Customer Reviews

Oingo Boingo - Farewell (Live from the Universal Amphitheatre)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

..... but our beloved Boingo's immortal soul is captured lovingly in this, their final and only video concert recording. Along with generous amounts of concert performance, this two-tape set WHICH SHOULD REALLY BE MADE INTO A DVD (hint hint MCA) also includes a bit of Boingo history recap. Some of us in the Los Angeles area were fortunate enough to be witness to Maestro Elfman' s curiously evolving ensemble, which had its genesis as far back as the mid-70s, and it is indeed unfortunate more of those early years were not captured for posterity.

Anyway, along with Frank Zappa's "Baby Snakes", I would have to call "Farewell" the ultimate Halloween party video. The music is also available on CD, but the true Boingo enthusiast would not want to miss out on the live experience. Danny Elfman's stage presence was always formidable, sometimes imposing; when you consider this man's overall musical output, in both rock and film soundtracks, and then watch what he does on stage, his consummate brilliance really hits home. The way he utilizes theatrics, exotic dance moves (quasi-Balinese on "I'm So Bad") and good old bad-boy playing (his onstage roughhousing with bassist John Avila on "No One Lives Forever"), elaborate props (the gargantuan skeletons on "Dead Man's Party"), digressive instrumental line ups (accordion and troubador drum on "Helpless"), and yes, even the inevitable light show (on the psychedelic homage "Change") provides a showmanship that crosses genres, rivals anyone in any style of concert performance.

The other members of the ensemble deliver as well: trusty sideman and guitarist Steve Bartek is a low-key, confident performer of controlled intensity; the horn section of Dale, Leon and Sluggo are a vital element of the Boingo sound, though not on hand for every number, provide that element flawlessly and with high energy, and even the odd vocal (Sluggo on "Reptiles and Samurai"); drummer Johnny Vatos, whose rhythmic precision seemed almost mechanistic in the early days, offers thunderous fluidity in this outing with his own spark of mischief; and John Avila on bass comes closest to matching Elfman's stage energy, proving himself an indispensable buffer and contributor to the legend that was Boingo.

The familiarity and quality of the song selections depends on how closely one has followed the band. I'd say they hit most of the winners here, touched on a few obscurities to the delight of the more hardcore ..... I'd say they could have gotten away with more of the latter: this being their final bow-out, a three tape set would not have been too long. Overall, this collection is a flawless legacy to an American musical treasure, another one of those that will endure and be rediscovered again and again, because REAL music, regardless of genre trappings, is TIMELESS. The fact that this concert was filmed as opposed to merely taped does it proper honor, and the overall production ranks with works like "The Last Waltz" and "Stop Making Sense". "Farewell" is a concert, a documentary, a shared event, a transcendent video treasure.

It is so deserving of a digital transfer. I think I can speak for all Boingoites in urging "Farewell"'s release on DVD. The Mystic Knights command it!

When I bought this DVD, I was excited to recapture the adrenaline rush that always came with Oingo Boingo's live performances. In viewing it, however, I was terribly disappointed that the DVD didn't do the band's fantastic performace the justice it deserved. If you are going to go to the trouble of releasing a concert film, the sound should be superior to this. The lack of surround sound is baffling. And whoever mixed the sound did a poor job. Danny's voice, the horn section, and even Vato's drums are drowned out by the rhythm guitar on many songs. It really detracted from my enjoyment of what was otherwise an exceptional concert. The band's energy was infectious, and I found myself dancing in my living room regardless of the poor sound quality. If you are a fan, you will still love it. Seeing "Grey Matter" live again is worth the $$ all by itself! Let's hope A&M reissues this DVD with the same sound quality as the Farewell CD, and adds some more documentary/historical footage as well.

On Halloween in 1995, one of the greatest bands I've ever known played their last concert. And here, in all its glory, you can watch it on DVD. Not only that, but you also get a bonus DVD filled with goodies like backstage interviews and even hidden videos (I have found that pressing the 4 button on the number pad is useful ;)).

Of course, if you would prefer experiencing the concert in your car's stereo system, there's also the audio CD. But beware, it's missing "Just Another Day," which they gave a stunning performance of.

I read all 28 reviews here and I seem to be the only new Boingo fan. These guys are timeless and so is this video. I was absolutley mesmerized watching and wished it would have gone on forever...just like one giant orgasm. I've got 2 teens(13 and 15) who also loved this video. We now own every Boingo cd and listen to them all them time! We make copies for their friends and now they are hooked. Spread the word to this generation! Boingo is more relevant now than they have ever been. Thanks for all the reviews on this video. They are what got me to purchase this dvd.

Let me start my review by stating that I love Oingo Boingo. I think they are the greatest band ever! I have been a fan since 1978 (the Mystic Knight days) and have seen them at least 60 times live, as a matter of fact I went to all 5 nights of the farewell tour including the Halloween night show, this DVD, look for me in the pit!

Review of the DVD, not the content (the content is amazing!):

Shame on me to ever say anything bad but this DVD was a big disappointment to me, BECAUSE I own the VHS version, which was released about 3 years ago. It is clear that the only thing Universal did with this release was to take the VHS transfer and put it on a DVD. The picture quality is the same and they released it in 2-Channel Dolby, you read it right, 2-Channel Dolby. Now I'm going to assume that most people that have DVD players have a surround sound system and 9 times out of 10 it's going to be at least a 5.1 channel surround system (2 fronts, 1 center, 2 sides and a sub), and over 3 years have gone by since the VHS release and they can't even remaster the audio to 5.1, shame.

The extra features on the DVD our cool, but they are the same exact extras as the VHS release, nothing new. Come on, if they wanted to do something cool for this DVD release they should have put Audio Commentary with the band, how great would have that been and it's not like Danny has done that with other DVD's he scored music too, Edward Scissorhands & Nightmare Before Christmas to name a few.

Well, if you don't have the VHS or the DVD version, I'd recommend dropping everything and buying this DVD, but if you have the VHS version, save your money, it's the same thing transferred to a DVD without any improvements. The picture quality and the sound are a tad better just because it's a DVD (Digital vs. Analog), but it not worth the extra money. Maybe they'll come out with a Collector's Version for next Halloween that will have some new features and remaster audio to 5.1, or better yet, come back for another Halloween tour, I can only hope.

What can I say except, "I love Boingo!" I have a been a longtime and devoted fan of Danny Elfman and the band. I attended farewell concerts in Las Vegas and Los Angeles (including the shows they filmed for this video release). If anything, this DVD captures the essence of an Oingo Boingo concert, so much so that no Halloween is complete without a viewing. I remember purchasing the two video set when it was released and watching it over and over - to the point that they don't play any longer. But there is a problem with the DVD - They didn't include anything NEW!

Everything from the video is on the DVD. It is all organized and easily found using the special features buttons. You can go to your favorite songs. But there is NOTHING NEW on this latest release. No additional archive footage, no 'Where are they now' sections, nothing to provide me with incentive to run out and add it to my collection (for the record - my wife gave it to me for my birthday).

Is it worth it? Sure. But don't expect anything you didn't already have.

FAREWELL features the band live at the Universal Ampitheatre on Halloween 1995. Almost three hours of footage includes performances of over thirty songs, band interviews, backstage clips, two music videos, and never-before-seen documentary footage.

Tape One:
1. Documentary & Retrospective Footage
2. Insanity
3. Little Girls
4. Cinderella Undercover
5. Controller
6. Burn Me Up
7. Insects
8. No One Lives Forever
9. Hey!
10. Reptiles and Samurai
11. Water
12. I Am the Walrus
13. Nothing to Fear (But Fear Itself)
14. Piggies
15. We Close Our Eyes
16. Mary
17. Can't See (Useless)

Tape Two:
1. Helpless
2. I'm So Bad
3. Change
4. Just Another Day
5. Stay
6. Who Do You Want to Be
7. On the Outside
8. Ain't This the Life
9. Wild Sex (In the Working Class)
10. Dead Man's Party
11. Nasty Habits
12. Clowns of Death
13. Grey Matter
14. No Spill Blood
15. Only a Lad
16. Documentary & Retrospective Footage
17. Little Girls - The Video
18. Insanity - The Video

It was about time they put a Boingo item out on DVD, but they could have done alot better. The sound is kinda weak, 'Insanity' would sound so much better with BOOMING bass out of the subwoofer. And yes it is pretty much exactly like the VHS copy, but hey, I bought it anyhow. Hopefully a COMPLETE video collection will soon follow, with remastered sound & picture, plus commentary. But for now, this DVD will have to do. Show the the BIG companies BOINGO merchandise still sells well! SUPPORT BOINGO, show them we want more! Buy it today, you know you want too!

All I can say is wow! The "Oingo Boingo" farewell Halloween concert showcases the band at their absolute best. Clocking in at 2 hours and 45 minutes with one song after another, the show is like a non stop high energy carnival ride. This is a ride you definitely won't want to get off of either. Near the end of the show, Danny Elfman shouts, "This is like one Big Orgasm" and he is absolutely right on the money. Elfman puts so much energy into his performance running and dancing around the stage, I am totally amazed to see him standing at the end. The picture is clear and the sound while only in 2 channel stereo is clear and crisp. In my opinion the only thing wrong with this DVD is that the sound isn't in Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS. The bonus DVD with the special features was fun and I found it interesting to watch. I guess my only other complaint would be the exclusion of weird science in the song list, no farewell show should be without it. This DVD concert is worthy of ownership for any "Oingo Boingo" fan new or old. Overall I give it 5 stars for the concert performance and extras, but drop it down to 4 stars because of the 2.0 sound. It's also too bad that for fans this is the only authorized Oingo Boingo concert available.

DVD Chapters

1. Intro - Tender Lumplings
2. Insanity
3. Little Girls
4. Cinderella Undercover
5. Controller
6. Burn Me Up
7. Insects
8. No One Lives Forever
9. Hey!
10. Reptiles & Samurai
11. Water
12. I Am The Walrus
13. Nothing To Fear (But Fear Itself)
14. Piggies
15. We Close Our Eyes
16. Mary
17. Can't See (Useless)
18. Helpless
19. I'm So Bad
20. Change
21. Just Another Day
22. Stay
23. Who Do You Want To Be
24. On The Outside
25. Ain't This The Life
26. Wild Sex (In The Working Class)
27. Dead Man's Party
28. Nasty Habits
29. Clowns Of Death
30. Grey Matter
31. No Spilt Blood
32. Only A Lad

Why, oh why couldn't this DVD be given anything more? The sound isn't even remixed for the disc. I'm a true fan of the band with tattoos to prove it, but this DVD doesn't justify purchase unless your VHS copy is, like mine - worn out.

Please let there be another version later - Danny Elfman isn't new to the world of DVD. He should see that this one is done again and done right.