It’s a Dead Man’s Party! The Oingo Boingo Album by Album Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by GunsOfBrixton, Oct 16, 2020.

  1. GunsOfBrixton

    GunsOfBrixton Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Carolina
    Nice additions! I'd promote you too, but then everyone will want a one and there will be a revolt if I can't deliver. :D:D:D

    If I remember correctly, there is another extended version with slightly different lyrics on the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack. I'm thinking I'll tackle soundtrack appearances in the apocrypha. I have that soundtrack in my collection, so I can verify my memory (or not) when we get there.
     
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  2. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident

    It's nice to see such a range of opinions about what made the band special. Most of the time, they're sort of written off by "outsiders" as "that band you like if you want something weird and '80s and Devo ain't doing the trick."

    For as much as people seem to want to front-load the popular singles, there's a lot of depth and variety in this catalog and it's a lot of fun to explore.
     
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  3. frozen-beach

    frozen-beach Forum Resident

    I think Only A Lad is their best album, though I love the other ones. I think they 100% knew what they wanted to do on that album. A lot of subject matter that took some serious balls to write about, like Little Girls and Imposter (and on a debut album). Danny Elfman just wanted to get under everybody's skins.
     
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  4. GunsOfBrixton

    GunsOfBrixton Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Carolina
    I think that's well-said. Definitely a ballsy album. Aside from what you mentioned, and not endorsing/opposing the political content itself, they were certainly going against the grain on that front as well. There was definitely a punk-ish, punching up, and upsetting the apple cart vibe Danny had going on back then, whether he believed any of it or not.
     
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  5. GunsOfBrixton

    GunsOfBrixton Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Carolina
    It's Friday, and what better way to start the weekend than...

    [​IMG]

    Dead Man’s Party (1985)


    Just Another Day - 5/5
    Bam! The streak continues – One of the greats gets this album off to an energetic and lyrically ominous start

    Dead Man's Party - 5/5
    The signature Oingo Boingo song, a must at any Halloween party. Fun, surreal, and catchy as all heck, there’s a reason this one broke through into the mainstream consciousness and has stayed there for 35 years (though it never charted, which I find hard to believe)

    Heard Somebody Cry - 4.5/5
    Almost every song on this album that isn’t a greatest hit could qualify as a “hidden gem” but this one rises above, I think. Some of Danny’s best lyrics. Softly surreal, it feels like an evolution of “The Last Time” with that touch of surrealism tilting it towards the Boingo of old.

    No One Lives Forever - 5/5
    This might be my absolute favorite Oingo Boingo song – really brings back memories. Career one for me was a police officer in the L.A. area. For a couple of years, our cars came with cassette players. At the beginning of every shift, this was the song I played as I rolled out. Injuries eventually took me out, but I will always remember going “10-8” with this song on. (the Alive! version though, technically)

    Stay - 5/5
    The best Oingo Boingo “relationship song”. Not optimistic, not pessimistic, not happy, not sad. Just focused on getting through the moment. A relationship defined by all the things it’s not leaves plenty of room in between. A great one!

    Fool's Paradise - 4/5
    I think of this one as another “hidden gem” on the album. Placed perfectly on the album, right after “Stay” this song is like an inversion of the one before it.

    Help Me - 4/5
    Fun and energetic. Great album cut.

    Same Man I Was Before 4/5
    Beginning with “Stay” and carrying through this song, it feels like we’re hearing the maturing into the sound of Boingo in the second half of the 80s. I Love when the female backup singers show up here. One more little curveball from Danny.

    Weird Science 3.5/5
    Yes, I understand why Danny isn’t proud of the video. And I know it’s not the song for the cool kids. But if you take the movie piece away and the over-playing that it got in it’s day, it’s still a pretty decent song.


    Overall Rating 4.5/5

    I honestly started my listen through this album with the idea that I would ding it for being too poppy and commercial, and “real Boingo fans know better” and so forth. Most of my Boingo listening for a while has been the first three albums, with only occasional, often skippy, trips through the whole catalog. So where I landed was not where I expected. It’s been a while since I listened carefully to Dead Man’s Party all the way through. As I listened to it – I came to the conclusion that, despite myself, I just really like it! I know that there are other Boingo albums with more artistry, uniqueness, and attitude. But from a pure enjoyment perspective, there’s not a miss anywhere. The rare album without without a dud.

    I feel like there are almost two albums in one here. The first four songs feel like the culmination of the original Oingo Boingo vibe, blending the best of the first four albums. Surreal, bouncy, unpredictable and energetic. At this point it’s not as unique of a sound as it was on each of the first few albums, but, rather, the mature, final statement of that body of work. I think I enjoy this string of songs more than any other across their albums. And they have a lot of great strings of songs.

    Songs 4-8 feel much more grounded in reality than the first four and, to me, are the launching of a new era of Oingo Boingo sound. It’s some of their most convincing work of that type right out of the gate and rounds out the album in a very strong way.

    And then there’s Weird Science. Disconnected from the rest of the album, it feels like it’s written for a completely unrelated purpose, like a movie or something, and just tacked on at the end. From an album continuity standpoint, I would have preferred they kept it safely on the soundtrack. Still a decent song though.

    The main thing that I find lacking with this album really revolves around the production. We should do an aside on the sonic quality of Boingo albums - I think the first four are in the top tier of sonics to be found in rock music. This one less so, and things get kind of uneven from here on that front. The first four have remarkable clarity, spaciousness and stereo imaging. They use the sound stage in engaging ways. This album, not so much. Not bad, just average. The sonics don't add to the experience the way they do on the prior albums.

    All and all, though, it's a great album. And to think I had almost let myself forget how much I like it.


    Lyrical Highlight

    No one beats him at his game
    For very long but just the same
    Who cares, there's no place safe to hide
    Nowhere to run--no time to cry
    So celebrate while you still can
    'Cause any second it may end.
    And when it's all been said and done . . .
    Better that you had some fun
    Instead of hiding in a shell-Why make your life a living hell?
    So have a toast, and down the cup
    And drink to bones that turn to dust ('cause) . . .
    No one, no one, no one, no one . . .
    No one lives forever!! (Hey!)



    Am I a complete sell-out to the mainstream music machine for liking this album so much? Curious to hear everyone else's thoughts!
     
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  6. Dr. Luther's Assistant

    Dr. Luther's Assistant dancing about architecture

    Location:
    San Francisco

    Yes. You are. And I am right there with you. It is well-crafted, excellently executed, top-tier pop music.

    What's not to like? :shrug:
     
  7. no.nine

    no.nine (not his real name)

    Location:
    NYC
    OK, I feel kind of the same here as I do for So-Lo: good but not great. But the album definitely has highlights, and in my humble estimation, those are "No One Lives Forever", "Stay" (one of my favorite OB songs) and "Fool's Paradise". Now THERE'S a trilogy! :) I also admit to being pretty partial to "Weird Science", and somehow its length intensifies the song instead of diminishing it. A perfect album closer IMO.
     
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  8. Roman Potato Chip

    Roman Potato Chip Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    This was the first one I heard. I like it a lot even if it's more commercial. It being the most popular is a really stupid hipster reason not to like it. And you don't want to be a hipster.
     
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  9. GunsOfBrixton

    GunsOfBrixton Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Carolina
    Whew, glad I pulled back from the brink then! :laugh:
     
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  10. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident

    Just going to get this out of the way: I don't really like this album. There are some good songs here, but it really leaves me cold. The sonics aren't as interesting, I don't think it holds together as an album and, much like the hits of any other band I like, I've been so over-saturated by "Dead Man's Party" and "Weird Science" that I'm kind of over both of them. It's not their popularity that bothers me, it's the fact that, if someone's going to play Oingo Boingo, you can almost bet your bottom dollar that it'll be one of these damned songs!

    Now, for the good...

    We're still solidly in "good album cover" territory, so that's definitely a point for presentation. The design is still of a piece with everything from the debut EP onward, which I love.

    As for the good songs on the album, I've got to give the nod to "Just Another Day," "No-One Lives Forever," and "Stay." I'm not offended by the other songs (save the two that will not be named again), but they fall into similar territory as the also-rans on So-Lo, pleasant but unremarkable.

    You know what? I'll add another to the list. "Fool's Paradise" is still a damn good Boingo song and deserves a listen.

    Overall? Any album which includes the songs I named deserves a listen. I just don't think the album ranks high in the pantheon once you take the other platters into consideration.

    And you're no sell-out for liking the album by any stretch. There's nothing wrong with either of the singles... except for the fact that they are the primary legacy of the band at this point and, as a byproduct of that, are played too damn often. Doesn't make them bad songs. Very few songs can withstand that barrage of attention.
     
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  11. Unknown Delight

    Unknown Delight Alan Myers Jazz Heads Unite!

    I love this album.
    Great stuff....can just put it on and listen straight through on both sides.

    Love the funky little musical interlude / break in 'Same Man I Was Before'.
    Love 'Just Another Day' and 'Stay'.

    And of course, I absolutely love the title track.
    No Halloween night , or season in general, is complete without hearing it.
    Gets in your head ....and that groove gets into your bones....and off you go!

    -
     
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  12. Surly

    Surly Bon Viv-oh-no-he-didn't

    Location:
    Sugar Land, TX
    I have to agree that "Weird Science" feels tacked on, but perhaps these feelings would be different had it been somewhere else in the tune stack. Solid album overall, though - as I wrote above, "Stay" is my favorite song by them and "Just Another Day" is equally wonderful.
     
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  13. poisonedhangman

    poisonedhangman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cascadia, USA
    Never got into Oingo Boingo when I was a kid growing up in the eighties. But have wanted to for years. Anybody know a good collection to start with?
     
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  14. GunsOfBrixton

    GunsOfBrixton Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Carolina
    My recommended starting point would be the Skeletons in the Closet comp. It's a nice overview of the highlights of the first three albums which most folks judge the rest against - and it can be had for cheap. If you like what you hear there, you're likely to be a Boingo fan. With most of the catalog long out of print, many of their albums are pricey these days. There are other, more comprehensive comps, but that one would be the most economical way to determine whether you want to join the "secret society" of Boingo fans and dig in further to their albums.
     
  15. poisonedhangman

    poisonedhangman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cascadia, USA
    Thanks. I will check it out.
     
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  16. Roman Potato Chip

    Roman Potato Chip Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Yeah, DMP has a great album cover. It matches the sound to a tee.
     
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  17. Unknown Delight

    Unknown Delight Alan Myers Jazz Heads Unite!

    I'd also like to recommend folks who are interested in exploring Oingo Boingo and getting a taste of what some of us have been enjoying for the last 30+ years to be sure to check out some of their live concerts up on YouTube.
    A excellent show is the one up from a venue called The Ritz...
    I haven't gone looking for it in a couple of years, but hopefully it's still up.

    For albums, I also recommend 'Skeletons In The Closet' ( The Best of Oingo Boingo) which covers the first three albums.
    A nice introduction, but don't stop there.
    Be sure to explore their later albums from the mid and late 80s.
    Lots of great tunes...

    -
     
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  18. Roman Potato Chip

    Roman Potato Chip Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States


    The date is wrong, this show's actually from 1985.
     
  19. frozen-beach

    frozen-beach Forum Resident

    Honestly, the best introduction to Oingo Boingo is probably one of the Halloween shows on youtube
     
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  20. Unknown Delight

    Unknown Delight Alan Myers Jazz Heads Unite!

    Thanks for looking this one up.
    Glad to see it is still on YouTube for fans to enjoy.
    It's a terrific show.

    For anyone who has yet to have viewed this choice concert, ENJOY !
    :)

    -
     
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  21. Unknown Delight

    Unknown Delight Alan Myers Jazz Heads Unite!

    [​IMG]


    Yay!
    Thanks for the OP for suggesting a photo hosting site that works here ( postimage.org )..!
    Now i can finally share the images of the Boingo paraphernalia that were requested a couple of weeks ago.

    Above is my 1990 Boingo t-shirt and 'Secret Society' pinback button.
    The shirt i bought through the Secret Society when i joined in 1991, and the pin came as a part of my Membership kit.
    Still have these items, and the shirt i still wear once in a while.



    Close up shot of the pin and shirt details -

    [​IMG]





    Below is a photo of the awesome Boingo poster i bought in 1991 through the Secret Society.
    Get this out every October, and as recent as last week it was hanging up on a wall.

    I like to mount my posters on large pieces of cardboard to prevent crinkling and 'paper dimples'.
    This baby is still looking brand new after several years of display but thoughtful storage though the years.
    Always liked the cool collage look of it !

    [​IMG]
     
  22. Roman Potato Chip

    Roman Potato Chip Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Those pictures are sweet!
     
  23. rodentdog

    rodentdog Senior Member

    I'd go for "Boingo Alive" for a newbie to OB. I like most of these versions better than the album cuts...but getting ahead again.
     
  24. Unknown Delight

    Unknown Delight Alan Myers Jazz Heads Unite!

    'Boingo Alive' is certainly the most played album I have by these guys.
    Of all of their albums, I play this one the most.

    So totally agree -
    Another excellent choice for a newbie looking to explore some of their material.

    -
     
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  25. Roman Potato Chip

    Roman Potato Chip Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Boingo Alive would be my recommendation to start. I don't prefer all the versions to the original, but some I do. And there's not a bad performance on the set. It's such a great release, totally valuable for the long time fan for the alternate performances and unreleased tracks, and good for the fledgling Boingo fan as well. Double disc length means it's more thorough than the compilations, but it's not overwhelming. Plus it means that if you buy it you don't feel like you're wasting your money like you might if you buy a greatest hits and then get all the albums later that contain the same versions.
     

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