ilx my lionheart (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 17 November 2005 11:04 (twenty years ago)

stevem, just go to www.5minutestolive.com.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 17 November 2005 11:05 (twenty years ago)

Heh heh...I watched that SNL perfomance LIVE (on my TV set) first time around, young'uns! And was impressed enuff to buy a B-52s button, only to be ridiculed by my Cheap Trick-worshiping 7th grade classmates. (Not that there was anything wrong with Cheap Trick back in '79-80.) I like "96 Tears" fine, and "Rock Lobster" wouldn't even EXIST without the earlier song as a precursor (same 2-finger Vox riffs), but ultimately retroboy's description is right on: "Rock Lobster" is EPIC. (But I agree that "Strobe Light" and "52 Girls" are even better.)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 17 November 2005 20:24 (twenty years ago)

"52 girls" isn't better, but "dance this mess around" could be.

― oh ilx my lionheart (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 17 November 2005 21:39 (twenty years ago)

hi, i'm jody and i'm a sagittarius from brooklyn, new york, and i like to find the essence from within.

― oh ilx my lionheart (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 17 November 2005 21:59 (twenty years ago)

has anyone seen a dog dyed dark green?

― brooklyndodger, Thursday, 17 November 2005 22:14 (twenty years ago)

And was impressed enuff to buy a B-52s button, only to be ridiculed by my Cheap Trick-worshiping 7th grade classmates.

This saddens me, as Cheap Trick are just as silly as the B-52s.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 17 November 2005 22:43 (twenty years ago)

nothing is just as silly as the B-52s

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Thursday, 17 November 2005 22:54 (twenty years ago)

The thing about the B52s - and this is a generalization, but ... - is that they're silly but not really all that funny. I mean, "Whoa they wrote a song about a lobster?" The funniest thing in "Rock Lobster" is when he goes "Down, down!" during that chromatic descending line.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 17 November 2005 23:21 (twenty years ago)

did they ever claim that being funny was their creative goal?

― oh ilx my lionheart (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 17 November 2005 23:22 (twenty years ago)

Did I ever say that they did? Personally, I happen to prefer silliness that it funny - that is all.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 17 November 2005 23:26 (twenty years ago)

Surprised that people feel the need to diss the Mysterians musicianship. (There's something similar in the '60 covers' feature in the current Wire.) They were barely more than kids at the time, and they came up with this incredible, haunting sound all by themselves. So it's crude. So what?

Anyone who rates the Mysterian's 96 Tears should check out the incredible 'Outta reach' by She - an equally unforgettable riff, which was also briefly quoted by by Martin Rev somewhere on some live boot, and bored its way into my head from there to the extent I was totally blown away when I heard the original.

― Soukesian, Friday, 18 November 2005 20:30 (twenty years ago)

And was impressed enuff to buy a B-52s button, only to be ridiculed by my Cheap Trick-worshiping 7th grade classmates.
This saddens me, as Cheap Trick are just as silly as the B-52s.

-- Alex in NYC

They were fond of Queen and Kiss too - another coupla laff-a-minute combos!

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 18 November 2005 22:00 (twenty years ago)

I think this might be the toughest taking sides ever! "Rock Lobster" is a blast, the guitar riff kills, those "SHA BOP BOP - EWWWW!" back-up vox, and those who favor 96 Tears because of repetition clearly haven't listened to Rock Lobster in years because the latter is just as awesomely repetitive, but "96 Tears" has the endless Farfisa ooze, more great pissed off/depressed vocals, and a fantastic bridge. I don't think I can choose.

On a sidenote, the B-52's referenced "96 Tears" in "Deadbeat Club" off of Cosmic Thing.

― n/a (Nick A.), Friday, 18 November 2005 22:22 (twenty years ago)

Lyrically, not musically.

― n/a (Nick A.), Friday, 18 November 2005 22:23 (twenty years ago)

Really it's apples & oranges: pepped-up dork surf-rock vs. drunk organ ooze. That's right: ORGAN OOZE. ORGAN OOZE.

― n/a (Nick A.), Friday, 18 November 2005 22:30 (twenty years ago)

Anyone who rates the Mysterian's 96 Tears should check out the incredible 'Outta reach' by She

"if my dreams were meant to be i'd hear him answer YEAH / YEEEAA - UHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

love it.

― mimi in st. louis (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 18 November 2005 22:45 (twenty years ago)

I liked the SNL performance because they just seemed so young, nervous, and out of place, and succeeded regardless... You could tell they were used to playing just centimeters away from each other, yet there they were separated by miles in between on live TV. They weren't really a "party" band, but just a really nervous odd group of people from the South who had Ono worship, which made it even more amazing to me. Not really the kind of thing people expected at the time. No surprise that Lennon and Ono were big fans of the group at the time.

Ricky Wilson looked especially nervous, and he was sweating big time, but his guitar work is the magic behind the band, really -- and the SNL performance showed it. I'm not discounting the other members obviously, but not enough love is given to Ricky Wilson... he was an incredibly pioneering guitarist. The descending-then-ascending guitar part of "Rock Lobster" was a pre-cursor to late 80s/early 90s Sonic Youth guitar playing in their bridges... (Granted, both have huge and obvious Plastic Ono Band influences.) The fact that Ricky is rarely mentioned in most rock canons is tragic. (Fuck the canons anyway, but still...)

― do knut (donut), Friday, 18 November 2005 22:46 (twenty years ago)

that's not just repetition though, it's total DOORS ORGAN DRONE WAIL (xpost)

― mimi in st. louis (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 18 November 2005 22:48 (twenty years ago)

which rock canons are you talking about here? I mean, the early B-52's got and still get loads of critical acclaim, which amounts to the same thing really.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 18 November 2005 22:48 (twenty years ago)

Well, "guitarist" canons, specifically... people who write articles about guitarists.. More of a Musician magazine type crowd, granted.

― do knut (donut), Friday, 18 November 2005 22:50 (twenty years ago)

But I think even in more standard pop/rock canons, Ricky himself is rarely mentioned whereas the B-52s are as a group are... there's nothing wrong with that, of course. But let's face it, B-52s are mainly canonized for two songs.

― do knut (donut), Friday, 18 November 2005 22:53 (twenty years ago)

One of which was done years after Ricky died.

― do knut (donut), Friday, 18 November 2005 22:53 (twenty years ago)

i want my band to be the b-52's meets the inner dialogue meets the dog faced hermans.

― mimi in st. louis (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 18 November 2005 23:27 (twenty years ago)

basically devo with girls

― mimi in st. louis (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 18 November 2005 23:36 (twenty years ago)

basically devo with girls

....if Devo had been hugely, fabulously gay and Southern, maybe.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 19 November 2005 02:20 (twenty years ago)

i can hear booji boy doing all of fred's parts.

― mimi in st. louis (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 19 November 2005 02:38 (twenty years ago)

"doing all of fred's parts" GUH

― mimi in st. louis (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 19 November 2005 02:38 (twenty years ago)

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