Don't slag Tears For Fears

[Greg (G.T.) Ward <GREGW%BNR.CA@mitvma.mit.edu>]

Tears For Fears have been getting some flack in this news group lately.
I suppose it's because their second album, "Songs From the Big Chair",
had a number of very poppy songs, which made them darlings of the MTV
set.

However, their first album, "The Hurting", is brilliant and should be
part of any respectable rock album collection. This album was voted the
best album of 1983 by the listeners of CFNY, an alternative (until
recently) radio station in Toronto. I agree with this choice (Kate Bush
didn't release an album that year). One thing that always
surprised me about the album is how much it reminded me of Peter
Gabriel's fourth album, especially the drumming and percussion on a
number of songs. I didn't realize until now that they both came from
the same place (Bath, England).

    Greg

  "The A side is a commercial pop album ... as good as commercial pop
   gets, but commercial pop only gets so good. When I first heard this
   side of the album, I was very disappointed."

- Doug Alan's review of "Hounds of Love" in Sept. 1985