Tears For Fears - Elemental

List Price: $11.98
Our Price: $3.67
You Save: $8.31 (69%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more new music releases

Music CD Cover

Free Music Notes for Elemental

Free Music Review: Mature Album for Maturing Gen Xers
Hit: 5 Stars

The first time I put on "Elemental," I was blown away! I already knew Orzabal was a potent lyricist. It was now clear to me that he was a true musical genius as well. It also seemed obvious that Curt Smith had been holding him back considerably on the "Seeds" album. Sadly, the childhood friends had to part ways in order for Orzabal to produce this near-masterpiece.

While the advent of the C.D. as a music format has given us fantastic audio clarity, it has changed the way I and, I presume, most others listen to music. I rarely listen to an entire album anymore; rather I use the skip button or program features to play my favorite tracks. "Elemental" is one of the few exceptions, an album that demands to be played start to finish everytime. While "Break it Down..." holds its own as a single, it is primarily a hook tossed out to lure one into the album as a whole. It also serves as a transition piece for those of us who liked previous TFF material.

Sonicly, this album is all ear candy. It is a slickly produced modern symphony of guitars, keyboards, and drums, all wraped in Rolands alternately delicate and soaring vocals. He backs himself vocally on most tracks to great effect; Curt Smith is never missed. Many tracks seguay (sp?) musically into the next, creating the the sense of a journey more than a group of songs. Orzabal's usual high level of poetry is present in the lyrics as well. The obviously painful split with Smith serves as inspiration on several tracks, as others here have pointed out. He also gives insight into his strugle to reconcile the public's perception of him and his perception of himself, as he does in this piece from "Cold,"

-"She saw me on the television underneath the sun. [obvious reference to "The Seeds of Love"] Thought I was warm like a mother, lover, brother. Brothter she was wrong.... Seems she thought of me as some mystic, fatalistic, mystical guru. Me, I haven't got a clue."

The journey begins with the title track, opening with a drumbeat reminicent of "The Hurting" which melts into the background behind Orzabal fairly shouting "Welcome to the real world!" Its as if he is telling us that "Everbody Wants to Rule the World" is an ideal that doesn't fit with the reality of adulthood. The journey continues through several songs, alternating pace, with nary a weak link save for maybe "Dog's a Best Friend's Dog." Momemtum builds to the fabulous climactic eighth track, "Power." Orzabal washes the listener with wave after wave of his own sonic, vocal, and lyrical power, building a steady tension. Without warning, he shifts to the beautiful and etheral "Brian Wilson Said." Within three minutes, he has melted away the tension and set us back down to earth. He then sends us home with the final track, "Good Night Song." To my ear, Roland has never sounded so good as he does here. Ironicly, the lyrics proclaim:

-"My voice is aching; I'm tounge tied; the sounds we are making are so uninspired."

This song seems to be not just a fairwell to the listener, but the the TFF of the past as well. Luckily, my fear that it might signal the end of Orzabal's recording career was wrong. He went on to record again. If you are looking for more "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," you won't find it here. If you like "The Seeds of Love," however, you will probably love this ablum. "Elemental" was a real turning point for Roland Orzabal. On previous albums, he had confronted his past ("Big Chair" and the "Hurting"), and confronted social issues while dabling in sonic atistry ("Seeds"). On "Elememtal," he honed that artistry while confronting the immediate conflicts of his then current life, apparently finally willing to let go of his past. Sadly, it was not much of a comercial success; "Elemental" was lost in the sea of the prevailing "grunge" movement of the time. However it has aged well. Seven years on, it still sounds great without sounding dated. It is a soothing soul clensing experience for me, and vindication of my loyalty to TFF through the 1980s and early 90s.

Elemental Poster

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Alternative Rock Music CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop
• Rock