Tribal Opera

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Tribal Opera | type = studio | artist = iDEoLA | cover = TribalOpera.jpg | alt = | released = 1987 | recorded = | studio = Fingerprint Recorders, Los Angeles, California | genre = Rock | length = | label = What?/A&M | producer = Mark Heard | prev_title = Mosaics | prev_year = 1985 | next_title = Dry Bones Dance | next_year = 1990 }} {{Music ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/tribal–-opera-mw0000864673|title=Tribal Opera - iDEoLA - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|accessdate=29 October 2018}}</ref> }}

'''''Tribal Opera''''' is an album by Mark Heard (using the pseudonym iDEoLA), released in 1987 on What? Records. It is a full-on solo project, put together by Heard in his home studio using samples and acoustic, electric and electronic instruments. The band name iDEoLA has no particular meaning; of it Heard said, "It's not supposed to be mysterious or anything; I just put a band together and right now I happen to be the only one in it." The album was a big departure step away from the country/folk-rock atmosphere of much of Heard's prior and subsequent music.<ref>{{cite book| last=Powell| first=Mark Allan| title=Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music| publisher=Hendrickson Publishers| year=2002| location=Peabody, Massachusetts| page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofco00mark/page/408 408]| isbn=1-56563-679-1| url-access=registration| url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofco00mark/page/408}}</ref>

Both Rich Mullins and Olivia Newton-John later covered "How to Grow Up Big and Strong" on their own albums. Americana artist John Austin covered "Go Ask the Dead Man".

==Track listing== All songs written by Mark Heard.

'''Side one''' # "I Am An Emotional Man" – 4:30 # "Is It Any Wonder" – 3:49 # "Watching the Ship Go Down" – 3:53 # "Talk To Me" – 3:49 # "Go Ask the Dead Man" – 3:52

'''Side two''' # "Love Is Bigger Than Life" – 3:37 # "How to Grow Up Big and Strong" – 5:07 # "Everybody Dances" – 4:07 # "Why Can't We Just Say No" – 4:24 # "Hold Back Your Tears" – 3:47

== Personnel == '''The band'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://christianmusicarchive.com/album/tribal-opera|title=Tribal Opera - Christian Music Archive|website=christianmusicarchive.com|accessdate=29 October 2018}}</ref> * iDEoLA – all instruments and vocals

'''Additional musicians''' People who hit things for digital samples at Fingerprint Recorders: Doug Mathews, David McSparran, Steve Hindalong, David Baker (who also played the Wengi Drum introduction for "Talk To Me") and Dan Michaels

'''Production notes''' *Produced and recorded by Mark Heard at Fingerprint Recorders, Los Angeles, California *Mixed digitally by Mark Heard at Can Am Recorders, Tarzana, California *Assistants: Stan Katayama, Dan Reed and, Jim Dineen *PCM 1630 editing at Digital Magnetics by Ted Hall *Digital mastering at Futuredisc by Steve Hall *Slaves prepared at Hollywood Sound *Cover design and graphic arts: Tim Alderson *Back cover photo-art by Stewart ivester *Front cover optical textures by Andrew Doucene

== References == {{reflist}}

Category:1987 albums Category:Mark Heard albums