Digitally remastered edition of the British duo's 1985 release. FROM THE BIG CHAIR, Tears for Fears' phenomenal 10-million-selling second album, marked a transition in the band's sound and catapulted them into international prominence. Includes the hits "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," "Mother's Talk," "Shout" and "Head over Heels."
Although the opening track, "Shout," takes on the theme of catharsis that dominated THE HURTING two years earlier, the progression evident from that debut to SONGS FROM THE BIG CHAIR is manifest in every other facet. While many of the band's synth-pop peers continued to develop along a linear route, Tears For Fears vaulted into the potentially insipid world of '80s MOR.
Curt Smith sings on the radio-friendly "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," but Roland Orzabal's stronger voice takes center-stage for much of the album, including the spirited single "Mother's Talk" and a falsetto on the stadium-sized "Head Over Heels." "The Working Hour" is the perfect realization of the new sound: a smooth six-minute arrangement of saxophone, piano, and guitar that's marked by a restrained sense of drama. SONGS FROM THE BIG CHAIR is an excellent album and, shading Simple Minds' ONCE UPON A TIME, arguably the finest example of epic '80s pop.
Tears For Fears: Roland Orzabal (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); Curt Smith (vocals, bass); Ian Stanley (keyboards); Manny Elias (drums).
- Format: Vinyl
- Genre: Rock, Pop
Track Listings
1. Shout
2. The Working Hour
3. Everybody Wants to Rule the World
4. Mothers Talk
5. I Believe
6. Broken
7. Head Over Heels
8. Listen
