Dark at the End of the Tunnel
Dark at the End of the Tunnel is the seventh studio album by American new wave band Oingo Boingo, released in 1990.
| Dark at the End of the Tunnel | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 20, 1990 | |||
| Recorded | May 1989 | |||
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:46 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Producer | Danny Elfman, Steve Bartek, John Avila | |||
| Oingo Boingo chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Dark at the End of the Tunnel | ||||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Los Angeles Times | [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [3] |
Music
Dark at the End of the Tunnel marked Oingo Boingo's move toward a more pure pop sound, eschewing the frantic style of previous records for a more mainstream approach, with an emphasis on emotional lyrics.[1][2]
By the time of the album's recording, frontman Danny Elfman had become a famed film composer, particularly in collaboration with Tim Burton. The track "Try to Believe" had been recorded for the 1988 film Midnight Run (scored by Elfman), appearing as an instrumental mix in the end credits; and a vocal version, attributed to "Mosley & The B-Men", was released on the film's soundtrack album. An alternate mix was persuaded for inclusion on Dark. Similarly, an early mix of "Flesh 'N Blood" first appeared in the 1989 film Ghostbusters II and on its soundtrack.[2]
"When the Lights Go Out" peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in March 1990.[4]
Artwork
The cover art of the album depicts a portion of a painting entitled "Volcano", by artist Peter Zokosky.[5]
A promotional version of the album was released on a vinyl picture disc, with one side featuring the album cover and the other side featuring a color photograph of the band.
Reissue
In 2022, a remastered issue of Dark at the End of the Tunnel was released on CD as an expanded edition with four bonus tracks, and coloured vinyl.[6]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Danny Elfman
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "When the Lights Go Out" | 4:11 |
| 2. | "Skin" | 4:43 |
| 3. | "Out of Control" | 4:12 |
| 4. | "Glory Be" | 5:03 |
| 5. | "Long Breakdown" | 4:39 |
| 6. | "Flesh 'N Blood" | 4:19 |
| 7. | "Run Away (The Escape Song)" | 4:20 |
| 8. | "Dream Somehow" | 4:39 |
| 9. | "Is This" | 3:27 |
| 10. | "Right to Know" (CD/cassette exclusive bonus track) | 3:58 |
| 11. | "Try to Believe" | 4:33 |
| Total length: | 47:46 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Out of Control (Funky Vocal Mix)" | 7:15 |
| 13. | "Flesh 'N Blood (Extended Version)" | 5:39 |
| 14. | "Try to Believe ("Midnight Run" Soundtrack Version)" | 4:18 |
| 15. | "Out of Control (Power Mix)" | 4:20 |
Personnel
Oingo Boingo
- Danny Elfman – vocals
- John Avila – bass guitar, vocals
- Steve Bartek – guitars
- Carl Graves – keyboards, vocals
- Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez – drums, percussion
- Sam Phipps – tenor and soprano saxophones
- Leon Schneiderman – baritone sax
- Dale Turner – trumpet
Additional musicians
- Bruce Fowler – trombone
- Ralph Grierson – piano
- Kenny Kotwitz – accordion
- Brian Mann – accordion
- Yvonne S. Moriarity – French horn
- Maxine Waters – additional vocals ("Try to Believe")
- Julia Waters – additional vocals ("Try to Believe")
Technical
- Chris Lord-Alge – mixing
- Talley Sherwood – second engineer
- Bill Jackson – engineer
- Jeff Lord-Alge – engineer
- Jim Scott – additional engineering
- Csaba Petocz – additional engineering
- Brian Soucy – assistant engineer
- David Cragin – studio assistant
- Greg Fulginiti – mastering
- Vartan – art direction
- DZN, The Design Group – design
- Dennis Keeley – photography
References
- "Dark at the End of the Tunnel". AllMusic. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- Willman, Chris (February 25, 1990). "Oingo Boingo Dark at the End of the Tunnel". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 518.
- "Oingo Boingo". Billboard.
- "The Artwork of Peter Zokosky: Paintings".
- Duquette, Mike (November 4, 2022). "Rubellan Puts Flesh N' Blood Into Next Wave of Oingo Boingo Reissues on CD, Vinyl (UPDATED PRE-ORDER LINKS)". The Second Disc. Retrieved November 5, 2022.