Only a Lad
Studio album by Oingo Boingo
Released June 19, 1981
Genre New Wave, Ska
Length 38:12
Label A&M Records
Producer Pete Solley and Oingo BoingoOnly a Lad is the full-length debut album by Oingo Boingo, following their self-titled EP. The album’s musical arrangements, by vocalist Danny Elfman and guitarist Steve Bartek, complete the group’s switch from cabaret act to New Wave band. Only a Lad features complex and frequently changing time signatures and keys, often incorporating harmonies borrowed from jazz and 20-century classical music, all hallmarks of Elfman’s songwriting.
The album’s success was somewhat limited, but, largely due to the backing of Los Angeles radio station KROQ, the album established Oingo Boingo as a permanent fixture in the Southern California music scene.The National Review Online called "Capitalism" one of the "50 greatest conservative rock songs", despite the fact that Danny Elfman stated in an AOL chat in January of 1997 that the song was "serious satire."
"Only a Lad" is a playable track on the PlayStation 2 video game Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s.
On the cover of the album, if one looks closely at Johnny’s (the "Lad’s") shirt, one would see the image of the cat drawn by Louis Wain that appeared on the cover of the Oingo Boingo EPTrack listing
All songs written and composed by Danny Elfman, except "You Really Got Me" by Ray Davies.1. "Little Girls" 3:44
2. "Perfect System" 3:46
3. "On the Outside" 3:39
4. "Capitalism" 3:40
5. "You Really Got Me" 4:40
6. "Only a Lad" 3:56
7. "What You See" 3:43
8. "Controller" 3:24
9. "Imposter" 2:59
10. "Nasty Habits" 4:06
38:12Personnel
Oingo Boingo
Danny Elfman – lead vocals
Steve Bartek – guitars
Richard Gibbs – keyboards
Kerry Hatch – bass
Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez – drums
Leon Schneiderman – baritone and alto saxophones
Sam "Sluggo" Phipps – tenor and soprano saxophones
Dale Turner – trumpet, trombone