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Oingo Boingo Boingo Alive - 1988
This was my introduction to Oingo Boingo, in the fall of 1988 through a quaint radio station playing 'Modern Music' called KJQ. Most of the sounds and styles were new to my awakening ears. This was my introduction to the screwball antics of Johnny Vatos Hernandez's interview with one of the disc jockeys.
It was during this time I was practicing using blank tapes to edit music with a Panasonic cassette tape deck,. This was how I made my own version of Boingo Alive, because at that time I had no means to afford the fancy trappings of real official pressing of music tapes. It would be three years before I could acquire the real thing.
Sadly, I don't have that original tape I made with the artwork. It's a long far away memory that I still cherish today. With that in mind, I play this double set in its entirety once year during the fall, which has become tradition. Though I've grown up, experienced other musical arenas I've come back to this quaint addition to the Oingo Boingo catalog.
It was during this time I was practicing using blank tapes to edit music with a Panasonic cassette tape deck,. This was how I made my own version of Boingo Alive, because at that time I had no means to afford the fancy trappings of real official pressing of music tapes. It would be three years before I could acquire the real thing.
Sadly, I don't have that original tape I made with the artwork. It's a long far away memory that I still cherish today. With that in mind, I play this double set in its entirety once year during the fall, which has become tradition. Though I've grown up, experienced other musical arenas I've come back to this quaint addition to the Oingo Boingo catalog.
Overall there are 31 songs that were re-recorded at a live sound stage in Los Angeles. As usual the guilty parties included Danny Elfman(vocals, rhythm guitars), Johnny Vatos Hernandez(Drums/Percussion), John Avila(Bass), Steve Bartek(Lead Guitarist), Leon Schneiderman(Baritone/Alto), Sam 'Sluggo' Philps (Sax), Dale Turner(Trumpet), Carl Graves (Keyboards/piano), and additional member Bruce Fowler(Trombone).
I feel this is as complete a version of what Oingo Boingo was ever going to be. When I listen now its a serene mixture, reveling in coming full circle as a traditional 'rock' band borne out of the ashes of The Mystic Knights Of Oingo Boingo. From their first extended play release, then '10 inch e.p., then followed their full lengths: Only A Lad, Nothing To Fear, Good For Your Soul, So-Lo, Dead Man's Party, and Boi-ngo.
As I look back, I know which albums I love, and which ones I don't. Boingo Alive brings together many songs that I enjoy and bookends them as a best of set. The album kind of tricks you in that its performed live, but not without the imperfections to the songs being played, which I think gives them an overall charm.
This double album brings closure, but a perplexing sadness because they were more distant from their zaniness, and eclecticism five years prior, and in place I was watching the band delving into the next iteration of their evolution: adult contemporary.
I thoroughly believe that the creative output of years prior was moving towards a snails crawl. As with my last two reviews, Danny Elfman's new endeavor soundtrack composing was starting to take off. This ate up most of the creativity that I think Boingo had left. Through this double record it has a jovial feel, this for me marks an end of Oingo Boingo's novelty, as I watched them sink further, and further into the abyss of complete obscurity.
It has indeed changed how I looked at the concept of what a band is. Oingo Boingo were all over the map musically, and that I think that translated into a cognitive versus cohesive atmosphere argument. Borne from the tensions within the band, that combativeness produced some of the most memorable material, I've kept coming back to.
Though my exposure was much much later, I feel grateful for it because I have a greater appreciation for Oingo Boingo's style, and cadence. It fits my personality, its enigmatic, its distant, and heavily combustible. Finally, Oingo Boingo was that hallmark of my expanding expression of 'then' my teenage years. Its given me something of wonder, and starting point of discussion to bring to people I know about not being so confined to the aspects of style, or even formula. Thanks for reading
I feel this is as complete a version of what Oingo Boingo was ever going to be. When I listen now its a serene mixture, reveling in coming full circle as a traditional 'rock' band borne out of the ashes of The Mystic Knights Of Oingo Boingo. From their first extended play release, then '10 inch e.p., then followed their full lengths: Only A Lad, Nothing To Fear, Good For Your Soul, So-Lo, Dead Man's Party, and Boi-ngo.
As I look back, I know which albums I love, and which ones I don't. Boingo Alive brings together many songs that I enjoy and bookends them as a best of set. The album kind of tricks you in that its performed live, but not without the imperfections to the songs being played, which I think gives them an overall charm.
This double album brings closure, but a perplexing sadness because they were more distant from their zaniness, and eclecticism five years prior, and in place I was watching the band delving into the next iteration of their evolution: adult contemporary.
I thoroughly believe that the creative output of years prior was moving towards a snails crawl. As with my last two reviews, Danny Elfman's new endeavor soundtrack composing was starting to take off. This ate up most of the creativity that I think Boingo had left. Through this double record it has a jovial feel, this for me marks an end of Oingo Boingo's novelty, as I watched them sink further, and further into the abyss of complete obscurity.
It has indeed changed how I looked at the concept of what a band is. Oingo Boingo were all over the map musically, and that I think that translated into a cognitive versus cohesive atmosphere argument. Borne from the tensions within the band, that combativeness produced some of the most memorable material, I've kept coming back to.
Though my exposure was much much later, I feel grateful for it because I have a greater appreciation for Oingo Boingo's style, and cadence. It fits my personality, its enigmatic, its distant, and heavily combustible. Finally, Oingo Boingo was that hallmark of my expanding expression of 'then' my teenage years. Its given me something of wonder, and starting point of discussion to bring to people I know about not being so confined to the aspects of style, or even formula. Thanks for reading
B
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