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The second Tears for Fears album following Curt Smith's departure finds Roland Orzabal treading water (and self-consciously deep water at that). Long removed from the simple, melodic melancholy of the band's early work and abandoning the mid-period Beatles-influenced pop, Raoul and the Kings of Spain often borders on progressive rock. There's some genuinely pretty, if unexciting, music like the piano-driven ballad "Secrets," with it's soaring guitar line, and the gentle "Sketches of Pain." Unfortunately, everything is undone by Orzabal's lyrics (mostly co-written with guitarist/keyboardist Alan Griffiths). There seems to be a lack of ideas that cannot be concealed by the words, which are either inscrutable or embarrassingly silly ("What's the matter with your life/Did someone come and shoot your wife," he asks on "Sorry"). Listeners on both sides of the Atlantic couldn't be bothered, and the act's commercial fortunes fell even further.
© Tom Demalon /TiVo
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Tim Palmer, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Composer - Alan Griffiths, Guitar - Alan Griffiths, Lyricist - Alan Griffiths, Keyboards - Brian MacLeod, Percussion - Brian MacLeod, Drums - Jeffrey Trott, Guitar - Tears For Fears, Performer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer - Mark O'Donoughue, Background Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Producer - Roland Orzabal, Composer - Roland Orzabal, Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Guitar - Roland Orzabal, Lyricist - Roland Orzabal, Keyboards - Gail Ann Dorsey, Acoustic Bass
(P) 1995 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Tim Palmer, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Guitar - Alan Griffiths, Keyboards - Brian MacLeod, Percussion - Brian MacLeod, Drums - Jeffrey Trott, Guitar - Tears For Fears, Performer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer - Mark O'Donoughue, Background Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Producer - Roland Orzabal, Composer - Roland Orzabal, Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Lyricist - Roland Orzabal, Guitar - Roland Orzabal, Keyboards - Gail Ann Dorsey, Acoustic Bass
(P) 1995 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Tim Palmer, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Composer - Alan Griffiths, Guitar - Alan Griffiths, Lyricist - Alan Griffiths, Keyboards - Brian MacLeod, Percussion - Brian MacLeod, Drums - Jeffrey Trott, Guitar - Tears For Fears, Performer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer - Mark O'Donoughue, Background Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Producer - Roland Orzabal, Composer - Roland Orzabal, Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Guitar - Roland Orzabal, Lyricist - Roland Orzabal, Keyboards - Gail Ann Dorsey, Acoustic Bass
(P) 1995 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Tim Palmer, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Composer - Alan Griffiths, Lyricist - Alan Griffiths, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Guitar - Alan Griffiths, Keyboards - Brian MacLeod, Drums - Brian MacLeod, Percussion - Jeffrey Trott, Guitar - Tears For Fears, Performer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer - Mark O'Donoughue, Background Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Composer - Roland Orzabal, Lyricist - Roland Orzabal, Keyboards - Roland Orzabal, Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Producer - Roland Orzabal, Guitar - Gail Ann Dorsey, Acoustic Bass
(P) 1995 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Tim Palmer, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Guitar - Alan Griffiths, Keyboards - Brian MacLeod, Percussion - Brian MacLeod, Drums - Jeffrey Trott, Guitar - Tears For Fears, Performer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer - Mark O'Donoughue, Background Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Producer - Roland Orzabal, Composer - Roland Orzabal, Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Lyricist - Roland Orzabal, Guitar - Roland Orzabal, Keyboards - Gail Ann Dorsey, Acoustic Bass
(P) 1995 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Tim Palmer, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Composer - Alan Griffiths, Guitar - Alan Griffiths, Lyricist - Alan Griffiths, Keyboards - Brian MacLeod, Percussion - Brian MacLeod, Drums - Jeffrey Trott, Guitar - Tears For Fears, Performer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer - Mark O'Donoughue, Background Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Producer - Roland Orzabal, Composer - Roland Orzabal, Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Guitar - Roland Orzabal, Lyricist - Roland Orzabal, Keyboards - Gail Ann Dorsey, Acoustic Bass
(P) 1995 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Tim Palmer, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Composer - Alan Griffiths, Guitar - Alan Griffiths, Lyricist - Alan Griffiths, Keyboards - Brian MacLeod, Percussion - Brian MacLeod, Drums - Jeffrey Trott, Guitar - Tears For Fears, Performer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer - Mark O'Donoughue, Background Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Producer - Roland Orzabal, Composer - Roland Orzabal, Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Guitar - Roland Orzabal, Lyricist - Roland Orzabal, Keyboards - Gail Ann Dorsey, Acoustic Bass
(P) 1995 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer - Alan Griffiths, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Composer - Alan Griffiths, Guitar - Alan Griffiths, Lyricist - Alan Griffiths, Keyboards - Tears For Fears, Performer - Gail Ann Dorsey, Acoustic Bass - Roland Orzabal, Producer - Roland Orzabal, Composer - Roland Orzabal, Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Guitar - Roland Orzabal, Lyricist - Roland Orzabal, Keyboards - Mark O'Donoughue, Background Vocal - Brian MacLeod, Percussion - Brian MacLeod, Drums - Jeffrey Trott, Guitar
(P) 1995 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Tim Palmer, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Guitar - Alan Griffiths, Keyboards - Brian MacLeod, Percussion - Brian MacLeod, Drums - Jeffrey Trott, Guitar - Tears For Fears, Performer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer - Mark O'Donoughue, Background Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Producer - Roland Orzabal, Composer - Roland Orzabal, Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Lyricist - Roland Orzabal, Guitar - Roland Orzabal, Keyboards - Gail Ann Dorsey, Acoustic Bass
(P) 1995 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Tim Palmer, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Composer - Alan Griffiths, Guitar - Alan Griffiths, Lyricist - Alan Griffiths, Keyboards - Brian MacLeod, Percussion - Brian MacLeod, Drums - Jeffrey Trott, Guitar - Tears For Fears, Performer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer - Mark O'Donoughue, Background Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Producer - Roland Orzabal, Composer - Roland Orzabal, Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Guitar - Roland Orzabal, Lyricist - Roland Orzabal, Keyboards - Gail Ann Dorsey, Acoustic Bass
(P) 1995 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Tim Palmer, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Composer - Alan Griffiths, Guitar - Alan Griffiths, Lyricist - Alan Griffiths, Keyboards - Oleta Adams, Performer - Brian MacLeod, Percussion - Brian MacLeod, Drums - Jeffrey Trott, Guitar - Tears For Fears, Performer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer - Mark O'Donoughue, Background Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Producer - Roland Orzabal, Composer - Roland Orzabal, Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Guitar - Roland Orzabal, Lyricist - Roland Orzabal, Keyboards - Gail Ann Dorsey, Acoustic Bass
(P) 1995 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Tim Palmer, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Producer - Alan Griffiths, Composer - Alan Griffiths, Guitar - Alan Griffiths, Lyricist - Alan Griffiths, Keyboards - Brian MacLeod, Percussion - Brian MacLeod, Drums - Jeffrey Trott, Guitar - Tears For Fears, Performer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer - Mark O'Donoughue, Background Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Producer - Roland Orzabal, Composer - Roland Orzabal, Vocal - Roland Orzabal, Guitar - Roland Orzabal, Lyricist - Roland Orzabal, Keyboards - Gail Ann Dorsey, Acoustic Bass
(P) 1995 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Album review
The second Tears for Fears album following Curt Smith's departure finds Roland Orzabal treading water (and self-consciously deep water at that). Long removed from the simple, melodic melancholy of the band's early work and abandoning the mid-period Beatles-influenced pop, Raoul and the Kings of Spain often borders on progressive rock. There's some genuinely pretty, if unexciting, music like the piano-driven ballad "Secrets," with it's soaring guitar line, and the gentle "Sketches of Pain." Unfortunately, everything is undone by Orzabal's lyrics (mostly co-written with guitarist/keyboardist Alan Griffiths). There seems to be a lack of ideas that cannot be concealed by the words, which are either inscrutable or embarrassingly silly ("What's the matter with your life/Did someone come and shoot your wife," he asks on "Sorry"). Listeners on both sides of the Atlantic couldn't be bothered, and the act's commercial fortunes fell even further.
© Tom Demalon /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:50:18
- Main artists: Tears For Fears
- Composer: Roland Orzabal
- Label: Epic
- Genre: Pop/Rock
1995 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
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