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Oingo Boingo - Boi-ngo

Oingo Boingo
Before Danny Elfman became synonymous with soundtrack work, he was one of the creative forces behind Oingo Boingo. It's still a surprise to me that Danny is credited as the sole composer as the contributions of the band were so important to the sound. Then again, what do I know?

It was early '83 that I bought the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack and discovered the song, "Goodbye, Goodbye" and I was blown away. I then started looking for the band's albums and I really got a kick out of how dark and bouncy the band was. I still get a wicked grin when I think of "Only a Lad" and although I didn't really think the movie was that funny, I thought the song "Weird Science" was good, but "Dead Man's Party" was better - but I'm getting ahead of myself.

venn is venn
For whatever reason the quirky lads just couldn't seem to catch a break with their first few albums and A&M dropped the band, and things seemed to be over. Then in the fall of '84 Danny Elfman was back as a solo artist and the song "Gratitude" was in regular rotation on MuchMusic and while I don't remember much aside from that one track I still think of it as a good album that featured most of the band. MCA records had signed Danny as a solo artist, and Mister Elfman would renegotiate his contract to bring the band back and they would release a trio of albums on MCA and Boi-ngo is right in the middle of that run.

As much as I liked Dead Man's Party and some of the songs from Dark at the End of the Tunnel there was something special about Boi-ngo. The band wasn't playing at novelty party songs but this felt like rage that was polished into something wonderful.

credits
The opening track "Home Again" is one of my favourite songs ... the interplay between Mike Bacich's syncopated keyboard and John Avila's bass and Johnny (Vatos) Hernandez' drums is mind blowing. Add Steve Bartek's guitar parts and the horn section and you have ... magic. How this was not a hit is a mystery.

I've heard so many records that open with a sonic fury that simply cannot maintain momentum. "Home Again" is far and away for me the best song on the album ... period;.However, the band just didn't let up. As the opening track fades out the dead space is filled with the a cappella intro complete with finger snaps that launches into the slow burn that makes up "Where Do All My Friends Go" which is another earworm. My goodness Sam Phipps, Leon Schneiderman and Dale Turner are a killer horn section and know how to punctuate the song in all the right places. The band sets 'em up and knocks 'em down one song after another.

back cover
I've not actually sat and really listened to the band in a long time, and this just reaffirms how awesome they were. The band never really broke wide open, but they skirted on the fringes of commercial success which was a pretty nifty trick for a band that was not commercial at all. The band did it their way in their own way.

 

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