Originally published at: Incredible isolated vocal tracks of the B-52s "Roam" | Boing Boing
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Wow! Four and half minutes of pure chills in my spine. That is a very wonderful thing. 
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Thanks for sharing this. I hadn’t heard the poetry in this song before, I was too busy with the groove.
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I loved that entire album, even the lesser tracks like “Dry County”. “Roam” sort of stuck out by showcasing the female vocals so much, being dreamy and slightly more conventional than “Channel Z”.
I still listen to that album, even if I ripped the CD long ago, it’s still in heavy rotation in my music apps. It hits my sweet spot between cerebral and fun.
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I didn’t appreciate the B-52s until many years later. Their kitschy approach to music didn’t fit into any of the categories I was into as a teen. But now, I love them! One of the attractions is Kate Pierson’s ability to deliver hilarious and incredible sounds and noises. I think her best was her imitation of the sounds produced by the cuíca (a drum with a tightly inserted stick which is drawn back and forth through a hole made in its skin). A good cuíca musician can imitate the sounds of jungle wildlife and the sound of the human voice. In imitating the cuíca, Kate has taken the cuíca’s particular voicing and brought it full circle. (Cued up below)
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This song was always all about the vocals, so having just that doesn’t really take anything away from how good it is. Though TIL it’s about death - I had no idea. It’s definitely one of my favorite B-52 songs.
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Thank you, good to learn!
I’ve long thought their vocals are wonderfully creative, and sometimes wish i knew more about music so I could understand better how they bend and break the “rules.”
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Cool! I could listen to Kate Pierson sing the phone book, love her voice.
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Classic and wonderful. Perhaps some of the best two-part harmonies up there with Lennon and McCartney. Want to get a lot more complex? Beach Boys are still the best harmonizers in rock:
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i am a fan of B-52s but considered this song to be the beginning of the end of the band, when it first came out.
Never loved this song… until i learned of its meaning! And what an ideal song about grief. i kinda wish it was played for my husband’s funeral. #themoreyouknow #thelessiactuallyknow
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For a more contemplative harmony, i absolutely love Cry, Cry, Cry - a collaboration of Richard Shindell, Lucy Kaplansky, and Dar Williams to showcase mostly lesser-heard artists. Their unreal harmony on “The Kid” makes me literally weep, evar tim.
Playlist on the 'Tubes: Fall On Me - YouTube
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The B52’s were one of the first international acts I saw (1980?) and they blew me away. I saw them again about 10 years ago and they were still amazing. Kate Pierson has this knack of giving me chills when she soars. Like this
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