A Good Name: Roland

There is something really wonderful about the name Roland. It just has this sound to it that is pleasing. It just rolls off your tongue. In fact, the name Roland sounds like the phrase "rolls off your tongue." That's how well it rolls off your tongue.

Where did the name Roland come from? Well, last year Amy and I saw Tears for Fears live on the other side of the state. They were fantastic. One of the best performances I have ever seen. They're perfectly happy with Everybody Loves a Happy Ending being their last album and they've been touring for it for seven years now. There are two members of Tears for Fears that you need to know, Curt Smith and Roland Orzabel.

Roland played confidently, and though he had long flowing hair, sang in falsetto and swayed like a female back-up singer in a Motown band, he overflowed with strength and masculinity. There was a kind of confidence in this guy, and for some reason that confidence is forever tied to the name Roland. Amy and I also happen to adore Stephen King, though she knows much more than I do, and possibly one of his most important characters, the one that is at the center of the Dark Tower series, which is at the center of King's entire corpus, is Roland Deschain, the gunslinger.

While Roland would be the perfect name for a child, I think it might also fit for a pet dog. And what kind of dog would look better beside a gunslinger than a really fantastic looking German shepherd. (I may have promoted this breed of dog before, and I apologize for repeating, but they're really awesome dogs. They look like they still have the chops of a wolf, after all.)

And finally, to complement Roland Orzabel's interest in his Spanish history as heard in such albums as Raoul and the Kings of Spain, Roland might be a good name for an animal that you'll find in many Spanish speaking countries in South and Central America, the beloved iguana.

Tears For Fears The Hurting (1983: Mercury)

1. "The Hurting" - 4:20
2. "Mad World" - 3:35
3. "Pale Shelter" - 4:34
4. "Ideas as Opiates" - 3:46
5. "Memories Fade" - 5:08
6. "Suffer the Children" - 3:53
7. "Watch Me Bleed" - 4:18
8. "Change" - 4:15
9. "The Prisoner" - 2:55
10. "Start of the Breakdown" - 5:00

While reviewing a recent album by a band called White Lies, Amy encountered a scathing criticism posted on Pitchfork. White Lies was accused of committing the sin of placing serious and difficult lyrics in a fun pop song. And yet this particular sin is the reason anyone has ever heard of 80s pop rock sensation Tears for Fears. I could cite songs like "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," "Sowing the Seeds of Love," and "Woman in Chains," as fantastic successes that do exactly this, or I could just cite the entirety of the 1983 album The Hurting.

The Hurting features young musicians Curt Smith and Roland Orzabel wailing sincerely about the difficulties of youth as filtered by the writings of psychologist Arthur Janov. Some musicians will write a song here and there addressing some difficult topic much like Aerosmith's "Janie's Got a Gun" addresses child molestation and Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" addresses a culture of war and political control. Some will even devote an entire album to one idea. Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon is the first example that comes to mind, as it addresses the descent into insanity of former member Syd Barrett. But The Hurting is the first such album I encountered that offered a way toward better health and well-being. I think the 1985 song "Shout" simplifies and sums up the primal scream theories of The Hurting with the simple chorus, "Shout! Shout! Let it all out! These are the things I can do without."

Albums like The Hurting and Songs From the Big Chair define and summarize a great deal of the musical trends of the '80s. The Hurting is probably my favorite album of the decade.

Kanye's Choice Awards

Say what you will about Kanye West, but the dude has some pretty fantastic taste in music. Here are just a couple of examples.

Kanye West, "Stronger"



The song "Stronger" was the second single from Kanye's 2007 album Graduation. The song is a re-imagination of the Daft Punk song "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger." My buddy Adam hated the song for some time because he felt there was no need to rework this song, but when he found out that Kanye is a fellow Daft Punk fan he was won over. I love Kanye's tribute to Daft Punk even moreso because he includes a tribute to Prince and Purple Rain for anyone listening to the lyrics: "You know how long I've been on ya? / Since Prince was on Appollonia."

Kanye West, "Coldest Winter"



I'm sure you've figured out by now that I'm a big fan of Tears for Fears. If you've also figured out that the Kanye West song "Coldest Winter" from 808s & Heartbreak (2008) is a cover of the Tears for Fears song "Memories Fade" from The Hurting (1983), then you have probably figured out why it is one of my favorite Kanye West songs.

These are just a couple of examples of Kanye's great taste in music. If you have more, feel free to share them with me. Nooch.

Tears for Fears - Waiting in Line

Get in line with the things you know.

Tears For Fears, "The Hurting" from The Hurting (1983)

I'm already getting sore from standing in line. Amy is bouncy and bubbly, her energy boiling over as she remains stationary.

There's a couple in front of us with expensive beers. He's bristled from head to toe with thick dark hair and leaning back with the confidence of a tried and true intellectual. Her eyes are big and searching, but right now they are focused on the man, who is rambling about Tears for Fears, and she is beaming. The couple is a good decade or two older than me and Amy.

"He's just trying to impress her," I whisper to Amy, trying to impress her. "Probably making it up as he goes. And he can get away with it too. It's clear that she doesn't know any better."

Amy gets closer to the couple without detection, an advantage that short, cute girls like her have over us large, imposing men.

"He said that Elemental and Raoul and the Kings of Spain should have been attributed to 'Tear for Fear' because they were essentially Roland's solo albums."

I had just been texting a couple of friends regarding my problems with the album Elemental compared to earlier Tears for Fears albums.

"This guy really knows his stuff."

The man recounts to his lady-friend (girlfriend? fiancee? wife?) an abridged history of Tears for Fears. I heard none of it, but I imagine it went something like this:

"When one talks about the foundation of The Beatles one imagines the monolithic moment when John Lennon first ran into a young Paul McCartney. But the Beatles was more than Lennon and McCartney; The Beatles was George Harrison and Ringo Starr as well! The same is not true for Tears for Fears. The story of Tears for Fears is the story of Roland Orzabel and Curt Smith. Unlike the Beatles, Tears for Fears is a band that begins with the monolithic meeting of two individuals.

"Curt and Roland were teenagers when they met over thirty years ago in Bath, England. They got by as session musicians for British bands Neon and Graduate before forming Tears for Fears (originally History of Headaches) in 1981. The band was influenced by musical geniuses like David Byrne, Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno, as well as psychological geniuses like Arthur Janov, whose Primal Therapy is the inspiration for the name Tears for Fears.

"The debut Tears for Fears album, The Hurting, released in 1983, is a concept album intended to address the emotional distress of Orzabel's childhood with Janov's techniques of Primal Therapy. It is dark and universal, an exposition of the difficulty of youth, strange and accessible. The Hurting begins the trend of strong synthesizer-based songs, beautiful, but also unfortunate in that attention is shifted away from Orzabel's edgy and biting guitar work, some of the best the decade has to offer. While The Hurting reaches #1 in the U.K., it is relatively unsuccessful outside of the British Isles.

"Their sophomore album, Songs from the Big Chair, released in 1985, is likely the most significant album of the '80s, both creating and capturing the sound of a decade haunted by the ghost of George Orwell's prophetic political novel Nineteen Eighty-Four as substantiated by Reagan and Thatcher and of a people embarking upon an inward journey into an emotional heart of darkness. The album sky-rocketed to #1 on the U.S. charts, bringing with it the singles 'Shout' and 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World.' (The first single from the album, 'Mother's Talk' was obviously too far ahead of its time to gain popular acclaim. This is the only reason I can think of that it too wasn't also a #1 hit in America.) Like The Hurting, Songs from the Big Chair is grounded in popular psychology, specifically the Flora Rheta Schreiber novel titled Sybil and the subsequent television miniseries of the same name. Sybil Dorsett (pseudonym for Shirley Ardell Mason), the main character, is a woman with multiple personality disorder who finds comfort and refuge in the 'big chair' of her therapist. Presumably, it is this therapist's 'big chair' that serves as the stage from which Curt and Roland perform the various songs of the album, transforming "Shout" into a kind of 'shout for help.'

"Seldom does a band attain such heights of perfection regarding their first three musical attempts as Tears for Fears did upon release of the 1989 album The Seeds of Love. The album, like Songs from the Big Chair, topped the U.S. charts, but unlike its predecessor, The Seeds of Love was incapable of producing any number one singles. While the singles were obviously not as successful, it can be argued that they are of a higher quality, from the Lennon-esque tribute to love in the face of political confusion of 'Sowing the Seeds of Love' to the slow feminist funk of 'Woman in Chains,' featuring the sexy vocals of Oleta Adams and drum work of none other than Phil Collins, to the Latin styling of 'Advice for the Young at Heart' and quiet anthem of 'Famous Last Words.' It's likely that nobody loves this album more than Oleta Adams, a singer / pianist that Orzabel and Smith discovered in a Kansas City hotel bar who was able to turn her time with Tears for Fears into a successful solo career.

"The next two albums, Elemental and Raoul and the Kings of Spain should have been attributed to 'Tear for Fear' because they were essentially Roland's solo albums. Neither of them gained commercial success, but the latter, Raoul and the Kings of Spain, allowed Orzabel another chance to delve into the depths of his own past. This time he was not as interested with the difficulty of childhood as with his Spanish heritage. Raoul is the name of Orzabel's firstborn son, but it is also the name his own parents originally intended to call him before settling on the name Roland. Not only is the album something of a family reunion, but it also features a reunion with singer Oleta Adams on the song 'Me and My Big Ideas.'

"Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, released in 2004, is presumably the last album by Tears for Fears. This is witnessed both by the name of the album and the fact that the band has been active ever since 2004 in not putting out albums. In a world haunted by bands like KISS and Black Sabbath, who alternate between farewell tours and reunion tours because both present a sense of urgency that allows them to sell tickets for a higher price, I am happy that there is a band like Tears for Fears. A younger listener might shout for more albums because they just want more Tears for Fears. An older listener might complain that they've already released too many. I admire that Tears for Fears placed a period at the end of their discography and ended the way they wanted to. They have neither burned out nor faded away. They have recorded their story, and now they continue to recount that story live."

"I'm pretty excited to hear that story tonight," says the woman. "Oh! Hey! The line is moving!"

The Shirtcast #28 - Justin Tiemeyer

Friend of the show, Justin Tiemeyer hops up to the decks to play an eclectic selection for The Shirtcast. Please enjoy and check out Justin's blog 'Cavemen Go' for frequent, mind-expanding posts.

http://cavemengo.blogspot.com/

MGMT - Time to Pretend
Roxette - The Look
Meat Puppets - Climbing
David Bowie - Kooks
Queens of the Stone Age - Song for the Dead
Talking Heads - Road to Nowhere
The Cars - I'm Not the One
Led Zeppelin - Since I've Been Loving You
Tears for Fears - Woman in Chains
Portishead - Small

lgsproductions.com

Click on the triangle below to listen to my podcast mix (you may recognize it as a variation on my Bottomless mix):



Or listen to The Shirtcast at the PodOmatic home here.

Arts and Crafts: Concert Ticket Refrigerator Magnets

A few months ago, I received some junk mail containing some propaganda packaged with a peel-off magnet. I think the assumption was that you would stick the magnet to the propaganda and put it on your refrigerator. I saw little value in the propaganda, but great value in the magnet. This was the product:

That Foreigner ticket I'd held onto long after it was scanned at the concert now had a purpose. It currently holds up my grocery and to-do lists. I am writing today to share with you the secret wisdom of the ages, so that you too can have a Foreigner (or other band/artist) concert ticket refrigerator magnet.

Step 1: Acquire Magnets (I always have to stop myself from saying, "Cut a hole in the box." Curse you, Timberlake! Curse you!)

I opened every single inane letter addressed either to me or to some misspelled version of me or to resident for several months and didn't find another magnetic backing that I could use, so I journeyed to Hobby Lobby with my good friend Gabe. You might be better off going to a smaller store, like Michael's, because Hobby Lobby is incredibly large (especially in Texas). The first difficulty with Hobby Lobby is that you are bombarded by novelty and holiday items when you walk in. You have to cut through these like one would a kudzu in order to find anything of worth. The second difficulty is that the aisles are not labeled. This particular store appeared to spend all it's money renting out the gigantic building and very little on staffing the gigantic building. Eventually, I found an employee who pointed me to the magnets. They were overpriced, but at least I had (unlike Bono) found what I was looking for.

Step 2: Acquire a Concert Ticket

For many of you, this could be the hardest part. I have particular difficulty finding affordable nearby concerts with artists good enough to grace my refrigerator forever. In some of my peer groups, I would imagine I am looked upon as something of a hipster. I don't particularly understand it, but then again, I like Arcade Fire and Bright Eyes. I dislike Screamo. I tell my metal-loving friends that they should be listening to Muse and The Mars Volta instead. I don't blatantly disregard indie music as worthless. Having this opinion of me, they might look upon my Foreigner magnet and sense irony. Here's where they're dead wrong. Foreigner is sweet.

And so is Tears for Fears. This is Adam Friedli's ticket from the recent Tears for Fears concert in Detroit. Adam was unable to go to this concert due to a serious injury in the family. Amy and I had our tickets torn, but there was one ticket left intact due to Adam's absence.

Step 3: Peel and Stick

Peel back the paper on the back of the magnet to reveal the adhesive side. I've always found this fascinating. One side sticks due to magnetic attraction, the other due to chemical adhesion. Two different ways, one result. Cohesion!

Now stick the magnet to the back of the concert ticket. In most cases, the magnet is going to be larger than the concert ticket by a minuscule amount. I chose to leave the slight overlap, as it is pretty insignificant. These magnets, however, are designed to be thin enough that you can cut them. If you want to trim it so it's smaller than the ticket, go right ahead. In order to align the magnet properly, I placed it on the table and then slowly lowered the ticket onto the adhesive side.

Step 4: Place Finished Magnet on Refrigerator

This beautiful new Tears for Fears refrigerator magnet won't be on my refrigerator for long. I hate to ruin the surprise, but this one is a gift for my good friend Adam Friedli. I'll be giving it to him when I visit College Station next week. It's not quite the same as remembering being on the floor looking up at one of the most underrated amazing music sensations of all time, but at least it can hold up his picture of his parents. Or that weird drawing I made of the topless redneck woman holding two 40s of Colt 45.

Tears For Fears "Billie Jean" Live featuring Michael Wainwright

Travel Shots: Detroit, MI

Tears For Fears Tribute to Adam Friedli

My girlfriend and I were supposed to see Tears For Fears with good friend Adam Friedli at the Motor City Casino Hotel in Detroit, but when Adam's father was severely injured Adam's duty to family trumped his duty to fun and adventure with his friends as it rightly should. We went to the concert, however, and celebrated Adam Friedli. I even convinced Tears For Fears to sing "So Friedli" at the end of Woman in Chains instead of "So Free Her."

Well, not really, but that's what I heard in my head, and that's what you should hear when you watch this video. Adam, I celebrate you today, and so do Curt and Roland from Tears For Fears. They don't know who you are, but I've retconned the story to make it seem that way. For your sake, my lovely man!

August Intensive Listening: Tears For Fears

Tears for Fears "Woman in Chains"

Tears for Fears, "Woman in Chains" from The Seeds of Love (1989: Fontana)

Bottomless: A Mix By Justin Tiemeyer

Album art courtesy of Fiona Maier.