Re: Captain Sensible vs. Tears for Fears

I remember that TP used to sometimes have guest columnists for the Green Circles singles review section, and one of them was Captain Sensible. One of the singles he reviewed was I think "Mad World" by Tears for Fears (although it may have been "Pale Shelter" - I don't remember for sure). Anyhow, he dismissed it as shit and nothing but production tricks and stated that unless a song can still sound good when it's stripped down to nothing but an acoustic instrument it's worthless.

So every time I hear Gary Jules' fairly nice, acoustic, hit single version of "Mad World" from DONNIE DARKO I think of that statement and chuckle.

Nothing against the Captain, though. He remains one of the greats.

CS on Mad World:
"My idea of a good song is one where you can take all the production away, play it with just one acoustic guitar and one vocal, and it still sounds good. If you strip it all away and it sounds shitty, then it's crap, like this one. The noises are kind of spacey, but all this production just adds a veneer of mystery, danceability, to mundane chord shapes. What's wrong with songs?"

Where does that put rap/hip-hop?

...or kraftwerk?

well, in thinking of love tractor's version of neon lights, a kraftwerk song could work "with just one acoustic guitar and one vocal..."perhaps with energetic and rythmic strumming? i'll try 'tour de france' tonight and see what happens, probably a lot of coughing where the biker's breathing should be.



Post Edited (01-07-06 19:41)

I don't actually disagree with the Captain's basic point. I just think it's funny that the song he used to illustrate that point was later demonstrated to be the very thing he said it wasn't.

Of course it's entirely possible that he's heard the acoustic version and still thinks it's shit. Which would be fair enough.

Personally, I always thought the original sounded just dandy to begin with.

Where does this put "Happy Talk" ?