These are the words, emphatically sung by frontman Danny Elfman, of the 80's pop/ska/punk, nearly impossible to classify band, Oingo Boingo. What's that you say? "That's a strange name, and you've never heard of them?" Or, "I've heard of Danny Elfman, isn't he that guy that does music for movies and the Simspon's?"

Yes, Danny Elfman has made quite a name for himself over the past 10 years writing and scoring music for MANY movies, like the Batman series, and everything else by Tim Burton for that matter. If you pay attention to the end credits, you'd be surprised how many times you see Elfman's name scroll by. But, before all this fame as a respected music man in film, Danny fronted an energetic, lively, 8 piece party band.

Boingo was huge on the college circuit when I was a teen, back in the mid 80's, and you even probably know their biggest hit, 'Weird Science', which is NOT one of their better songs, but so goes the music industry. Boingo sported an extremely fast paced sound, driven by 2 guitarists, 3 horn players, 1 keyboard, and 2 percussionists. As a youngster, Boingo was the first band which used trumpets and saxophones that appealed to me...before that time, I just assumed they were only good for 'boring, adult music'! Oh, how wrong I was.

My first taste of Boingo was from their release, 'Good for your Soul', which carried the frantic anthem, 'Who do you want to be today?' This song would drive my friends and I do thrashing and flailing about on the dance floor, scaring most others around us to the sidelines. And don't think Oingo Boingo is all style and no substance...along with their unique sound, they included sharp, witty lyrics, that while often funny, carried a bit of sarcasm and commentary that I really didn't understand until I was older.

From their I explored the entire Boingo catalog, going back to discover such gems as 'Only a Lad' and 'Nothing to Fear'. 'Only a Lad' is Boingo's most accessible release, I feel, which would appeal to the broadest listening group. Still apparent was their cutting style, always driven by sharp horns and precise drumming.

Boingo went on for many years, into the mid 90's, releasing many CD's in that time. I will admit, I stopped buying them in the late 80's, as my musical scope was expanding, and Boingo's sound was taming, in my opinion.
After the classic, 'Dead Man's Party', it just seemed they were going through the motions, and trying harder and harder to break through into the mainstream, which would have been a shame if it ever happened. Oingo Boingo's trademark was to be unusual, far from the mainstream, and they will always hold a place in my childhood, as a time when I discovered music could get you really AMPED!



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