Oingo Boingos

Not quite a greatest-hits album and not quite a live album, Oingo Boingo celebrates not quite a decade of existence with the peculiar double album Boingo Alive. Elfman and bandmates re-record two dozen tracks from Boingo's prodigious canon in no particular order, and sweeten the deal by tossing in a few freshly penned numbers…

Before becoming a world-renowned film composer, Danny Elfman fronted the band Oingo Boingo. The group emerged from the surrealistic musical theatre troupe The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, in which Elfman would eventually become the leader. Reducing from a 15-piece troupe to an 8-piece band, Oingo Boingo was formed in 1979. With a style that initially mixed Punk, Ska, Rock and New Wave, Oingo Boingo stood out from the traditional guitar/bass/drums by incorporating a 3-piece brass section to accompany their quirky, frantic rhythms.

Though Nothing to Fear is by no means Oingo Boingo's best album, it is certainly not as bad as many near-sighted critics have asserted. Elfman's songwriting, even when he's not firing on all cylinders, still blows the hinges off most of his peers on their best days…

For their third album Oingo Boingo teamed up with producer Robert Margouleff, who was known for his work with synthesizers and electronics. This gave Good For Your Soul yet another sound that differentiated from the two previous albums, although still distinctly Boingo. The opening track 'Who Do You Want To Be' was classic Boingo full of high energy and frantic vocals. The title track takes a more traditional approach with a relaxed tempo and restrained vocals. 'Nothing Bad Ever Happens' was another zany funhouse music video, with the song alternating between a funk groove and high energy dance rock. The single 'Wake Up (It's 1984)' was the first Boingo song blatantly directed at the dance floor, while 'Sweat' and 'Little Guns' keep the seemingly ebullient Boingo sound intact.

The final album Oingo Boingo recorded for MCA Records was the 1990 release Dark At The End Of The Tunnel. With Danny Elfman becoming more involved in film scores, it had been three years since the last Oingo Boingo studio album. Dark At The End Of The Tunnel shows a maturing Elfman taking on more serious themes in the single 'Out Of Control'. Two other songs had already been released on film soundtracks, 'Flesh 'N Blood' was part of Ghostbusters II and 'Try To Believe' was included in Midnight Run. The signature Boingo horn section and various types of percussion remain across the album, whether it's the catchy 'Run Away (The Escape Song)', the delicate melody of 'Is This', or the more aggressive 'Glory Be'. Dark At The End Of The Tunnel has been remastered from the original 1/2" analog master tapes and the CD includes a number of mixes and alternate versions as bonus tracks.

For their first album on MCA, Oingo Boingo dispensed with the aggressive high energy of their previous albums and created a more traditional Alternative Rock album with Dead Man's Party. The first taste came with yet another soundtrack song, 'Weird Science'. The danceable electro-pop song charted in the mid-40's on the Billboard singles chart, which would be their highest charting single release. Continuing to increase their exposure, the band appeared in the 1986 movie Back To School performing the 'Dead Man's Party' title track, while 'No One Lives Forever' was included in the film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. Two other single releases 'Just Another Day' and 'Stay' both have a more radio friendly style than previous single releases.

For their second full length outing, Oingo Boingo expand on the hyperactive sound of their debut by adding more aggressive guitars and even a bit of dance funk. The single and video for 'Private Life' got further MTV and west coast radio attention, displaying the band as what can be described as institution escapees or a circus attraction gone mad. Elfman’s crazed vocal style adds tremendous energy to the layered, complex musical arrangement on the vibrant 'Grey Matter' and 'Insects'. 'Wild Sex (In The Working Class)' and 'Nothing To Fear (But Fear Itself)' are like jack-hammers pounding with energy and excitement, with the former included in the popular 1984 coming-of-age comedy Sixteen Candles. 'Whole Day Off' was released as a promotional single, showcasing a more laid back funky dance sound, while 'Reptiles and Samurai' closes the album focusing firmly on electronics.

After the success of their 1985 album Dead Man's Party, Oingo Boingo return in 1987 with Boi-Ngo. Continuing their evolution from the frantic high energy of the early albums, Boi-Ngo emphasizes electronics and dance grooves. The first single 'Pain', released in late 1986, makes use of then-current technology with a stomping beat and sound samples. The single 'Not My Slave' originally dated from the Dead Man's Party sessions but wasn't used at the time. The song harkened back to the earlier sound of upbeat and catchy hooks. The final single 'We Close Our Eyes' is a straight-forward Alternative pop song.