Search - Plastics :: Welcome Back

Beyond the B-52's!

Paul Minot | Waterville, ME United States | 07/29/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am delighted to see this music available on CD. This is a lost masterpiece of New Wave--a quirky Japanese band in love with their primitive Roland drum machine, performing hilariously bent pop songs in marginal English that veers from the amazingly ridiculous to occasionally sublime. The record was produced by the same production team that did the first two B-52's albums, and it sounds very slick like those albums, but the Plastics' songs make "Rock Lobster" sound like "Free Bird." Check out the naively obscene lyrics (I don't think they were aware how nasty they were being in English) on the HILARIOUS James Brown parody "Cards"--TOTALLY NUTS! I remember playing a tape of the first side of this record at a party back in the day, and the house (actually a VERY crowded apartment) just ROCKED. If you're looking for some unheard music for a "New Wave" party, then look no further. GET PLASTICIZED!"

One of my college favorites

David L. Brown | McLean, Va United States | 11/10/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this on vinyl way back in 1982 or so, during my college days. The band had come to U-MASS I think, and I read how the girl singer used floor wax to make her hair all spikey. The album is pretty good if your tastes are new-wavish. I agree that they have a bit of the B-52s in them, but their sound is really pretty unique. I recently went to the effort to make MPG3s of the vinyl, didn't know that a CD had been released.Notes: I don't think they spoke English at the time, and all the lyrics are in English. Makes for some curious sounds at times, which just adds to the fun. Also, one of the songs does have some vulgar lyrics, so be warned."

Great fun

Neil C. Nicholson | Saint Louis, MO | 09/21/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a pleasant new discovery for me, as it should be for any fan of new wave or imported oddities. This japanese quintet created some very fun and exciting music that would provide any artsy party with an interesting twist and people asking what's on the stereo. Their sound is most closely related to B-52's when one thinks of an american group (especially due to the quirky vocal performance by front lady Chica), but the delivery of the group is different. They use a drum machine and their approach is much less of a rock format than the B-52's. It is danceable, jerky, electronic groove that bloops and bleeps from synths and drives with bass/guitar rythym. Their male vocalist sounds strangely like Foetus' Jim Thirlwell is he was a very happy japanese man. It's an japanese take on american/british new wave that's alot of fun and even funny to hear the strange yet exhilarating interpretation. See amysamm's list on women in music, she turned me on to this. She's tasteful."