Nothing to Fear
| Nothing to Fear | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Oingo Boingo | ||||
| Released | June 22, 1982 | |||
| Recorded | November 1981-January 1982 | |||
| Genre | New wave, synth pop, experimental | |||
| Length | 41:34 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Producer | Joe Chiccarelli and Oingo Boingo | |||
| Oingo Boingo chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Nothing to Fear | ||||
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Nothing to Fear is the second studio album by American new wave band Oingo Boingo, released in 1982 on A&M Records. It was one of the first works produced by award-winning engineer Joe Chiccarelli.
Music
Nothing to Fear possesses a more hard-edged sound than the band's previous releases, featuring louder electric guitar and percussion, an increased and more varied use of synthesizers and the introduction of sequencers on some tracks. The songs also feature an unorthodox range of instruments, some of which were designed and built by the band. At the time of its release, Elfman declared Nothing To Fear to be "far more 'Boingo'" than the band's debut album, Only a Lad.
Initial vinyl pressings of the album contain a different mix of the song "Private Life," featuring more prominent bass guitar and xylophone. The single version, which was subsequently used on all re-releases of the album, is 27 seconds shorter than the initial album mix, truncating the transition into the chorus, among other alterations.[1] The song's release was accompanied by a music video, directed by Danny Elfman's brother Richard Elfman, founder of The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo.
Reception
Despite continuous condemnation from critics, Nothing to Fear received high regional sales and radio airplay at the time of its release, selling 125,000 copies in its original run. Elfman often used the negativity of critics to the band's advantage through publicity, stating: "The music [the critics] like is inspirationless and contrived. If we start getting praise from this clique of six or eight reviewers, we'd probably have to evaluate where we went astray."
Following the album's release, the band went on a successful tour opening for bands such as The Police and Fear. The song "Wild Sex (In the Working Class)" was later featured in the John Hughes film Sixteen Candles.[2]
Track listing
All tracks written by Danny Elfman.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Grey Matter" | 5:50 |
| 2. | "Insects" | 3:02 |
| 3. | "Private Life" (3:45 on earliest pressings) | 3:18 |
| 4. | "Wild Sex (in the Working Class)" | 4:06 |
| 5. | "Running on a Treadmill" | 3:20 |
| 6. | "Whole Day Off" | 3:54 |
| 7. | "Nothing to Fear (But Fear Itself)" | 3:52 |
| 8. | "Why'd We Come" | 3:57 |
| 9. | "Islands" | 4:40 |
| 10. | "Reptiles and Samurai" | 5:23 |
| Total length: | 41:34 | |
Personnel
Oingo Boingo
- Danny Elfman – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Steve Bartek – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Richard Gibbs – keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals
- Kerry Hatch – bass, key rhythm vocals
- Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez – drums, percussion
- Sam "Sluggo" Phipps- tenor and soprano saxophone
- Leon Schneiderman – baritone and alto saxophone
- Dale Turner – trumpet, trombone
- The inner sleeve notes from Nothing to Fear state: "All the boys bang things: Rumba-phones, original instruments designed and built by Leon Schneiderman."
Additional personnel
- Steve Bartek – horn arrangements
- Joe Chiccarelli – engineer
- Krohn McHenry – second recording engineer
- Mitch Gibson – second mixing engineer
- Jules Bates (artrouble) – back cover and sleeve, art direction
- Laura Engel – production assistant
- Georganne Deen – front cover
References
- ↑ "Oingo Boingo - Private Life (RARE EXTENDED VERSION)". YouTube. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
- ↑ "Sixteen Candles (1984)". IMDb. Retrieved 29 September 2014.