Various Artists – Dead Band’s Party: A Tribute to Oingo Boingo
Indianola Records – IND1026 – June 6th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
To be honest, when I received this, I immediately shifted it to the bottom of the promo pile. I thought, A tribute to Oingo Boingo is the last thing I need. Admittedly, though, my preconceived notions about Dead Band’s Party were obtuse, and this album is better than it looks on paper. Still, as I see it, this particular excursion is overwhelmingly extraneous and – furthermore – I also see no reason to buy, steal, borrow, or burn this.
I suppose it’s time for a little history lesson. Oingo Boingo’s claim-to-fame is the song “Weird Science,” which accompanies the movie by the same name. Danny Elfman, the world renowned composer, used to be a core member of the trio, and Dead Band’s Party features such recognizable acts such as Reel Big Fish, The Aquabats, and Finch. The other contributors are virtual unknowns; surprisingly, Hello Goodbye were granted the opportunity to cover “Weird Science.” As it goes with tribute albums, all the involved groups sound massively different from one another, which means there’s a few subgenres (rock, pop, ska, electronica, et al) vying for the lead on Dead Band’s Party. However, the best cover is probably Clear Static’s rendition of “Dead Man’s Party.” Trying to describe any other numbers only fuels my apathy. So there.
Maybe I don’t even have to warn you but: I’m not a disciple of Oingo Boingo. Thus, Dead Band’s Party impact on me wasn’t exactly nonexistent, but it was definitely less than significant. All in all I doubt I’ll be spinning this disc again. I generally avoid tributes anyway, and I don’t plan on relenting now.
6/10
Official Indianola Records
Indianola Records – IND1026 – June 6th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
To be honest, when I received this, I immediately shifted it to the bottom of the promo pile. I thought, A tribute to Oingo Boingo is the last thing I need. Admittedly, though, my preconceived notions about Dead Band’s Party were obtuse, and this album is better than it looks on paper. Still, as I see it, this particular excursion is overwhelmingly extraneous and – furthermore – I also see no reason to buy, steal, borrow, or burn this.
I suppose it’s time for a little history lesson. Oingo Boingo’s claim-to-fame is the song “Weird Science,” which accompanies the movie by the same name. Danny Elfman, the world renowned composer, used to be a core member of the trio, and Dead Band’s Party features such recognizable acts such as Reel Big Fish, The Aquabats, and Finch. The other contributors are virtual unknowns; surprisingly, Hello Goodbye were granted the opportunity to cover “Weird Science.” As it goes with tribute albums, all the involved groups sound massively different from one another, which means there’s a few subgenres (rock, pop, ska, electronica, et al) vying for the lead on Dead Band’s Party. However, the best cover is probably Clear Static’s rendition of “Dead Man’s Party.” Trying to describe any other numbers only fuels my apathy. So there.
Maybe I don’t even have to warn you but: I’m not a disciple of Oingo Boingo. Thus, Dead Band’s Party impact on me wasn’t exactly nonexistent, but it was definitely less than significant. All in all I doubt I’ll be spinning this disc again. I generally avoid tributes anyway, and I don’t plan on relenting now.
6/10
Official Indianola Records
