Oingo Boingo Album: “Farewell: Live from the Universal Amphitheatre”

Greetings to fellow underground Oingo Boingo fanatics, the few and undying. Unfortunately I stumbled only lately upon the Treasure Chest Of Lust And Mortal Sin and Farewell was my first real exposure to Oingo Boingo. I knew they had a few catchy songs on the radio but I had no idea what I was in for when I ordered this CD from Columbia House. The first songs that hooked me were "Insanity" and "No One Lives Forever", and from there nearly all of the songs have found their own unique appeal for me. I've listened to other CD's since, and while I'm sorry many of my favorite songs (Flesh And Blood and Not My Slave to name just two) were left off of Farewell, I must still say that it's one of the best CDs I've ever heard. The roaring passion of Elfman and the entire musical cast stirs the embers of my soul into ecstatic madness every time I listen to it, and my life has never been the same since the obsession began. It really bugs me when I hear someone (no one in particular, of course) complain that it was a self-indulgent romp as opposed to some sort of homage to their fans. Popularity doesn't make a song good, and I happen to enjoy Water and No One Lives Forever far more than the songs you hear on the radio.

This isn't just a "best-of" collection or "useless compilation" like the person below me says, it's the final show EVER of the almighty Oingo Boingo, making this more of a historical artifact. If that seems a bit extreme to say it's because I really believe Elfman and company to be musical geniuses who were never really given their due or much respect at all. Why? Just because they were quirky and (God forbid) FUN?! Get this cd and the DVD of the show as well to get the full experience of what these guys were like live. I would give almost anything to have been there for this show, but at least I have this great sounding cd to listen to for all time. Boingo STILL rule!

I'll start by mentioning the only thing wrong with this album - Danny Elfman's voice seems to have been a bit strained on the two nights this was recorded and lacked his usual vocal depth and range.

That being said, this is a fantastic album. It would serve as a fine intro for anyone who just wants a best-of album but. But it's also for the most hard-core Boingo fans: it includes a few tracks heard nowhere else and the remakes of Only a Lad, Little Girls, and Who Do You Want To Be... it's like Elfman went back to these songs and wiped away their early-80s quirkiness, stripped them down to the pure Whoop Ass underneath, and let them run wild.

I ordered this with some hesitation. I like Oingo Boingo, and have since I was 16 (so that's been 18 years now, for those keeping score). However, I fell out of touch with the band around the time DARK AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL came out. So, my knowledge of the band is from the pre-1987 era. Also, I never saw them live (I kick myself for deciding not to go, but at the same time, I hate going to concerts alone; it was tough to find anyone who had heard of them during that last tour, let aolne wanted to see them). Those two factors coupled made me skeptical of this CD set. However, the large song selection made my mind up for me.

Disc one is good. It has more of their newer songs, and one I have not found on any other Oingo Boingo album (WATER). The song selection leaves me a little lost and the choice of the early material on disc one makes me shudder, as they picked several songs I have NEVER liked ("Little Girls" and "Reptiles and Samurai" are two standouts). However, the live version of "Insects" gives me new respect for the song. "Water " is a nice, bluesy tune that seemed to come out of nowhere (It is totally opposite from their other stuff).

Disc two brings me back to more familiar territory. The first song ("Helpless") is a dark tune that sounds similar to the style from the NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS era stuff. from there, it goes back to earlier tracks. "Stay" is a welcome friend. "Nasty Habits" is given a new lease on life. "Dead Man's Party" brings the crowd to life. "Who Do You Want To Be?" is popping with energy. And so on, until the ending track of "Only A Lad". There are other tracks, several that I was not familiar with before buying this CD set. "Clowns of Death" fits in perfect with the growing aggression of the set. Listening to it, it fun to see the progression of the band over the years.

At 20 bucks, it's not the least expensive CD in their catalog to buy. For a few more bucks you could buy ONLY A LAD, NOTHING TO FEAR, and Danny Elfman's SO-LO. However, you'd be missing the raw energy captured here.

I am very pleased with the production quality found here. They managed to smooth the rough spots without losing the energy. That's the sign of a talented producer. The listener really benefits from the hard work here.

So, if you are new to Oingo Boingo, you may want to start with BOINGO ALIVE to get a better feel for the band. But, if you're an older fan, like me, this will probably be right up your alley.

There is just nothing wrong with this CD or this band. They were so ahead of their time and so ingenius in terms of variety and composition, they are the ultimate band. This CD basically sums up their whole career, from their earliest songs to all new ones, and every one of them worth thousands of listenings. If you have never heard of Oingo Boingo (why wouldn"t you?) this is actually a good place to start. This is the first CD I heard of them, and it was just so every which way, each song sounded different and each was its own. Then I back tracked my way from their first album Only A Lad to Boingo '94. The quality of the recordings are awesome for a live show and the fact that they used the best songs of the three shows they played, your assured the best songs here. Just buy it already, it is worth so much more than this!