The thing that many people seem to have forgotten is that Tears For Fears were rather good. Sure, they were a synth group in the mid-'80s, which isn't a great start, but their first three albums in particular show a true melodic flair, coupled with a desire to get past the limitations of the machines they were using, to create detailed and lush backdrops for their perfect pop songs.
'The Working Hour' could, and should, have lived up to its billing as 'An Introduction To Tears For Fears', but the method behind the choice of tracks seems a little inconsistent. Songs like 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World', 'Woman In Chains' and 'Mad World' have been left off in favour of material from the dramatically unsuccessful 'The Elemental', and a few 'experimental' B-sides.
But then, that's not this record's purpose. It's an introduction, not to the group at their best, but to all the back catalogue their record company still wishes to sell. It's not stacked with the hits, because they want you to buy the 'Best Of'. They'd also like to shift at least a few copies of 'The Elemental'. And the B-sides can be found on the preposterously titled compilation 'Saturnine Martial and Lunatic', and as extra tracks on the recently released remasters of their first three albums.
Which brings us to the meat of the thing. Though this compilation doesn't offer you any kind of definitive summation of Tears For Fears, it does show you enough to turn you back to the originals. 'The Hurting' now sounds precocious and potent, while 'Songs From The Big Chair' is a sophisticated and accomplished small masterpiece. Even 'The Seeds Of Love', though overproduced, has a tenderness to match its overblown grandeur. 'The Working Hour', true to its intent, reminds you of this.
But why not save yourselves time, and a few quid, and miss out this step altogether?
