Awesome and Perfect

Hey, i love the 80's. i love the music, and the films. i also love the bands who are lost in that fold of "old music." The vocals are great, the music is eclectic and fun, and i just love it all. from Seeds to Advice. its a sure thing, that is sadly out of print. get this disc if you can. ENJOY!

Here is the best sequence to listen to this EXCELLENT album

3. Woman In Chains



11 Change



4 Shout



2 Everybody Wants to Rule the World



9 Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down)



10. Mothers Talk



12. Advice for the Young at Heart



5. Head over Heels



1. Sowing the Seeds of Love



6. Mad World



7. Pale Shelter



I left out 8 "I Believe" but if you have to listen to it... put it before 6. "Mad World"

The BEST Greatest Hits Album

I prefer this album to the new VERY BEST OF collection, because that album, although it nicely encompases, but still misses one of the best songs of the post-Curt Smith era songs in "God's Mistake" as well, that particular album drops the ball on a few particular items.

To find out what that might be, check out my review of that album.

This album came out at the end of the Roland/Curt partnership and covered all thier very best work of their 80s heyday. One of the very best bands to come out of genre populated by horrible bands as Flock of Seagulls, Duran Duran and Human League, you know, think back to early-mid 80s pop on the charts...yuck..Anyway Tears For Fears was always at thier very best, and on the whole this collection accurately represents that fact.

For years I've owned the cassette version and I am currently looking for the CD. I have long losed the liner notes for the cassette but was impressed that they did contain the lyrics to all songs, and I find that very impressive in a Greatest Hits album. As for the songs, all your favs are here, the #1 "Everybody Wants To..." yes everyone knows the name of this song. "Sowing The Seeds" one of thier heavier songs, very cool, "Shout", also a standard, and who could live without "Woman In Chains", "Pale Shelter" and "I Believe" (THE ORIGINAL!)? Playing these songs will literally take you and make you feel like you are back in the 80s, for me it associates with some very good times in my life, times I miss, and these are songs that will never age, and although may sound a bit dated, it is that very thing that makes them so good.

Besides a couple of low-key songs, this compilation suffers from two other things, one fault it can't help, the other it definately might have. "Mother's Talk" is not the better U.S. Remix version, which made the song less jumpy and electronic, gave it more a nice jazzy feel. In other words, I find it to be a whole lot better, and since this album was released in North America, I really believe it should be here and not the original. And It's not often that I say this when it comes to placing originals on a "Greatest" album. I'm sure U.K. fans liked the original, but I am glad North America has it's own mix. I still do enjoy the version that is here, but I much prefer the remix. The other fault which isn't really is the missing "Break it Down Again" but since that song came a year after this album (1993) this album is not at fault. I know the VERY BEST makes up for these two but it still has that one major flaw that is inexcusable and is very indicative to greatest hits packages. Again, read that review for more info.

I'm not the die-hard, so I don't own all the albums. But this is a great album for anyone who likes strong and great music that has great hooks and melodies and strong lyrics, songs you will love for years after they are produced. Towards the end of the album there are a couple of filler songs, which is a bit of shame because before this, track for track this album was very consistent. They should have put "Suffer The Children" on here instead of on that other collection. Ah well.

And don't forget, TFF is supposed to be releasing a new album soon, Roland/Curt team is back. Pick up this album for an a great overview of this great band with the original songs intact. For the songs released after this collection, pick up the actual albums too. 10/12