Advanced Search >
Help Me Search

Music

All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best of 2009
Best of 2008
Best of 2007
Best of 2006
Best of 2005
Best of 2004
Best of 2003
Best of 2002
Best of 2001
Best of 2000
Best of the Decade

Upcoming &
Recent Releases

sort by namesort by score

75 2562
54 30 Seconds to Mars
62 50 Cent
71 AC/DC
70 The Album Leaf
52 Kris Allen
68 Tori Amos
66 Animal Collective
84 Animal Collective
77 Annie
57 Apse
63 Asobi Seksu
59 Bad Lieutenant
83 Julianna Barwick
82 Beach House
72 Beak>
72 Bibio
65 Justin Bieber
76 Biffy Clyro
74 Blakroc
75 Mary J. Blige
78 Blockhead
52 Bon Jovi
54 Susan Boyle
57 The Bravery
39 Chris Brown
64 V.V. Brown
70 Basia Bulat
79 Chew Lips
74 Citay
65 Clipse
66 Cold War Kids
75 The Cribs
58 Dashboard Confessional
81 Dave Rawlings Machine
70 Delphic
78 The Doors
58 Echo & The Bunnymen
73 Edan
59 Editors
69 Eels
80 Felt
74 First Aid Kit
69 Flyleaf
83 Four Tet
82 Ben Frost
82 Fucked Up
83 Charlotte Gainsbourg
63 The Gilded Palace Of Sin
68 Githead
65 Joe Goddard
58 Good Shoes
72 Gucci Mane
75 Holopaw
82 Jesca Hoop
79 Hot Chip
72 The Hot Rats
88 Ray Wylie Hubbard
54 Hurricane Chris
66 Allison Iraheta
59 Jay Sean
82 Freedy Johnston
57 Nick Jonas And The Administration
73 Norah Jones
49 Juvenile
58 Ke$ha
62 R. Kelly
66 Alicia Keys
68 Kid Sister
81 King Midas Sound
63 Lady Antebellum
76 Lady GaGa
71 Adam Lambert
78 Lawrence Arabia
61 Leona Lewis
74 Lightspeed Champion
36 Lil Wayne
82 Lindstrom & Christabelle
77 Lissie
78 Los Campesinos!
70 Lostprophets
73 Magnetic Fields
72 Massive Attack
64 John Mayer
71 Paul McCartney
58 Katherine McPhee
86 Memory Tapes
72 Midlake
88 Motion City Soundtrack
63 Mr. Hudson
53 Mudvayne
75 Oh No Ono
70 OK Go
72 Ola Podrida
61 OneRepublic
80 Owen Pallett
80 Pantha du Prince
90 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
80 Phantogram
60 Pit Er Pat
63 Priestess
70 Radian
79 Corinne Bailey Rae
54 Rakim
79 Real Estate
77 Retribution Gospel Choir
76 Rihanna
64 Rjd2
65 Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
77 Sade
77 Gil Scott-Heron
72 Shakira
82 Shining
61 Snoop Dogg
62 Snow Patrol
71 The Soft Pack
80 Spoon
64 Ringo Starr
59 Stereophonics
76 Angie Stone
79 Surfer Blood
74 Switchfoot
75 Them Crooked Vultures
74 Robin Thicke
50 Timbaland
79 tUnE-YaRDs
80 Vampire Weekend
79 Laura Veirs
79 Tom Waits
78 Wale
65 The Watson Twins
66 Kanye West
76 The Whitefield Brothers
64 Robbie Williams
80 Yeasayer
62 Young Money
75 Neil Young
61 Rob Zombie

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Funplex

EMAILPRINTby B-52s

B-52s reviews
64
9.1 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 26 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 31 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >

Album Info

Label: Astralwerks

Release Date: 25 March 2008

Discs: 1 disc

Genre(s): Rock, Pop

Summary

The first studio album for the band since 1992's "Good Stuff" was produced by Steve Osborne.

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

91

MSN Consumer Guide (Robert Christgau)

These nutty kids turned DOR nostalgia act make their first album in 16 years their sex album. Eeyew, say today's normal kids. 'Bout time, says anybody old enough to know that one lure of the flesh is that it's always decaying.

Read Full Review >
90

Hot Press

On the new B52s album, the group famous for ‘Love Shack’ party like it’s 1992.

83

Entertainment Weekly

The B-52s are still gloriously single-minded party animals more interested in giddily rocking love shacks than stoking intellects. [28 Mar 2008, p.65]

Read Full Review >
83

The Onion (A.V. Club)

That material is sometimes far too automatic for its own good--see 'Deviant Ingredient,' which is as trite as its title portends. But on 'Eyes Wide Open' and the lustrous 'Juliet Of The Spirits,' a Pierson/Wilson song as strong as any they've done in mystic mode, the songs are up to the legend, and should sound as good at the B-52s' joyous shows.

Read Full Review >
82

Lost At Sea

Funplex, the band's first album since 1992, is loads of fun and totally free of 'plex.

Read Full Review >
80

musicOMH.com

There may be nothing on here Funplex that will challenge the likes of Rock Lobster or Love Shack, but Funplex is a consistently brilliant party album from a band that knows the value in simply having a good time.

Read Full Review >
80

Amazon.com

Out of the blue and virtually as fun as a party out of bounds, Funplex is a dee-lightful reunion record.

Read Full Review >
70

Under The Radar

It's not a genre shift for the Athens, Georgia merrymakers by any means, but a welcome revision. [Winter 2008, p.80]

70

Spin

They refresh all their tricks, with stripped-down, energetic guitar plus little electronics. [Apr 2008, p.92]

Read Full Review >
70

Hartford Courant

The band reassembles its signature elements and evaporates concerns about age by showing some fresh spring-loaded party pop.

Read Full Review >
70

Paste Magazine

Their first album in 16 years aims to achieve a similar blend of the edgy, catchy and commercial. And it does just that with 'Eyes Wide Open,' which features a synth loop that sounds like the Magical Musical Thing toy of the ’70s, then blossoms with the bright harmonies of Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson.

Read Full Review >
70

PopMatters

Funplex is a very good album, and a solid pleasure from end to end.

Read Full Review >
70

Billboard

Funplex works best when the voices blend into the ass-moving momentum.

Read Full Review >
70

Dot Music

Listen to the B-52s first studio album in 16 years and within ten seconds it's like the 21st century never happened. They sound just the same. [...] And it's a delight.

Read Full Review >
66

Pitchfork

While Funplex's super-sized dance pop can't quite compare with the band's best moments, there's plenty of residual B-52's-ness to satiate longtime fans.

Read Full Review >
60

Slant Magazine

Funplex neither redefines nor sullies the band's sterling legacy, which is probably close to a best case scenario.

Read Full Review >
60

The Guardian

They may not sound as weird and novel as they did on 'Rock Lobster,' but they can still sing 'Keep This Party Going' with some credibility.

Read Full Review >
60

All Music Guide

Nothing here is as gripping or as perfect as "Rock Lobster," "Private Idaho," or "Love Shack," and the songs that are borderline filler get pushed into one big forgettable lump towards the end of the album.

Read Full Review >
60

Blender

Best enjoyed in the privacy of home. [Apr 2008, p.76]

Read Full Review >
60

Drowned In Sound

Funplex then: a bit like that school re-union. Good for a few hours’ reminiscing every once in a while but over-familiarity will only breed contempt.

Read Full Review >
60

NOW Magazine

So instead of rehashing Cosmic Thing for an ill-fated comeback banking on nostalgia, guitarist Keith Strickland learned Pro Tools, bought some electro records and voila: the B-52’s have a contemporary dance-rock record. Startlingly, this works.

Read Full Review >
60

Observer Music Monthly

The first album by the B-52's in 16 years sees the Georgia trash-pop veterans keep dull maturity at bay with 11 paeans to partying, space, deviant sex and sly protest politics .

Read Full Review >
60

Q Magazine

It's good to have them back. [Apr 2008, p.102]

20

Mojo

Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson's endless calls for us to party hearty sound like nothing less than Shampoo's sozzled grans on a hen night, Fred Schneider's ironic lounge lizard is just creepy, and the same old tuned guitars spar against the same old Barbarella beats. [Apr 2008, p.102]

20

Uncut

Funplex consists largely of a series of witless retreads of school disco hit 'Love Shack,' with Fred Schneider's deadpan "woo!" recalling an increasinglt weary holiday rep. [Apr 2008, p.83]

20

Paste Magazine

Funplex never swings, shimmies or threatens a disco whistle. Instead it feels like a studio-centric attempt to approximate current dance music, which is strange, because nothing here feels particularly current.

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 9.1 (out of 10) based on 31 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Derelict DK gave it an8:
The B-52's have always done their own thing and this album is no exception. It's fun, inventive, and it's good to have them back. If I have a third of their energy and vision in my late fifties I will be happy.

James K. gave it a10:
Just so so so much better than we had any right to expect after 16 years away. For my money it's better than anything they've done since Wild Planet. If you don't like the B-52s just deal with it and move on. If you do like them you'll love this. BTW it's great to have Cindy back!

Tina C. gave it a9:
I'm a fan of the Bs from years back and I had concerns that Funplex would be tired. I was wrong. This is an excellent album, made all the better for Cindy's return. There are a couple of weaker tracks, but you get that on all albums. On the whole, this is excellent and I hope lots of people get to enjoy it.

Dee Bonk M. gave it an8:
While admittedly we're not in front of the BEST album of the band, we're definitely facing a fun-or-die statement quite fitting into the band's philosophy. Half of the tunes are very good and that's much more above the average than the rest of oldies' crop has been yielding for the last 20 years. The B-52s comeback is welcome and healthy.

Bruce gave it a10:
Infectous, fun, and featuring some of the best melodic hooks and harmonies Kate and Cindy have ever generated. It's too easy to miss the point of the B-52s and disregard their talent for making some of the most exuberant party anthems the past thirty years have seen. The more I spin this album, the more I fall wholeheartedly for its undeniable charm and sheer catchiness. Nothing but love for Funplex.

Eric M. gave it a7:
Jeez, these negative reviews must have been written by some seriously boring people who are too worried about seeming cooler-than-thou to actually ever have fun.

Derek G. gave it a9:
Despite a couple of weak tracks, overall it's a fantastic album. Although I don't know what kind of studio wizardry could make Cindy sound so young.

Read more user comments >

Popular on CBS sites: College Signing Day | Olympics | Lost | iPhone | Cell Phones | Video Game Reviews | Free Music

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy (UPDATED) | Terms of Use