Tears For Fears - The Tipping Point- February 2022 release*

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by NunoBento, Sep 28, 2020.

  1. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    Somebody already confirmed to me that Gold uses the US mastering, which I also added to the thread at my forum. I think the DR lines up. At the time I did those comparisons, I did not know that. Like you, I've only got the EU CD, which seems to have been compressed further vis-a-vis the original Marcussen mastering (which was already the loudest thing released by TFF so far). God knows why.

    I really hope they could get Bob Ludwig to master the new album, but I'm not holding my breath. Both TFF and ZZ Top, perhaps several other acts, suffered immensely when they dispensed with Ludwig's services.
     
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  2. jacden

    jacden Senior Member

    Location:
    Denmark
    Thanks for the info JulesRules. So to recap: what we're now listening to via streaming platforms is actually the standard US master which was also utilized for the Gold compilation. In other words, nothing to see here for people who are used to the US CD. But I'd recommend it to anyone who, like me, have only heard the EU CD. The US master is MUCH nicer sounding, even though it still has more compression than necessary.
     
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  3. Squealy

    Squealy Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Vancouver
    Maybe they’re calling this “The Tipping Point” because they’re hoping that if they just keep working on it very slowly, all of a sudden it will be finished.
     
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  4. Ryan Lux

    Ryan Lux Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, ON, CA
    Is the CAN CD the US master? If so, I can't believe the EU is even worse.
     
  5. jacden

    jacden Senior Member

    Location:
    Denmark
    Looking at discogs, I see the Canadian CD was issued in 2004, roughly around the same time as the US, and both have 12 tracks. I'd say they're probably the same soundwise.

    The UK/EU CD was issued a year later and has two bonus tracks. It sounds like a jackhammer in your brain. No dynamic range whatsoever. The sections with minimal instrumentation actually seem louder than the full band sections due to excessive compression. Quite unpleasant.
     
  6. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    Does it have bonus tracks?

    The US CD may be bad by SH.TV standards, but the EU CD is bad by anyone's standards. Comparing "Secret World" from the two masterings, on the EU master the piano intro is almost at the same level as the full band entering. Hideous.

    Edit: @jacden said the same thing before I posted my post.

    Have you seen the post I linked to? Inside source says it is finished. Curt has been very quiet about things.
     
  7. NunoBento

    NunoBento Rock 'n' Roll Star Thread Starter

    Location:
    London
    Seems like TFF are finally being managed by professionals and that's what got us the Seeds box (at long fu!king last!) and ELAHE on Spotify. A vinyl reissue for ELAHE is seemingly in the cards, but the new album may appear even before that.
    Things should start moving really soon.

    Lack of ‘Happy Ending’ contributed to Tears For Fears management split | superdeluxeedition

    Taken from SDE:

    Tears For Fears have told SuperDeluxeEdition how the failure to release their 2005 album Everybody Loves A Happy Ending on streaming services was partially behind the duo’s decision to change their management.
    Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith recently joined the father-and-son management team Irving and Jeff Azoff, whose firm Full Stop also manage Harry Styles, Mark Ronson and the Eagles.
    Everybody Loves A Happy Ending suddenly appeared on streaming services last weekend (November 20). Orzabal revealed how the album’s previous inaccessibility on streaming services was a source of frustration for the band.
    Orzabal and Smith are working on a new album together in New York, where Smith lives. Of the duo’s plans, Orzabal said: “There was a plan to start releasing new tracks this year. But that didn’t emerge, as it felt like it was one too many tasks for our then-management to actually put out. Everybody Loves A Happy Ending wasn’t even on Spotify – that was another task we asked them to do, which was apparently one task too many. We asked them to get …Happy Ending on streaming, but it wasn’t there. So we’ve changed management.”
    The appearance of Everybody Loves A Happy Ending on streaming services is a positive sign and fans will hope that an expanded deluxe edition of the album might form part of the band’s long-running reissue campaign. The Hurting and Songs From The Big Chair were re-released in 2013 and 2014 respectively and were followed this October by the long-delayed reissue of 1989’s The Seeds Of Love. The first release under Full Stop’s management, the five-disc edition reached number 13 in the UK album chart. Orzabal said: “Changing management was a big deal, of course. It felt like getting the box set for The Seeds Of Love finally done was the first thing that needed to happen.”
     
  8. hEARt PhoniX

    hEARt PhoniX living musical polyamory

    @NunoBento Thanks a lot, read the whole article over there at SDE, this is encouraging.
    Listening to ELAHE at Deezer, to celebrate. Have not got the correct equipment with me right now for more than a superficial listen, but I suspect it could very well be the US master. Which is quite likely anyway, as that's the one we saw at Tidal, and usually such uploads happen just once for all applicable streaming and / or download services.
     
  9. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    ....and probably the only one that was actually approved by the band. The EU version sounds so terrible I have a sneaking suspicion somebody did that behind their backs. Though they did supply the two bonus tracks!
     
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  10. hEARt PhoniX

    hEARt PhoniX living musical polyamory

    Regarding the above news I've got the same suspicion. And what it if they did not actually give them the tracks for this?
    I know, highly speculative. But I'd say there needs to be much more wrong than just not uploading an album to streaming services.
    But that's just my own conspiracy. :)
     
  11. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    Well, we're now talking about events from 2004/2005... that was another management. But I'm sure the bonus tracks were either intended for the expanded edition or for single b-sides that then didn't happen. But maybe they were initially less compressed too.

    The main problem with the Artist Organisation (who they signed with, I dunno, five years ago?) seemed to be their urging TFF to go "modern" and the fact that they held up the release of the Seeds of Love boxset.
     
  12. hEARt PhoniX

    hEARt PhoniX living musical polyamory

    Wow, that was yet another management? They don't seem to have much luck picking those ...
    And yes, if I Love You But I'm Lost is indicative ... Stay was the better one ... had they released a whole album in that veign I am pretty sure it would have done ... exactly nothing but harm their reputation. Fingers crossed they'll manage to save the songs they want to keep, but arrangements make and break songs, so I am optimistic.
    Let's hope for the things to come.
     
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  13. humanracer

    humanracer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Edinburgh,Scotland
    Curt was interviewed by his brother on Radio Bath:

    The album is completed and they will let the record company hear it in a few weeks.There is no planned release date.

    Depending on the Corona situation, they may tour sometime in 2021.
     
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  14. garax

    garax Forum Resident

    Location:
    uk
    I sort of think, for artists with nothing to prove, that you just shouldn't produce new work unless you are passionate about it - and getting in a load of top producers and spending ages and fortunes and then sacking it all off doesn't feel like that. There was always a sort of through point on TFF work - the albums are some of the most cohesive in the 80's pop / rock cannon - and just the idea of them chasing hits or even having been engaged in that... I think unless you think its the best thing you've ever done, unless it would kill you not to have us hear it - just - it's fine - you don't need to - really - you've already done more than enough. But obviously, I'd love it if I heard new stuff from them that really hit home and could be part of the soundtrack of my life.
     
  15. Good managers that are decent human beings that don’t rip off the people they work for are far and few between.
     
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  16. 33andathird

    33andathird keep em spinning

    Location:
    ireland
    Oh for f sake...the record company haven't even heard it yet? They'll probably tell them that 'it needs work' and set a deadline for this date in 2035 LOL
     
  17. Ryan Lux

    Ryan Lux Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, ON, CA
    I'm relieved that Roland & Curt were hearing the same thing the rest of us heard on the new songs. What a stupid idea. They're not at a point in their career where sounding current will make any difference, this isn't 1994. Plus it'll alienate their fanbase. Much smarter to just make a great album their long-term fans can get behind.
     
  18. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    I really hope the label can rely on the band's judgment and don't impose anything after the fact.

    This is actually exactly what happened with the second 'Curt-less' TFF album (Raoul and the Kings of Spain); the album was delivered to Mercury. The label's new leadership wasn't interested, they wanted another Big Chair.

    TFF then "switched labels" and the album was bought and released by Sony US/Epic. There was a change from the advance promo - Queen of Compromise had been dropped and replaced by Humdrum and Humble + I Choose You - but that certainly didn't make the album any more commercial (in fact Queen of Compromise is also a very catchy song).

    I like how you wrote "cannon" instead of "canon" :cool:

    It doesn't get easier for artists that have already achieved so much. Look at Peter Gabriel, David Gilmour or Manfred Mann. All artists whose albums have become more and more rare over time.

    I'm not finding the article anymore but I remember reading that the first stuff TFF wrote for the new album apparently sounded like ELAHE part 2, and they wanted to get away from that. Hence those electronic sounding covers and the speed dating.
     
  19. garax

    garax Forum Resident

    Location:
    uk
    As much as I like the channelling of The Beatles from Seeds of Love onwards I think it led there sound to a bit of a dead end. I did really like Raoul - and I really like the tracks apparently swapped onto the line up -but really, if one goes back to The Hurting there was a road not taken there, and I think it was more individual - and had they perused it they may have been less successful but they might have had a more defined and adaptable sound now.
     
  20. robsabres

    robsabres Forum Resident

    Location:
    MD USA
    We all want some new music but in this day and age it’s hard for an artist like TFF to get music out there. This has been a 7 year process of recording this record and now almost 17 years since ELAHE. Fingers crossed and we thought it took a long time for SOL to come out back in the day!!
     
  21. humanracer

    humanracer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Edinburgh,Scotland
    New interview with Roland


    Regarding not playing Live Aid, he thought TFF would have embarrassed themselves and the show was best left to the Stadium rock acts who stole the night (Queen I guess)

    The record company wanted Whitney Houston on Woman In Chains

    Curt has written some "killer" stuff for the new album

    Roland regards Curt as an important person in his life. When things get bleak or he gets ill, Curt is the person that comes into his head. Their relationship now is very good.

    Roland was told he couldn't make a TFF record on his own and was pushed to work with various songwriters. Curt got sidelined.

    They kept 5 very good songs from the early sessions and reworked them. They did 5 new songs during Lockdown. During these sessions if Curt didn't like a song, they didn't do it.

    Really proud of the new material and stands up with the best TFF albums.
     
  22. garax

    garax Forum Resident

    Location:
    uk
    Thats lots of cool info. I kind of a lot wish that they would get Ian Stanley involved again - he’s an important part of what made them exciting i think.
     
  23. Trader Joe

    Trader Joe Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Hampshire
    Great news. First day buyer.
     
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  24. NunoBento

    NunoBento Rock 'n' Roll Star Thread Starter

    Location:
    London
    Bring it on! Thanks for the summary, I'll listen to the podcast tomorrow.
     
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  25. robsabres

    robsabres Forum Resident

    Location:
    MD USA
    Great podcast, I will add, as many in the thread may have said that they kept 5 songs from the “speed writing “ sessions and reworked them and then created 5 new ones. So sounds like a 10 song album. Now let’s get the release date !!
     

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