I should start this review by explaining how much I love the band Tears For Fears. I have been a huge fan since I first heard their work in the early 1980s, and my love for their music has only grown stronger over the years.
Comprised of the core duo of childhood friends Roland Orzabal (who writes the vast majority of the songs) and Curt Smith, with various musicians coming in and out of the band over the years (including the great Ian Stanley and Manny Elias), Tears For Fears has been a formidable act in music for many years, selling millions of records and performing sold out shows worldwide.
They released some classic albums in the 80s, like 1981's "The Hurting," which includes such great songs as "Pale Shelter," "Mad World," and "Change," and the hugely successful "Songs from the Big Chair" from 1984, which gave us legendary singles "Mother's Talk," "Head Over Heels," "Shout," and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World."
But it was their third album, released in late 1989, that really blew my mind. The absolutely extraordinary "The Seeds of Love" is truly one of my favorite albums of all time and is near the top of my list of Desert Island Discs. It features incredible songs like "Woman in Chains," "Badman's Song," "Advice for the Young at Heart," and the Beatles-influenced "Sowing the Seeds of Love."
Curt left the band in the early 90s, while Roland continued as Tears For Fears with the terrific and hugely underrated albums "Elemental," and "Raoul and the Kings of Spain," each loaded with outstanding tracks.
Curt returned in 2004, they released the incredible album "Everybody Loves a Happy Ending," took an 18-year break, and came back in 2022 with the extraordinary disc "The Tipping Point," for which they embarked on a hugely successful world tour that lasted almost two years and resulted in a new concert film that played in theaters last week.
I have seen Tears For Fears six times over the last 40 years, and the duo always fills the stage with a great band to recreate their catalog perfectly. Even when Curt was away, Roland gathered incredible musicians together and kept things going beautifully. My favorite lineup was during the 1990 "Seeds of Love" tour, which included vocalist Oleta Adams, who is one of the best singers on the planet.
I saw them in 2023 on The Tipping Point Tour, and they were incredible, so when the new concert film Tears for Fears Live (A Tipping Point Film) was announced, I HAD to see it on the big screen... and man, am I glad that I did.
This film is a beautifully shot and extremely well-made document of the grand tour, during which they focused a lot on the latest album but also performed songs from their vast catalog of brilliant songs dating back to 1981.
The performance captured in the movie was recorded at the beautiful outdoor FirstBank Amphitheater in Franklin, Tennessee, on a warm summer night in 2023. This venue, a former quarry just outside of Nashville, is a perfect place to showcase the band, their special show, and the fantastic crowd of fans who all seemed to have a great time.
The film's setlist is strong and covers their whole career while also giving everyone a taste of songs from "The Tipping Point," which are just as good and vital as their older material. The new stuff sounds just as great as the old stuff, and Curt and Roland clearly love the new material as much as the older material.
The concert is outstanding, featuring awesome versions of the studio tracks and showcasing the incredible musicians and vocalists in the current lineup.
It was very special to see the film on the big screen (although it was disappointing that the crowd in the theater consisted of just me and five other people) with great stereo sound and some cool extras like the showing of 4 videos from their new EP "Songs for a Nervous Planet" that immediately followed the screening.
The whole night was a real treat, and as one of Tears For Fear's biggest fans, this concert movie is an absolute must-see. The film is available as part of the extras that are included with the live album and the new EP. I highly recommend getting this package, listening to the great music, and watching the fantastic "Tears For Tears Live (A Tipping Point Movie)"
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