When you don't give me love, you give me pale shelter;
You don't give me love, you give me cold hands;
And I can't operate on this failure,
When all I wanna be is completely in command . . .

Album Review: Tears For Fears would ultimately find failure in their attempt to "rule the world," but they did climb to the top of the pop heap momentarily with the release of their break-out album Songs from the Big Chair. They would go on to produce several more worthwhile albums, but like Songs from the Big Chair, all of Tears For Fears' original studio releases suffered from a certain amount of unevenness—half great songs, half not. The solution to this problem for us listeners is to go straight to a best-of album, and Shout: The Very Best of Tears for Fears fits the bill nicely. You get the #1 hit "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"—an excellent, jazzed-up pop monster that, amazingly, was a last-minute addition to Big Chair, a song that the boys in TFF claim they didn't think too much of at the time. Go figure. You also get the thumb-tapping, head-nodding hits "Shout" and "Head Over Heels," as well a slew of other excellent songs and lesser hits. There's the great groove of Pale Shelter; the sweet-sounding, Indie-style pop of "Advice For The Young At Heart"; the spooky melody of "Mad World," somewhat reminiscent of The Beatles' "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite." On the song "Seeds of Love," TFF used the success of the "Shout" sound as a springboard, producing a hit song that was chaotic and lush at the same time. Come on, y'all—shout, shout, let it all out—and allow this album rule your world for an hour or so.

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