A Tribute To Oingo Boingo, Various Artists
You know this tribute lark is getting a bit daft when an 80s band pretty much nobody under the age of 30 has heard get their own CD. If you have heard of Oingo Boingo, I'd be surprised if you can listen to this record and pick up more than 2 or 3 songs you recognise. So much for this 80s revival which is going on right now. Anyway, this is 14 tracks re-worked and re-made by a host of bands you already know and love, like Reel Big Fish, The Aquabats and Finch and, in truth, it's pretty good stuff. Of course I don't really recognise any of the originals, so it's almost impossible to compare the songs to how they're supposed to sound. But what is on this disc is pretty good, if a bit daft.
Highlights include The Stereo and The Rocky Racoons, two of the smaller names on this CD. The latter are particularly silly and lo-fi, but very fun nonetheless. Rx Bandits and Hello Goodbye are suited well for silly 80s covers, so the use of synth doesn't exactly sound out of place. Aaron Barrett is another well placed for the 80s sound and so RBF's version of 'We Close Our Eyes' is pulled off with panache. Suburban Legends and The Aquabats are as good as ever and Over It manage to do a convincing version of 'Stay', even if it's not a patch on the band's original stuff. Still, this is worth checking out if you have a few spare pounds kicking about...
www.indianolarecords.com
paul
