Dark at the End of the Tunnel

Last updated
Dark at the End of the Tunnel
Dark at the End of the Tunnel.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 20, 1990
RecordedMay 1989
Studio
Genre
Length47:46
Label MCA
Producer Danny Elfman, Steve Bartek, John Avila
Oingo Boingo chronology
The Best of Oingo Boingo: Skeletons in the Closet
(1989)
Dark at the End of the Tunnel
(1990)
Stay
(1990)
Singles from Dark at the End of the Tunnel
  1. "Flesh and Blood"
    Released: 1989
  2. "Out of Control"
    Released: April 1990
  3. "Skin"
    Released: 1990
  4. "When the Lights Go Out"
    Released: 1990
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]

Dark at the End of the Tunnel is the seventh studio album by American new wave band Oingo Boingo, released in 1990.

Contents

Music

Dark at the End of the Tunnel marked Oingo Boingo's move toward a more pure pop sound, eschewing the hyper, frantic style exemplified on previous records for a more mainstream, less formally innovative approach, with an emphasis on emotional, positive 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. Two tracks on the album had previously emerged on movie soundtracks: an early recording of "Try to Believe" first appeared as an instrumental during end credits of the 1988 film Midnight Run (scored by Elfman), and a vocal version, attributed to "Mosley & The B-Men", was released on the film's soundtrack album; similarly, a different mix of "Flesh 'N Blood" had 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, Rubellan Remasters announced that they would be issuing a remastered version of Dark at the End of the Tunnel on both colored vinyl and CD, the latter as an expanded edition with four bonus tracks. [6]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Danny Elfman

No.TitleLength
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
2022 Expanded Edition Bonus Tracks
No.TitleLength
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

Additional musicians

Technical

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References

  1. 1 2 "Dark at the End of the Tunnel". AllMusic. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Willman, Chris (February 25, 1990). "Oingo Boingo Dark at the End of the Tunnel". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  3. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 518.
  4. "Oingo Boingo". Billboard .
  5. "The Artwork of Peter Zokosky: Paintings".
  6. 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.