Customer Reviews

Halfway Pleased

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not going to mess around--I'm a big fan of Tears for Fears and have been for years. But Halfway, Pleased isn't a Tears for Fears album. This is Curt Smith at his most personal, holding up a pane of glass so you can peer into his world, making you feel like a welcome guest. With just the right mix of acoustics and electronics, Halfway, Pleased will have something for any lover of sensual melodies, delicate harmonies, and Smith's airy, urgent voice tying them all together.

Standout tracks:
"Seven of Sundays" A gentle, musical caress exemplifying and celebrating love in its purest form. A shining gem of a piece.

"Greatest Divide" Should hit close to home with anyone who has acknowledged the end of a relationship.

"Addict" Haunting, mesmerizing, and beautiful.

"Halfway Pleased" Curt's voice is imbued with the ache of wondering whether or not one's arrival into the world was entirely wanted.

"Who You Are" A more intimate, calmer version than what appears on Everybody Loves a Happy Ending.

"Snow Hill (live)" Curt's soaring voice, gorgeous piano accompaniment, and the spark of a live audience will keep this song on repeat.

Normally I like harder, more aggressive music, but Halfway, Pleased has a welcome spot in my collection because of its elegant, poignant beauty; the more I listen to it, the more I like it.

This CD is AWESOME! Curt's latest solo effort is an amazing mix of styles and even languages! Written prior to his reunion with Roland Orzabal and their Everybody Loves A Happy Ending CD (Tears For Fears) it's release was pushed back to accomodate an amazing TFF tour. While all of the tracks showcase Curt's lyrical and lush (yet understated) voice, Seven of Sundays, Snow Hill and Halfway Pleased show it off best. Snow Hill is a live version that was recorded during TFF's 2004 tour. Seven of Sundays also has a duet version with French singer SO. A video of it is available on Curt's myspace page, or at [...] and is an incredibly sensous version. A few are "re-do's" of older solo songs - Snow Hill was on the Mayfield (a group he and Charlton Pettus started) and Aeorplane CD's; Aeroplane and Where Do I Go? were all covered on the Aeroplane CD; and Who You Are was also on the TFF CD Everybody Loves A Happy Ending, in a slightly different version. I will admit that I have been a TFF and more importantly a Curt fan for more years than I care to admit, but his voice is incredible and the songs are deep, thought provoking and total "ear-candy"! I completely recommend this to anyone who has even an inkling of musical taste.

This is a very quiet, serene album from Curt Smith. It should be enjoyable to any true Tears for Fears fans. One can hear Curt's influence in many TFF songs through his solo endeavors.

For the wait!!!
I was a huge TFF fan but sorry this doesn't cut it!!!!!!!
There is just too much better music out there!

If you are looking for a Tears for Fears record, this will obviously not be what you expect...and thats just fine. What you get here are lush melodies and intricate lyrics that paint vivid pictures.

This album has been years in the making, having taken a back seat to the reunited work done on Everbody Loves a Happy Ending (a treasure trove in itself, that the critics loved, fans adored, but alas got no airplay on todays bubble gum pop airwaves)

Largely auto-biographical, "Halfway, Pleased" is a personal and honest look back at many topics we can all identify with - parents, kids, addiction, and more. Unlike other reviews, I am not going to pretend to tell you which songs you will like. It depends on what you will identify most with.

This is not your standard pop radio throw-away fair. Thank god for that. ELAHE by TFF was more commercial, this album is far more introspective. If you listen to the lyrics and engage with the music, purchasing this album will be a rewarding experience.

This is Curt finding his voice, while at peace with himself, and where he is in life. An eloquent speaker and a devoted father, this work finds Curt halfway through life, and pleased with where he is, despite the challenges he has faced (which are refreshingly similar to what any of us may face as well).

Give the album a try, its a refreshing deviation from todays pop fair.

I am a huge Curt Smith fan and had heard a few songs from this album a few years ago .I bought the album recently and it is a good album but not as good as the Mayfield album or Curt's 1st solo album were better.his voice is still very strong if you have seen live footage of TFF reunion shows you know his voice is still great.the best songs are Seven Of Sundays there is the orginal and a french duet version. I like the french version with singer So better since she brings something to the song that the orginal does not have.Greatest Divide is my favorite song a very relaxing tume,also Where Do We Go And Aeroplane are very nice but they were better in the rock versions that were released on the Aeroplane ep in 2000.the other standout is the live version of Snow Hill that was performed during the TFF reunion tour a few years ago.the other songs are okay but not Curt's best work.I would start with Mayfield and Soul On Board first.this album is a 3!

If you're expecting Tears for Fears, you've come to the wrong place. On the other hand, Curt Smith has a nearly ethereal voice and the songs on this album are very soothing. Many of the melodies are similar, in a low key style with little percussion. Not music for driving down the highway, but perfect for when you're in a mellow mood. By the way, Curt Smith is very charming in person. My son and I saw him in concert recently, and he was very accommodating in signing autographs and chatting with fans afterwords.

As a musician I've been looking out there for good music and it is pretty rare these days that you run into a record that I may say that is well written. Although the album was put off for a while as Curt worked with TFF during the reunion tour, I must say that this album was definitely worth the wait. As a trained musician, It's hard for me to listen to music without analyzing it. The songs in this album are well thought off. The melodies and harmonies of are just simply clever. Checkout Greatest Divide, one of my personal favorites!!! Thank you so much Curt for putting out this album!!!

Being an avid fan of Tears For Fears for more than 25 years, I certainly picked up the latest effort from Curt Smith. Curt (The vocalist for some of Tears For Fears biggest hits) released one very powerful and personal piece of music.

I actually have been listing to the tracks on this record for a few years as Curt did something almost no artists would ever do, he put rough, unproduced cuts of the album on his website for his fans to download...FOR FREE! I humbly respect Curt Smith for that decision and since this album has been in "development" for almost seven years, it was nice to get the finished product. Putting his solo record on hold for quite a few years when reteaming with Roland Orzabal to release the triumphant Tears For Fears record "Everybody Loves A Happy Ending" and the long world tour that followed, fans of Smith/Tears For Fears rejoiced when he announced the the release of Halfway, Pleased.

Let's get to the nitty gritty of the record, the music. This record is very different than listening to a Tears For Fears record. Gone is the bombastic and powerful voice of Roland Orzabal, leaving Curt's soothing voice to take us on a journey filled with pain, heartache, self discovery, and of course love. Curt spills his love for his wife and two daughter's triumphantly for the listener.

The music has a great air about it feeling very confident yet, not throwing it in your face. The music is quite mellow which suit's Curt's voice perfectly. One would wonder what to expect as Roland Orzabal's solo Tears For Fears records and his solo record is a bit harder and more aggressive than Curt's work. However the element of "pop" that is often missing from Orzabal's work is clearly found through out this entire record and you will find yourself tapping your foot and singing along with with Curt.

Curt Smith sings "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", but clearly he does not. He just wants to provide his two daughters with a very loving and stable home environment and express himself like a true artist through his music. He does a magnificent job at that as this record is a triumph. Give the music a listen and buy the record. You won't be sorry and I promise that you will be a bit more than Halfway, Pleased!

A Significant step forward into new dimensions of feeling, content, technique and most importantly, FAMILY.

Thanks,