Happy 35th Anniversary to Tears For Fears’ third studio album The Seeds Of Love, originally released September 25, 1989.
Four years is a long time between albums. Especially when you’re coming off a huge success as Tears For Fears were with the 1985 juggernaut, Songs From The Big Chair. With that release, Tears For Fears found themselves in pop-rock super-stardom. But rather than rush back into the studio with Songs From A Bigger Chair, Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal put in the work to flesh out a new and exciting musical horizon for them to explore.
And so saw the release of their third studio effort The Seeds Of Love. Kicked off with the release of the titular single, Tears For Fears presented a new sound that drew strongly from the influence of The Beatles with a track that was at once deliberately nostalgic and fully present. An epic ode to the musical influence and production brilliance of the fab four (five if you include George Martin, and you should) “Sowing The Seeds Of Love” plays to the strengths of Tears For Fears’ songwriting, weaving a tapestry of captivating melodies and sing-along lyrics that carry a serious undertone. With a jubilant energy, it flourishes with kaleidoscopic production that transcends being a grab-all of Beatles production and becomes a joyful exuberance that is all its own.
But anyone expecting a TFF meets Sgt Pepper’s album was pleasantly surprised as The Seeds Of Love unfurls. Pushing beyond the Beatles-esque psychedelia, the album embraces tones of soul, jazz, pop, world music and orchestral flourishes.
The opening track "Woman In Chains" is a profound statement of intent. Featuring the powerful vocal interplay between Orzabal and the criminally underrated Oleta Adams, the song combines heart-wrenching lyrics about gender oppression with a lush, atmospheric arrangement. Its slow build from a sparse piano ballad into a full-blown epic reveals the depth of musicality that defines the album. Yet, for all its brilliance, "Woman In Chains" signals that The Seeds Of Love is not a pop album in the traditional sense. The album refuses to be rushed, luxuriating in its elaborate arrangements and accented by the drumming of fellow brit Phil Collins.
The Seeds Of Love is an album of ambition, with sprawling tracks that captivate the listener. Songs like "Badman’s Song," a majestic bluesy, jazz-inflected odyssey that stretches beyond seven minutes, willfully challenges restrictions of writing concise pop hits. By the end of the third track, the album has already clocked in a mammoth 21 minutes.
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Perhaps acting as a bit of a reprieve, "Advice For The Young At Heart," is a breezy, soulful track that Curt Smith helms. And while the song may sound lighthearted on the surface, its lyrics grapple with the disillusionment of growing older and the fleeting nature of youthful ideals. The track juxtaposes sweet melodies with a somber reality—a recurring motif throughout the album.
"Standing On The Corner Of The Third World" tackles issues of global inequity and environmental destruction, showcasing the band’s political consciousness. The layered production, complete with sweeping strings, intricate percussion, and a haunting choir, make for a compelling and moving listen.
From here, the album loses its way a little, and at times feels slightly strained by its ambitions. “Swords And Knives” and “Year Of The Knife” struggle to land as intended, with “Year Of The Knife” in particular suffering a major identity crisis (with ultimately 7 different iterations) and seemingly never finding its footing.
Album closer “Famous Last Words” sparkles and ripples with its ambient and pop influences and feels much grander and accomplishes a lot more across its four-minute run time than the previous two tracks with their slightly bloated durations. An exploration of mortality, “Famous Last Words” was indeed the last word from the duo that took an extended break from working together in 1991. The complexity and sheer ambition of the album are, in some ways, a reflection of the internal strife brewing in its conception and production. The dissonance between their visions, while creatively fertile, also foreshadowed the inevitable fracture of their partnership.
With The Seeds Of Love, Tears For Fears created a record that refuses to play it safe. It may not have the chart-topping appeal of its predecessor, but its layered production, lyrical depth, and bold experimentation give it a lasting resonance. It’s an album that rewards repeated listens, revealing new intricacies with each spin. Though it polarized listeners and critics upon its release, The Seeds Of Love has since been rightfully recognized as a bold artistic statement—one that has aged, for the most part, remarkably well.
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