Big Mess (Danny Elfman album)

Last updated
Big Mess
Danny Elfman - Big Mess.png
Studio album by
Danny Elfman
ReleasedJune 11, 2021 (2021-06-11)
Recorded2020
Genre
Length72:18
Label
Producer Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman chronology
So-Lo
(1984)		Big Mess
(2021)
Singles from Big Mess
  1. "Happy"
    Released: October 2020
  2. "Sorry"
    Released: January 2021
  3. "Love in the Time of COVID"
    Released: February 2021
  4. "Kick Me"
    Released: March 2021
  5. "True"
    Released: April 2021
  6. "Insects"
    Released: May 2021

Big Mess is the second solo studio album by American singer, musician, and composer Danny Elfman. It was released by Anti- and Epitaph Records on June 11, 2021. [4] [5]

Contents

The album is Elfman's first studio album outside of his film and classical compositions since the 1994 album Boingo with his former band Oingo Boingo, and his first solo pop release since the 1984 album So-Lo . [6] Although Big Mess features former members of Oingo Boingo, such as Steve Bartek, Warren Fitzgerald, and Marc Mann, it is not an Oingo Boingo collaboration in the vein of So-Lo.

Background and release

Elfman had initially written two songs, "Sorry" and "Happy"—his first non-commissioned songs since Oingo Boingo disbanded—that were intended to debut at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2020. The show was also planned to feature a number of reworked versions of Elfman's film score compositions and Oingo Boingo songs, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A complete album was then written, unplanned, with Elfman stating that once he started, he "couldn't stop", ultimately recording a total of 18 songs. [4] The album was teased with a series of singles, beginning with "Happy" in October 2020, [7] [8] and continuing on from January 2021, with releases on the 11th date of each month.

The album comprises two "heavily contrasting" halves and ends with a new version of the Oingo Boingo song "Insects", from the 1982 album Nothing to Fear . [4]

In December 2021, Anti- and Epitaph Records announced an upcoming deluxe box set which includes four colored vinyl LPs, a 60-page artbook, a life-sized hand of Elfman's as a lamp and a signed poster. Two of the records contain remixes and vocals from musicians such as Trent Reznor, Blixa Bargeld, Rebekah del Rio, Fever333, HEALTH, Squarepusher and Machine Girl. [9] These remixes would, over time, be made more widely available with the release of the remix album Bigger. Messier. and its "Deluxe" edition in 2022. The "Big Mess" box set was nominated for a Grammy 2023 in the category "Best Boxed or Limited Edition Box Set" (Art Director Berit Gwendolyn Gilma). [10]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 61
Review scores
SourceRating
American Songwriter Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg
PopMatters 5/10

Big Mess was met with primarily positive although somewhat mixed reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 61, based on 7 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [11]

Track listing

All songs written by Danny Elfman.

Disc one

No.TitleLength
1."Sorry"4:53
2."True"4:24
3."In Time"4:27
4."Everybody Loves You"7:04
5."Dance with the Lemur"4:14
6."Serious Ground"5:00
7."Choose Your Side"4:33
8."We Belong"3:50
Total length:38:25

Disc two

No.TitleLength
1."Happy"4:33
2."Just a Human"2:46
3."Devil Take Away"2:49
4."Love in the Time of COVID"3:31
5."Native Intelligence"4:23
6."Better Times"3:14
7."Cruel Compensation"3:11
8."Kick Me"2:11
9."Get Over It"4:06
10."Insects"3:09
Total length:33:53

Personnel

Musicians

Additional musicians

Technical

Bigger. Messier.

  1. ↑ PipePanic (June 30, 2021). "PipePanic's Review of 'Big Mess' by Danny Elfman". Album of the Year.
  2. ↑ Hickman, Langdon (June 29, 2021). "Danny Elfman : Big Mess". Treblezine.
  3. ↑ Cordova, Daniel (June 11, 2021). "THE WEEKLY INJECTION: New Releases From DANNY ELFMAN, CRYPTA, and More Out Today – 6/1". Metal Injection. Danny Elfman has never not been quirky. However, I never expected a progressive metal nightmare of an album to come from him.
  4. 1 2 3 "About Danny Elfman's Big Mess". Anti- . April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  5. ↑ Moore, Sam (April 12, 2021). "Danny Elfman announces 'Big Mess', his first new solo album in 37 years". NME . Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  6. ↑ Grow, Kory (October 29, 2020). "Hear Danny Elfman's First Solo Pop Song in Nearly 40 Years, 'Happy'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Happy | Danny Elfman". Bandcamp . October 29, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Happy – Single by Danny Elfman on Apple Music". Apple Music . October 29, 2020. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  9. ↑ Bein, Kat (December 8, 2021). "Danny Elfman and Creative Director Berit Gilma Talk 'Big Mess,' Box Set and His 'Weird Hand'". Gotham .
  10. ↑ "Grammy Awards 2023: The Full List of Nominees". The New York Times. 2022-11-15. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  11. ↑ Big Mess by Danny Elfman , retrieved 2024-08-12
  12. ↑ Anti- (April 1, 2021). "Danny Elfman Collaborates With Death Grips Drummer on "Kick Me" (Zach Hill Remix)". Anti- . Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  13. ↑ Anti- (August 11, 2021). "Danny Elfman and Trent Reznor Join Forces for Reimagined Single of "True"". Anti- . Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  14. ↑ Anti- (September 10, 2021). "Danny Elfman Releases Squarepusher Remix of "We Belong"". Anti- . Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  15. ↑ Danny Elfman & Iggy Pop - "Kick Me" (Official Video) , retrieved 2023-06-15
  16. 1 2 Anti- (June 29, 2022). "Danny Elfman Announces Bigger. Messier". Anti- . Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  17. ↑ ANTI-. "Danny Elfman Officially Releases New Album Bigger. Messier. Today | News". Anti Records. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  18. ↑ "Bigger. Messier. (Deluxe.) by Danny Elfman". Apple Music . November 18, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
Bigger. Messier.
Dann Elfman - Bigger. Messier (Cover Art).jpeg
Remix album by
Danny Elfman
ReleasedAugust 12, 2022 (2022-08-12)
Genre
Label
Singles from Bigger. Messier.
  1. "Kick Me (Zach Hill Remix)"
    Released: August 12, 2021 (2021-08-12)
  2. "Danny Elfman & Trent Reznor – True"
    Released: August 11, 2021 (2021-08-11)
  3. "We Belong (Squarepusher Remix)"
    Released: September 10, 2021 (2021-09-10)
  4. "Serious Ground (Xiu Xiu Remix)"
    Released: October 12, 2021 (2021-10-12)
  5. "Sorry (Kid606 Remix)"
    Released: November 30, 2021 (2021-11-30)
  6. "Danny Elfman & Trent Reznor – Native Intelligence"
    Released: March 21, 2022 (2022-03-21)
Soundtracks
Albums
Songs
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