Topic Type: Artist

Tears For Fears only released three albums in the decade ‘they’ call the 1980s and then promptly split up (for a while, at least). But what albums they are!

The Hurting (1983), Songs From The Big Chair (1985) and The Seeds of Love (1989) were all hit records but offer the listener something different each time.

Their debut was dark, bedsit, indie-synth-pop. Virtually every song was written by Roland Orzabal on his own with an acoustic guitar, as he channeled his repressed childhood pain and how to resolve it via Arthur Janov’s ‘Primal Therapy’. It features the hits ‘Mad World’, ‘Pale Shelter’ and ‘Change’.

With Songs From The Big Chair Roland says they had “let go of the Tears For Fears ideology” and adds “there wasn’t the difficult second album syndrome –  it was an easy second album syndrome”. The sound was expanded with electric guitars, and Shout and Everybody Wants To Rule The World both got to number one in the American charts.

The well documented Seeds of Love sessions dragged on and on, and while only Sowing The Seeds of Love was a major hit, the proggy, somewhat indulgent, Seventies rock stylings were totally out of step for the time but have aged remarkably well with Seeds being many fans’ favourite.

Paul McCartney‘s astonishing achievements in music are unequalled. His creative peak of The Beatles was done and dusted before he was 30!

In the 1970s, Wings were a commercial success, particularly in America, where they scored six number one singles. Band on the Run (1973) was critically acclaimed and is generally accepted as Paul’s post-Beatles high point (although 1971’s RAM gives it a good run for its money).

When Wings ‘folded’ (a Macca gag), Paul’s success continued in the early 1980s as a solo artist. 1982’s Tug of War was his ‘best since Band on the Run‘ (a common refrain) and singles like ‘Say Say Say’, ‘Ebony and Ivory’ and ‘Pipes of Peace’ were reaching number one on the pop charts in America and/or the UK.

The late Eighties saw Paul’s commercial fortunes finally dip somewhat and hit singles became a thing of the past. However, after a decade off, McCartney started touring again and he has wowed crowds with setlists packed with Beatles tunes for over 30 years now.

He has continued to release solo albums to mixed reviews, although every now and again he comes out with a corker like Flaming Pie, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard. Now in his late Seventies, Paul’s still producing music and only last year issued McCartney III, which reached number one on the UK album charts.

David Bowie was one of Britain’s greatest musical artists. His career spanned over five decades, although he was undoubtedly at his peak during the 1970s when he produced an incredible run of albums. These included the much loved Hunky Dory, the iconic The Fall and Rise of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars and of course later on, the so-called ‘Berlin Trilogy’ of Low, Heroes and Lodger.

Since David’s untimely death in 2016, his Estate and his record label, Parlophone, have kept very busy reissuing his work, and as such there has been plenty of coverage on SDE and we hope you will enjoy browsing this content, below!