Tribal Opera

Last updated
Tribal Opera
TribalOpera.jpg
Studio album by
Released1987
Studio Fingerprint Recorders, Los Angeles, California
Genre Rock
Label What?/A&M
Producer Mark Heard
iDEoLA chronology
Mosaics
(1985)
Tribal Opera
(1987)
Dry Bones Dance
(1990)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]

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 big departure step away from the country/folk-rock atmosphere of much of Heard's prior and subsequent music. [2]

Mark Heard American musician and record producer

John Mark Heard III was an American record producer, folk rock singer, and songwriter originally from Macon, Georgia, United States. Heard released 16 albums, and produced and performed with many other artists as well, such as Sam Phillips, Pierce Pettis, Phil Keaggy, Vigilantes of Love, Peter Buck of R.E.M., John Austin, The Choir, Randy Stonehill and Michael Been of The Call. Heard produced part of Olivia Newton-John's The Rumor, which also included a cover of Heard's own "Big and Strong".

Contents

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".

Rich Mullins American christian musician

Richard Wayne Mullins was an American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter best known for his worship songs "Awesome God" and "Step by Step". Some of his albums were also considered among Christian music's best, including Winds of Heaven, Stuff of Earth (1988), The World As Best As I Remember It, Volume One (1991) and A Liturgy, a Legacy, & a Ragamuffin Band (1993). His songs have been performed by numerous artists, including Caedmon's Call, Five Iron Frenzy, Amy Grant, Carolyn Arends, Jars of Clay, Michael W. Smith, John Tesh, Chris Rice, Rebecca St. James, Hillsong United and Third Day. During the tribute to Rich Mullins' life at the 1998 GMA Dove Awards, Amy Grant described him as "the uneasy conscience of Christian music.”

Olivia Newton-John English-born Australian singer, songwriter and actress

Olivia Newton-John, is an English-Australian singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur, dancer, and activist. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five number-one and ten other top ten Billboard Hot 100 singles, and two number-one Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA. She has sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling artists of all time. She starred in the musical film Grease, and its soundtrack is one of the most successful in history, with the single "You're the One That I Want", with John Travolta, one of the best selling singles of all time.

Track listing

All songs written by Mark Heard.

Side one

  1. "I Am An Emotional Man" – 4:30
  2. "Is It Any Wonder" – 3:49
  3. "Watching the Ship Go Down" – 3:53
  4. "Talk To Me" – 3:49
  5. "Go Ask the Dead Man" – 3:52

Side two

  1. "Love Is Bigger Than Life" – 3:37
  2. "How to Grow Up Big and Strong" – 5:07
  3. "Everybody Dances" – 4:07
  4. "Why Can't We Just Say No" – 4:24
  5. "Hold Back Your Tears" – 3:47

Personnel

The band [3]

Additional musicians People who hit things for digital samples at Fingerprint Recorders: Doug Mathews, David McSparran, Steve Hindalong, David Baker (who also played the Wengi Drum introduction for "Talk To Me") and Dan Michaels

Steve Hindalong is an American drummer, percussionist, songwriter and producer best known for his work with the alternative rock band The Choir. Since 2006, Hindalong has also been an official member of the alternative country supergroup Lost Dogs.

Production notes

Fingerprint Recorders was a recording studio owned by Mark Heard, where he recorded most of his own records. The studio was located in Montrose, California.

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References

  1. "Tribal Opera - iDEoLA - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  2. Powell, Mark Allan (2002). Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music . Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers. p. 408. ISBN   1-56563-679-1.
  3. "Tribal Opera - Christian Music Archive". christianmusicarchive.com. Retrieved 29 October 2018.