Tears For Fears went stratospheric with Songs From The Big Chair, the 1985 album that transformed Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith from ambitious synth-pop outsiders into one of the biggest bands in the world. Expansive, emotional and impeccably produced, it takes the introspection of their debut The Hurting and blows it up into something enormous.
The songs are almost absurdly strong. Shout builds from a stark, hypnotic pulse into a towering anthem, Everybody Wants To Rule The World remains one of the great pop singles of the decade, and Head Over Heels somehow balances widescreen grandeur with genuine vulnerability. But the deeper cuts are every bit as rewarding, from the smoky, saxophone-soaked The Working Hour to the atmospheric closing drift of Listen.
Released for the album’s 30th anniversary, this 180gm vinyl edition is a beautiful way to revisit a defining 1980s record: intelligent without sacrificing immediacy, meticulously constructed without losing its emotional punch, and packed with songs that have long since escaped their era.
TRACKS:
Side A
Shout
The Working Hour
Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Mothers Talk
Side B
I Believe
Broken
Head Over Heels
Listen
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