Tears for Fears - No Fears, it's SUPERB (Famous Last Words - The Collection - Tears For Fears)

Member Name: Maximus-Qualitus

Product:	Famous Last Words - The Collection - Tears For Fears
Date:	09/06/08 (128 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great music

Disadvantages: None

Tears for Fears.

Album - Famous last words: The Collection.

I grew up listening to tears for fears so this review should be quite easy.

Let's get the boring stuff out of the way, you know there are some people who rate you down if you don't put box sizes, barcodes etc..... So for them ...
The album is a double CD with a standard double CD box containing of course 2 discs, what you also get is a small booklet introducing the band.
Front artwork is of Roland and Curt starring at you, rear cover is a standard track list detailing disc 1 with 17 tracks and disc 2 with 18 tracks.

This album contains their favourite songs and most of mine, it is well worth buying.

The Beginning.
The lads formed at the start of the 80's, signing for Mercury and where given an unusual amount of artistic freedom, Which would prove to be their success.
They took there name from Primal scream therapist Arthur Janov's book "Prisoners of pain".

Their first album "The Hurting" was a huge success containing hits such as 'MAD WORLD' (which we'll come back to later), 'PALE SHELTER' and 'CHANGE'.

The lads come from the West Country and oddly, both are middle sons and both come from broken marriages. They knew each other at school both being born in 1961.

On one side you had the bubble gum 'Wham' and on the other the dark 'Depeche Mode' and smack in the middle refusing to be pigeon holed where 'Tears for Fears'. Their music had a catchy but Soulful hook to it, they where actually once called the 'anti-Wham'

Disc 1
1. Pharaohs - 1985
2. Brian Wilson said - 1993
3. New Star - 1993
4. The way you are - 1983
5. Break it down again - 1993
6. Sowing the seeds of love - 1989
7. Lord of karma - 1992
8. Ideas as opiates - 1983
9. Suffer the children - 1983
10. When in love with a blind man - 1985
11. We are broken - 1983
12. Cold - 1993
13. Year of the knife - 1989
14. Famous last words - 1989
15. The big chair - 1984
16. Deja-vu and the sins of science - 1993
17. Ghost papa - 1992

Their 2nd album "From the Big Chair" was a massive success, having decided to write 'Big money tunes' and to write some driving tunes for the American market.

Hence their personal "Anthem" was created, "EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD". Also included on this album where 'SHOUT' and 'HEAD OVERHEELS'.

By June 85 'Everybody wants to rule the World' was No1 in America and by August 'SHOUT' had also hit the No1 spot in the US.

Disc 2
1. Shout - 1985
2. Mothers talk - 1984
3. I Believe - 1985
4. Head over heels - 1985
5. Advice for the young at heart - 1989
6. Laid so low (tears roll down) - 1992
7. Mad World - 1982
8. Change - 1983
9. Everybody wants to rule the world - 1985
10. Woman in chains (with Oleta Adams) - 1989
11. Tears roll down - 1989
12. The prisoner - 1983
13. The body wah - 1991
14. The marauders - 1983
15. The hurting - 1983
16. Johnny panic and the bible of dreams - 1990
17. Empire building - 1984
18. The conflict - 1983


Whilst on tour in America they met Oleta Adams and collaborated with her for the successful 'WOMAN IN CHAINS'. However, Oleta was to come between they lads and Curt left the band feeling sidelined by her.

Her distinctive voice would appear on "Seeds of love" album.
Then Gary Jules had a surprise hit with a stripped down version of 'MAD WORLD' and the boys where reunited and in 2000 and started writing a new album called "Everybody loves a happy ending" somewhat poignant.

They continue to write and tour on a somewhat smaller scale.

ISBN 602498490488

Greg.

Summary: It still sounds good today.