Seeds of Love

Tears For Fears | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 12, 1989)
• Original Release Date: September 19, 1989
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B000001FQI
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (84 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #173,107 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Woman in Chains

2. Badman's Song

3. Sowing the Seeds of Love

4. Advice for the Young at Heart

5. Standing on the Corner of the Third World

6. Swords and Knives

7. Year of the Knife

8. Famous Last Words

Editorial Reviews

Tears for Fears returned to artistic and commercial glory with this #8 LP in 1989, a string of gorgeous songs including the hits Sowing the Seeds of Love; Woman in Chains (featuring their great gospel discovery, Oleta Adams), and Advice for the Young at Heart . This reissue adds four bonus tracks! --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best ever recorded?, September 13, 2003

By 

Michael Erisman (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seeds of Love (Audio CD)

While this CD was recorded over 14 years ago the music resonates as powerfully today, perhaps even more than when it was released as it was a bit ahead of its time. In fact, the songs here seem to fit as easily into the 60's/70's rock and roll era of Pink Floyd, the Beatles and Led Zeppelin as they would into the 80's pop scene or the darker moods of the 90's era. This re-released version has four extra tracks that are worth the effort.

Truly representing a wide range of styles starting with the smooth ballad "Woman in Chains" featuring the soulful voice of Oleta Adams. The highlights are the following two tracks: "Badman's Song", a bluesy jazz number and "Sowing the Seeds of Love" the hit single inspired by the Beatles better work. The track "Year of the Knife" is a powerful rock and roll song. "Famous Last Words" and "Advice for the Young At Heart" round out the single releases. Both are great songs.

The extra tracks include a jazz instrumental, and a couple of unique blends of late 80's pop, including a rap version with the "Sowing the Seeds" lyrics called "Johnny Panic".

I have to say this is among my favorite recordings ever. From the deep lyrics to the wide range of musical styles, the CD has no weak spots for me. If all you know of Tears for Fears are top 40 pop hits, then try this one out. One of the best CDs from any era.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Grand Farewell To the 1980's, March 9, 2004

By 

R. Carpenter "Hickory Wind" (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Seeds of Love (Audio CD)

A classic pop swan-song to the 1980's, this masterful and well-crafted piece of pop genius still resonates with me today. The music of the 80's is constantly trashed by today's musical "know-it-all's" as being too bland, faceless, and overly-produced. It's all a joke to them. My argument would be simply be, what is wrong with listening to music that has multiple layers and multiple production values? The Beach Boys did it with "Pet Sounds" in 1966, and the greatest albums from the Fab Four were all production milestones.
The 1980's were filled with great music, and many of the best groups from England were able to produce that smoky, languid, shimmering, late-at-night sounding British pop that still sounds fresh to me today. Check out Thomas Dolby's "The Flat Earth," the Blue Nile's "Walk Across Rooftops" and "Hats," Nick Heyward's "I Love You Avenue," Prefab Sprout's "Two Wheels Good," and countless others by artists such as Alphaville, Deacon Blue, and others.
"Seeds of Love" is THE definitive masterpiece of the 1980's, a devastatingly beautiful album of pop gems that was a fabulous goodbye to the decade. Every song on the CD is almost like a mini-suite in itself; there is not one even remotely unsure moment on this one, but the highlights would have to be the achingly beautiful "Swords And Knives" and the astonishing "Advice For the Young At Heart." Listen to this album on a beautiful morning with your windows down, or late at night with the moon as your only source of shadows....I predict that you will fall in love with it over and over as I have.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Timeless Classic, April 4, 2003

By 

Jack Khor (Malaysia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seeds of Love (Audio CD)

SOL has been one of my all time favorite albums even until today and I guess this says a lot about the band. There has not been another album quite as superb as this (if anyone has found one please let me know) and it certainly puts the band high up in my list of favorite albums of the 20th century.

Roland Orzabal is definitely the genius here and it is sad that he has not been able to repeat this astounding feat in the later years. The techniques employed in this album are so superb and the layers of orchestration are so amazing and bordering on opulence, it is not surprising that this is one album that will beg for your attention on your first and subsequent listening.

The first single "Sowing The Seeds Of Love" immediately brought in rave reviews and favorable comparisons to the Fab Four. But it is the other songs that are real gems. Oleta Adams with her soulful and endearing vocals opens the album with gusto in "Woman In Chains". This is then followed by what I believe is one of the most accomplished song ever written in pop history - "The Badman's Song" - just listen and marvel at its most intricately wound verses of vocals and instrumentations! Simply heavenly!

"Advice for the young at heart" features the excellent voice of Curt Smith to the fore and this one well written song which truly deserve to linger forever in our memories of sweet love songs that will never be overplayed till death. "Year Of The Knife" will certainly put all other rock bands in their respective lower rungs and "Famous Last Words" definitely places Orzabal among the most respected songwriters of the century.

The rest of the songs do not dissapoint either and they all feature the same impeccable vocals and mesmerizing instrumentations that somehow manages to blend themselves into one unholy union of incredible tunes.

Credits have to be given to the producers, technicians and guest artistes too but I really believe Roland is the dude here. He deserves all the applause and you definitely deserve to listen to this album even if this is one last rock album you will ever buy!