Published on Apr 29, 2000
I have a problem with bands which were once a duo, breaking up
and a sole member carrying on with the original band name. It just
goes against my grain. To me, this behavior represents the ultimate
in cashing in on previous success. And I kind of feel gypped buying
an album only to discover it contains half product, so to
speak.
The band Tears For Fears is now a moniker for Roland Orzabal’s
solo efforts. The dynamic of the duo is missing and it shows. Not
that Kurt Smith was a musical genius (Orzabal was the principle
songwriter) or that his pretty face could out shine Orzabal’s stage
presence. It’s just that together they were so much more. Orzabal
probably brought out Smith’s abilities and Smith probably tempered
Orzabal’s self-inflation tendencies.
Elemental was the first release after the schism. A mediocre
album with a few high points and a definite low point. This work
lacks the giddying heights in production we experienced in
Songs From The Big Chair and Orzabal’s songwriting skills
have gotten a little rusty.
Elemental is an album filled with social commentary cum
moralistic soapbox preaching. It gets old real fast and you find
yourself asking “Just who in the hell does Orzabal think he
is?”
Nowhere is this more evident then on the song “Fish Out Of
Water.” Here Orzabal takes valuable album space to air the dirty
laundry between him and Smith. I hate to get involved in others
squabbles and the last thing I need is to hear someone’s side of
the story set to lackluster music. Hey, Roland, couldn’t you have
just written Kurt a letter and spared us all?
On the songwriting front: Some of these songs are just
incomprehensible no matter which way you slice ’em. For instance,
in “Dog’s A Best Friend’s Dog,” Orzabal sings: “Three is a crowd /
Two is a dog and me playing / (What’s he saying) / Free as a cloud
/ No one ever really knew you / Make clear your illusion no, no,
no.” The words in parentheses represent a backing chorus. Seems
even the back-up singers were having interpretation problems.
To be fair, there are some pleasant moments on the album. “Cold”
and “Break It Down Again” offer up some catchy melodies. The warmth
of “Brian Wilson Said” stands out among the rest of the songs.
Though Orzabal apes the Beach Boy sound he still leaves enough room
for his own style to show through. The rest of the album, though,
is basically filler, songs with no glimmer of inspiration.
There is a rumor that Orzabal will soon be recording under his
own name. I say, Amen! It’s high time this nonsense ended. Perhaps
with the change will come a fresh approach to song writing and he
can achieve success in his own right and not with the name of a now
defunct duo.