Ask most people about the first thing that comes to mind regarding Danny Elfman and you will get a myriad of answers. Most will remember his film scores as well as being the man behind the iconic theme song for the TV show The Simpsons. Most under 25 (and even many over that age) will have no clue that Elfman was once in a new-wave band.Oingo Boingo actually started out their career under the moniker of The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, and won $516.32 on the Gong Show (without being gonged). After some line-up changes and the shortening of the name, the band created some very solid albums. Good for Your Soul, released in 1983 through A&M Records, it is one of those albums that not that many people have heard recently, seeing as that it has been out of print for some time.
Danny Elfman’s vocal style, while being unique can be seen as if he is just performing stylized speech, rather than singing. At the same time, he does show off his skills as a singer on numerous occasions, as seen in a song like No Spill Blood. The album for the most part is hard to describe. In some ways it seems like a product of its era, while in other it seems ahead of its time. That seems to be a contradiction, but it really is the best way to describe the album.
Take the track Cry of the Vatos for example. Most of it sounds like it is in a jungle, with birds chirping and other animal noises going on with an almost tropical drum beat in the background. In addition to the drums and ambient sounds, a horn section comes in which combines with some odd chanting to create an auditory “experience”. It is truly an experience to hear, especially when you hear the rest of the quirks that the album has. If you get a shot, just listen to Cry if you can…sums up the entire album; very unusual, however somewhat compelling.
Grade---C+
No comments:
Post a Comment