Classic Rock Bottom

This here is the thirty-fourth album in the series I thought up all by myself!

What we have here is NOT a failure to communicate, but the 1995 release from Tears For Fears, Raoul And The Kings Of Spain

This is the followup to 1993's Elemental which reached gold status in the US. That album, as well as this week's pick, were kinda sorta Roland Orzabal solo albums since Curt Smith had left the band.

As you well know (or should), Tears For Fears released two brilliant albums in the 80's, Songs From The Big Chair (5X platinum) and The Seeds Of Love (platinum) as well as their debut, The Hurting (gold). 

Raoul And The Kings Of Spain was not certified and only reached #79 on the US charts. It took me awhile to pick up this album because I was extremely underwhelmed with Elemental. To me it was just a bunch of extremely mellow songs and it made me quite sleepy. Now I can stand it. 

As for this week's pick, I really like it for some reason. There's plenty of geetar, more than I can remember on the previous album, but that's not the reason. There's just something here I really like and that grabbed me when I finally did listen to it the first time.

Listening to it now, there is something missing and it's Curt Smith. It doesn't bring it down a lot, but just a smidge. That point is proven when he rejoined the group and they released Everybody Loves A Happy Ending which is another brilliant album. 

I remember some review that weren't too kind to this album. As you can see, allmusic isn't kind either:

The second Tears for Fears album following Curt Smith's departure finds Roland Orzabal treading water (and self-consciously deep water at that). Long removed from the simple, melodic melancholy of the band's early work and abandoning the mid-period Beatles-influenced pop, Raoul and the Kings of Spain often borders on progressive rock. There's some genuinely pretty, if unexciting, music like the piano-driven ballad "Secrets," with it's soaring guitar line, and the gentle "Sketches of Pain." Unfortunately, everything is undone by Orzabal's lyrics (mostly co-written with guitarist/keyboardist Alan Griffiths). There seems to be a lack of ideas that cannot be concealed by the words, which are either inscrutable or embarrassingly silly ("What's the matter with your life/Did someone come and shoot your wife," he asks on "Sorry"). Listeners on both sides of the Atlantic couldn't be bothered, and the act's commercial fortunes fell even further.

Eh. What do they know?

Raoul And The Kings Of Spain

1. Raoul and The Kings of Spain
2. Falling Down
3. Secrets
4. God's Mistake
5. Sketches of Pain
6. Los Reyes Catolicos
7. Sorry
8. Humdrum and Humble
9. I Choose You
10. Don't Drink The Water
11. Me And My Big Ideas
12. Los Reyes Catolicos (Reprise)

Availability: Around 5 bucks new if you have Amazon prime. Otherwise it's around $7 new or used.

Views: 62

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Songs From The Big Chair and Seeds of Love are brilliant albums!

Tears For Fears is just good well played, well written smart music, I dont think I woudl classify them as rock and roll but I don think they deserve the pop/new wave moniker either. Its just good!

This fits the bill perfectly. Its not Top 40 music like it used to be though either, its a bit edgier, maybe more topical if you dig into the lyrical content. But I like it. I dont own this one, but its easily going into the wish list.

Sketches of Pain is awesome, mesmerizing even! Love that they rock it up a good bit in the middle of this. Theres no misses, only hits...

One thing that's consistent about all the albums I own from them, and thats the production values are always very high. This one sounds no different. All of their albums sound great!?

Pulling the trigger on this one ASAP! Brilliant post this week! And I dont haveto ask if Im right either, I know I am!!!

This is a really good listening experience.  The only album I own by TFF is Songs From The Big Chair (vinyl).  But I've never listened to it.  I have come very close to picking it up on CD several times, just haven't done so.  Also, TFF is perennially on my list of "bands I'd like to explore".  This album has solidified their spot there.  The song Humdrum and Humble is really cool, but the whole album was cool.

RSS

Question Of The Week

CRB Features (Click photo to visit)

Birthdays

There are no birthdays today

CRB Staff Members

 

In Memory Of

Norma Jean Fox
(11/30/1945-9/7/2010)

Photos

  • Add Photos
  • View All

Videos

  • Add Videos
  • View All

Badge

Loading…

© 2024   Created by RJhog (Admin).   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service