4 Out Of 5 Stars
Tears for Fears wanted to be a deep band even as they formed. The took their named from Arthur Janov's primal scream therapy, both "The Hurting" and "Songs From The Big Chair" were derived from each members therapy sessions, and they specialized in darker, mysterious themes, that is, until the uncharacteristically trippy "The Seeds of Love." Either way, the duo of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith had more going on than the average synthed out pairing."Shout: The Very Best Of Tears For Fears" succinctly gathers songs from the pair's four albums, along with a batch of non-LP singles. (A quick note, the CD "Elemental" was essentially a Roland Orzabal solo album, but two tracks are included here.) The best of these singles were unavoidable in the mid-80's, like "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" and "Shout" from the "Big Chair" CD. They'd experiment with soul ("Woman In Chains" with Oleta Adams) and a new recording of "I Believe." The early songs convey energy, like "Change" or the remix of "Mother's Talk." But more often than not, Tears For Fears was into creating dreamy melodies that suggested transforming from hurting to healing to transcending.
The non album cuts include "New Star" from the soundtrack to "Threesome," "Laid So Low," a holdover from a previous Greatest Hits, along with some revamping of singles (like "Mother's Talk"). Even the weaker tracks hold up in the context of Tears For Fears overall recording style, which grew more organic with each album. "Shout: The Very Best Of Tears For Fears" is both a solid representation of the band, but a recognition of the kind of quality music that came from the best of the 80's synth bands.
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