Gold
The first compilation to follow Tears for Fears from its 1980s heyday to its 21st-century comeback, the two-disc Gold set deftly charts the British band's career course. While the first disc focuses on Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith's hit-making early years, including melancholy classics ("Mad World" and "Pale Shelter") and chart-topping anthems ("Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"), the second disc compiles Tears for Fears' oft- maligned '90s material--when the act was essentially a solo outlet for Orzabal--before touching down on the ornate pop of Orzabal and Smith's reunion album ('04's Everybody Loves A Happy Ending). Capped off with the previously unreleased "Floating Down the River (Once Again)" and a live rendition of "Mad World," this anthology is an excellent Tears for Fears overview, and is ideal for those wanting to explore beyond the single-disc Shout collection.