Review:

on 2011-05-20 CharlesMartel Said:

This is a great compilation from a band who proved that the new romantics didn't all have to be ponced up prats with bad hair dreaming of marrying a long-legged model and making music videos on Sri Lankan beaches while those who bought their music languished in the dread of Thatcher's Britain. At the time I had managed to escape the worst of it by moving to Hong Kong, but that decision also took me away from what had, new romantics apart, become a pretty vibrant music scene, such is often the case in times of economic hardship. At the time it seemed the best thing.

My big beef with the New Romantics was unremitting shallowness of the music and the message. Let's be honest, there wasn't much of a message apart from ignore reality, lose yourself in dream, escape, escape. The big difference here is that Tears for Fears had the ability to infuse their lyrics with imagery and thought-provoking ideas which could stir the soul. The only thought entering the heads of most of the new romantic pretty boys was what shade eye shadow to wear. Along with Talk Talk, Tears for Fears represented the thinking end of 1980s pop music and the charts were a better place for them. However, at the time, rather than identifying those two bands as being shades of a similar place, I tended to see them as opposites and felt more drawn to Talk Talk. It would be some considerable time before I touched base with Tears for Fears.

In truth Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith wrote some great songs. It is gratifying to note that their best ones are all on this smart compilation. In their day, I tended to conflate Tears for Fears with purveyors of shallow and inconsequential pop, and regarded their music as something that would not stand the test of time. How wrong the band and their music proved me. Looking back at those songs, and listening to them again, I realise just how many great tunes these guys really did put together. If the definition of pop is that it must be, by its nature, transient, then this is not pop as we know it (Jim). But then if transience is all that defines pop, then this cannot be called pop.

The first seven tracks of the album are absolutely unforgivably good. Songs such as "Mad World", "Shout" especially "Pale Shelter" were songs which, had they been performed by a band with a more hip street credibility, would have been regarded as indie classics. This was a time when the band were at their peak. As a duo they were able to hit the spot of smart musical catchiness spot on without slipping into the saccharine sweetness of some of their contemporaries.

Yet some of their later stuff seems to carry with it both a weight of expectation and, at the same time, put on show the tensions between the two band members which ultimately led to the split between them. As a result, the album's prime fault is that it starts of excellently and slowly slips down to mediocrity as tension grew and creativity declined almost in equal measure. Had they turned in a shorter version of this compilation, then they would have quite possibly one of the greatest compilations of all time. As it is, Tears for Fears have produced a reasonable compilation which highlights a band which could have made a much bigger impact than the one they did.
Rating: 7/10