Post by jrmugz on Jan 11, 2015 12:07:56 GMT
My CD pick for this week is iDEoLA "Tribal Opera".
Per Wikipedia: "Tribal Opera is an album by Mark Heard (using the pseudonym iDEoLA), released in 1987 on What? Records. It is a full-on solo project, put together by Heard in his home studio using samples and acoustic, electric and electronic instruments. The band name iDEoLA has no particular meaning; of it Heard said, 'It's not supposed to be mysterious or anything; I just put a band together and right now I happen to be the only one in it.' The album was a bold step away from the country/folk-rock atmosphere of much of Heard's prior and subsequent music. Both Rich Mullins and Olivia Newton-John later covered 'How To Grow Up Big and Strong' on their own albums. Americana artist John Austin covered 'Go Ask the Dead Man'."
All songs written by Mark Heard.
iDEoLA (Mark Heard): all instruments and vocals
Produced, recorded, and mixed by Mark Heard
For my personal review, I have pretty much the same take on each song, namely finely-crafted arrangements that balance out electronic and acoustic tastefully, and contain thought-provoking lyrics. Yet, some things stand out more than others on different tracks, to me. So below, I will just add notes of anything additional that stands out.
01. "Emotional Man" - Love the simple, but very effective, African drum effect.
02. "Is it Any Wonder?" - Definitely a standout, the "Everything looks better in the morning" segue into the chorus is total classic segue into a total classic chorus, IMHO.
03. "Watching the Ship Go Down" - This song just plain works. Love the chorus and backup vocals to it.
04. "Talk to Me" - Great pop take on a universal sentiment. Just talk to me, man!!!
05. "Go Ask the Dead Man" - Another standout to me, greatly in part because of its great bridge which he must have agreed since he used it twice.
06. "Love Is Bigger Than Life" - Just awesome, love the "ah ah ah ah ah ah..." on the fade-out.
07. "How To Grow Up Big and Strong" - Great standout track, apparently Olivia Newton-John agreed since she covered it. Timely and thought-provoking lyric to great
melody.
08. "Everybody Dances" - Seems to want to pick up where Don Henley left off two years earlier with his song "All She Wants to do is Dance", it seems.
09. "Why Can't We Just Say No?" - Good question to good pop music.
10. "Hold Back Your Tears" - Another great work of pop with a thought-provoking lyric.
Star Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Prime Cuts: "Go Ask the Dead Man", "Is it Any Wonder?", "Watching the Ship Go Down", "How to Grow Up Big and Strong", "Talk to Me", "Emotional Man"
Bottom Line: Ingenius-cohesive pop-rock, both musically and lyrically. Packed with great hooks, choruses, harmonies, and build-ups to choruses, etc.
Yes, its the same artist as I used for the last one I picked a few months back; but he used a different name on this one. Feel free to nitpick this CD apart, as well as my unashamedly biased review, in any of your reviews; but for my part I rank this as above average.
I'm a classic rock fan, so to me if something is going to be done pop-electronica vein, I like this approach because it doesn't just use samplings, repetitions, and the main focus is still the song structure, etc. Plus even for the musical format used, a song like "How to Grow Up Big and Strong" is as good a classic rock song as any, in my book with its heavy drum beat, etc.
The only reason its not a full five stars, for me personally, is because maybe he should have used at least one song to do what Jeff did on "The Lights Go Down", namely to show off his crooning skills. Seems he at least flexed his crooning muscle at least a little bit on the song "How to Grow Up Big and Strong", though.
From my personal experience, the more I've played it the more the hooks, choruses, melodies, etc. sink in, and the more I really appreciate it as a truly great album.
Plus, I know a lot of people doing these reviews tend to belittle the importance of lyrics, etc.; but I think when an artist provides words as more than just to have a lyric, and they are actually very well thought out and contemplative, that credit should be given where its due, especially if having good lyrics is not used as an excuse to slack on the music, which he certainly does not do on this project, IMHO.
One other last note on the lyrics, for my part, I like how the song "Love is Bigger Than Life" at the center of the CD, provides hope in the midst of other songs that touch on the serious topics of death, war, relationship dynamics, the human state, etc.
Jim
Per Wikipedia: "Tribal Opera is an album by Mark Heard (using the pseudonym iDEoLA), released in 1987 on What? Records. It is a full-on solo project, put together by Heard in his home studio using samples and acoustic, electric and electronic instruments. The band name iDEoLA has no particular meaning; of it Heard said, 'It's not supposed to be mysterious or anything; I just put a band together and right now I happen to be the only one in it.' The album was a bold step away from the country/folk-rock atmosphere of much of Heard's prior and subsequent music. Both Rich Mullins and Olivia Newton-John later covered 'How To Grow Up Big and Strong' on their own albums. Americana artist John Austin covered 'Go Ask the Dead Man'."
All songs written by Mark Heard.
iDEoLA (Mark Heard): all instruments and vocals
Produced, recorded, and mixed by Mark Heard
For my personal review, I have pretty much the same take on each song, namely finely-crafted arrangements that balance out electronic and acoustic tastefully, and contain thought-provoking lyrics. Yet, some things stand out more than others on different tracks, to me. So below, I will just add notes of anything additional that stands out.
01. "Emotional Man" - Love the simple, but very effective, African drum effect.
02. "Is it Any Wonder?" - Definitely a standout, the "Everything looks better in the morning" segue into the chorus is total classic segue into a total classic chorus, IMHO.
03. "Watching the Ship Go Down" - This song just plain works. Love the chorus and backup vocals to it.
04. "Talk to Me" - Great pop take on a universal sentiment. Just talk to me, man!!!
05. "Go Ask the Dead Man" - Another standout to me, greatly in part because of its great bridge which he must have agreed since he used it twice.
06. "Love Is Bigger Than Life" - Just awesome, love the "ah ah ah ah ah ah..." on the fade-out.
07. "How To Grow Up Big and Strong" - Great standout track, apparently Olivia Newton-John agreed since she covered it. Timely and thought-provoking lyric to great
melody.
08. "Everybody Dances" - Seems to want to pick up where Don Henley left off two years earlier with his song "All She Wants to do is Dance", it seems.
09. "Why Can't We Just Say No?" - Good question to good pop music.
10. "Hold Back Your Tears" - Another great work of pop with a thought-provoking lyric.
Star Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Prime Cuts: "Go Ask the Dead Man", "Is it Any Wonder?", "Watching the Ship Go Down", "How to Grow Up Big and Strong", "Talk to Me", "Emotional Man"
Bottom Line: Ingenius-cohesive pop-rock, both musically and lyrically. Packed with great hooks, choruses, harmonies, and build-ups to choruses, etc.
Yes, its the same artist as I used for the last one I picked a few months back; but he used a different name on this one. Feel free to nitpick this CD apart, as well as my unashamedly biased review, in any of your reviews; but for my part I rank this as above average.
I'm a classic rock fan, so to me if something is going to be done pop-electronica vein, I like this approach because it doesn't just use samplings, repetitions, and the main focus is still the song structure, etc. Plus even for the musical format used, a song like "How to Grow Up Big and Strong" is as good a classic rock song as any, in my book with its heavy drum beat, etc.
The only reason its not a full five stars, for me personally, is because maybe he should have used at least one song to do what Jeff did on "The Lights Go Down", namely to show off his crooning skills. Seems he at least flexed his crooning muscle at least a little bit on the song "How to Grow Up Big and Strong", though.
From my personal experience, the more I've played it the more the hooks, choruses, melodies, etc. sink in, and the more I really appreciate it as a truly great album.
Plus, I know a lot of people doing these reviews tend to belittle the importance of lyrics, etc.; but I think when an artist provides words as more than just to have a lyric, and they are actually very well thought out and contemplative, that credit should be given where its due, especially if having good lyrics is not used as an excuse to slack on the music, which he certainly does not do on this project, IMHO.
One other last note on the lyrics, for my part, I like how the song "Love is Bigger Than Life" at the center of the CD, provides hope in the midst of other songs that touch on the serious topics of death, war, relationship dynamics, the human state, etc.
Jim