DANNY ELFMAN / Batman: Original Motion Picture Score [1989]

In 1989 Danny Elfman was primarily known as that guy from Oingo Boingo who's composed a small handful of scores for a few quirky comedies.  Naturally no one thought he was right for the big blockbuster Batman film but thankfully director Tim Burton was the only one who rightfully had faith in the composer.
Elfman's sprawling Gothic theme of grandeur helped bring a certain level of cheeky sophistication to the film and entirely redefined the cinematic Batman figure as suitably dangerous.  The score isn't afraid to engulf itself into the darkness but not once does it lose the sense of fun and wide-eyed excitement.  It's big, bold and brassy with flavors of tragic heroism, the lonely romantic and the criminally insane.  A definitive Elfman score that no fan of the composer, Batman or scores in general should be without.

5 beautiful dreamers out of 5

Songs of Note: The Batman Theme; Descent into Mystery

It should be noted that this particular album has seen 4 separate releases but La-La Land Records' 2010 double-disc release is definitely the most comprehensive collection to date.  

OINGO BOINGO / Forbidden Zone [1982]

Oingo Boingo's frantic Forbidden Zone soundtrack to the even more frantic cult crap classic by Richard Elfman is notable for a few reasons.  

First off, it's frontman Danny Elfman's first dip into the world of composing for film and secondly it's Oingo Boingo's first album that saw their transition from a fucked up arthouse act to an off-kilter surf-pop band. It might be a little more listener friendly than their previous works but it's still far from anything even remotely normal.   If you can imagine what Cab Calloway would sound like if he were in an animated version of The Rocky Picture Horror Show composed by Mr. Bungle, then you might get an idea as to what it all sounds like.  It might lack the precision and quality of Elfman's later film compositions but the raw arrangements and surrealism is what shines here.  

4 moochers out of 5 

Songs Of Note: Forbidden Zone; Squeezit The Moocher

OINGO BOINGO / Boi-Ngo [1987]

New Wave Nerd Rockers Oingo Boingo continue down the slippery slope of commercially friendly pop music on 1987's Boi-Ngo.   

It might be poppier but songwriter Danny Elfman manages to throw in some warped textures & rhythms to keep things...well...Elfman.  Being the first album since he started scoring films, it seems a bit too professional and serious for a stage act that used to chase each other around with giant fish & half-naked girls.  Some of my favorite Boingo songs are on here and ones I loathe most as well.  

Who would have guessed Elfman's classic Beetlejuice score would surface less than a year later?

3 more helpings of nervous energy out of 5

Songs Of Note: New Generation; We Close Our Eyes

DANNY ELFMAN / So-Lo [1984]

Officially considered a solo outing from Danny Elfman, 1984's So-Lo is really the 4th Oingo Boingo album in disguise seeing as all the band members play on the album.  Due to legalities between changing record labels, Elfman & the Boingos were unable to use the band name when they first moved to MCA records.  

It's not entirely implausible, listening to the extreme change in musical styles from Boingo's previous records. Focusing more on a down tempo synth-pop sound rather than the abrasive punked-up guitar sound of their earlier works.  It's sparks up some interesting ideas musically & lyrically but Elfman doesn't seem to know how to keep the new sound interesting like he would on the future Boingo albums.

2 missing cannibalistic monologues out of 5

Songs Of Note: Gratitude; It Only Makes Me Laugh

DANNY ELFMAN / Iris: Cirque Du Soleil [2012]

It seems like a natural progression for film composer Danny Elfman to bring his whimsical music to the bizarre and magical world of French-Canadian performance art company Cirque du Soleil.
IRIS tells the story of the history of cinema, allowing Elfman to explore all sorts of quirky styles and textures which harkens back to his classic Tim Burton film scores while retaining the creative maturity in his more recent work. IRIS is an emotionally beautiful rollercoaster ride that is guaranteed to please Elfman and Cirque du Soleil fans alike.

5 movie camera heads out of 5

Songs Of Note: Scarlett Balancing ; IRIS Finale & Bows

DANNY ELFMAN / Serenada Schizophrana [2006]

Commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra to play in Carnegie Hall, Serenada Schizophrana, is a dark and twisting journey through the passages of film composer Danny Elfman's mind. Filled with the quirks and charms we've come to know from his movie scores, only now he has the freedom to let the notes bleed all over the page.
Charging through the orchestra pit, leaving no instrument unturned, Elfman channels Prokofiev, Bernard Herrmann, Tchaikovsky and John Williams all while giving it his signature stamp of bizarre choir work, dizzying scales and off-kilter time signatures.
This isn't for anybody but is sure to please Elfman fans looking for an expansion of his score work or a classical fan that's looking for something a little more contemporary and just plain bizarre.

4 Big Dog/Little Dog Patrol pieces out of 5

Songs Of Note: II. Blue Strings; V. I Forget