Last summer ace reissue label Rubellan Remasters graced us with four Oingo Boingo remastered CDs [“Only A Lad,” “Nothing To Fear,” “Good For Your Soul,” “Dead Man’s Paarty”] and since then, the So-cal New Wave band has been blowing the doors off at Rubellan HQ. Though I’m on a curtailed budget, I managed to snag copies of “Only A Lad” and “Dead Man’s Party” before the first pressing sold out quickly. [they have since been repressed] In the interim, Rubellan have also produced multiple colored vinyl LP pressings of that material in more colors/pressings than I can truly follow. What was it that The Kinks said…”give the people what they want?” Now the next batch of Boingo albums is currently in preorder for the full set, with the individual copies available on the sale date of November 18, 2022. Let’s observe.

Danny Elfman: So-Lo DLX RM – US – CD [2022]

1. Gratitude
2. Cool City
3. Go Away
4. Sucker For Mystery
5. It Only Makes Me Laugh
6. The Last Time
7. Tough As Nails
8. Lightning
9. Everybody Needs
10. Gratitude (Original Version)
11. Gratitude (Extended Dance Version)
12. Gratitude (Single Version)
13. Gratitude (Tornado Version)
14. Gratitude (Short Version)

The “Danny Elfman” “So-Lo” album was only a solo album in name only. It’s fully a Boingo album. The band had moved from I.R.S./A+M to MCA and they tried the re-branding to see if not having such a weird name would make a difference to the charts. Not really. This is a great album, but the bonus materials here were down to five different mixes of the single “Gratitude,” but we have to admire the thoroughness of Rubellan Remasters for still going there anyway!

Oingo Boingo: Boi-Ngo DLX RM – US – CD [2022]

1. Home Again
2. Where Do All My Friends Go
3. Elevator Man
4. New Generation
5. We Close Our Eyes
6. Not My Slave
7. My Life
8. Outrageous
9. Pain
10. Mama
11. Pain (Extended Dance Mix)
12. Not My Slave (Extended Remix)
13. Weird Science (Boingo Dance Version)
14. Pain (A Cappella Version)
15. Not My Slave (Club Dub Mix)

The “Boi-Ngo” album was one on release in 1987, that I had but eventually let go. I was good through the 1984 period at the time [encompassing “Only A Lad,” “Nothing To Fear,” “Good For Your Soul,” and “So-Lo”] but I’ve since finally gotten 1985’s “Dead Man’s Party” from RR and liked it a lot. And the CD is salted with a the song “Mama” which was only in the boxed set of 5×7″ singles of the album, and five remixes for maximum damage.

Oingo Boingo: Dark At The End Of The Tunnel DLX RM – US – CD [2022]

1. When The Lights Go Out
2. Skin
3. Out Of Control
4. Glory Be
5. Long Breakdown
6. Flesh ‘N Blood
7. Run Away (The Escape Song)
8. Dream Somehow
9. Is This
10. Right To Know
11. Try To Believe
12. Out Of Control (Funky Vocal Mix)
13. Flesh ‘N Blood (Extended Version)
14. Try To Believe (‘Midnight Run’ Soundtrack Version)
15. Out Of Control (Power Mix)

Meanwhile, the “Dark At The End Of The Tunnel” album from 1990 was a bridge too far for me to cross. All of the goofy, twitchy energy that I enjoyed from Oingo Boingo had been utterly drained from the band. A friend gave me a CD of this and it had to go. Immediately. Your mileage may vary. As ever, four remixes round out the release. And beyond the fifteen bonus tracks this run sports, we should also mention that the kind-to-your-ears mastering quality of Rubellan Remasters is ultimately a great reason to upgrade, even if you already own copies of any of these.

Each of these discs will be $15.99 but right now the bundle of all three can be pre-ordered for three dollars less at $44.97, so act now…operators are standing by!

-30-