Disco de Oingo Boingo: “Boi-ngo”

While I agree that this collection might not best represent Maestro Elfman's previous incarnation, there is still some good strong fun to be had here. The opener "Home Again" is a punchy, well known gem of O.B.'s output, and the acapella-introduced "Where Do All My Friends Go" follows strongly on its heels. Other highlights include "Elevator Man" (who's goin' down, who's goin down, typically fun, dark Elfman lyric), "We Close Our Eyes" (representative of a warmer direction the band started to take, nicely performed on the "Farewell" video), "Not My Slave" (a nice lesson in equitable reationships), "Outrageous" and "Pain".

A bit repetetive at times, not as arrangementally developed as earlier work overall .... on the other hand, a very clean recording, and less compressed and mechanical-sounding than they were at the outset. It needs to be stressed, that even at their less distinctive, Oingo Boingo ran circles around their musical contemporaries, distiguished by an unmistakable sound that was part tribal, part big band, part new wave quirk, spiced up with a twisted dark irony that was lead singer/songwriter Danny Elfman's trademark. This would not be at all a bad album for the novice or curious first-time listener, since there would be much dispute over which of all the other recordings were the best.

This album is not for the faint of hearted. If you have heard of Oingo Boingo and want to check them out I suggest Best-O-Boingo for a better over view of the band. However, if you are a fan, and you want to hear Danny Elfman's insanely creative style mixed in with an electronic 80's sound, then this is the way to go. Good examples of this are Where do all my friends go and pain, and the original version of we close our eyes is a masterpiece of the synthesiser. Two thumbs up for good family fun!

... but Elfman makes up vocally and lyrically.

Home Again-4.5 out of 5-The only reason I gave this such a great rating is because of the music. The music really sounds good on this song.

Where Do All My Friends Go-4 out of 5-I really love the way this song begins, a capella. Sounds really good. Elfman is a really great singer.

Elevator Man-4.5 out of 5-This one, also, has good music. A good dance song.

New Generation-4 out of 5-This song is good. I really love the chorus. The vocals and the trumpets in it. Great one.

We Close Our Eyes-4.5 out of 5-A suprisingly good song by OB. Really doesn't sound like them, but it's good. I can imagine this song playing over the credits or during a prom scene in an 80's movie.

Not My Slave-4 out of 5-Another good dance song.

My Life-3.5 out of 5-Not my personal favorite off the album(that would be Where Do All My Friends Go), but it's okay.

Outrageous-4 out of 5-Good music. I really like the chorus.

Pain-4 out of 5-Good music. Great vocals by Elfman. The fiddle sounds great.

When I bought this album, I was expecting more from it, because I had gotten Only A Lad first, and was a little disappointed when I listened to it. But, it's still an okay listen.

This album has two standout tracks in "We Close Our Eyes" and "Not My Slave." The song "Where Do All My Friends Go" is also quite good. The rest of the album is good but not excellent.

Awesom CD. It is a classic. I received it fast and in perfect condition!This is a product that must be in your collection. It takes me back to when I was in high school.