Tears for Fears | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Tears for Fears were always more ambitious than the average synth pop group. From the beginning, the duo of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith were tackling big subjects -- their very name derived from Arthur Janovs primal scream therapy, and his theories were evident throughout their debut, The Hurting. Driven by catchy, infectious synth pop, The Hurting became a big hit in their native England, setting the stage for international stardom with their second album, 1985s Songs from the Big Chair. On the strength of the singles "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and "Shout," the record became a major hit, establishing the duo as one of the leading acts of the second generation of MTV stars. Instead of quickly recording a follow-up, Tears for Fears labored over their third album, the psychedelic and jazz-rock-tinged The Seeds of Love. While the album was a big hit, it was the end of an era instead of a new beginning. Smith left the group early in the 90s, and Orzabal continued with Tears for Fears, pursuing more sophisticated and pretentious directions to a smaller audience. Orzabal and Smith met as children in Bath, England. Both boys came from broken homes, and Smith was leaning toward juvenile delinquency. Orzabal, however, turned toward books, eventually discovering Arthur Janovs primal scream therapy, a way of confronting childhood fears that John Lennon embraced after the Beatles disbanded. Orzabal turned Smith on to Janov, but before the duo explored this theory further, they formed the ska revival band Graduate in the late 70s. After releasing a handful of singles, including "Elvis Should Play Ska," Graduate dissolved in the early 80s, and the duo went on to form Tears for Fears, a synth pop outfit directly inspired by Janovs writings. Riding in on the tail end of new wave and new romantic, Tears for Fears -- which featured musical contributions from former Graduate keyboardist Ian Stanley on early albums -- landed a record contract with Polygram in 1982. The following year, the band released its debut, The Hurting, which became a major hit in Britain, generating no less than three Top Five hit singles. Two years later, the group released Songs from the Big Chair, which demonstrated a more streamlined and soul-influenced sound. Songs from the Big Chair became a huge hit in America, rocketing to the top of the charts on the strength of the singles "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and "Shout," which both hit number one, and the number three "Head Over Heels," which were all supported by clever, stylish videos that received heavy MTV airplay. Instead of quickly following Songs from the Big Chair with a new record, Tears for Fears labored over their new record, eventually delivering the layered, Beatlesque The Seeds of Love in 1989. Featuring soulful vocals from Oleta Adams, who dominated the hit "Woman in Chains," the album became a hit, reaching number eight, while the single "Sowing the Seeds of Love" reached number two in the U.S. Again, Tears for Fears spent several years working on the follow-up to Seeds of Love, during which time they released the collection Tears Roll Down: Greatest Hits 82-92. Smith and Orzabal began to quarrel heavily, and Smith left the group in 1992, making Tears for Fears 1993 comeback Elemental essentially a solo record from Orzabal. On the strength of the adult contemporary hit "Break It Down Again," Elemental became a modest hit, reaching gold status in the U.S., yet was hardly up to the groups previous levels. Smith, meanwhile, released a solo album in 1993, Soul on Board, which went ignored. Orzabal returned with another Tears for Fears album, Raoul and the Kings of Spain, in 1995, which failed to make much of an impact. In late 1996, the group released a rarities collection. In 2004, Orzabal reunited with Smith for the colorful and Beatlesque Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, their first collaboration in over a decade. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 26 Title: The Hurting Released: 1983-03-07 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Hurting (04:20) 2 Mad World (03:32) 3 Pale Shelter (04:34) 4 Ideas as Opiates (03:46) 5 Memories Fade (05:08) 6 Suffer the Children (03:53) 7 Watch Me Bleed (04:18) 8 Change (04:15) 9 The Prisoner (02:55) 10 Start of the Breakdown (05:00) |
| The Hurting : Allmusic album Review : The Hurting would have been a daring debut for a pop-oriented band in any era, but it was an unexpected success in England in 1983, mostly by virtue of its makers ability to package an unpleasant subject -- the psychologically wretched family histories of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith -- in an attractive and sellable musical format. Not that there werent a few predecessors, most obviously John Lennons Plastic Ono Band album -- which was also, not coincidentally, inspired by the work of primal scream pioneer Arthur Janov. (But Lennon had the advantage of being an ex-Beatle when that meant the equivalent to having a box next to Gods in the great arena of life, where Tears for Fears were just starting out.) Decades later, "Pale Shelter," "Ideas as Opiates," "Memories Fade," "Suffer the Children," "Watch Me Bleed," "Change," and "Start of the Breakdown" are powerful pieces of music, beautifully executed in an almost minimalist style. "Memories Fade" offers emotional resonances reminiscent of "Working Class Hero," while "Pale Shelter" functions on a wholly different level, an exquisite sonic painting sweeping the listener up in layers of pulsing synthesizers, acoustic guitar arpeggios, and sheets of electronic sound (and anticipating the sonic texture, if not the precise sound of their international breakthrough pop hit "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"). The work is sometimes uncomfortably personal, but musically compelling enough to bring it back across the decades. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 26 Title: Songs From the Big Chair Released: 1985-02-17 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:13:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Shout (06:32) 2 The Working Hour (06:31) 3 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (04:11) 4 Mothers Talk (05:09) 5 I Believe (04:54) 6 Broken (02:38) 7 Head Over Heels / Broken (live) (05:02) 8 Listen (06:50) 9 The Big Chair (03:21) 10 Empire Building (02:52) 11 The Marauders (04:15) 12 Broken Revisited (05:16) 13 The Conflict (04:04) 14 Mothers Talk (04:14) 15 Shout (U.S. remix) (08:02) |
| Songs From the Big Chair : Allmusic album Review : If The Hurting was mental anguish, Songs from the Big Chair marks the progression towards emotional healing, a particularly bold sort of catharsis culled from Roland Orzabal and Curt Smiths shared attraction to primal scream therapy. The album also heralded a dramatic maturation in the bands music, away from the synth-pop brand with which it was (unjustly) seared following the debut, and towards a complex, enveloping pop sophistication. The songwriting of Orzabal, Smith, and keyboardist Ian Stanley took a huge leap forward, drawing on reserves of palpable emotion and lovely, protracted melodies that draw just as much on soul and R&B music as they do on immediate pop hooks. The album could almost be called pseudo-conceptual, as each song holds its place and each is integral to the overall tapestry, a single-minded resolve that is easy to overlook when an album is as commercially successful as Songs from the Big Chair. And commercially successful it was, containing no less than three huge commercial radio hits, including the dramatic and insistent march, "Shout" and the shimmering, cascading "Head Over Heels," which, tellingly, is actually part of a song suite on the album. Orzabal and Smiths penchant for theorizing with steely-eyed austerity was mistaken for harsh bombasticism in some quarters, but separated from its era, the album only seems earnestly passionate and immediate, and each song has the same driven intent and the same glistening remoteness. It is not only a commercial triumph, it is an artistic tour de force. And in the loping, percolating "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," Tears for Fears perfectly captured the zeitgeist of the mid-80s while impossibly managing to also create a dreamy, timeless pop classic. Songs from the Big Chair is one of the finest statements of the decade. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 26 Title: The Seeds of Love Released: 1989-09-27 Tracks: 8 Duration: 49:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Woman in Chains (06:28) 2 Badman’s Song (08:32) 3 Sowing the Seeds of Love (06:18) 4 Advice for the Young at Heart (04:51) 5 Standing on the Corner of the Third World (05:30) 6 Swords and Knives (06:20) 7 Year of the Knife (06:55) 8 Famous Last Words (04:31) |
| The Seeds of Love : Allmusic album Review : Along with Songs from the Big Chair, The Seeds of Love was part of a one-two artistic punch in the late 80s that situated Tears for Fears as one of the decades more ambitious pop groups. But at the time, Tears was more a platform for Roland Orzabal than a true band -- Curt Smith is present only on the smash "Sowing the Seeds of Love" (his only co-writing credit), while Ian Stanley was replaced by Nicky Holland as a keyboardist and Orzabals songwriting partner. Like their other albums, The Seeds of Love continues the concept of moving from hurting to healing to beginning anew (the hit "Sowing the Seeds of Love") to growing apart. The songs feature expansive melodies instead of blatant hooks, and the sound is more grounded in soul and gospel on songs like "Woman in Chains," the updated Philly-soul strain of "Advice for the Young at Heart" and "Badmans Song." Orazabals passionate vocals are well matched by Oleta Adams fervent contributions. The group even dabbles in jazz on "Standing on the Corner of the Third World," the fabulous "Swords and Knives," and the slow-burning "Year of the Knife." As for the title track, it manages to be insanely intricate as well as catchy. Full of arcane references, lovely turns of phrase, and perfectly matched suite-like parts, it updates the orchestral grandiosity -- though not the actual sound -- of the Beatles psychedelic period. Its completely different from the polished, atmospheric soul that surrounds it, but paradoxically, its also the albums cornerstone. "Sowing the Seeds of Love" is the apotheosis of Orzabal and Smiths evolution together, and foreshadowed their impending split: the two parted on bad terms during the album, ensuring yet another change in the bands direction thereafter. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 26 Title: Cape Fear Released: 1992 Tracks: 11 Duration: 49:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Mothers Talk (03:42) 2 Broken (02:58) 3 Head Over Heels (04:33) 4 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (04:21) 5 The Hurting (03:46) 6 Suffer the Children (04:22) 7 Change (04:30) 8 Start of the Breakdown (05:41) 9 Memories Fade (05:18) 10 Mad World (03:55) 11 Shout (06:45) |
 | Album: 5 of 26 Title: Tears Roll Down: Greatest Hits 82–92 Released: 1992 Tracks: 12 Duration: 59:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sowing the Seeds of Love (06:18) 2 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (04:11) 3 Woman in Chains (06:28) 4 Shout (06:32) 5 Head Over Heels (04:15) 6 Mad World (03:32) 7 Pale Shelter (04:39) 8 I Believe (04:54) 9 Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down) (04:44) 10 Mothers Talk (04:59) 11 Change (03:54) 12 Advice for the Young at Heart (04:51) |
| Tears Roll Down: Greatest Hits 82–92 : Allmusic album Review : Capturing some of their chart-topping smashes and other key tracks, Tears for Fears marks a monumental career with their collection Tears Roll Down: Greatest Hits 82-92. Toward the end of the praise surrounding their third album, 1991s Seeds of Love, Curt Smith left the band. Roland Orzabal was left to sail the ship alone, and the strong success dwindled years later. However, this dozen-track compilation showcases some of the bands early tracks heavily dominated by pulsating bass drops and heavy synth beats. "Pale Shelter" and "Mad World" from their 1982 debut The Hurting moved toward the soul-defining musical maturation found on 1985s groundbreaking staple Songs From the Big Chair. The Top Ten hits are undoubtedly featured: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," "Shout," and the more obscure "Mothers Talk." The luscious "Head Over Heels" cuts short of its closing guitar work, a disappointment in the grand scheme of Tears for Fears synth-dominated sound. Such layered riffs separated the rawness from the fluffy new wave aspect. "Sowing the Seeds of Love" marked the bands own branded progressive rock & roll, but "Woman in Chains," the gospel-tinged cut featuring guest vocals from Oleta Adams, was their most spiritual effort. Essentially, the dozen-track collection is a perfect look at what Tears for Fears did for music during the 80s until the mid-90s. They made new wave sound cool and melodically beautiful. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 26 Title: Elemental Released: 1993-06-02 Tracks: 10 Duration: 46:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Elemental (05:30) 2 Cold (05:05) 3 Break It Down Again (04:32) 4 Mr. Pessimist (06:16) 5 Dog’s a Best Friend’s Dog (03:39) 6 Fish Out of Water (05:10) 7 Gas Giants (02:41) 8 Power (05:46) 9 Brian Wilson Said (04:24) 10 Goodnight Song (03:52) |
| Elemental : Allmusic album Review : On Elemental, Tears for Fears is Roland Orzabal, and he backs away from the cinematic production of The Seeds of Love, preferring a more direct and soulful style of pop music that appeals to both adult contemporary and adult alternative radio audiences. While some of the material is a little weak, the record is easily as good as its immediate predecessor. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 26 Title: Raoul and the Kings of Spain Released: 1995-10-06 Tracks: 12 Duration: 50:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Raoul and the Kings of Spain (05:16) 2 Falling Down (04:55) 3 Secrets (04:41) 4 God’s Mistake (03:48) 5 Sketches of Pain (04:20) 6 Los reyes Católicos (01:44) 7 Sorry (04:48) 8 Humdrum and Humble (04:10) 9 I Choose You (03:25) 10 Dont Drink the Water (04:51) 11 Me and My Big Ideas (04:32) 12 Los reyes Católicos (reprise) (03:43) |
| Raoul and the Kings of Spain : Allmusic album Review : The second Tears for Fears album following Curt Smiths departure finds Roland Orzabal treading water (and self-consciously deep water at that). Long removed from the simple, melodic melancholy of the bands early work and abandoning the mid-period Beatles-influenced pop, Raoul and the Kings of Spain often borders on progressive rock. Theres some genuinely pretty, if unexciting, music like the piano-driven ballad "Secrets," with its soaring guitar line, and the gentle "Sketches of Pain." Unfortunately, everything is undone by Orzabals 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 ("Whats the matter with your life/Did someone come and shoot your wife," he asks on "Sorry"). Listeners on both sides of the Atlantic couldnt be bothered, and the acts commercial fortunes fell even further. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 26 Title: Saturnine Martial & Lunatic Released: 1996 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:18:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams (06:21) 2 The Big Chair (03:21) 3 Schrodingers Cat (05:03) 4 My Life in the Suicide Ranks (04:32) 5 When in Love With a Blind Man (02:23) 6 Pharaohs (03:41) 7 Deja Vu & the Sins of Science (06:23) 8 The Marauders (04:15) 9 Tears Roll Down (03:16) 10 New Star (04:26) 11 The Body Wah (05:17) 12 Lord of Karma (04:41) 13 Bloodletting Go (04:13) 14 Always in the Past (04:38) 15 Sea Song (03:51) 16 Ashes to Ashes (04:31) 17 Empire Building (02:52) 18 The Way You Are (04:55) |
| Saturnine Martial & Lunatic : Allmusic album Review : Spanning the groups prime period of 1983 to 1993, Saturnine Martial & Lunatic is an odd, incomplete collection of B-sides and rarities from Tears For Fears. Although this material is valuable for hardcore fans, it only scratches the surface of the groups B-sides. Nevertheless, several prime tracks -- including the non-LP U.K. hit single "The Way You Are" and a cover of David Bowies "Ashes to Ashes" -- are featured, which makes it worthwhile for dedicated fans, even though its incompleteness (especially since it comes at the expense of several weaker latter-day cuts) will make Saturnine Martial & Lunatic a frustrating listen. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 26 Title: The Universal Masters Collection: Classic Tears for Fears Released: 2000 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:18:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Break It Down Again (04:32) 2 Shout (06:32) 3 Goodnight Song (03:54) 4 Badman’s Song (08:32) 5 Power (05:42) 6 Cold (05:05) 7 Dog’s a Best Friend’s Dog (03:39) 8 Swords and Knives (06:13) 9 Famous Last Words (04:21) 10 Mothers Talk (04:14) 11 Head Over Heels (04:15) 12 Advice for the Young at Heart (04:51) 13 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (04:11) 14 Sowing the Seeds of Love (06:18) 15 Woman in Chains (06:28) |
 | Album: 10 of 26 Title: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Tears for Fears Released: 2000 Tracks: 11 Duration: 55:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (04:11) 2 Shout (06:32) 3 Sowing the Seeds of Love (06:18) 4 Head Over Heels (04:15) 5 Woman in Chains (06:28) 6 Break It Down Again (04:32) 7 Mothers Talk (04:14) 8 I Believe (A Soulful Re‐recording) (04:41) 9 Advice for the Young at Heart (04:51) 10 Change (extended version) (05:59) 11 Pharoahs (03:41) |
 | Album: 11 of 26 Title: Shout Released: 2001 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:08:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Shout (06:32) 2 Advice for the Young at Heart (04:51) 3 Sowing the Seeds of Love (06:18) 4 Woman in Chains (05:25) 5 I Believe (04:54) 6 Pale Shelter (04:34) 7 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (04:11) 8 Head Over Heels (04:15) 9 Mad World (03:32) 10 Break It Down Again (04:32) 11 Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down) (04:44) 12 Change (04:15) 13 The Working Hour (06:31) 14 Goodnight Song (03:53) |
 | Album: 12 of 26 Title: The Working Hour: An Introduction to Tears for Fears Released: 2001 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:17:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pale Shelter (04:34) 2 Memories Fade (05:08) 3 Start of the Breakdown (05:00) 4 The Hurting (04:15) 5 The Marauders (04:15) 6 The Working Hour (06:31) 7 Shout (U.S. remix) (08:02) 8 Head Over Heels (04:15) 9 Sowing the Seeds of Love (06:18) 10 Standing on the Corner of the Third World (05:30) 11 Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams (04:17) 12 Break It Down Again (04:32) 13 Elemental (05:30) 14 Bloodletting Go (04:13) 15 The Body Wah (05:17) |
| The Working Hour: An Introduction to Tears for Fears : Allmusic album Review : Universal/Mercurys Working Hour: An Introduction to Tears for Fears collects 15 tracks from the mercurial English pop group, culled from all of their albums up to 1994s Elemental. While there are a number of radio hits here ("Pale Shelter," "Shout," "Head Over Heels," "Sowing the Seeds of Love") the omission of key tracks like "Mad World" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" keeps the collection relegated to the shadows behind far better overviews like Shout: The Very Best of Tears for Fears and 2006s Gold. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 26 Title: Shout: The Very Best of Tears for Fears Released: 2001-09-25 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:19:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mad World (03:32) 2 Change (03:54) 3 Pale Shelter (04:24) 4 The Way You Are (04:55) 5 Suffer the Children (03:53) 6 Mothers Talk (04:14) 7 Shout (06:32) 8 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (04:11) 9 Head Over Heels (04:15) 10 I Believe (A Soulful Re‐recording) (04:41) 11 Sowing the Seeds of Love (05:44) 12 Woman in Chains (06:28) 13 Advice for the Young at Heart (04:51) 14 Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down) (04:40) 15 Break It Down Again (04:32) 16 New Star (From the Movie Threesome) (04:27) 17 Goodnight Song (03:52) |
| Shout: The Very Best of Tears for Fears : Allmusic album Review : Shout: The Very Best of Tears for Fears provides an excellent overview of the bands key tracks, including all their hit singles, beginning with tracks from their first album, The Hurting, and ending with tracks from the post-Curt Smith album Elemental. (Curt Smith, one-half the duo, left after 1989s The Seeds of Love). Tears for Fears already had one excellent hits package on the market, 1992s Tears Roll Down, but this set improves on that one by including all the tracks from that album, plus an additional five. Not only that, but the version of "Mothers Talk" on Tears Roll Down was not the hit single remix -- the version here is. Also included is the non-album U.K. single "The Way You Are," "Suffer the Children" (from The Hurting), "New Star" from the film Threesome, and the follow-up to their final charted U.S. single, "Break It Down Again" and "Goodnight Song," as well as a non-LP single remix of "I Believe." This album does not include any tracks from Raoul and the Kings of Spain, but clocking in at 79 minutes, it is filled to the brim with hits and stands as the definitive Tears for Fears collection, with excellent liner notes to boot. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 26 Title: The Ultimate Collection Released: 2003 Tracks: 37 Duration: 3:16:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mad World (03:32) 2 Change (04:15) 3 Pale Shelter (04:34) 4 The Way You Are (04:55) 5 Mothers Talk (05:09) 6 Shout (06:32) 7 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (04:11) 8 Head Over Heels (05:02) 9 I Believe (04:54) 10 Sowing the Seeds of Love (06:18) 11 Women in Chains (06:29) 12 Advice for the Young at Heart (04:51) 13 Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down) (04:44) 14 Break It Down Again (04:32) 15 Cold (05:05) 1 Start of the Breakdown (04:57) 2 Watch Me Bleed (04:18) 3 The Working Hour (06:31) 4 Sea Song (03:51) 5 Badman’s Song (08:32) 6 Year of the Knife (07:09) 7 Swords and Knives (06:13) 8 Famous Last Words (04:23) 9 Dog’s a Best Friend’s Dog (03:39) 10 Brian Wilson Said (04:24) 11 Goodnight Song (03:52) 12 Ashes to Ashes (04:31) 13 Bloodletting Go (04:13) 14 Raoul and the Kings of Spain (05:16) 15 Me and My Big Ideas (04:32) 1 Change (extended version) (05:59) 2 Pale Shelter (long version) (07:07) 3 The Way You Are (extended) (07:41) 4 Mothers Talk (04:14) 5 Shout (U.S. remix) (08:02) 6 Calling Out (06:05) 7 Soul on Board (05:12) |
 | Album: 15 of 26 Title: The Collection Released: 2003-10 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:19:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pharaohs (03:41) 2 Shout (06:32) 3 Mad World (03:32) 4 Mothers Talk (03:57) 5 The Working Hour (05:32) 6 Sea Song (03:51) 7 I Believe (04:54) 8 Ideas as Opiates (03:47) 9 Year of the Knife (07:08) 10 Break It Down Again (04:32) 11 Memories Fade (05:08) 12 Empire Building (02:52) 13 Brian Wilson Said (04:24) 14 Sowing the Seeds of Love (06:18) 15 Always in the Past (04:38) 16 Change (04:15) 17 Advice for the Young at Heart (04:51) |
| The Collection : Allmusic album Review : The natural inclination is to compare this 2003 compilation, released in the U.K., to 2001s U.S.-released Shout: The Very Best of Tears for Fears. Both compilations have a similar scope (others have either unjustly ignored 1983s The Hurting or cut off at a certain point) and contain the same number of tracks. And yet the selections are quite different, even though both include most of the obvious picks -- "Mad World," "Change," "Break It Down Again," "Sowing the Seeds of Love," "Advice for the Young at Heart." This set leaves off "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and "Woman in Chains," which will be an instant turnoff for most, especially those in the U.S. Unless you cant stand those two songs -- which, to be fair, were fairly ubiquitous in certain quarters -- this set wont be of much use to you. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 26 Title: Everybody Loves a Happy Ending Released: 2004-09-14 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:02:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Everybody Loves a Happy Ending (04:21) 2 Closest Thing to Heaven (03:36) 3 Call Me Mellow (03:39) 4 Size of Sorrow (04:43) 5 Who Killed Tangerine? (05:33) 6 Quiet Ones (04:22) 7 Who You Are (03:41) 8 The Devil (03:31) 9 Secret World (05:12) 10 Killing With Kindness (05:25) 11 Ladybird (04:50) 12 Last Days on Earth (05:43) 13 Pullin a Cloud (02:48) 14 Out of Control (05:08) |
| Everybody Loves a Happy Ending : Allmusic album Review : More than a decade has passed since Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith parted ways with their soulful and ambitious swansong, Seeds of Love. Orzabal released two records under the Tears for Fears moniker in the mid-90s, but the bands signature blend of hook-filled anthems and art pop excess seemed destined to reside eternally in the post-new wave graveyard of the 80s. Then came the film Donnie Darko, a left-field cult hit that featured California singer/songwriter Gary Jules chart-topping (in the U.K. anyway) rendition of the bands 1983 hit, "Mad World." The renewed interest in the group found the boys ready and willing to set aside their differences and give it another go, and the resulting Everybody Loves a Happy Ending capably exhibits why that interest was there in the first place. Tears for Fears have always dabbled in the Beatlesque, but never as blatantly as on the full-peacock flush of the colorful title cut. Like ELO rearranging Paul and Linda McCartneys "Uncle Albert-Admiral Halsey," its the first flag in a sea of red signaling a return to form that many deemed unlikely. "Closest Thing to Heaven" builds off of "Sowing the Seeds of Love"s blueprints -- it even utilizes the mid-track reverse drum fill -- without coming off as a carbon copy. This is the closest they have come to crafting a possible hit single in years, and its a testament to their "still flexing" pop chops that they can meld a bittersweet piano dirge with a sunny 70s soft rock chorus without sounding contrived. "Who Killed Tangerine" continues mining the Beatles vein, juxtaposing each spooky verse against a chorus reminiscent of "Hey Jude." They havent abandoned the adult contemporary pop that began to creep in post-Smith -- "Size of Sorrow" and "Ladybird" are nice and forgettable -- but the dark experimental nature of songs like "Quiet Ones" and "Devil" make up for the occasional blandness. Everybody Loves a Happy Ending will do little to convert those who winced at Orzabal and Smiths obtuse lyrics and over the top production the first time around, but loyal followers, fans of XTCs Apple Venus, Pt. 1, and lovers of intricately arranged and artfully executed pop music will find themselves delightfully consumed by another chapter from this enigmatic group. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 26 Title: Chronicles: 3 Classic Albums Released: 2005-06-21 Tracks: 41 Duration: 3:25:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Hurting (04:20) 2 Mad World (03:32) 3 Pale Shelter (04:34) 4 Ideas as Opiates (03:46) 5 Memories Fade (05:08) 6 Suffer the Children (03:53) 7 Watch Me Bleed (04:18) 8 Change (04:15) 9 The Prisoner (02:55) 10 Start of the Breakdown (05:00) 11 Pale Shelter (long version) (07:07) 12 The Way You Are (extended) (07:41) 13 Mad World (World remix) (03:43) 14 Change (extended version) (05:59) 1 Shout (06:32) 2 The Working Hour (06:31) 3 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (04:11) 4 Mothers Talk (05:09) 5 I Believe (04:54) 6 Broken (02:38) 7 Head Over Heels / Broken (live) (05:02) 8 Listen (06:50) 9 The Big Chair (03:21) 10 Empire Building (02:52) 11 The Marauders (04:15) 12 Broken Revisited (05:16) 13 The Conflict (04:04) 14 Mothers Talk (04:14) 15 Shout (U.S. remix) (08:02) 1 Woman in Chains (06:28) 2 Badman’s Song (08:32) 3 Sowing the Seeds of Love (06:17) 4 Advice for the Young at Heart (04:51) 5 Standing on the Corner of the Third World (05:30) 6 Swords and Knives (06:13) 7 Year of the Knife (07:08) 8 Famous Last Words (04:27) 9 Tears Roll Down (03:16) 10 Always in the Past (04:38) 11 Music for Tables (03:32) 12 Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams (04:18) |
 | Album: 18 of 26 Title: Sowing the Seeds of Love: The Best of Tears for Fears Released: 2006 Tracks: 28 Duration: 2:15:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Sowing the Seeds of Love (06:18) 2 Shout (06:32) 3 Pale Shelter (04:42) 4 Pharaohs (03:42) 5 New Star (04:26) 6 I Believe (04:54) 7 Break It Down Again (04:32) 8 Lord of Karma (04:39) 9 Badman’s Song (08:32) 10 Schrodingers Cat (05:03) 11 Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down) (04:42) 12 Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams (04:17) 13 Power (05:51) 14 Dog’s a Best Friend’s Dog (03:39) 1 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (04:11) 2 Mad World (03:32) 3 Head Over Heels (04:15) 4 Woman in Chains (06:28) 5 When in Love With a Blind Man (02:23) 6 Swords and Knives (06:13) 7 Ashes to Ashes (04:31) 8 Advice for the Young at Heart (04:51) 9 Always in the Past (04:38) 10 Change (04:15) 11 Tears Roll Down (03:16) 12 The Working Hour (06:31) 13 The Marauders (04:15) 14 Goodnight Song (03:52) |
 | Album: 19 of 26 Title: Secret World Released: 2006-02-27 Tracks: 12 Duration: 57:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Secret World (04:54) 2 Call Me Mellow (03:45) 3 Sowing the Seeds of Love (06:51) 4 Pale Shelter (04:43) 5 Closest Thing to Heaven (04:08) 6 Mad World (05:14) 7 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (04:27) 8 Head Over Heels (04:12) 9 Shout (06:32) 10 Secret World (radio edit) (03:37) 11 Floating Down the River (03:56) 12 What Are We Fighting For (04:46) |
 | Album: 20 of 26 Title: Gold Released: 2006-08-08 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:53:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mad World (03:32) 2 Pale Shelter (04:26) 3 Change (04:15) 4 The Way You Are (04:55) 5 Shout (06:32) 6 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (04:11) 7 Mothers Talk (04:14) 8 Head Over Heels (04:15) 9 Woman in Chains (06:28) 10 Sowing the Seeds of Love (06:18) 11 Advice for the Young at Heart (04:51) 12 Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down) (04:40) 1 Elemental (03:49) 2 Cold (05:05) 3 Break It Down Again (04:32) 4 New Star (04:26) 5 Raoul and the Kings of Spain (05:16) 6 God’s Mistake (03:48) 7 Closest Thing to Heaven (03:36) 8 Who Killed Tangerine? (05:33) 9 Call Me Mellow (03:39) 10 Secret World (05:05) 11 Floating Down the River (Once Again) (03:55) 12 Mad World (live) (05:43) |
| Gold : Allmusic album Review : Hip-Os excellent two-disc Tears for Fears Gold collection boasts 24 tracks from the veteran English duo. All of the obvious hits ("Shout," "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," "Head Over Heels," "Mad World," and "Sowing the Seeds of Love") are here, but its the inclusion of tracks from their woefully overlooked 2004 comeback album, Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, that warrants a high rating. With the exception of the impossibly fun -- and more than a little "Beatlesque" -- title cut, all of the albums best songs are featured, making this compilation essential for anybody who wonders what happened after 1990. While the bonus-disc edition of Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82-92) is the best overview of their career up through The Seeds of Love, Gold successfully brings their whole surprisingly weighty career into focus. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 26 Title: Famous Last Words: The Collection Released: 2007-05-14 Tracks: 35 Duration: 2:36:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pharaohs (03:41) 2 Brian Wilson Said (04:24) 3 New Star (04:26) 4 The Way You Are (04:55) 5 Break It Down Again (04:32) 6 Sowing the Seeds of Love (06:18) 7 Lord of Karma (04:28) 8 Ideas as Opiates (03:47) 9 Suffer the Children (03:52) 10 When in Love With a Blind Man (02:23) 11 We Are Broken (04:04) 12 Cold (05:05) 13 Year of the Knife (07:11) 14 Famous Last Words (04:23) 15 The Big Chair (03:35) 16 Deja-Vu and the Sins of Science (06:13) 17 Ghost Papa (03:54) 1 Shout (06:32) 2 Mothers Talk (04:59) 3 I Believe (a soulful re-recording) (04:44) 4 Head Over Heels (04:15) 5 Advice for the Young at Heart (04:51) 6 Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down) (04:40) 7 Mad World (03:32) 8 Change (03:54) 9 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (04:11) 10 Woman in Chains (06:25) 11 Tears Roll Down (03:16) 12 The Prisoner (02:55) 13 The Body Wah (05:17) 14 The Marauders (04:15) 15 The Hurting (04:15) 16 Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams (04:18) 17 Empire Building (02:52) 18 The Conflict (04:04) |
| Famous Last Words: The Collection : Allmusic album Review : Famous Last Words: The Collection would be the perfect Curt Smith-era Tears for Fears anthology if it included the bands earliest hit, "Pale Shelter." All of the others are here ("Shout," "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," "Head Over Heels," "Mad World," "Sowing the Seeds of Love," etc.), along with enough B-sides and rarities to satisfy even the most ardent fan. Listeners looking for a more comprehensive compilation, specifically one that covers the bands entire career up to 2004s excellent Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, would be better off with 2008s two-disc Gold. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 26 Title: Live From Santa Barbara Released: 2009 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:08:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I Believe (03:39) 2 Head Over Heels (04:33) 3 Woman in Chains (07:09) 4 Year of the Knife (08:00) 5 Advice for the Young at Heart (05:02) 6 Sowing the Seeds of Love (06:06) 7 Bad Mans Song (11:36) 8 Famous Last Words (03:57) 9 When the Saints Go Marching In (01:20) 10 Ive Got to Sing My Song (04:15) 11 Shout (08:24) 12 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (04:08) |
 | Album: 23 of 26 Title: Mad World: The Collection Released: 2010 Tracks: 35 Duration: 2:36:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Shout (06:29) 2 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (04:08) 3 Sowing the Seeds of Love (06:15) 4 Mad World (03:31) 5 Head Over Heels (04:15) 6 Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down) (04:40) 7 The Hurting (04:15) 8 Suffer the Children (03:53) 9 Mothers Talk (04:59) 10 Lord of Karma (04:28) 11 Cold (05:05) 12 New Star (04:26) 13 When in Love With a Blind Man (02:23) 14 Pharaohs (03:41) 15 We Are Broken (04:04) 16 Ideas as Opiates (03:46) 17 The Big Chair (03:35) 18 Brian Wilson Said (04:24) 1 Change (03:54) 2 Woman in Chains (06:24) 3 Tears Roll Down (03:16) 4 Advice for the Young at Heart (04:51) 5 Break It Down Again (04:32) 6 The Prisoner (02:55) 7 The Body Wah (05:17) 8 The Marauders (04:15) 9 Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams (04:18) 10 Empire Building (02:52) 11 The Conflict (04:04) 12 Ghost Papa (03:54) 13 The Way You Are (04:55) 14 I Believe (04:42) 15 Famous Last Words (04:21) 16 Deja-Vu and the Sins of Science (06:13) 17 Year of the Knife (07:11) |
| Mad World: The Collection : Allmusic album Review : Mad World: The Collection would be the perfect Curt Smith-era Tears for Fears anthology if it included the bands earliest hit, "Pale Shelter." All of the others are here ("Shout," "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," "Head Over Heels," "Mad World," "Sowing the Seeds of Love," etc.), along with enough B-sides and rarities to satisfy even the most ardent fan. Listeners looking for a more comprehensive compilation, specifically one that covers the bands entire career up to 2004s excellent Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, would be better off with 2008s two-disc Gold. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 26 Title: Everybody Wants to Rule the World: The Collection Released: 2013 Tracks: 16 Duration: 04:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mad World (?) 2 Shout (?) 3 Sowing the Seeds of Love (?) 4 Advice for the Young at Heart (04:51) 5 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (?) 6 Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams (?) 7 Ideas as Opiates (live) (?) 8 Year of the Knife (?) 9 Mothers Talk (U.S remix) (?) 10 Change (?) 11 Tears Roll Down (?) 12 Start of the Breakdown (?) 13 Memories Fade (?) 14 New Star (?) 15 Goodnight Song (?) 16 Cold (?) |
| Everybody Wants to Rule the World: The Collection : Allmusic album Review : Everybody Wants to Rule the World: The Collection rounds up 16 cuts from the English new wave hit makers, including in the singles "Sowing the Seeds of Love," "Mad World," "Shout," and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," but the lack of notable TFF hits like "Head Over Heels," "Pale Shelter," "Everybody Loves a Happy Ending," "Raoul and the Kings of Spain," and "Woman in Chains" makes this budget-priced collection pale in comparison to 2006s excellent and thorough Gold. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 26 Title: Icon Released: 2014 Tracks: 11 Duration: 54:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Shout (06:32) 2 Sowing the Seeds of Love (06:16) 3 Head Over Heels (04:15) 4 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (04:11) 5 Change (03:54) 6 Woman in Chains (06:28) 7 Mother’s Talk (05:00) 8 Advice for the Young at Heart (04:51) 9 Break It Down Again (04:32) 10 Pale Shelter (04:40) 11 Mad World (03:30) |
| Icon : Allmusic album Review : Part of Universals popular (and priced to move) Icon series, this short but succinct collection of hits from new wave and alt-rock powerhouses Tears for Fears offers up the best of the best, including radio staples like "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," "Head Over Heels," "Shout," "Mad World," and "Sowing the Seeds of Love." | ||
 | Album: 26 of 26 Title: Rule The World: The Greatest Hits Released: 2017-11-10 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:14:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Everybody Wants to Rule the World (04:12) 2 Shout (7″ edit) (04:46) 3 I Love You but I’m Lost (04:21) 4 Mad World (03:33) 5 Sowing the Seeds of Love (06:16) 6 Advice for the Young at Heart (04:51) 7 Head Over Heels (04:14) 8 Woman in Chains (06:28) 9 Change (03:54) 10 Stay (04:29) 11 Pale Shelter (2nd single version) (04:35) 12 Mothers Talk (U.S. remix) (04:12) 13 Break It Down Again (04:31) 14 I Believe (04:54) 15 Raoul and the Kings of Spain (05:16) 16 Closest Thing to Heaven (03:35) |