Roland Orzabal - Tomcats Screaming Outside - 2001

Huge expectations and desires when this one came out.  Why he chose to use his name rather than Tears For Fears is really beyond me, considering he'd been doing it that way for a decade.  I know that he and Curt were working together again, but another release of TfF would have gotten him a hell of a lot more attention than an album under his own name.

Excellent, excellent material on this one.  Absolutely fabulous.  One track after the next, we get classic Orzabal sound, with a modern flare and experimentation.  A little more electronic, drum & bass, and other styles current to this release.  Mind you, there are two songs on this one, though that I don't really care for, but for the sake of all of you, I won't tell you which ones, as I don't want to ruin it for anyone.  But, for the rest, all I can say is WOW.

It's unfortunate that it didn't get any attention or airplay.  But, when you have a name like Roland, and you are unknown to the general populace that doesn't normally pay attention much, it's bound to happen.  Wikipedia seems to blame it on 9/11, as it was released on that day, but I doubt that.  Maybe Wiki is just indirectly claiming it was cursed?  I don't know.  All I know is that it is one of Orzabal's best, and needs to be recognized for it.

Always hated the original cover, it just doesn't jive well for me.  Used the Lowlife single sleeve for this one, and seems more appropriate.

Dude, it's been one of those weeks.  Sorry for posting late, but yesterday sucked hard.  Plain and simple.

Roland Orzabal - Tomcats Screaming Outside - 2001 

Tears For Fears - Live In Manchester - 1985

Tonight's second fabulous show spotlights two gentlemen that I never was able to see live.  In their heyday, it would have been great.  I've seen some video of shows they've done within the past five to ten years, and I have to say they seemed sort of scary.  Some of our heroes have been able to continue their greatness into old age.  Some have not.  Curt doesn't look so bad, now, but poor Roland is starting to look like a scrotum.  Sorry, just a fact.

This show was filled with a lot of energy and a lot of heart and soul.  Just like their music, they weren't just performers up on stage putting on a show, they were opening themselves up and making a personal connection with their audience.  Their young, wild and creative days were captured and their refining and finesse was starting to really shine.  They translate wonderfully from studio to stage.  I would have LOVED IT.  But, alas....

Tears For Fears - Live In Manchester - 1985

 

Graduate - Acting My Age - 1980

Alright, all who like Tears For Fears, raise your hands....  Great!  I love to see that many hands in the air!

I didn't find out about Graduate until I discovered Discogs.  Even then, I didn't hear the album until about 2005 or 2006.  It's funny listening to the album, knowing they were just kids at the time, and hearing Roland's deep voice, even then, singing out loud and strong.

Listening to this one, you can hear Roland's definitive style already in full bloom, sounding a lot like TFF first album, with a Power Pop/Ska edge.  I've always wondered, though, why they drifted from that specific look and sound, and shifted to their obviously more well known personas.  Was it because the niche for Power Pop/Ska was limited and very small, and only lasted until the late 70s/early 80s before fading to obscurity?  That would be the obvious answer.  Was it a commercial switch to do so, or was it an artistic change?  That is what I want to know, more.

If your a fan of TFF, than consider this TFF lite, minus the New Wave and add the Power Pop & Ska.  If you are a Power Pop or Ska fan, than be prepared to hear those styles of music played in a whole new way, packed with a lot of pop hooks and talent.  This is a MUST HAVE for any true TFF fan.

As for my version, it's not my version.  This is as it was, released on CD in 2001 in the UK.  But, long out of print and hard to come by, I felt it was necessary to bring it out for all to see.  The only problem is that it's missing their very first single, Mad One with the b-side Somebody Put Out The Fire.  I should have included it, but time constraints on the "disc" prohibited me from doing that.  Also, it sounds like total shit.  Really really really.  I've included it as an additional upload, and you can include it in your "one of 7-inch records" folder that you might have, as I do.

Graduate - Acting My Age - 1980

The shitty Mad One single 

Tears For Fears - Songs From the Big Chair - 1985

 

A far cry better than The Hurting & Seeds of Love, this album is quintessential 80s Pop Rock.  Graduating from New Wave into something more substantial, TFF really proved they had the talent and abilities to whether the demise of the 80s and hold their own into the 90s.  One of my Top Ten 80s songs is Head Over Heels, an absolutely perfect pure Pop track.

I was in 8th Grade when this album came out, and was strongly influenced by one of my friends - Grant - who said that after he outgrew Duran Duran (WHAT?!) he was now interested in TFF.  It sort of took me off guard when he said that, and thoroughly intrigued me.  Looking back, it was a natural procession to move onto them (as well as Sting, INXS, Simple Minds and Wang Chung.)  But, I am glad he recommended that, as the album became a staple of my collection.

I know that they've already released an expanded version of this album, but I felt it needed more, it wasn't quite right.  They had left too much material off that needed to be there.  Plus, I was able to also include a McDoC mix in there as well.  Great stuff.

A little advance notice, Thursday and Friday nights will be extremely late posts, as I have business meetings to attend both days that will stretch into the evenings.  Also, I will be taking off the 23rd and the 24th for the Thanksgiving Holiday.  Lastly, 90s Techno Rave Week will be starting on December 12th...

Tears For Fears - Songs From the Big Chair - 1985

Tears For Fears - the Big Chair Remixes - 1985 

Tears For Fears - Raoul & the Kings Of Spain - 1995

 So, I'm home from work early today, as I really suffered these last couple of days.  So, I'm doing my posts for you early, as I want to work on some more album covers.

After Elemental, Roland Orzabal followed it with the wonderful, under-appreciated Raoul & the Kings Of Spain.  Grunge was in full swing, with a competing Britrock phase in America at this time.  Roland was busy playing what I would almost call Adult Contemporary music.  It was still Pop Rock, but the lyrics, music vocals and themes were way above the level of all the rest of the music that was playing at the time.

So, it got lost.  Three incredible singles a handful of b-sides and a few spectacular album tracks.  Very heartfelt, mournful, a little spooky, but very strong.  You can tell Roland really puts his heart and soul as well as his skill into all of his work.  And, it's more than apparent here.

Sketches of Pain, Los Reyes Catylicos, and Me and My Big Ideas are some of my definite favorites.  And every single b-side is more than worthy of being an album track if not singles in their own regards.  Queen of Compromise is incredible, as is War of Attrition.  And, I decided to add the Bowie cover of Ashes to Ashes, not just because it was recorded during those sessions, but because it's better than the blessed original.

I tried to redo the cigar box cover, but I couldn't find a decent enough scan of it on the internet, and I don't own it.  So, I settled for the original with a new backing texture, and the wonderful pic of Roland.  Good enough and suits the album well.

Tears For Fears - Raoul & the Kings Of Spain - 1995

Tears For Fears - Elemental - 1993

In 1993, I was so FREEKING SICK of "alternative" and "techno" and everything sounding the same.  Back then, with no internet or youtube or jamendo or amazon, most of you will remember that unless you knew exactly what you were getting, or you had heard it on the radio, purchasing new music was a game of Russian Roulette, luck of the draw.  I'm sure many of you were burned more than once, as I was, by purchasing an album that ended up being a real piece of shit back then.

Duran Duran's new album had just come out, as well as U2's Achtung Baby.  Old groups, new sounds.  So, when I saw the new TFF album amid this massive glut of psuedo-grunge wannabe shit discs, I had to get it.  I remember my wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, was with me, and we hadn't been together for very long.  So, her and I "discovered" this album together.

Maybe it sounded alternative, maybe it didn't.  Who's to say what alternative music was supposed to sound like?  All I knew was that there was a definite maturing of sound coming from Roland, and I was duly impressed.  His voice has NEVER ceased to amaze me.  Powerful, melodic, compassionate and strong.

The Cold single had a better cover than the album, so I switched that out.  Also, the A-Side/B-Side on the CD blended to well, sounded perfect.  So, despite the fact that Goodnight Song is obviously a "last song of the album", I had to plug in the b-sides at the end.

Speaking of Goodnight Song, it wraps WAY TOO SOON.  They should've/could've continued jamming for 8-10 more minutes, with a slow fade.  That would've sounded so much better, so much more appropriate...

Tears For Fears - Elemental - 1993