Songs From The Big Chair

Atmospheric while also being poppy. Still feels fresh 40 years later. Has both very well known songs, and also songs that would be considered lesser known. I am almost on the verge of giving this a five. Actually the more I think about it, the more I like this album. Fuck it.

It's hard reviewing an album that's perfect but here's me giving it a shot. I've been well acquainted and quite familiar with Tears for Fears's work for quite some time now. It's obviously all the smash hits I know them for, but I'd be lying through my teeth if I didn't start grinning when I saw this album as the next to listen to. I was excited and I had damn good reason to be. This is the album with Shout! With Everybody Wants to Rule the World! It's quite the star studded affair and hopes were high. Suffice it to say, this album didn't disappoint, not by a long shot. The aforementioned Shout kicks off the album in a downright chilling manner. The samples and loops used are accompanied by ice-cold keyboards and Roland Orzabal's chilling vocals. If I didn't know about the song beforehand, it would've probably stunned me into silence. It's a masterful track and the first one, no less. Moving on from there, we descend into smooth jazz with The Working Hour. It's yet another superb blend of various different genres, but the mood of desperation and bitterness rages on. These guys have a lot to say on this album and they don't mince their words or leave out details; they get to the point backed with vast arrangements and multiple different things happening at once. Nowhere is that better enunciated than on The Working Hour. Moving on from there we have the smash hit of the album Everybody Wants to Rule the World. I don't think I need to say much about it. It was always an iconic track and one I've known for as long as I can remember. The message often flies through people's heads but the truth is the commentary on corruption and dictatorial rule that was prevalent during that time (after all, this album was literally recorded at the pinnacle of the Cold War of the 1980s) will always be ahead of its time. The arrangement is glistening and glossy, while the lyrics, continuing with the theme of the album, are anything but. Another iconic track that proved to be an intergenerational hit. From here on out we really get to the meat of the album. Mothers Talk is more of a drum exercise than the previous few songs incorporating world music elements and in the process almost sounding like a Talking Heads leftover. Of course I mean that in the nicest and sincerest way possible. I Believe is built upon one of the sparser arrangements of the album. It's also my favourite song of the entire album. The saxophone solo merely sealed the deal, but even before that I was entranced by Roland's lonesome vocals and the slow, brooding drums and piano. From there on out we enter what I like to call a medley of sorts. Broken kicks off where I Believe left off and it's one of the more vibrant songs of the album. It gets into gear almost immediately and in its 2 and a half minutes accomplishes a lot with seemingly nothing. After that we have another instant transition into Head Over Heels, another well known track off the album and another absolute masterpiece. I wouldn't be surprised if people write this song off because of its pop sensibilities ,but I like it directly because of that. The poppier nature of the track serves as a cleanser to the past few moody songs that have preceded it. The live snippet of Broken, featured earlier on the album, makes a cameo at the tail end of the song, following another seamless transition. I don't find much rhyme or reason in putting that short snippet there, but it really does the track no harm and it's not something worth wasting energy over. The final track on the album is also the most emotionally poignant and daring. Listen starts off simple enough with a keyboard line, but eventually crescendoes and evolves into this African chant-like structure, furthering their relations with world music. Drums are barely present and yet you don't notice it, because the squealing guitar and atmospheric keys more than make up for it. What a joyride this album was! Who knew that a simple band from Bath could string along different genres so easily, seamlessly and in a way that amplified their messages and improved their songs. From start to finish, this project is an all killer, no filler affair. It's also one of the few albums whose album cover defines the music present on the album. The monochrome cover perfectly encapsulates the music behind it. The arrangements are often cadaverous and chilling, other times hypnotic and soulful and on occasion smooth and mellow as well. The lyrics get to the point and the core of many sociopolitical issues of the time. Sensational doesn't even begin to describe it; this underrated gem is a must for everyone trying to broaden their horizons as far as British 80s music goes and further acknowledge Tears for Fears as one of the most underrated bands of the 1980s. 10/10

Masterful pop production. It wears its era on its sleeve, which is perhaps the only complaint, but also a big part of the charm. There are plenty of legitimately interesting ideas across the eight songs, while they all manage to sound like the commercially successful pop music which they were.

SOMETHING HAPPENS AND IM HEAD OVER

Classic. Feels like I took a time machine back to the 80s listening to it

Excellent synth pop album. A more accessible, but still very interesting, successor to their debut The Hurting.

There's no way to remove our own biases, experiences, and subjectivity from, well, anything, really, and rendering an opinion on music is no exception. This is one of my favorite albums of all time. It surprised me when it was released and fell in love with it (its release year, 1985, was the year I graduated high school and entered college) because this was so popular and I fancied myself quite a bit of a hard rocker and wannabe punk rocker who was just way too cool for silly ol' popular music (I was then, as I am now, completely full of poop). Didn't matter though: this band, this album, these songs...they all gripped me. I know it's all associated with what was, for the most part, an extraordinarily memorable year for me, in many outstanding ways (had some really crappy moments, too, but that's how life does its life thing). I have a particular fondness for Roland Orzabal's voice and I believe he is an underrated guitarist. (Speaking of guitar, Neil Taylor's outro solo on "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" is excellent.) Curt Smith's voice is great, too, and his bass playing is also overlooked. They are actually fantastic musicians, composers, and writers. A good look into their abilities can be found YouTuber Rick Beato's 'What Makes This Song Great' episode on "Head Over Heels," one of my favorite of many favorite TFF songs. Check it out if you're interested. So glad this project gave me an excuse to listen to this masterpiece all the way through again. 5+ Stars from me.

Mom bought the first Sony Discman, the D-50, shortly after it came out: a minimalist, chunky half-cube of a gadget with an LCD readout, maybe four buttons and a volume dial. It was the future. It played shiny discs that had a prismatic glow when you held them under light. As far as I was concerned at five or six years old, it was magic. Among the discs Mom would purchase following her acquisition of the new magical music machine: selections from The Beatles’ catalog, Phil Collins’ “No Jacket Required”, Simon and Garfunkel’s “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme”, a host of classical and new age recordings and this record right here, Tears For Fears’ “Songs From the Big Chair”. If you asked me the name of my first grade teacher or what I got for Christmas in 1987, I couldn’t begin to tell you, but I remember sitting in our living room on the dark blue carpet popping this disc or “No Jacket Required” or “Help!” into the CD player like it was yesterday. …Fuck me, I loved “Sussudio” back then. Now I’ve a got a closet full of prismatic discs that haven’t seen the light of day in close to two decades. For me, they’ve been rendered obsolete by the even more minimalist and thin rectangular slab that nearly everyone on earth carries with them at all times and by a format that’s even older than the compact disc: the vinyl record. I’ve been collecting vinyl for nearly a quarter century now and have found that I prefer the experience of listening to the medium that preceded the cd when sitting crosslegged on the floor of my living room. So here’s to the Compact Disc and all the other inventions that changed the world and have since been relegated to dust: Sic transit gloria. (Glory fades)

I love the variety of music, I love how songs are interconnected, and I love the music. Especially the lesser known songs (eg Broken).

Fuck it, too many hits and the 2nd disc makes this another 5.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World was my favorite song then ("Real Genius" anyone?) and remains one of my favorites to this day. The whole album is iconic; an 80's colored jewel that continues to sparkle even as the years tumble by. Thank you to the reviewer who mentioned Beato has covered Head over Heels. Heading there now.

wild how the 80s exist huh first track is lame but everything after is pretty great. everyone wants to rule the world is some of the best shit from the 80s prolly. this was before pop artists stopped making 6 minute songs so a couple songs drag a lil but never too bad since theyre all good anyways. 9/10

Super into this. What's not to love about 80s synth pop?

Very 80s. Starts strong but fizzles

so funky cool

I fucking love this album. Only listened through it entirely about 3 times, but I've heard Everybody about a thousand times. So glad that the whole thing is just as great.

I love this album. Was already familiar with several of the songs but hadn't listened to it all of the way through. The way Broken hints at then shifts into Head Over Heels is fantastic.

WHEN THE WIND BLOWS WE CAN WORK IT OUUUUT

Super relaxed album. Best song is for sure "Everybody Wants To Rule The World". Best deep track is "Listen"

I love this band and album with my whole heart

Probably top 3 albums we’ve listened to thus far yeesh.

One of the best albums of the '80's, hands down

Amazing!

Absolute classic. I met Roland in at The Ivy in LA once. He was lovely.

OMG, was a great album, automatically added to my favourites

I wouldn't mind listening to the happier songs 24/7. The other songs are somewhat more boring, though

Perfect modern pop album! If u like depeche mode - listen!

Excellent

This is crazy 80s sound, like super cheesy I would never listen to this. Oh well. Sticking with it. Only on song 2. On the last song. This is really bad. Awful.

Disliked this band for multiple reasons back in 1985. Notably their image, fan base, music videos and especially the music itself. The image faded, the fans dispersed and the videos are relegated to YouTube obscurity. Yet the music endures. I can’t.

Peak 80s

Saw a tweet one time that was just this picture, captioned “these honkeys were COOKING” and it’s so true. ‘Shout’ is just one of those few 80’s gems that will never be replicated. It’s got AURA. It’s got ATTITUDE. This can be said for the entire album actually. Tight, direct song structure that knows when to slip in and out of instrumental atmospheres. A massive generational pop hit. One iconic vocal melody after another. A mystical album ender. Socially conscious messaging. This album has it all and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome at all. Perfect! It’s incredible that we got this less than a year after Purple Rain. It’s worth noting that they’ve done the impossible recently - they made a song that’s unique and new sounding, unlike every other legacy band from the 80’s or earlier pumping out nothing-burgers to cash in on yet another world tour. Check out ‘No Small Thing’ it’s worth a listen

Tears for Fears, a band that made Pop music that sounded 80's but was much less annoying than most and aged pretty well. Their blend of Synthpop and New Wave with catchy melodies and hooks that created the anthemic and introspective masterpiece titled 'Songs From the Big Chair\". It's one of the best Pop records released in the 80's and maybe of all time. Multiple classic songs are featured here including the generationally known 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' 'Shout' opens the album in the typical blend of Synthpop, New Wave & Big Music that is present on the pretty much every song here. It also gets a little progressive by bringing in slight notes of Industrial into the production which as weird as it sounds, works really well. And even at its nearly 7 minutes of length it really keeps the attention of the listener with great performances and production. The song is so unbelievably catchy and melodic that I am mad that not every 80's pop band with a smiliar sound turned out like this! The bridge is crazy and the whole way they keep the flow of the song and add more and more detail is phenomenal. It's a hypnotic and atmospheric listen especially in the second half, nearly ethereal. And the way it changes its emotional depth by adding slight changes but keeping the same rhytmn and melody. Yeah, I think you get that I really like this song. It's perfect start to finish. On 'The Working Hour' they take on a very mature and sophisicated nearly Jazzy sound that stands in complete contrast to the darkness that the first song ended on. It does take time to build up but it's worth the wait. The vocals are really good and the calm sound is very relaxing while keeping the intricate production. Do I love it? No, but it is a great song nonetheless even if it does drag a little and feels streched towards the end. And to return to the greatness of the start, 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' with the intro that everybody recognizes. What can I say: the song is perfect in every way. It's romantic and full of great lyrics and songwriting. Do I prefer it over 'Shout'? No... that one's got my heart even more than this classic. 'Mothers Talk' gets a little funky and artsy with the influences ranging from Dance-Punk to Industrial Dance. All of it gives a lot of similarities to Depeche Mode's early stuff. It's very groovy and interesting by being kind of weird with the details in the production. I really like it for the raw and energetic performance and chorus. It's really good, like incredibly good and if they would've left the outro away, it might've been perfect. The albums second half starts with 'I Believe' which returns to the calm and relaxed sound that nearly feels like some Lounge music with the simpler production. Again, I think that makes it a little boring for my liking even if I think they did a great job. It just feels too much like background music and doesn't grab my attention enough for me to genuinely appreaciate the song. Luckily, 'Broken' returns to the Dance-Punk influences in an even punkier way. That results in one of the most underappreaciated tracks on the album. Just because it's short doesn't mean that's worse. Quite the opposite actually, it's incredibly groovy and energetic and I love it. The other song that most know is 'Head Over Heels' because it is one of the best songs on the album. The chorus is so intricate and emotional, the vocals are performed to perfection. The production, songwriting and melody are all curated to its greatest possible form. And as if it wasn't enough, they added a little bit of 'Broken' to the end as a kind of continuation of that. Another perfect song. The album ends with the weirdly ambient 'Listen' that closes the album in a minimal but hypnotizing finale that includes many details from choir to glitchy video game sounds to whips to tribal anthems. It's a magical and atmospheric experience, relaxing and sentimental without being boring. Yes, it's not one of the craziest songs but it has so many incredible moments that I feel like the vocals weren't actually needed at all. This closes the album in the way it should've ended. favourites: Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Head Over Heels, Broken least favourites: I Believe, The Working Hour Rating: light 9 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Und immer schön so’n büschen Hall drauf, gell? Nein: Wow. Das ist mal ein „Album“: ordentlich Abwechslung, feine Dramaturgie, Ruhiges und echte Knaller – das alles bei konsistentem Sound und hervorragenden Musikern. Souverän, zart, geil.

This album may have the most new-wavey vocals I've ever heard - it's that seamless switching between soft and smooth, and deep, towering cadences. I heard this album a while back, a couple of times because I liked the song 'Everybody Wants to Rule The World', but I don't remember many songs off of it. Re-listening to it now, I can see why. To me, it sounds like the type of album you'd thoroughly enjoy while listening, front-to-back, but the next day you'd struggle to remember a single song off of it. Relax that's just how I feel! I'll need to test that hypothesis again now, though I won't be able to update this review with the conclusion. Anyways what am I talking about? Oh yeah, this album. Nice, colorful, fluttery, well-produced, new-wavey power music that can very comfortably soundtrack a walk through a tropical beach. 'Shout' is the perfect, anthemic, and catchy opener this album needed; and while I usually dislike clean saxophone lines in '80s (white) music, the one on 'The Working Hour' managed to win me over. 'Head Over Heels/Broken' is another incredibly solid cut with one of the most earwormy choruses here. The synth lead and pads that open up the song 'Listen' are yet another incredible production moment here, the entire track is ethereal, sounding like you've stumbled upon this gorgeous bio-illuminated grotto in the middle of the jungle. It's got ambient elements like that. I tend to use the descriptor "clean production" with a negative connotation a lot of the time, but despite this album being the epitome of that descriptor, I'd say the shininess of the production only helps elevate its lush and scenic sound. The high quality of it all makes everything just pop. A great album with a great sound that captures its era beautifully, there's a reason this album's so revered in the new-wave world. Let's hope I remember how much I liked it come tomorrow night.

I first heard this band on TV ads for one of those MEGAHITS OF THE 80s compilation CDs and though that 'Shout, shout, let it all out, these are the things I could do without' was a hilarious thing to say in a song. But you know what, there are things I could do without and if I could just shout to let them all out, I would love to. Everybody Wants to Rule the World rules. That little guitar intro thing that's pushed aside by the two synth chords, ooh baby! So simple, so effective, just pure pop perfection. Head Over Heels has an incredible piano riff that builds tension and releases into a floaty verse and propulsively off kilter chorus and some totally unique vocal delivery. The rest is full of cool tones and textures, angsty vocals, smooth sax, glossy simmering synth surfaces and rubbery bass and some of THE definitive 80s drum sounds. Drags a bit on the slow stuff in the middle. It's like if Splenda was an album.

My distaste for 80s synthpop instantly leaves my body like an evil spirit the moment I hear the opening notes of "Everybody Wants To Rule The World". There's some filler on this album ("I Believe" is boring as hell), but it's still like Top 5 synthpop albums of all time. They really let it all out.

TFF, were you progs out of joint? Just a little bit? You mind if I respond in kind? Had my second listen had been on the whispering domestic speakers of the first rather than headphones, I would’ve dismissed this with Simon’s “go to the Greatest Hits” instruction, but a closer listen unveils a well-balanced, nicely-lit structure, with gentles wafts of charcoal, designer hash and hot tarmac, held up by two mighty singles, tapering to a moody spot at the back for the devotees. I’ve spent the last two hours preparing for our first Canadian Thanksgiving, and I think the Turkey fumes and heat have infused into my bone-house. The lyrics are abstract, but not pretentious, which is a hard combination to achieve, and in part due to the musical context: the urgency in the songs alternates between being martial, foreboding, or introspective, avoiding monotony, and the words come off as code between lovers and comrades. Now all is clear: Tears for Fears were the secret Bath Resistance.

All the hits and with some be great (to my surprise) prog rock and truly industrial sounds tucked away between them.

Oh yeah - probably the first album I really appreciated as a whole, as opposed to being a few songs I liked co-mingled with boring ones I tolerated and/or fast-forwarded. Being made from wall-to-wall 4 min+ bangers that flow into each other probably helped. Not quite as good as I remember, unsure about the proggy/proto-Enigma last track, but a nostalgic 4* nonetheless. Those haircuts!

my era music. The hits are there and enjoyable, rest of album pretty good too.

Everybody Wants To Rule The World is an 11/10 track. Rest of the album didn't do much for me

All the was bad about 80s music, 41 minutes and 52 seconds too long.

I was today years old when I found out “Shout” was not a Depeche Mode song lol. That EWTRTW song is a meme, a beat up meme also. Good I hate the 80’s pop sound. So cliché, so clownish…

Shout....can't bear to ever hear it again....Head over Heels...same. The only redeeming song on this album, to me....is Everybody wants to rule the world....that song is a classic!

This album has depth all the way through it. The production is very rich, with layers of keyboards, incredible rhythm section and expressive guitar playing. There’s even some sax in places. But also the lyrics are very heavy. Deep introspection and what feels to me like great compassion for the suffering of others. The singing is gorgeous. I was thinking that with the drama of the music and lyrics it’s almost operatic. There were several songs I already knew, and enjoyed hearing again. “Mothers Talk” was new to me and I thought it was outstanding, especially the drumming. I also loved the way the melodic hook from Head Over Heels appeared in Broken first as a sort of pre-echo.

So many recognizable big hit songs that defined a genre

This is one of the most enduring of the 80s albums that were characterized as new wave. Incorporating elements that as disparate as prog and soul into the pop mix, this is a terrific listen from start to finish. Clearly they were listening to Eno, Talking Heads and Peter Gabriel. A few stone cold classics, but solid throughout - Mother's Milk and Listen stand out from the deep cuts. In hindsight it is surprising that a song as rich as Everybody Wants to Rule the World hit number 1 on the singles chart.

Easy 5/5. Fantastic album. From start to finish. Have listened to it man times through.

Great album of which I only really knew the classics Shout and Everbody Wants to Rule the World. Really enjoyed Head over Heels / Broken and Mothers Talk as well. Very Strong album overall; will listen to this one more often from now on!

Wow. Ok. So you know the songs, but did you know that they blend into other songs, are part of other songs and there’sa bunch of killer guitar! This is an album album! It’s great! Thanks guys!

Already one of my favorite albums by my favorite artists. Glad to see it on the list. Moody songwriting and vocals. 80s synths and drum machines and post punk style guitar lead lines although a very diverse album stylistically. I recommend listening either the lyrics open if possible as they can be hard to make out but are very good. Highlights: sax on #2 The Working Hour. Polyrhythm in the guitar/drums on #3 everybody wants to rule the world. Bass lines near the 4 minute mark in #4 Mothers Talk. Love the lounge vibe with dramatic piano chords in #5 I Believe. #6 Broken complexity with introducing layers first bass, then guitar riff, synths. A taste of the main riff from #7 Head over Heels/broken adds dissonance if you listen for it. Dreamy intro to #7 with interesting use of major chords. Great falsetto. The bassine from Broken comes back at the end of #7 making #6 and #7 a little suite. My favorite track is #8 with its repeating motif and orchestral sound. It's a melancholy end to this dramatic album. The performances, arrangements, complex rhythms, diversity of styles and how they take the time to string them together to make them siund like they are supposed to go together makes this one of my favorite albums of all time. Only 41 minutes long but absolutely packed with Music.

One of my favorite albums of the 80s. Everything is on point, from the cryptic lyrics, longing vocals, punchy drums, cloudy riffs and sax, and most importantly the moody synths, confident and expressing feelings of nostalgia and melancholy. One of my favorite things is the ambiance that surrounds the whole album, placing us in the limbo of lost emotions. I like how you can hear New Wave influences like the afrobeat of Talking Heads and The Police in "Listen." It's as if this is the pinnacle of New Wave. The "Broken" and "Heads Over Heels" combination blew me away when I first heard it. Every track is perfect in their own right, and there's excellent diversity between dance mixes and introspective ballads. It's a fairly short album, and there are only 8 songs of which there's so much substance I don't mind them going on for so long. My only complaint is that the track order could be improved to keep the momentum of certain vibes. I can understand why you wouldn't want to collect all the ballads together, but I'd prefer "I Believe" moved down.

2nd album. 80s classic.

Отличный альбом. При первом прослушивании показалось, что провисать начинает, но это просто бонус треков наебенили от души. Если ограничиться оригинальной восьмёркой – то не придраться. Внятные, мелодичные, разнообразные цепляющие композиции, интересный инструментал, яркие вокальные партии, и лидирующие и фоновые. Мотивы, которые оседают в голове на годы и которым можно подпевать. И при этом вроде не сказать, что какая-то беззубая коммерческая музыка, нет, оригинальное живое творчество. Всему бы быть таковым. но нет, далее нас снова будет ждать якобы дохуя экспериментальное репетативное душилово…

Pros: - Has some ABSOLUTE bangers on this album. - "Everybody wants to rule the world" is one of my favorite songs of all time - "Shout" is so moody and such a strong opener. - "Head Over Heels / Broken" - another damn slapping BANGER. - I just love their sound. This was 1985, right smack in the middle of the 80's. They had that weird 80's "we're embracing this new synth world" sound that was weirdly serious and I will forever love that. - The first track is super synth heavy (with all of the limitations of early synths), and then the second track comes in with an evocative and VERY human-y saxophone. Then bongos. Such a cool contrast to start an album. I really can't say how much I love the ground covered instrumentation wise in the first two songs. I don't know if I've ever heard another pop album cover so much ground so quickly while also being effective and now adding timbres for the sake of adding timbres. - LISTEN TO THE INTRO GROOVE ON EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD. UGHHHH - "Mothers Talk" bass part at 3:48 is literally videogame battle music. - "Listen", the outtro is really so amazing. Lots of moods. Cons: Misc: - It's hard for me to give a quantified star rating for this album. It's a high 4 for me. JUST a 4 is too low IMO but 5 is too high for me. It's an amazing album, with 3 songs that are probably in the conversation of being 3 of the top 25 songs of a decade, which is amazing- specially so because the 80s were such a wild time for pop music. This is really my hardest vote yet. Ok I'm giving it a 5, it's just too good.

An outstanding gem of 80s pop music. Was already super familiar with Tears for Fears before this album, but an entrenched love of their first album The Hurting had somewhat sidelined their follow up in my estimations. Safe to say, I’m converted. Given the now sacrosanct status held by this album’s two biggest singles “Shout” and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” , it’s easy to forget just how much of an uphill battle the band faced in 1985 to obtain the critical acclaim the unquestionably deserved. Their brand of guitar infused new wave synth pop mixed with brutally honest reflections on mental anguish was met with indifference (or downright derision) from the music press, who deemed the whole thing pretentious. This album soon silenced many of their doubters. The formula is not greatly changed from The Hurting, but is far more ambitious on the production front. Whereas The Hurting retreated into the abysmal depths of torment, on this album the songs sprawl and soar with a defiant arrogance, as their lyrics desperately clutch to a fleeting but vital optimism - these guys were outstanding songwriters, and they knew it. This linear interpretation of Tears For Fears first two records is far from novel, but it’s inescapable when listening to both records. The outstanding production on this record accentuates the outstanding songwriting on this record, without consigning it to the realm of quirky 80s curiosity. Songs like the aforementioned “Shout” sound remarkably vital in a way that Dire Straits or Culture Club do not. To say that this record stands the test of time is to say the tower in Pisa stands on an incline. It’s really incredible. That being said, the overall experience of this record is perhaps not as immediately impactful as their debut effort. The drawn-out song structures stilt the flow of the record, though the atmosphere created on this album perfectly compliments the band’s brooding self-analyses. It’s a minor complaint on a truly exceptional album. If there were half stars available, I’d probably settle on 4.5 - but there isn’t, and I feel this record deserves better than just a 4. So it’s a well-deserved 5 stars from me.

Great album. Very chill.

ну тупа одна из лучших групп 80х, имхо. пацаны хуярили хит за хитом, и немного более попсово чем Дипишмот, конечно, но зато с изобретательностью партий проблем не было (чего стоит только сакс в Working Hour). Сам альбом — просто шлягер на шлягере, чуть ли не сборник лучших песен, из плюс минус нехитовых номеров можно разве что заключительную Listen назвать. Лично мне небольшая сырость и распиздяйность их первого альбома чуть больше заходила, но и против такого годного синтипопа ничего не имею, твердая пятера

Nice

This is such a great album. I still listen to it cover to cover a couple of times a year.

amazing 10/10

Doesn't get more 80s than this. Shout is such a moment defining song. It's amazing...the rest doesn't fall behind either. Jazzy horns are so fun and add a lot of depth to the songs.. wish more artists today would learn from this era. 5*

An absolute classic from the 80s, with three songs that will live long in my memory. Wonderful.

Now we're talking. Solid 5. One of my favorites.

Already like this album. Pretty fuckin' solid.

Amazing loved it

Uuuuh. Been waiting for this Love it, reminds me of my mom :)) 5

Chingón 👌🏼

5/5. Unrelentingly 80s, holy shit. Masterpiece 😎

Este es uno de mis álbumes favoritos de siempre - es genial... y qué recuerdos 😍😍😍

10/10 amazing album, so many of these songs are underrated

This album has a special, special place in my heart. All of these songs are amazing, especially Head Over Heels. That's my favourite of theirs and one of my all time favourite songs.

This really held up well. I recall how much I liked this at initial release and to me it sounded just as good, if not better, today. I liked the music and vocals.

Loved this, great songs from a great band.....also had this album as a kid and wore out the tape.

80tero puro y duro. Buenisimo.

I'm not sure saxophone is what I associate with TFF and it was a low point for me. Overall a really great album with solid pop lines and a perfect mix of darkness.

I am already a bug fan of this record and it somehow still gets better with each listen.

One of my all time favorites..the 80’s were my time …single in Honolulu and young and prime..music was sensational

Ace record !!!

classic, nog steeds wat moeite met shout door de disturbed versie maar deze is gewoon genieten. everybody wants to rule the world is ook gewoon zo goed. Al moet de rest niet onder doen.

3/25/2022 Today's Album: "Songs From The Big Chair" by Tears For Fears - The opening track, Shout, sets the stage perfectly for this album of memorable classics and a little more. Being such a big hit itself, Shout is a great synth ballad with some very colorful auxiliary percussion, the ever-present 80s synth, and a really cool flute solo about half way through the track. The guitar soloing is also fantastic near the end. The Working Hour starts as a beautiful follow up before transitioning into this extremely groovy samba track that reminds me of the soundtrack to Tarzan (Very Phil Collins). I really like the chill nature of this track and it does enough to not feel boring. Everybody Wants To Rule The World is a perfect song. It's just one of those songs that supersedes any explanation because if you've somehow never heard it, you probably don't care enough about music to be reading this review. It's a great song and still holds it's ground despite how much it's overplayed. Mothers Talk is also a really great track. The bass sounds so funky but is playing so fast it gives the whole track this really groovy disco energy. The vocals are as great as any of the bigger hits and the background vocals really add a lot of personality and soul to this track. I Believe is a much slower and lowkey track, stripping back to just a piano, bass, and drum kit. The vocals are really smooth and emotional, feeling really authentic in the process. It might drag out a bit long, but it sounds nice while it's on and adds a lot to the flow of the record. Broken is another insanely groovy and fun dance tracks with some really impressive guitar work and musical breaks. Head Over Heels / Broken is a really great rock track that feels a lot like Boston by Boston. The lyrics and vocals are on point and there's a really warm and smooth rock band arrangement backing it up. Yet another highlight on a really great sounding record. Finally, Listen is a fantastic closer to this album, being a lush and wide soundscape of a synth ballad. There's a lot of random noises and sparkly synths overcasting the velvety base and synths. There's some great chorus vocals and screaming guitar tones that just sound fantastic. The name of it being Listen really does make sense because it makes me want to get this album on vinyl just to listen to it. The production of the entire record is fantastic start to end and I highly recommend this for anyone who even sort of likes Shout or EWTRTW (or just likes 80s Rock in general). Score: 9.5/10 Fan-freakin'-tastic Highlights: Shout, The Working Hour, Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Broken, Head Over Heels / Broken, Listen.

Despite being jam packed full of well popular singles Songs From The Big Chair, as I discovered, is best enjoyed as a full album, its v decent. Prog-pop? Is that a thing?

Absolute classic. Took me back years, T4F at the height of their talent. 👍👍

Awesome 80's vibes.

Pretty good. Very 80s

I loved this album when it came out: the tunes, the voice, the instrumentation, the layering of rhythm and counterpoint, the energy… listening to it brings it all back!

I'm about 400 albums into this list, and there's a lot of 80s pop. A lot. Ironically, despite being on this list, a lot of it is a little dime-a-dozen. This record, however, is pretty goddamn close to flawless. A solid range of sounds and moods, while remaining cohesive and extremely catchy. If there were more narrow ratings, I'd probably give this a 4.5, but I feel it's close enough to warrant the 5. Favorite tracks: "Head Over Heels", "Shout", "The Working Hour"

80's pop perfection. I've never heard this album before just because I was never all that excited about 80s music in general, but recently I've fallen in love with the pop scene of the decade and knew this would be an album that would stand out to me. I was right. Every song on here is perfect or near perfect, from the singles to the deep cuts.

Solid stuff, thought I would just like the hits, then a great sax hit and I was sold

“And my favorite band will always be Tear for Fears” - Matt Theisen

One of my favorites, rings of childhood for me

With a track list like this, how could it not be 5 stars? Favorites: Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Mothers Talk, Head over Heels

Head over heels er best 80s lag í heimi. Platan mjög góð í heildina.

4.5 star album for me: mostly excellent. and the typical 80s sound is of course the best sound ever.

I mean, clearly an iconic album from the 80s' most iconic band.

WTF where has this album been all my life. I knew Everybody Wants to Rule the World and Head Over Heels were great, but didn't realise they were on a banging classic album

Perfection

I was SO happy to see this album pop up. IT'S SO GOOD!!

An 80s pop album has no right to be this good, yet here we are.