Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair

Tears For Fears managed to do an amazing thing with their second album. They had three of the biggest international pop hits of the decade in rapid succession in 1985. But instead of putting them in an album of easy to like pop songs, they placed them in an a serious and complex album that explored darkness and ambiguity and one that was challenging to normal expectations as well. How many artists would follow an exuberant and joyful number like Head Over Heels with a long, bleak, mostly instrumental number like Listen, which sounded more like something from Pink Floyd or the Alan Parsons Project?But this was what made Tears For Fears a step above many other recording artists of their day. In an age of frivolity they came on with an earnestness and seriousness of purpose which was rare. Their first album, The Hurting, was absolutely bleak, a raw exploration of Roland and Curt’s troubled childhoods that included the original version of Mad World. Early critics were quick to dismiss them as just another synth-pop band, and a mopey one at that, but it was clear to the public that there was more to them and the album reached #1 in Britain and produced three big hits in 1983. For some reason the American audience didn’t take to them at at first, whether because the songs were too dark or from poor promotion by the label I don’t know.Songs From the Big Chair was a giant leap forward for the band in every way. The first album really was almost all synth and drum machine, even if in service to dark lyrics. Here, to multiple synthesizers and drum machines they added real drums, multiple guitars, saxophone, and organ in many layers of sound. There’s layers upon layers of things going on in the new sound of Tears For Fears, especially in numbers like Shout, The Working Hour and Head Over Heels. The music is more flowing and loose as well with jazz and R&B influences. Often it seems like they are accompanied by a great righteous noise, a swelling of instruments and sounds rather than instruments playing a melodic line. This would be the basis of their sound which would go even further into jazz and soul in the next album.At this point Tears For Fears was a real touring band and Ian Stanley and Manny Elias were considered part of the group though Roland and Curt obviously occupied a more forward position. They had the ability to recreate all of their music live just like it was on the album, though this needed an extra guitarist, keyboardist and saxophone. Ian was very important to the band at this time, and I don’t think he gets all the credit he deserves. Not only did he offer Roland and Curt free use of his studio, but even this late, most of this album was made there with producer Chris Hughes. He was important in creating the sound and at least gets some writing credits here.Songs From the Big Chair is not quite a concept album, but it does seem thematically united. The lyrics are often a bit oblique and open to interpretation, but they often seem to he lost in indecision. The songs’ protagonist is unsure whether to believe everything will work out, or, as he also says, “I believe that it’s too late for anyone to believe.” If he cries while he writes the words is it absurd or real? The album is full of moments like “Find out, find out, what the fear is all about” in The Working Hours and “ I stop believing everything will be alright” in Broken. Yet the final lyric (in Spanish) of the album translates as “Birthday girl, everything will be alright”.It’s not unusual for Tears For Fears that a dark or cynical lyric is cloaked in a bright melody. Pale Shelter (from The Hurting) sounds dynamic and upbeat despite its bitter words. The cynicism of Everybody Wants To Rule the World sounds like fun in its loping, flowing rhythm and big chorus. Shout is full of anger but also hope that at least you can let it out and is positively hypnotic with its solid chant and its huge sound that keeps getting bigger. Tears For Fears was more about the sound to me than the lyrics anyway, which I usually had to see printed out to fully understand. The sound of Tears For Fears is usually very spacious, full of reverb, the musical equivalent of Big Sky Country. This is true whether it’s dark and deep like Shout or high and straining for the heavens like Head Over Heels.The Working Hour is beautifully realized with its percussion and saxophones and has a pleading sound close to songs from The Hurting like Start of the Breakdown. Will Gregory’s saxophone is a very important part of the song and makes it different than any previous song of theirs. Mother’s Talk is more of a rhythm piece without the strong melody that is usual for the group. It was a minor hit in the U.K. and in the U.S. in a remixed version. It seems like a bit of a throwback to The Way You Are. I Believe is a quietly jazzy meditation on uncertainty that could almost work as lounge music if it had a more typical love lyric.The album’s finale is a trilogy of songs of wildly different moods played without a real break with Broken and Head Over Heels sharing melodic material. Broken is fast, frenetic and jagged, and a bit like something Yes might do. It includes the theme which opens Head Over Heels while Heels ends with a repeat of Broken’s central section; they also share the line, “Funny How Time Flies” This is something more prog-rock than synth-pop or new wave and this tying together of the three songs was usually kept together in live performances. Then comes the real surprise. Instead of a big, positive anthem of a song, Listen is a bleak, almost minimalist instrumental riff which includes a brief opening lyric referring to an atomic war in Russia sung to jazz chords. This was a really gutsy way to end an album. I’m sure the label execs must have argued against it. But that’s Tears For Fears, always full of surprises.It’s rare that an album this creative is as popular as Songs From the Big Chair. It was the album of the summer in 1985, sold five million copies in the U.S. alone and about ten million worldwide.This CD was remastered in 2014 and sounds great. The sound is full of detail, something necessary for the group’s music. No bonus tracks but those are often just outtakes. There is a deluxe 2-CD version but it’s selling for a fortune at the moment. This is all you really need.

One of my favorite albums! I loved it!Came on time and with no scratches!

I am a collector and an audiophile and this recording sounds excellent on vinyl like the old one I had to replace.

I really like this group and I am happy with her choice as it has made her glad. She is very pleased with it and that is what matters to me. Who wants something that doesn’t please you? This is key to getting what you want and loving the purchase. When you know the material and the item has at least part of these songs, you will get what you can live with. It is hard to get all you want unless you do the work to make that happen. You won’t get it with most albums, but what matters is getting some of what you want. Few of any albums check all the boxes. She’s happy therefore I am as well.

I got this Blu-Ray the other day and immediately realized it's one of the best sounding music discs I own. I had been disappointed / unimpressed with some other Blu-Ray audio discs I have purchased. But this...WOW!!Don't even bother with the original stereo mix or the basic 24/96 mix. Meh.Instead: The default mix is (wisely) the DTS Master 5.1 mix.FIRST AUDITION ON HEADPHONES:The DTS Master 5.1 mix is stunning. It's luscious, superb and many other superlatives. It has everything you might dream of (technically) as far as sound quality: Clarity, Punch, excellent Bass, Air, Soundstage and that ever elusive and hard to find: Warmth Without Muddiness.And yes, I'm hearing many things - instruments, sounds, that I've never heard before till now.Did I mention that I get this kind of sound quality using my cheapo $30.00 Sony headphones and a consumer grade home theater (Pioneer VSX-1021 which I admit does have DTS decoding) and $200 Sony Blu-Ray player? I can only imagine what this would sound like on a high end system.OVER MODEST 5.1 SPEAKERS: For speakers I just have Panasonic towers and surround from an older $650 bundle HTIB kit of which I replaced the center speaker with a Definitive Technologies Mythos and the receiver with the Pioneer. This album sounds wonderful and immersive over my present speakers, you are in a whole "world". The only 5.1 mix I can liken it to as an equal for technical competence and clarity is a Jurassic Park 5.1 Blu-Ray that I own - a particular older version before they messed with the screen color rendering."Listen"ing ; ) to some of the songs on this Blu-Ray is an out of body experience. (no drugs involved here) I laid on my back on the living room floor looking up at the ceiling taking this all in. Something I don't normally do.Regardless of using speakers or headphones, I find I can turn this up to ridiculous levels and it doesn't hurt my ears... (be careful with this!) and my ears don't usually tolerate high volumes anymore. Maybe it's the total lack of "Loudness Wars" - I don't know. I just know it's great.The mixer of this album, Steven Wilson, is at the top of his game here. Highly Recommended. It's great music that doubles as an audio demonstration disc. Value for Money: 11 out of 10. If you like this album and this band and have a Blu-Ray player, BUY IT!!!P.S. I also tried the 5.1 PCM mix which has a higher bitrate even than the DTS Master. It's a hair more crisp but, to me, it's a bit clinical and has less "soul". There's something about that heavenly DTS Master 5.1 mix I keep coming back to.P.P.S. This disc proves to me that Blu-Ray Audio, done correctly, is a more than viable replacement for SACD format. (I own a few SACDs that I dearly appreciate and love).

it took longer than expected to arrive but once it did it was in perfect condition

Arrived quickly. Great price. A nice walk down memory lane.

This one has their big hits from the ‘80s. Brings back great memories!