# Tribal Opera

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribal_Opera
> Source revision: 1313155772
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Tribal Opera
| type       = studio
| artist     = [iDEoLA](/source/Mark_Heard)
| cover      = TribalOpera.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = 1987
| recorded   =
| studio     = Fingerprint Recorders, [Los Angeles, California](/source/Los_Angeles%2C_California)
| genre      = [Rock](/source/Rock_music)
| length     =
| label      = [What?](/source/What%3F_Records)/[A&M](/source/A%26M_Records)
| producer   = [Mark Heard](/source/Mark_Heard)
| prev_title = [Mosaics](/source/Mosaics_(Mark_Heard_album))
| prev_year  = 1985
| next_title = [Dry Bones Dance](/source/Dry_Bones_Dance)
| next_year  = 1990
}}
{{Music ratings
 | rev1 = [AllMusic](/source/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](/source/Mark_Heard) (using the pseudonym iDEoLA), released in 1987 on [What? Records](/source/What%3F_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](/source/Rich_Mullins) and [Olivia Newton-John](/source/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](/source/David_McSparran), [Steve Hindalong](/source/Steve_Hindalong), David Baker (who also played the Wengi Drum introduction for "Talk To Me") and [Dan Michaels](/source/Dan_Michaels)

'''Production notes'''
*Produced and recorded by Mark Heard at Fingerprint Recorders, [Los Angeles, California](/source/Los_Angeles%2C_California)
*Mixed digitally by Mark Heard at Can Am Recorders, [Tarzana, California](/source/Tarzana%2C_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}}

{{Mark Heard}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1987 albums
Category:Mark Heard albums

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tribal Opera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribal_Opera) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribal_Opera?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.