“What You See” by Oingo Boingo

"What You See" comes off Only a Lad, the 1981 debut album Oingo Boingo cut for A&M Records after their self-titled EP, the record that finished their turn into a wired, twitchy new wave band. Danny Elfman wrote the words and sings lead, and he and guitarist Steve Bartek arranged the album, which is packed with lurching time signatures and jazz-bent harmonies that never sit still.

The Boingo horns are out in force: Sam "Sluggo" Phipps on tenor sax, Leon Schneiderman on baritone, Dale Turner on trumpet and Richard Gibbs doubling on trombone and keyboards, with Kerry Hatch on bass and backing vocals and Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez driving the kit. The band produced it with Peter Solley, and Elfman has said much of the album's writing sprang from newspaper stories, delivered as sarcastic jabs.

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