Yes, I know this is the umpteenth greatest hits record released by Tears For Fears in the last 25 years, but this is the best one that’s come around since 2001. This package brings everything together, including the two best tracks from the post-Curt Smith years, which allows both diehards and novices to realize and understand how important Tears For Fears is – not just for the 80s, but for the music scene as a whole.

The two new songs are used as bait for the record buying public, and the main one, “I Love You But I’m Lost,” sounds like some great late ‘80s jam and is a really good song. It’s one of the more exciting tracks of the year. The other new song, “Stay,” is a too-slow ballad that isn’t particularly notable. Still, I can’t wait for a new studio album. Elsewhere, the record contains smashes that still sound great all these years later, like “Shout,” “Mothers Talk,” “Sowing The Seeds Of Love,” and “Head Over Heels.”

For me, the full-length version of “Sowing The Seeds” is the cream of the crop here, as I have loved this song since I was a little boy watching MTV and VH1. It’s been difficult to obtain the full-length version on CD because all one ever finds is the single edit, so this is perfection for me. Some songs like “Advice For The Young At Heart” and “Woman In Chains” just don’t hold up, and while they are decent, they aren’t very essential anymore.

“Break It Down Again” and “Raoul And The Kings of Spain” sound fantastic all these years later and are the main essentials for fans of the albums without Curt Smith. Wrapping things up with the pop supreme cut “Closest Thing To Heaven” showed that Tears For Fears came around full circle with their 2001 reunion. Now if they could just give us a full-length record, I think we would all be pretty happy.

Rating: B+

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