Boingo

by Oingo Boingo, Boingo

Overview

The introduction to Boingo's first track, "Insanity," sounds like an unused cut from the Batman motion picture theme , shuffling into an angry and eerie rebellion against Christianity, right wing mentality ("years of evolution and we get Danny Quayle"), and media. The lyrics and instrumentation alone demand attention, but the album is pushed over the top by the inclusion of children's vocals that contain a certain element of hypnotism, reminiscent of the rebellion against school teachers in Pink Floyd's The Wall. This is what happens when someone captures "Children of the Damned" and gives them Danny Elfman as choir director. If one can survive the entrance to the rest of the album, there are depressing ballads and guitar-driven rockers to gain, but nary a hint of the plucky instrumentals on past efforts. Boingo amply covers John Lennon's "The Walrus" and milks up their creative spots on the tracks "Lost Like This" and "Spider." Most enjoyable, and unfortunately only on the cassette version, is the end track "Helpless." "Helpless" is voiced by a Jack Skellington-mode Danny Elfman and nearly parodies the grieving found on the rest of the album. It is an operatically rendered portrayal of a "monster" who has been handed a bad life and has no escape. The group Oingo Boingo was once a party favorite, a cult dish for outcasts and pop-punksters, a Halloween night treasure. With their previous album Dark at the End of the Tunnel they showed signs of slowing down, becoming a bit more thoughtful and age weary. With Boingo they have completely dissipated every ounce of youthful banter and concocted an album that would fit neatly between the shelves of Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson. Every grain of 1990s droopiness and melancholic frustration has been forced into the album, which makes it a risky one. Here is a fun '80s band in every sense of the term and they have made an unquestionable, 100 percent crossover into grim alternative. ~ Peter Fawthrop

Product Details

Release Date:	05/12/2023
Label:	Music On Vinyl
UPC:	8719262030039
Rank:	28417

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Oingo Boingo   Primary Artist
Boingo   Primary Artist
Dale Turner   Trumpet,Trombone
Warren Fitzgerald   Guitar
Julia Waters   Vocals (Background)
Doug Lacy   Accordion
Danny Elfman   Guitar,Vocals
Frederick Seykora   Cello
Steve Bartek   Guitar,Conductor
John Avila   Bass,Vocals
Johnny Hernandez   Drums,Percussion
Marc Mann   Sampling,Keyboards
Taylor Graves   Vocals (Background)
Carl Graves   Vocals (Background)
Katurah Clarke   Percussion
Leon Schneiderman   Sax (Baritone)
Sam Phipps   Saxophone,Sax (Tenor),Sax (Soprano)

Technical Credits

Paul McCartney   Composer
Bill Jackson   Engineer
John Lennon   Composer
Mike Piersante   Engineer
Michael Barbiero   Mixing,Engineer
George Marino   Mastering
Danny Elfman   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Steve Bartek   Producer,Orchestration
Steve Thompson   Mixing
John Avila   Producer
Mike Baumgartner   Engineer
Matt Luneau   Technician
Bruce Jacoby   Technician
Michael Diehl   Design
Tim Durfey   Technician
Chad Munsey   Engineer
Deborah Norcross   Design,Art Direction
Anthony Artiaga   Photography
Jimmy Amason   Technician
Melodie McDaniel   Photography
Shawn Murphey   Engineer
Martin Horenburg   Engineer
Nick Jeen   Technician