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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A solid compilation, December 5, 2006
If you are new to Tears for Fears or have just a passing interest in them then this is the album you should get. If you are a die-hard fan then you already own this album and do not need to read any further.
This is really the only compilation that truly spans all of their work and would give either the emerging fan, or the casually interested fan everything they are looking for. For the emerging fan there is a fair balance of songs comprised almost entirely of singles from all of their albums. This will allow you the opportunity to get a good slice of what some of their albums have to offer. For the casual fan you'll get all the radio favorites that you probably remember such as Shout, Everybody wants to rule the world, Head over heels, Sowing the seeds of love, and Break it down again. In addition there is a reasonable chance that you will find a few other songs that you recognize but never realized were Tears for Fears. The album sleeve provides additional information and the sound quality is good.
Therefore I would recommend this album as there is a higher probability that you will find songs you enjoy for the money you spend. Also Tears for Fears (a duo) was lucky enough to be comprised of two truly good artists, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. They were a group that really did focus on trying to craft good songs, and did not get too caught up trying to make the pop scene their priority. This is part of the reason why their popularity has outlasted several of the other "80's" bands of the era.
The Hurting (1983):
Mad world
Pale Shelter
Change
Songs from the big chair (1985):
Shout
Everybody wants to rule the world
Mothers talk (US version)
Head over heels
The seeds of love (1989):
Sowing the seeds of love
Woman in chains
Advice for the young at heart
Elemental (1993):
Elemental
Cold
Break it down again
Raoul and the kings of Spain (1995):
Raoul and the kings of Spain
God's mistake
Everybody loves a happy ending (2004):
Closest thing to heaven
Call me mellow
Secret world
Who killed tangerine?
Additional Tracks:
The way you are (single, 1984)
Laid so low (tears roll down) (single, 1992; Tears roll down; 82-92 hits)
New Star (b-side/soundtrack 1993/1996; Saturnine, Martial, and Lunatic)
Floating down the river (new, 2006)
Mad world (live) (new, 2006)
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
AWESOMELY DONE...but could have been better..., October 9, 2006
I would give this collection 4 1/2 stars really, because, whilst the right songs were picked here, it covers their whole career, and the NEW song "Floating Down The River (Once Again)" + 2005 live version of "Mad World" are superb, it's a bit skimpy. Universal could have fit another 8 songs on this 2CD set. 12 songs per disc, just under an hour per disc (54+ for disc 1 and 58+ for disc 2), is just not enough.
However, compared to other collections on TFF, this one averages out to be the best of the bunch, whilst not being perfect. There was a triple Dutch Universal collection which was cool, but the trackorder was haphazard. "Shout" was cool but just 1 CD, and those Millenium collections define skimpy. "Gold" is the best of the bunch, really.
The music speaks for itself. Personal yet universal, yet never dated. More than a guilty pleasure. An artrock/new wave/Britpop hybrid that sounds like no one else. Expansive and experimental but never sounding alien or like a "Huh??" to people who listen...TFF just connects, period. From their minimal yet grandeurish rocky synthpop masterpiece 1983 debut record "The Hurting" ("Change" is one of my fave songs of all time), to the more accessable yet experimental 1985 breakthrough "Songs From The Big Chair" to the soulful, jazzy, psychedelic 1989 followup "The Seeds Of Love", the duo of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith made music like none other, but fame didn't suit them. Curt left the band (he released 3 albums, 1993's "Soul On Board", 1997's debut under the name Mayfield, and 1999's "Aeroplane") whilst Roland continued solo under the TFF banner for 2 more albums, 1993's "Elemental" and, switching to Epic/Sony BMG, 1995's masterpiece "Raoul & The Kings Of Spain". In 2001, Roland released his proper solo debut under his own name, "Tomcats Screaming Outside". Since 2001, there's been considerable interest in TFF's music, Gary Jules covered "Mad World" and had a #1 hit in the UK, and more. Then, Curt and Roland reconvened, put aside past differences and conflicts and reunited, releasing 2004's masterful reunion album "Everybody Loves A Happy Ending", and cue to "Gold".
This 2CD collection covers all the high points, from all TFF albums, both duo and Roland's solo records under the TFF name, with that awesome Beatlesque new song "Floating Down The River (Once Again)" with a surprising arrangement, musical twists featuring horns and funny sound effects and vocal flourishes. TFF fans will be delighted really. And, the 2005 live version of "Mad World" is awesome, with an up-to-date arrangement and a sense of grandeur that both matches and BUILDS on the 1983 original, adding more of a sense of menace not in the early version...maybe it has to do with experience???
Yes, get this collection, but also the catalogue, as you need that stuff too...there is no such thing as a bad TFF, Roland and Curt song.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Too Skimpy For A 'Gold' Title!, September 17, 2007
Yet another Tears For Fears compilation thrown on the market. It's one of many and unfortunately, this one doesn't get it right either. Other 'Gold' titles from the Universal catalogue tend to have much more than 24 tracks total. I rarely see fewer than 30 tracks on one of these 'Gold' collections. Then comes this 2006 release from the Hip-O/Mercury division of Universal.
While Tears For Fears have only recorded 4 studio albums together, a compilation can be branched out beyond the main single releases. 'Gold' was the perfect opportunity to include rare single versions, rare tracks, and a more comprehensive tracklisting. Unfortunately, this release has me wanting more from these guys in terms of a better 2-CD collection. It seems cut short, especially since so much excellent material remains in the vaults! Instead of re-packaging the same old hits over and over again, how about branching out this one time?
Well, for a 2-disc set, pretty much all the hits are included. Ideally, a collection like this would include tracks such as "Suffer The Little Children [7" Remix]", "I Believe [A Soulful Re-Recording]", "Shout [12" Version]" (Not the U.S. Remix! Also, how many more times can we get the regular album version?), "Everybody Wants To Run The World" (For 'Sport Aid', and a U.K. Top Five hit!), "Famous Last Words" (A single in France, Germany and U.K.), "Year Of The Knife" [7" Remix]", "Johnny Panic And The Bible Of Dreams", "Goodnight Song" (A U.S. single), "Secrets", "Everybody Loves A Happy Ending" (A single in the U.K. b/w "Call Me Mellow"), and so forth. I have to knock this release down a star alone for excluding the "Everybody Loves A Happy Ending" title track, even though the 4 tracks included here, in addition to that title single, are probably the best on that album.
Not only does this release include the '80s hits as a duo, it does manage to reach out and include Roland's solo hits under the Tears For Fears name, such as "God's Mistake" and "Break It Down Again". It's nice having an overview of their material together and apart, ranging from 1982 through 2005, including the '90s material.
Now on to the mastering. Compare it to the 1999 'Millennium Collection' and 2001 'The Very Best Of' and it's MUCH, MUCH better. According to the liner notes, this release was 96k/24-bit mastered by Erick Labson @ Universal Mastering Studios West, North Hollywood, CA. Tracks 11 & 12 on Disc Two, on the other hand, were mastered by Stephen Marcussen @ Stephen Marcussen Mastering, Hollywood, CA.
Is the mastering really that good? Compare it to the 2003 'Ultimate Collection' with 32-bit mastering from Universal Netherlands, and it's not even close. Compare it to the 1999 album remasters, and it's not close. Still, after the flat, distorted mastering on the 1999 and 2001 collections, it's a joy to hear these recordings with much more punch. Overall, the remastering is very good on the earlier tracks and excellent on the latter tracks, which is to be expected, I suppose. Erick Labson isn't my favorite mastering engineer, but he did a fine job here.
Worth noting is that "Head Over Heels" appears in it's 4:15 version, not it's album version, which tags on "Broken [Live]". It's nice having it in it's stand alone single version for once. Otherwise, this release is filled with album versions. "Pale Shelter" appears in a 4:27 version, which is apparently an edit of the album version, since it fades right before it's proper ending. "Closest Thing To Heaven" should have been presented in it's "U.K. Radio Mix" version, in my opinion, since it's not only better but we also have the original version on the album!
The bonus tracks of the recently recorded "Floating Down The River (Once Again)" and "Mad World [Live]" are excellent additions to the otherwise lacking collection. They are the main reason why I bothered to add this collection to my own collection. "Floating Down The River" sounds like it comes straight from the 'Everybody Loves A Happy Ending' sessions, while "Mad World [Live]" is a slower, even more mellow, recording on a recent tour.
The overall packaging of this release is very nice, despite using the generic 'Gold' format. In addition to the striking cover photo the inside booklet includes 20 pages altogether, highlighting a number of photos of the British duo over the years. An informative, long essay by Scott Schinder is included throughout, leading to the publishing credits which cover the last few pages.
For a 2-disc collection, this release does fall quite a bit short, especially for a duo who has so much more rare material in the vaults. Needless to say, if you are looking for a brief, concise overview of mostly hits, then I suppose this 2006 collection will suffice for the time being. If you are a casual fan, this collection may be all you will ever need. Nonetheless, I give this set 3 stars not only for a skimpy tracklisting and a lack of single and remix material but also for still managing to present a fine overview of the Tears For Fears catalogue over just 24 tracks.
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