Zabagabee: The Best Of Barnes & Barnes
Liberation Hall, 2026
9/10
Listen to Zabagabee: The Best Of Barnes & Barne
Originally released on Rhino Records in 1987, this classic album from Barnes & Barnes sess the reissue treatment on LP, CD and DVD for the first time, where Robert Haimer (Artie Barnes) and Bill Mumy’s (Art Barnes) oddities span 16 tracks.
The squeaky voices of “Fish Heads” opens with drum machine and warm keys in the the very unusual start, and “Blithering” follows with a buzzing New Wave spirit, where a dreamy back drop suits the ‘80s nods.
Moving along, “What’s New Pussycat?” invites singing along right away to the playful lyrics and bright synth, while “Party In My Pants” is quite eccentric and showcases the duo’s zany ways in a light hearted demeanor.
Getting close to the end, “Cemetery Girls” carries a sci-fi spirit in its atypically rhythmic climate, and “When You Die” is kind of a ballad and carries plenty of retro pop-rock flavor.
There truly will never be another band like Barnes & Barnes, and their inimitable brand of pop, rock, synth-rock, folk and New Wave was ahead of its time and all these decades latter is still so abnormally great.
Travels well with: Barnes & Barnes- Holidaze In Lumania; Red Rockers- It’s In Our Blood