Tears for Fears - Sowing The Seeds Of Love

The Grudge

New Member
Tears for Fears
Sowing The Seeds Of Love
1989
Fontana
Progressive Fusion of Pop/Rock/Jazz/Vocal (Really it is)
Rating Out Of 5 Headphone Dude Smilies: :music::music::music::music::music:

As silly as this may sound, I would have to say that I have a relationship with this album as I know it that intimately. I believe that this work with stand the test of time and be judged as astounding art for as long as people bother to think about such things. That is why I need to write this review. I hope it will inspire any of you who haven't had the opportunity to listen to this album before to take an hour and enjoy.

I will attempt to review the album from the perspective of the music as an emotional work, and also as a reference album for anybody on any system.

While I will not make bold statements such as this is the best recording you will ever hear, I personally believe it is an astounding recording. I only wish I could hear it on a world class system. My modest, but very musical system is as follows:

Creek Evo Integrated
Rega Apollo CD
Energy C5 Speakers (very capable and musical, don't kid yourself)
Kimber 8PR speaker Wire
Kimber PBJ Interconnect

Nothing stunning, but certainly a capable system. I am also blessed with a very nice room acoustically speaking, although I do have to sit about a foot or two closer than would be ideal.

A few adjectives that describe this work ... grace, balance, finesse, powerful structure, movement, depth and musicality are just a few of so, so many. Sowing The Seeds Of Love was an album that took four years to record and release as the various contributing musicians had to find time in their schedules to session for the pieces. The artists included: Phil Collins, Oleta Adams, Jon Hassell, Ian Stanley, Simon Phillips, Manu Katche, Neil Taylor, Nicky Holland, Pino Palladino ..., there are several more. This album was a magical collaboration of vision and sheer musical ability.

Due to the complexity of the pieces on the album, I will only detail a few in depth at this point, later returning to complete each track in the same manner of detail.

One wonderful detail to note this album can be enjoyed at very respectable volumes as the quality of the recording is so high that it will not come apart at the seams. This album certainly was no victim of the loudness wars. The engineers and producers who worked on this album (named later) created a masterpiece for the ages no doubt.

Track One ~ Woman In Chains 6:30 features Phil Collins and in my view as a drummer showcases some of his finest playing. The music comes at you from a silent, wet background with a rich bass drum hit combined with a processed snare and cymbal strike soon after. The play is then joined by a wonderful and full bass that weaves into the opening bars with short, deft melodic notes, woven into the loose flow and rhythm. Fluidity and motion quickly become a physical perception of this piece, an experience that can be felt and is almost tactile.

These few opening bars will move the sound stage in and out from the silent wet background with fantastic depth. Very warm and rich low notes that instantly engage and draw you in. As the other instruments gentle move into the sound stage, the piece quickly becomes ethereal in it's beauty, with the type of emotional depth that only the finest art can obtain. And all done with simplicity and poise. The engineers subtlety move the instrument about in all directions while never ever letting the cohesiveness of the sound go, never making movement for the sake of doing so. Ever single nuance as important to the structure as a whole, not simply an element of it.

The vocals start with such depth of timbre and richness that they quickly grow the sound stage into a deep, vast place, yet somehow allow the sound to remain small and intimate. The combination of female and male leads is literally a tapestry full of space and balance with the other elements. The piece develops many layers without any hint of crowding or competing between them. A magical melding of textured and vibrant notes moving in such a fluid way that you can't quite define, you can just feel.

As the song moves forward the sound stage grows in certain planes while gentle moving the focus out of others creating an emotional shift without removing the previous connections made. A real delight for those who like to hear fantastic, but not jarring imaging.

At around 3:05 the song features a bridge that moves you into a significant shift in the focus of the piece. The sound at this point is very powerful and lush, there is a sense of speed but the sound is so very calming. In the last two minutes the scale of the piece will climax with a dynamic and forceful blend of intense rhythmic drums, vocals guitar and bass that will literally sweep you into the music. As the piece fades into its dying embers you will miss it and that wonderful rich juice your components were getting to present to you. I am sure this type of music is like massage for components.

The song has such dynamics and flow that there is no element not balanced no matter the power used to present it. Yes there is power, very, very well used power which in my experience is difficult to achieve with any scale to other passages not as powerful.

It is now time for me to go and listen to some music. I will at this point just list the remaining tracks in order until I can return (very soon) and describe the tracks.

While I know being wordy is no guarantee that you help the reader gain any real insight into the music, it is worth trying regardless as far as I can tell.

Track Two ~ Badman's Song 8:32 With the melody of the previous track still resonating in your mind track 2 opens with lovely sizzling high hat play from Manu Katche joined by some snappy and crisp little offbeat bass drum accent runs. Manu Katche is a brilliant drummer who you can often hear as the talking drums in Peter Gabriel works. Need I say more.

This track while still built from a liquid backdrop, feels a little more "hall-like". This becomes very evident when the astounding voice of Oleta Adams joins the piece as a lead vocal at 2:40. The vocals quickly become the base from which the song builds but the wonderful music never leaves the stage, it just makes rooms and listens at the same time. She is really that compelling a voice. Shades of gospel add rich and vibrant character to the vocal which are often layered with powerful background harmony.

Oleta brings the piano into the piece very well, instantly finding a wonderful synergy with the other instruments. As the song builds the guitar work of Robbie McIntosh steps in and out of the forefront with a wonderful fusion of jazz and Motown feel that plays against the gospel character the vocal arrangements bring to the piece. These elements build a very bold piece with a great deal of scale and grandeur.

At about 5:02 the song enters a jazz like bridge with nice little interplay runs between the various instruments. The sound always remains rich and vibrant, never strained and that marvelous balance built around intense low notes remains key to the piece staying together. Leaving the bridge on a fabulous little run by drummer Manu Katche the song is quickly truned back over to the vocal production with a gentle and textured entrance by Roland Orzabal played against the once again dark and silky background, so sonically lovely as the memory of the previous sections energy is still there forming a rich contrast delicately sewn together so as not to rush the listener out of where they just were.

Oleta Adams joins in soon after Orzabal, gently at first, but quickly taking the piece back up tempo drawing the song into a rather lush display of "stepping out" by all the musicians as they build the song into a strong and bold crescendo for almost two minutes to close the piece. The front elements are very strong throughout this song, but fortunately the engineers knew how to ensure that the wonderful bass work of Pino Palladino is there to be appreciated as it so richly deserves.

Without a doubt the most salient characteristic of this track that will stay with the listener is that the piece was a vocal production, but somehow the music never took a back seat. This was no small feat given the vocal power of Adams and Orzabal with their supporting vocal cast of Tessa Niles, Carol Kenyon and Nicky Holland.

Track Three ~ Sowing The Seeds of Love 6:16

Track Four ~ Advice For The Young At Heart 4:52 (A song I love to play the drums along with)

Track Five ~ Standing On The Corner Of The Third World 5:30

Track Six ~ Swords And Knives 6:14

Track Seven ~ Year Of The Knife 7:06

Track Eight ~ Famous Last Words 4:23
 

Attachments

  • sowing-the-seeds-of-love-cover.jpg
    sowing-the-seeds-of-love-cover.jpg
    4.6 KB · Views: 25
Last edited:
if you like tears for fears, check out their 2004 release "everybody loves a happy ending"
 
I recently heard these guys again after having years ago dismissed them as an uninteresting pop band, and I have to say I liked what I heard a lot.
 
Very nice review, and I'm sure I'll have to listen to the album soon since it has been awhile.

Although you may find it a littled dated, I consider The Hurting (1983) their most important body of work, especially considering it is their debut.
 
The quality of Tears for Fears albums are of the highest quality, a real treat to the ear, combined with excellent musicianship and songwriting. If you've never gave these guys a spin, you've missed out.
 
Thanks for bringing this up. I have enjoyed TFF to a casual degree, but do not have any. I will put this on the list.
 
I'm still proud of my (at the time) brand new copy of Songs From the Big Chair on LP that I scored at a library book sale years ago. Great record.
 
I've always been a huge fan! was walking down B'way in NYC in 1990 humming Woman in Chains in my head and who comes walking towards me but, Curt Smith:drool: Shook his hand and told him he a Roland were F'n brilliant:thmbsp:, I asked if the Oleta Adams story was true?( The band was playing a gig in K.C. and were staying at the Holiday Inn and heard her singing in the lounge and were moved to tears by her voice:tears: Told her they wanted her for some work they were doing) Curt grabbed my hand back and said "Do you feel That?" I could only nod and my eyes welled up. No lie folks."That's what it's all about, mate" smiled and gave me a hug walked away singing Seeds of Love to himself:thmbsp: I Had a shit-eatin':D on my face the rest of the day!

P.S. The movie Donny Darko really showcases their work brilliantly!!

Craig
 
Thank you all for your kind words. It is nice to see just how much respect many of you hold for this band and their work. What a freakin cool encounter you had stuwee, very nice.

Celt, I will certainly be picking up a copy of Everybody Loves A Happy Ending. I will also certainly need to get hold of The Hurting which I know is a great album. I hope to finish the review as I have just completed track 2. Cheers.

:hdphones:
 
Grudge, Thank you! Beautifully written piece on one of my fav's, I can't write as well as you did,just wanted to convey a bit of magic that came my way that was related:yes:. BTW I've been looking for "Sowing The Seeds of Love" on LP (I prefer vinyl if I can get it) keep an eye out for me K? I have "The Hurting" and "Songs from the Big Chair" on LP. Read The Primal Scream by Arthur Janov, Roland was quite inspired by this book and The Hurting came from that book as did the bands name.

I'd really enjoy hearing your thoughts on those together:thmbsp:

Peace Craig
 
Thanks again for all who have taken part and read this thread. My brother (rushfan) was the one who hooked me up with this community. He always raved about how great people were around here. From what I can tell he was totally right.

I was a mod at a very busy search engine optimazation community for several years and that place was also full of great people. I hope to spend some time around here getting to know people.

Didn't know about the book or the movie stuwee, hope to get a chance to at least check one of them out soon. That must be the origin of the line "we used to sit and talk about primal scream" from the song Fish Out Of Water from the album Elemental. Also a very good album by the by for those who haven't given it a listen.

I should be back in the next few days to add the next track to the review ... Cheers for now.
 
I am in on the 04 release album, gotta get it.

Sowing the seeds of love is an amazing recording, and will really show off a good system. Sounds good on a decent system, but a truely excellent setup shimmers with this album.

Evan
 
Back
Top Bottom