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Clowns of Death: A History of Oingo Boingo

Clowns of Death: A History of Oingo Boingo

List Price: $21.99
Your Price: $21.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Kudos for writing it, but...
Review: Kudos for writing it, but this is nothing more than a re-writing of other people's interviews and work, and most "factual" information is based on the writer's own bootleg collection. And being close with the band for many years, 40% of this book I know to be absolutely wrong. Speculation is not fact. I'd rather have a book that is 50 less pages than watch the author try to piece things together and fill in the gaps with his own weirdness. It does have its amusments though, and reprints of interviews/reviews that would be difficult to track down otherwise, but it simply isn't worth the price of admission.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Interesting but NOT ACCURATE...
Review: The author offers a lot of very interesting information about the early days with the Mystic Knights, but beware...there is a lot of incorrect information here. Breese is incorrect about band members' credits and even the titles of films they've scored. It makes one wonder if other information is also wrong. Don't get excited about the number of pages either. A lot of it is wasted on the author's boring opinions and descriptions of his favorite songs.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Don't waste your time!
Review: There are a few tid bits of interesting "history" in this book but I don't think that classifies it as a "History of Oingo Boingo." The vast majority of the book is one big, long, boring, inaccurate, discography/music review. I don't need a song-by-song description...I'm a fan, I already know what the music sounds like! You'll have more fun reading the liner notes on the CD inserts, so buy OB's music and forget this book!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A passionate try
Review: This book is really, really bad. There is some interesting information but that information is all contained in reprinted newspaper articles and reprinted interviews with Danny Elfman etc. Chances are if you are thinking of buying a book about a little known band that has been extinct for almost eight years you probably know that information already. The remainder of the book consists of 'reviews' that are really just the author's opinion on the meaning of each song. As a fan of 16 years I really don't care that much about what some other fan thinks each song means, especially when what is written is full of typos and goofy attempts at Boingo quirkiness. Here is an example:

"WE CLOSE OUR EYES:
An exploration of mortality and self, " We Close Our Eyes" is a heart-felt examination of life. A very cheery tune, the song is led by its wholesome atmosphere and vocal bliss. A little bit of chocolate from your friends at Oingo Boingo."

There are 100 pages of that in this book.

The book also contains a useful set list of every show the band ever played. As most set lists don't change too much during a tour, there are pages of the same information re-printed over and over. What a waste of paper.

Finally, I live in Arizona and although it does get hot here it isn't really that hot in April (when I was reading this book). I read a lot so sometimes my books get left in my car during the day. I left this book in my car and came back to find that both the glue that held the paper into the cover and the ink on the pages had softened from the minor heat. The large black ink illustrations in the book had become unstable and they now leave black imprints of themselves on the pages opposite them. In short, the quality of the book in terms of binding, paper and ink is horrible and not worth any amount of money.

Mr. Breese can be admired for completing a book. It's something I haven't done. But if there were any way to give a lower rating to this book I would. I think most of the mediocre ratings that this book has received are only as high as they are because we Boingo fans feel we have an allegiance to one another. I still feel that kinship with Mr. Breese. But, I feel that with a lot of Boingo fans and I wouldn't give them [any money]for their opinion on the meaning of various Boingo songs. If you still want a copy of this book, shoot me an e-mail and I'll sell you mine.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Save your money
Review: This book is really, really bad. There is some interesting information but that information is all contained in reprinted newspaper articles and reprinted interviews with Danny Elfman etc. Chances are if you are thinking of buying a book about a little known band that has been extinct for almost eight years you probably know that information already. The remainder of the book consists of 'reviews' that are really just the author's opinion on the meaning of each song. As a fan of 16 years I really don't care that much about what some other fan thinks each song means, especially when what is written is full of typos and goofy attempts at Boingo quirkiness. Here is an example:

"WE CLOSE OUR EYES:
An exploration of mortality and self, " We Close Our Eyes" is a heart-felt examination of life. A very cheery tune, the song is led by its wholesome atmosphere and vocal bliss. A little bit of chocolate from your friends at Oingo Boingo."

There are 100 pages of that in this book.

The book also contains a useful set list of every show the band ever played. As most set lists don't change too much during a tour, there are pages of the same information re-printed over and over. What a waste of paper.

Finally, I live in Arizona and although it does get hot here it isn't really that hot in April (when I was reading this book). I read a lot so sometimes my books get left in my car during the day. I left this book in my car and came back to find that both the glue that held the paper into the cover and the ink on the pages had softened from the minor heat. The large black ink illustrations in the book had become unstable and they now leave black imprints of themselves on the pages opposite them. In short, the quality of the book in terms of binding, paper and ink is horrible and not worth any amount of money.

Mr. Breese can be admired for completing a book. It's something I haven't done. But if there were any way to give a lower rating to this book I would. I think most of the mediocre ratings that this book has received are only as high as they are because we Boingo fans feel we have an allegiance to one another. I still feel that kinship with Mr. Breese. But, I feel that with a lot of Boingo fans and I wouldn't give them [any money]for their opinion on the meaning of various Boingo songs. If you still want a copy of this book, shoot me an e-mail and I'll sell you mine.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A passionate try
Review: This is a pretty good book, expecially because it's the only detailed book about Oingo Boingo in existence. Breese does almost unnecessarily review each song, but it is kind of interesting to hear someone elses opinion about tunes I've listened to for years, but none of my friends liked. It would be easy to criticize this book - numerous typos, factual inaccuracies, the picture on the back cover of the author being kissed by his wife (I assume). But the fact is, this is a great encapsulation of years of articles and interviews with Danny and the band that might take a lifetime to compile myself. And I give Keith props for getting it done. There are those who may say they can do better, but until there is even one other Oingo Boingo biography written, this one is the best. Maybe by default, but also, because it is a fan's perspective and it seems appropriate since the fans of this band are so rabid.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Direct quote: "Pure rubbish."
Review: Three Oingo Boingo band members have already commented elsewhere that this book contains more opinions and assumptions than actual fact, but it doesn't take that fact to notice it. Keith Breese skates through his mis-information and lack of simple research; filling in the blanks with his own imagination. He can't even keep low-level information, something as simple as dates, correct. Three quarters of the book is merely quoting other people's work, i.e. reviews and interviews. As one O.B. member said in an online review that is easily found, "pure rubbish." I think that says it all. It is no wonder why respectable publishers would print this; he had to print it himself through Xybris books (a pay-to-be-pulished outfit). The book itself is full of misspellings, bad typeography, misuse of quotations and punctuation, and is devoid of any form of proper grammar. Yes, you can say this isn't the pulp it was printed on, especially at this going price.


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