Clowns of Death: A History of Oingo Boingo

by Keith T. Breese

Book by Breese, Keith T.

Genres: Music

212 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2001

Reviews

[karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is not a very good book. however, it is the only book ever to have been written about oingo boingo, so it gets an extra star. but there's not much to it, it's just a gushy superfan's raving that is chock full of adorable typos. ("auld lang syne" becomes "old angs eih" - awwwww!) so i'm putting it out there - seriously, someone write a good book already!!

i can't be the only fan with a handful of grammar-knowledge.

come to my blog!

[Jennifer Hanford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it's wildly inaccurate (most infuriatingly and befuddlingly, crediting Georgeanne Deen's great artwork to Mark Ryden; I've been annoyed enough to make my own notes in the margins) and his song interpretations are often laugh-out-loud ridiculous (lending them their own certain charm; eg. "'Elevator Man' is simply another song saying something like, 'Ow, baby, you are so fine. Let me get my groove on with you. I'm gonna work you over like a plate of ribs."), it's well worth it for the wealth of actual quotes from old interviews. Plus, he uses the word "lambasted" a lot, which I'm always really amused by, for some reason.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best book you can find on Oingo Boingo...probably because its the ONLY book on Oingo Boingo! But never the less, Breese produces a well informed guide to one of the most poular, yet obscure new wave bands of the 80s lead by frontman Danny Elfman, from a detailed history through the band's many forms and projects during its 20+ year run to a definitive guide on the surviving bootlegs that can be found and traded known to be in existance. Breese even gives a brief biography of Elfman's early life before forming the band (the only such material I've been able to find on the man). This work is not without its faults though, with several spelling, grammatical and layout errors steming from cheap production (I doubt they expected it to get an awfully wide readership) marring what is otherwise a rather entertaining look at one of the most intriguing cult bands of the 1980s. A must for Boingo fans.

[Greg Kerestan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gets high marks, not because it's great, but because it fills a void. For all the success Danny Elfman has amassed over the years, his work with post-punk band Oingo Boingo gets precious little attention. Though Breese's style is rambling and he tends to editorialize a bit too much, and the book is full of little errors here and there, there's nothing like it as an overall chronicle of the rise and fall of Oingo Boingo.