Best O' Boingo

by Oingo Boingo

Overview

A gothic, experimental band that utilized a simple blend of R&B and new wave, Oingo Boingo was quite an innovative force in the eight or so years covered on Best O' Boingo. Few bands can claim such a unique spot in the annals of pop music, but thanks to the visionary songs from lead singer Danny Elfman, Oingo Boingo often transcended the limitations of whatever genre they chose to take on. Picking up after their highly bizarre new wave years, this retrospective emphasizes their poppy, mainstream work, starting with their morbid good-times anthem "Dead Man's Party." Perhaps the best song in their catalog, the track utilizes every likable aspect of their sound, from the intense horn work and start-and-stop rhythms to Elfman's endearingly nasally yelp and impressive compositional skills. Other highlights include the Talking Heads-influenced "Not My Slave," the eerie Eastern-flavored "Sweat," and the campy creep-out anthem "No One Lives Forever." Without access to the material from Boingo's years on A&M Records, the album does feel a bit padded, especially when material from the bland Boi-ngo gets so much play. But with so many great Elfman songs in one place, it's hard to argue with the amount of quality new wave that makes it onto the record. Besides, 1999's Anthology underrated this period in their career, making Best O' Boingo the premiere sampler of their pop-oriented years. ~ Bradley Torreano

Product Details

Release Date:	09/17/1991
Label:	Mca
UPC:	0008811042424

Tracks

1. Dead Man's Party
2. When the Lights Go Out
3. Gratitude
4. Skin
5. Flesh 'N Blood
6. Not My Slave
7. Stay
8. Sweat
9. No Spill Blood
10. Out of Control
11. Weird Science
12. No One Lives Forever
13. Wild Sex (In the Working Class)
14. Just Another Day
15. Who Do You Want to Be
16. Only a Lad
17. Goodbye-Goodbye

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Oingo Boingo   Primary Artist
Bruce Fowler   Guest Artist,Trombone
Carl Graves   Vocals,Keyboards
Mike Bacich   Keyboards
Leon Schneiderman   Sax (Baritone)
Sam Phipps   Sax (Tenor),Sax (Soprano)
Dale Turner   Trumpet,Trombone
Danny Elfman   Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Rhythm)
Steve Bartek   Guitar
John Avila   Bass,Vocals,Guitar (Bass)
Johnny Hernandez   Drums,Percussion

Technical Credits

Dennis Keeley   Photography
Paul Ratejczak   Producer
Kristen Dahline   Photography
Bill Jackson   Mixing,Engineer
David Leonard   Mixing
Sam Cooke   Composer
Jim Scott   Mixing
Danny Elfman   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer
Steve Bartek   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
John Avila   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Chris Lord-Alge   Mixing
Jay Burnett   Mixing