Whammy

The pace picks up with "Whammy Kiss," which is what's needed to revitalize a worker on Planet X. Come to think of it, everyone could do with a whammy kiss every now and then. Maybe the world'll be a better place, with the positive people featured in the next song, "Song For A Future Generation."

This is the most fun song on Whammy. Gushing with positivity, it has girls and boys wanting to gain various titles and uniting for a special purpose. To use an example: "Wanna be First Lady of Infinity/Wanna be the Nicest Guy on Earth/Let's meet and have a baby now!" The five group members also have monologues introducing themselves, their signs, and likes. Fred's one is close to mine: "I like collecting records and exploring the cave of the unknown." Small wonder this song's title was used for their first greatest hits album.

Where the previous song was very happy, "Butterbean" is downright funny and silly, rhythm-wise. It's got a catchy chorus: "Pick'em, hull 'em, put on the steam/That's how we fix butterbeans."

"Trism" is one of their space age songs. It's about a public transportation device, probably a cross between Transmat and Prism. The girls' dreamy chorus "Go Trism" adds to the sci-fi imagery of the song, as do the fuzzy synthesizer effects.

Gambling is the theme on "Queen Of Las Vegas" on a mother who passes her daughter the secrets on how to win at the casinos.

"Moon 83" is a revamp of "There's A Moon In The Sky" from the debut album. A blipping and bleeping synthesizer is the backing music while the words "This is the space age" "others like you" are repeated. Thumbs up to the original--this rendition isn't too inspiring.

"Big Bird" is another silly song; the title creature is hanging around the tree in the protagonist's backyard and also using the protagonist to feather its nest. What part of the protagonist, I wonder?

The beat-happy instrumental "Work That Skirt" closes the album, which tops Wild Planet in sheer energy and imagination, but loses points for filler tracks--"Queen Of Las Vegas" and "Moon 83."