|
|
GALLUP
INDEPENDENT, October 14,1998
Lear’s Music Touches Silk Thread In Us - - S. J. Ludescher
GALLUP - Just like her famous dad, Tina Lear is due to hit stardom
at jetspeed. But, unlike dad William Lear (inventor of the Lear
jet), she won’t need a plane to do it. She just needs to
keep knocking out her knockout songs.
Lear’s second CD, "Full Moon Big Circle," is
enjoying heavy airplay on KGLP. There’s good reason. Lear’s
music has something for everyone - no pat arrangements or same-voiced
vocals. The variety is refreshing and so are the risks in some
of the tracks - by the humor or subject matter or both.
But one would expect no less from a musician who is also intensely
interesting and a gambler in her personal life. Worthy of note
is the consideration for the order of the selections on the
CD - something that has been sorely lacking on many albums since
the ‘60s or ‘70s.
For the legion of women in the ‘90s who heard a different
"beat" and chucked the stereotypes or expectations
of what "middle - aged" women should do as empty-nesters,
Lear could be a drummer. She has joined the chorus of women
singer/songwriters writing about ‘90s women, their issues,
what’s important to them - much like Bob Dylan chronicled
the angst of the ‘60s. (But Lear’s articulation is
crisper than Dylan ever thought of being.)
Sometime in her mid-30s, Lear divested herself of an unsupportive
husband and sailed into the sunset with three kids in tow, chasing
the tail of her dream.
Listen closely, all of her stories are in the music. One of
the most moving cuts, "Ancestor," was written on Thanksgiving
Day. It is about her world-famous father, William Lear, inventor
of the Lear jet, eight-track tape players and car radio players
to name a few.
Her grandmother and mother both appear on the next selection,
"Browning Grass," is an appeal to her elders to share
their wisdom. "My grandmother is a woman who is incredibly
energetic. One day she called me and was really shook up. She
said that she had looked into a mirror and hadn’t realized
how old she had become," Lear explained in a telephone
interview.
A must-listen selection is a very clever and catchy tune called
"Mommy." It’s a creative look at the mothers
of famous people. She calls it a "Hymn of Praise."
"I love being a mom, but it’s the most difficult task
I have ever undertaken." Lear said.
Another absolute have-to listen is "Capable Women."
It was inspired by an ordinary day observance of a woman at
Kinko’s making copies of her resume and getting packets
ready to send to prospective employers.
Her first album, "Classified Ads," is an interesting
juxtaposition of stories, as well. Although it shows a less
matured and polished Lear, the album is still worth the investment.
The title track, "Classified Ads," is the confessional
ad that introduced her present husband. She decided to take
out a personal ad. Part of it read, "Learjet woman with
a subway soul. Maserati body and a heart of gold." After
she placed it, her phone rang non - stop. When she finally decided
that maybe that wasn’t the vehicle to find her new love,
she decided to take only one more chance and it was Halim. "Mr.
Right."
It was magic. Lear said about her husband, "I’m so
incredibly happily married; it’s more than I could have
hoped for."
Also on "Classified Ads," speaking to the longing
and the deep conflict found in someone trying to follow her
dream is the song "Song in my Soul." And, perhaps,
it echoes her reluctance to sever her long-term first marriage
to make her dream a reality. "Music has kept me alive,"
she said.
Some will hear these albums and say, "Wow, she followed
me around and wrote that song about me." Or, if some of
us could put our thoughts or stories to music, this is how we
would aspire it to sound. The songs are incredibly intimate
and personal. She touches that silken thread inside of us that
reminds us we’re still all linked by a common thread of
stories.
Lear’s music is reminiscent of three stellar recording
stars: Joni Mitchell, after she studied with Charlie Mingus;
Carole King; and Carly Simon. The blend all of these familiar
voices, instrumentations, and styles of songwriting creates
a fresh, new sound that makes it uniquely Lear’s.
But her music is equally appealing to men. Picture a man playing
Lear as background music for that candlelit dinner to impress
a prospective girlfriend. What might it say to the woman? "This
guy is hip."
Listen closely, guys. There’s advice, too, scattered profusely
through the album, things that women wish men knew.
"I write songs for people who are oriented toward committed
relationships. The ones who are trying to find their souls and
still pay the rent," she said.
Lear’s newest big news is that she was just invited to
be a roster member of songs.com, formerly National Online Music
Alliance, which provides internet representation and makes her
CDs available for purchase there. Its toll-free order line is
1-800-BUY-MYCD.
Other internet sources for ordering Lear’s music are: Amazon.com
and Lear’s website at www.tinalear.com. All three websites
provide secure CD sales transaction capabilities and even samples
of songs.
For more traditional audiophiles - or those too anxious to wait
for the mail - Lear’s music can be purchased in Gallup
at Musicland in Rio West Mall or First Row Seat on Highway 665
near Price Rite.
"On a deep level, we are all searching for balance and
a good laugh," Lear said. These songs are her contribution
to the search. |
[top]
Developed by Big
Mind Media
|
|
|
"Wow, she followed me around
and
wrote that song about me."
|
|
