Reviews (page 13 of 16)
Just okay. Has some good songs and some I don’t care for. They can be long and lyrically repetitive.
25% 80s jams (Shout, Everyvody Wants to Rule the World), 75% 80s sax and hollow drums.
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.
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!
All the hits and with some be great (to my surprise) prog rock and truly industrial sounds tucked away between them.
Can definitely see why this is considered great. Love the guitar work and synth-pop sound that so poignantly defines the 80s. Honorable mention to the bass lines that carry the groove through the whole album. Was surprised that I didn’t dig the horns, found the sax to be a little tacky. The timeless hits from this album totally slap and are always gonna be bangers. Thought the album had decent pacing and a strong finish.
Bangers bang, rest isn’t inspiring. Mid/vocals muted which although a style is not my cuppa
Good album, Shout and Everybody Wants to rule the world are obvious classics. I also enjoyed head over heels and Listen was a nice chill closer to the album.
I try I bloody try but in between the pretty acceptable first and third albums this is an album I disliked from the start and with every listen nothing changes. Why rave had to happen.
Very unique vs the rest of 80s new wave, only tepid song on the album is believe, the rest is strong. Shout is the standout and would hold up as a pop song in any era.
This album was (as a teenager in 1985) a key part of my life in my transition moving from Arizona to Texas. The video for Everybody Wants to rule the World has me pining for the (prior to my move) family journeys from Phoenix to LA. The rest of the songs remind me of San Antonio and spending my freshman year at a boarding school. For this kid of the 80s there's not a bad song. From the hits, to "I Believe", "Listen", and even "Broken", for me it's practically beyond reproach. If I had to pick a weak song I'd pick "Mother's Talk" -- to me the US single was vastly inferior to the album version. It's also the one I'm more likely to skip. Moving to Texas my life made a huge change, and this one is definitely one of my Desert Island Discs.
Loved it. Excellent genre example, foundational for so much that came after.
Not really great, too pitchy at times.
4.5 Album. Listen was the weakest track to me.
👍 I like it.
Shout - 8/10 The Working Hour - 7.5/10 Everybody Wants to Rule the World - 10/10 Mothers Talk - 7.5/10 I Believe - 7/10 Broken - 8.5/10 Heads Over Heels - 8/10 Listen - 8.5/10 TOTAL - 65/80
Good album i had previously heard of tears for fears before but only for their hit song Everybody wants to rule to the world But this album was good as a synth pop album
"Broken" is criminally underatted, I feel. This album was a true 80's classic and I enjoyed every minute of it.
I used to make fun of these guys a lot. Two goofy looking dudes in music videos singing with their mouths open wide and their lips flapping around. I used to do an impersonation that always got a laugh from my friends. But you know what? They were actually pretty darn talented. My favorite song by them, Mad World, is not on this album, but this album is filled with interesting, well produced, synth-pop classics. I almost feel like these guys were more akin to progressive rock than the typical new wave stuff going on at the time. Well done, fellas, and I'm sorry for making fun of you. 4 stars.
One of the greatest albums of the 80's.
Songs from the Big Chair usually has some HUGE 80s pop anthems. Shout, Everyone Wants to Rule the World, Head Over Heels/Broken are massive. The stuff in between are growers. 8.0/10
Je me doutais que ça allait être bon, mais pas à ce point là. Jee suis vraiment resté surpris de comment tout l'album est bon, chaque pièce a son identité propre tout en restant super cohésif. Il y a peut-être une pièce qui m'a un peu moins impressionné, mais pour le reste c'est un solide album. 9/10
5.5/10 To første sangene løfter albumet. Høyfrekvent temposkifte (høytaktssanger blir litt vel 80-talls). Fine synth- og tromme partier. Harmonisk og helhetlig komponert. Liste sang (listen): 8/10
Classic 80's sound.
Sultry saxophone sounds to sadden the soul.
I love Tears for Fears
Solid
4/5. A disco-fied, dark and moody pop album. A lot of it rolls together, besides the main hit from the album, but it still does slap. I love the atmosphere and it is a great background to have. Like, if the bee gees existed in the shadow realm haha
Avec un nom comme ça on se doutait que ça allait chialer un maximum et on a pas été déçus.
Un excellent album de la part de nos pleurnichards de Tears For Fears.
A bona-fide classic.
Oof. Outside of the few hits every other song is awful.
Incredible album, wow. Favourite songs were Head Over Heels (what a banger), Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Shout, and Mothers Talk. Really awesome :)
I really enjoyed this record. It's evident how much this record and the tears for fears sound has influenced so many of today's artists. Really well done record that could be released today and still sound relevant to the music of today.
decent, singles are really good
Great album, but a little tired after all the years.
Was cool
Meh…two good songs out of the whole album
3.5/5
All of the aspects of that commercial 80's sound that I have expressed my distaste for are present in this album. And yet, I enjoy this more than probably any other album from that time period I have heard so far. Because it utilizes those things in a tasteful way that even I am able to appreciate. From the big explosive and booming drums, to most songs being led by synths and keyboards, to the melodic guitar sound, it checks all the boxes. The most impressive aspect of this album is really the arrangement. The way these songs are put together, with layer after layer of sounds that all work in unison, feels orchestral in a way. On every song, they hit the listener with these massive walls of sound, but they did a fantastic job at keeping each instrument discernible, and everything comes through really well. Also, even for today, this album is pretty well produced and mixed. I'm sure this would sound good on just about any form of headphones or speaker. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and "Head Over Heels" are easily some of the best hits from the 80's era. The guitar on the former, and the latter's chorus are insanely catchy. I didn't know if Tears For Fears had any albums before this, or how many they had after this. And I think a lot of people probably don't either. Because they hit it so on the mark for their sophomore album, they could have never released any more music and their legacy would have held up just as strongly.
Amazing album beginning to end, every track flowed into the next.
I was really struggling with this one. Why is shout so long and droning? Then the last 3 songs kind of won me over and I’m relistening. There are a couple of droners but I get it now. Down marks for the pain of sitting through "I believe" twice.
After the first few songs (which I enjoyed) I found it extremely bland.
Amazing production sound. Torn between 4 and 5.
Big echoey sound, a bit similar to u2’s sound. Very 80’s, good songwriting.
Not my favorite
Recognised a few of the songs (have been covered or sampled in modern music), didn't love any of them.
Man the 80s sounded huge
En klassiker
A powerhouse of power pop! I was eager to dive into the rest of this album, having only heard a handful of tracks off it. I like to pretend the massive hit doesn't actually exist when rating a record like this. So here are some disconnected thoughts as I listen in real time! Shout is an incredibly strong opener. What a hook. The Working Hour may be a bit dated (looking at you roaring sax intro), but nevertheless a pretty solid track. I could see this in a Michael Mann movie...maybe it was? I didn't realize EWTRTW had over a billion plays on Spotify. I guess people like this band or something. Mothers Talk is slightly forgettable, but has another really strong chorus. I believe I Believe is a pretty skippable entry, but if you like ballads, stick around. I also like the way it transitions into Broken, a weird, reminiscent psychedelic track that hints at the beautiful melody to come in the next track. Would Head Over Heels be the same song it is for me without having seen Donnie Darko at 14 years old? I'd like to think so. This is easily the best song on the record, and might have my vote for best pop song of the 80s. Listen is a perfectly acceptable closer, albeit a bit long. The wave of synths blending together with minimal vocals offers a nostalgic feeling that's almost bittersweet.
This record is 1985 as fuck and no doubt belongs on a short list of albums that perfectly captured the zeitgeist of the year in which they were released.
2/5. This album was almost too “80s” for me. The obvious best song, Everybody Wants To Rule The World, is clearly the star in this lineup. The only reason this record was able to eek out a 2 star rating.
You know, I really didn't expect to like this but damn if it didn't get me moving. Is it something I'm going to go back to? Nah. But it's a solid vibe and, for what it is, it's well executed and fun. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of pretentious nonsense here. But it's not enough to detract too much from the overall experience.
Not as good as the first one but still…
Only ever heard the big hits from this record before, but the whole record is really nice. Favourite tracks: The Working Hour, Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Listen.
Released at the height of the reign of synthpop, Songs From the Big Chair effectively perfects the genre. Starts of huge with a 1-2-3 punch of amazing songs and never lets up after. A bold take, but Everybody Wants to Rule the World might be the greatest synthpop song. Songs From The Big Chair is consistently captivating, with beautiful hooks and stellar basslines. Immaculate production on this too, as it avoids the flawed plastic tendencies of 80's production. Also closes on a bold rhythmic piece that isn't afraid to explore it's full potential. In a word: amazing.
This is a really good album. Shout was my favorite song for quite a while after it came out.
Really liked 'Everybody wants to rule the world', otherwise liked the sound but the songs went on a bit
Tears for fears- I dig it, really well done. Everyone Wants to Rule the World is a 10/10 song. Head over heels is great too. Some of the songs are a bit long- listen 4
Objectively pretty good record but it got pretty boring. Head over heels was my fav.
I found this incredibly boring but Everybody Wants to Rule the World is catchy. His voice is interesting but the airy-ness of the whole thing became boring.
Ok running it back since I got the late invite... This is INCREDIBLE. Peak 80s Synth Pop. Infectious grooves, beautiful soundscapes, and such a captivating vocalist. Easy 5/5 for me.
I can see why people like this, but personally, it just doesn’t hit me. I guess I’m not a big fan of this sound. The songs are good, but they also have a tendency to be too slow and long, outside of ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The Word’, obviously, plus a few others. Not bad, just not my jam.
One of the best albums of the 80s!
Thought besides the hits it wouldn't stand out but it does, some very good songs and more interesting arrangements than expected.
I can't stand this indecision Married with a lack of vision Everybody wants to rule the world Say that you'll never, never, never, never need it One headline, why believe it? Everybody wants to rule the world All for freedom and for pleasure Nothing ever lasts forever Everybody wants to rule the world Dennis Miller's weekend update represent. 5/5
Bangers
I love Tears for Fears. This album is great.
Pop music that stands the test of time, along with some decent album tracks.
Not mine, but it was good!
medium eighties pop (except Shout)
First half of the album is pretty much perfect, but it does fall off a bit on side B. Still a great album.
4.5 stars. Great album. Some of the best of what 80's new wave/pop rock has to offer. Generally good melodies, catchy yet sophisiticated without being over-wrought. Standouts are "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", "Broken", and "Shout".
"Shout," "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," and "Head over Heels" are all quintessential '80s songs that I thoroughly enjoy. The rest of the album wasn't as good, but rounding up from 3.5.
I've been taking a deep dive into TFF over the last few years & saw them live, again, a month ago. It's not easy to sing like Roland & Curt, but they make it seem effortless. They're sensitive rockers & this album feels like 80s comfort nostalgia. I love their big hits with a soft spot for Head Over Heels (thanks, Donnie Darko), Everybody Wants to Rule the World, and Mothers Talk. The music videos for their hits are also memorable. Excellent listen. P.S. Roland's birthday just passed & I learned that his full name is Roland Jaime Orzábal de la Quintana with family from Argentina. Who knew?!
Definitely a breakthrough album. I remember songs from this album being everywhere. Was nice to revisit this classic.
might be my favourite 80s album
Excellent, remarkable, satisfyingly sensational example of 80’s radio pop. This album’s hits are the soundtrack to my childhood fortune of growing up in the idealistic, beautifully simplistic and sweetly genuine 1980s Midwest.
Catchy and hummable, while also being sweet and melancholic. Several all-time classic singles here.
New wave classic
Only song I knew was "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" but the rest of the album was just as good. None of these songs were a miss. "I Believe" really changes up the mood halfway through the album.
Full of bangers. Great album overall.
Perfect specimen of 80s pop. Some really good songs.
Tears For Fears are great for sure. I have never listened to a whole album of theirs but know the hits and this is about what I expected.
About definitive of an era and genre. An absolute product of its time, but for that, near perfect.
Ah in the future I’ll try to do this sooner after listening. I liked it. Everybody Wants to Rule the World is probably the reason for its inclusion since even I know that song, the rest of the album sounded noticeably different to that one. Hm
"Songs from the Big Chair" is the second album by English pop duo Tears for Fears. New wave, pop rock, progressive pop and synth-pop. OK, plus they add elements from a number of other styles on this album. The album title was derived from the 1976 film "Sybil" where Sybil had multiple personality disorder and only felt safe in the big chair. Tears for Fears used this as analogy to being targets of the British press. Also, important is the thematic thread of primal therapy which pervades throughout this album and to some extent in every song. The band wanted a more outgoing album from their more introverted debut "The Hurting." Tears for Fears is Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith who play just about everything. It received generally positive reviews and commercially #1 in the US and #2 in the UK. The anthem "Shout" opens things. I remember hearing this first on a weekly Chicago WXRT which would feature new music from the UK. I knew this would be a huge hit once released in the US. Shaking bells and percussion. A synth flute. There's a Middle Eastern-sounding melody underlying at one point. Wow, a guitar solo. A song about protest and can be applied to primal therapy obviously as well. The classic synth melody highlights "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." An electronic drum beat. The human desire for control and power. That melody is still played all over the place today. "Mother's Talk" was actually the first single released. It starts with an African rhythm and then goes kind of techno. Roland does not like this song since they were purposely trying to sound like the Talking Heads. I don't know, I kind of liked it and the intent. There's a few jazzy pop songs on this album and one of those is "I Believe." Piano, horns. More along the primal therapy theme. A piano starts the dreamy "Head over Heels." Guitar, drums and a swooning chorus. I always liked this song and it might be my favorite on the album. This has very high-end production and sound. The producer was Chris Hughes. There's a lot going on (various noises) in each song. The word meticulous comes to mind. Yeah, it's pop but I heard elements of jazz, Middle Eastern music, African music, ambient, industrial and even prog rock. It's a very good album and one worth going back for.
I liked this album. There are definitely many pop culture references to many of the songs that I picked up just now. I enjoyed the heavy synth sound .
This really takes me back! I love how in touch with their feelings they are. Some really great songs that still hold up.
I wasn't really a huge Tears For Fears fan back when this came out, but I really quite enjoyed it now - it has aged quite well. Best track; Head Over Heels.
very nice sound they have going on. there's a fair amount of great stuff on this album, about half great (some timeless classics) and half alright.
Another album where I’m familiar with some songs but not the whole. Those songs work really well in the context of the album. Some pretty good Guitar solos for a “Synth Band”
One of my absolute favorite albums. Having not listened to this from beginning to end in a long while, I was thinking my enthusiasm for it would falter a little. I was wrong. I found myself enjoying this even more now and with a deeper appreciation. Something more apparent to me is the urgency and intensity of each song, which each flows so well together. This was a push back against preconceived expectations, excess, social norms in the backdrop of late Cold War policy. You can hear the frustration, anger, sadness, and dissolution poured out even within the albums brightest spots, which lies a darkness. Something murmured. Something esoteric. I think these lyrics from 'Broken' really sums everything up: "Between the searching and the need to work it out. I stop believing everything will be alright. Broken, we are broken. Solid 5
just solid 80s pop music.
LOVE. Greatest album of the 80s
Album 133 of 1001 Tears For Fears - Head Over Heels Rating : 4/ 5 Favorite Track : Everybody Wants to Rule the World Good album. It is an 80s pop album with several hits included. Nice listen. Was only familiar with the big songs. The rest of the album did not disappoint. Not the first genre I'd reach for, but a fine representation of the time.
I saw Tears For Fears last year and it unlocked that I fucking love Tears For Fears
I am really sick of this genre and the seeming compulsion of our List Author to include every single album of this era. HOWEVER Tears for Fears rules and this album rules and I was very much in the pocket for it yesterday.
Just okay
the GREATEST
ehkä 2015 meikäräinen olisi tykännyt tästä mutta 8 vuotta siitä on vierähtänyt ja kuulostaa täydeltä paskalta. mikä on minussa vikana. joka ikinen sekunti tästä on sekunti tuhlattu, jokainen sointu kirskuu korvissa. mitä liikkuu päässäni... no annetaan respektfullia kakkosta pesään, hyvä että porukka tykkää. everybody wants to rule the world
É preciso aceitar como um marco do pop dos anos 80. Sequencia de hits da fm.
I went into this album expecting to not like it and to my surprise it was actually pretty good. This album takes a darker approach to New Wave and I like that. The tones used were much more tasteful than the usual new wave standard and the lyrics and vocals convey emotion and vulnerability. Favorite track: The Working hour Least Favorite: Listen
Phonomenal from start to finish. An absolute powerhouse of an album.
Some big hits (shout, rule the world, head over heels), as well as songs that blend into one another.
Absolute classic 80s
The Working Hour BANGER. 👌
Meh. Two memorable songs
Someone gave a bunch of kids some gadgets and told them to play all of them at the same time.
This album is incredible, an absolute classic. It’s no wonder Tears for Fears has become synonymous with 80s music.
The two slower ballads on here are kind of forgettable, but the rest of the songs are great. I love Mothers Talk and Broken, neither of which I'd heard before, and three of Tears for Fears deservedly biggest songs are on the album. Really enjoyed this one.
This is how pop should be. Wonderful use of rock instrumentals, and just all around great performances. The slower songs didn't quite live up to the hits but Everybody Wants to Rule the World and Head Over Heels make up for it
I ALREADY RATED THIS YOU IDIOTS
Bloody good stuff, 5 stars.
Not sure about this one
The slow songs really dragged the score down. The rest were very good.
Big tears for fears fan so biased here, but boy does this album slap
“Sybil” Is nothing short of an amazing film, despite some parts being picked apart by developing psychologist, and this album (per searching) was a nod to Sybil and her therapy sessions. Strong 80s sound, especially “The Working Hour” and “head over heels,” And the synth pop was demonstrated perfectly. This album produced a lot of pop hits and great music for the movies, obvious one of “everybody wants to rule the world” in a lot of classics I watched growing up. I appreciate the song a little more listening to the album. I could vibe with this anytime; clubbing, cleaning house, working out, poolside, or documenting at work. To me, this is an album where each song is independently well produced and enjoyable to listen to, which makes it conclusively..a good ALBUM. Holding off on my 5 start ratings because I’m stingy, but also because we get a handful of hits but the full album may not “hit.” Deserves a 5 and earned its way onto the list. Ending with “listen” as a command for you to put the headphones in, lay in the grass, and listen to the music pulling and pulsing. Unapologetically, my favorite so far. “Broken” popped off. Wish I Was rocking the shoulder pads to prom…
Songs From The Big Chair may be only eight tracks long, but a single listen reveals why Tears For Fears is synonymous with eighties music. I had never noticed how long “Shout” was, but now listening to it more deeply I realize the duo gets far more experimental with their background instrumentals than I had previously thought. “The Working Hour” shows hints of the sax from Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” and then the album really hits its stride with “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” and perhaps the most iconic opening lyrics of the eighties: “Welcome to your life, there’s no turning back!” Some of the background melody of “Broken” was lodged in the deep recesses of my memory until it turned over to the all too familiar intro of “Head Over Heels,” during which I could only picture a teenage Anthony Michael Hall work up the balls to ask the prom queen out on a date. Both “I Believe” and “Listen” may serve no purpose other than to put the listener to sleep, but I’m guessing the duo didn’t set out to write lullabies. At the same time I sometimes watch golf for the sole purpose of falling asleep, so maybe I’m not one to talk. Songs From The Big Chair boasts multiple quintessential eighties bops and encapsulates pop synth as well as any album of the decade. I much prefer the classic rock of the seventies, which for many bands spilled over into the eighties, but I have to throw five stars at Tears For Fears.
Tears for Fears is good 80s music. I sometimes hear songs from the decade and think, "Wtf were these people on?" Sure, Tears for Fears is weird, but they have a unique, engaging sound and bangers to boot. Bonus: Mark Lettieri has an instrumental cover of Everybody Wants to Rule the World that was a staple during my study days.
Really liked it
Great synthpop record. Head Over Heels is one of the greatest pop songs ever. Amazing voices. 8/10
Is this one of new waves greatest releases? Yes. Yes it is. It’s short, only eight tracks long but the tracks that are there coalesce into something truly special, wholly 80s and completely catchy. A timeless piece.
Having recently spent the best part of a week on Holiday with their greatest hits CD on constant rotation in the car (and absolutely loving it), I was looking forward to this. But sadly it was a letdown, with only the singles standing out. Half the album is amazing, the other half is really bland and mediocre (the ballads). A real shame. A few of the bonus tracks were actually quite good.
Probably the best of that sort of thing! Couple of ok tunes the rest rather bland synth pop but it wasnt annoying.
Thought I remembered this and was looking forward to it. Turns out that apart from Shout and Everybody Wants to Rule the World (which are great) it was all a bit of a disappointment
Surprisingly enjoyable for yet another middle of the road eighties pop act.
Shout, Everybody Wants To Rule The World and Head Over Heels are great, the rest were a bit hit and miss.
Never gets old
Classic 80s. I liked it more than I thought I would.
Would have been a 10/10 with just Everybody Wants To Rule The World, everything else is a bonus
Love this album big time. Huge sound, huge hits, huge synth.
Starts off very very strong but then meanders a bit.
Un dels grans discos de pop dels 80. Només per la inclusió de dos dels singles més rotunds de la década, 'Shout' i 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' ja mereix el seu lloc d'honor. Però és que a més a més conté una de les millors "cançons ocultes" del synth pop, 'Head Over Heels', reivindicada una década després a 'Donnie Darko'
Un álbum clásico del “new wave” de los ‘80s. Con pistas realmente destacables como “Scout” o “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”. Sin embargo, a pesar de que no dura mucho, se vuelve repetitivo bastante pronto. No sé si sea un indispensable de la música, pero si es un disco bastante sólido.
Bien de los 80s, tiene el clásico 'shout' pero no mucho más.
Second studio album released in 1985. This is an amazing album is full of huge hits and massive iconic soundscapes.
One of the great boons of this list is that it seems like the author was really into early synthpop, and I've gotten very interested in that genre. As a result, I've gotten a lot of context for how the genre developed. This album feels very mature compared to a lot of the other early synth pop albums. It feels like sort of a halfway point between Dare by Human League and Violator by Depesche Mode. It has all of Tears for Fears' biggest hits, as well as a bunch of other solid tracks. It seems like this was the last album to feature the original lineup (after this one, the two guys that aren't in this picture left the picture entirely), which is a shame because there's so much magic here 4/5
Nearly perfect
I like it. It's got that jangle I like. Shout is hella long.
Three stellar tracks and some rather good synth pop in between.
Some good songs, some not so good. A Couple of classics.
Obviously the three massive hits - Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, and Head Over Heals. Really, though, there's not a bad song on the album! It's probably the most 80's new-wave sounding album I've ever heard, and it's an enjoyable listen from front to back.
no entiendo como incluyeron este disco
Ne connaissait pas avant. Gros classique le première chanson avec Shout. Pas trop mon style, ballades avec un peu de mélancolie, dans la lamentation.
Talk about being Big - these are utterly massive songs. Reverb-drenched and tricked out with roaring saxophones and intricate synthlines that blare off into the night. All those 80s revival bands from the past decade or so? They're taking directly from Tears for Fears. It just so happens that Tears had something you can't really replicate-- ideological insight, creative focus, and a complete vision. Helps that they had such a knack for making some of the best pop songs ever written, too. Though this gag may leave you livid, four of five is what I'll give it, everybody wants to rule the world.
Good but definitely a product of its time.
I can get down with some Tears For Fears... This album is incredibly stacked. Just looking at the tracklist: Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, and Head Over Heels / Broken are all absolute jams. The latter two stand in contention for best songs ever written (IMHO). Shout is a generational jam. Initially sparse and ominous instrumental backing that sounds like someone took a heist prep soundtrack and superimposed some of the SFX from Goldeneye. Love how the song builds into a wall of synth complete with several textured solos (different synth flavors, drum, and guitar). The Working Hour brings a completely different sound. Bongo work with smooth / jazzy saxaphone overtop. A bit of cheese to the overall aura, but hey it was the 80s. Song is a bit of an anthem to the working individual. While it isn't one of my favorites, the pull off the cheese capably and build the vibe of a smoky room with someone going around flipping over tables and kicking bottles. EWTRTW is another iconic song. Love everything about this song from start to finish. It is both a super poppy / driving instrumental with somewhat bleak lyrics about humanities power-hungry nature. Mothers Talk is a new one to me. Really into the composition. New Wave feel with a weird pitched up effect on the chorus vocals. I really dig the bass / drum interplay solo to finish out the track with some trippy tracked effects over top. I Believe is a slow drum and piano ballad. Very sparse, but the composition is somewhat interesting. A lower point relative to the rest of the album. Broken is a jammy interlude that interpolates the main riff of Head Over Heels with some scortching guitar work and meaty bass. I haven't heard this one before, but I'm all about it. This leads directly into the much more reserved and moodier Head Over Heels. I just can't get enough of the hoppy, wandering bassline. The exit back into Broken almost reminds me of a Police jam. The album rounds out with Listen that has a very spacious arrangement. This is aura music at its finest. Reminds me of some modern electro-psych-ambient artists. All around 5/5.
Pop progresivo. Un megahit. Al final, me ha cansado por lo lento... Un 3.
Un 4 ... no me ha encantado el álbum del todo. Aunque está muy bien.
Not really my cup of tea but a very well put together album, with three fantastic singles and pretty good stuff elsewhere
Some monster 80's pop hits and featured in the 80's movie Real Genius! However this album and honestly the hits are just ok, I can pretty take it or leave it.
I thought this was going to be torture because the airwaves were saturated with the hits from this record. But I actually enjoyed it. Let’s not get crazy though, it’s good not great.
Shout and Rule the World are excellent singles. The rest of the album was so so for me.
I have no idea why I'm drawn so much to this album, but I just am. It's 80s synth-pop at it's best, with some banger singles. I've listened to this album countless times and will continue to do so.
Dreadful. Felt like I was listening to the Donnie Darko soundtrack.
shout and everybody wants to rule the world are the songs I know! They look like girls.
They let it all out...
It was their couple of radio hits and then long instrumentals.
Un álbum viejisimo que se oye fresco.
Some of the best pop singles ever, fewer lulls than I thought when going through it in its entirety
It sounded kind of generically 80s. And many of the songs were really long- not bad, just not my cup of tea!
Everbody knows Shout and Everybody wants to rule the world. Never heard the whole record before tho. The rest of the record youldn't quite keep up, some of the songs were a tad too long.
The album perfectly walked the line between being of its time and being timeless. The synths were used perfectly to create massive soundscapes that felt expansive and symphonic. Furthermore, there are just some absolute classics on this album. When this album ended I was actually disappointed because I wanted more.
"Shout", "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" and "Head Over Heels" were written and performed by one band? Amazing! And they were from one album? Mamma mia, that's honestly great! I will be honest, I knew those songs for years, but I have never heard of the band that made them, Tears For Fears. It's a classic style of pop from 80s, it reminds me of Depeche Mode, with some similarities in style and vocal, but they have their own sound, which puts them ahead in the line from the other anonymous and straight out of factory 80s bands. Songs like "The Working Hours" and "Listen" are really original songs, with very interesting parts, that sounds fresh even 40 years later. I have immensely enjoyed listening to this album, I am very surprised so many hits came out from this band, and even though couple songs in the middle of the record were average at best, it deserves all the praises and recognition. Great album, I will listen to it again and again in the future.
1. 3/5 2. 2.5/5 3. 4.5/5 4. 1.5/5 5. 1/5 6. 3/5 7. 3/5 8. 1.5/5 =2,5 Album ima samo 8 pjesama s obzirom da su 6. i 7. zapravo jedna pjesma i 3 pjesme su bas shit ---> 2
Nije moj đir ali ok album 3 4 4 3 2 3 3 2 3,0
Too much sheen and ‘80s synth schmaltz outweighs a few really excellent songs.
Great rhythms in this
4/5 Best: Everybody Wants to Rule the World Worst: Listen
Tears for Fears are great and this album is definitely one of their bests. Amazing standout tracks and I feel like the album flows really well throughout and is good at bringing back common themes, which makes it feel super cohesive. I'm a big fan of this one. Standout Tracks: Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Head over Heels / Broken (reprise), Listen
haha detta känns som mamma-musik. får lite ångest av sån här 80tals-rock, men det svänger ändå lite! hade fått 2.6 men får en 2a här
8/10
Весьма неплохо!
Muutama klassikkobängeri, muuten ihan solid
I wish that every track on this album was as amazing as Shout and Everybody Wants To Rule The World. But for the most part it was a pretty good listen to overall. Got got one or two duds in this short project, but definitely more to enjoy than just the band's two most iconic tracks.
I knew the three big hits on this album and never particularly cared for them. I could take them or leave them, wouldn't search them out to listen to, but also wouldn't necessarily turn the station if they were on. Hearing them in the context of this album though, for some reason it made me appreciate them more. The first four songs on this album are absolutely great, "I Believe" is a bit dreary to me. Just a slow moving ballad, while the album picks up on the next two songs. After that, I have no idea why "Listen" is on the album. It's another song that I think feeds the more prog side of the band that I don't appreciate as much. So I really like 75% of the album and I was surprised I liked that much. This song very much belongs on the list and I will probably revisit more Tears for Fears in the future.
Recognized shout and everybody want to rule the world. Interesting mix of atmospheric/spacey with pop and a bit of rock, but generally a bit slow
Agree with the other reviews on this. The stand out tracks are absolute belters (Shout / Everybody…/Head over heels), but the rest sounds a touch 80s filler. Didn’t do much for me. At times it sounds as if someone asked AI to write an 80s song. But the good tracks drag this up a level
Decided against listening to the 5 hours 4 mins super deluxe version and stuck to the actual album. Don't get much more 80s than tears for fears. Everybody wants to rule world is such a good song and I really enjoyed broken as well but these were the only two with a real indie sound. Otherwise it was a bit too 80s, shades of boy George/Duran Duran, but by and large delivered in a more acceptable fashion. Not great but not awful.
I have a lot of time for 80s New Wave. The hits are the hits, not a lot more to say. Liked the sound overall, wasn't mad keen on some of the album tracks. It feels like a 3 - struggling to justify why, but it's not quite a 4. I did add Shout and Everybody Wants to Rule the World to my listening rotation though. On balance, there are stronger records of this ilk.
Apart from the three highlighted songs I did not like this album. However that is 3 out of the 8 songs on the album so maybe it's overall okay. It just sounded very 80s, in a bad way. Highlights: Shout Everybody Wants To Rule The World Head Over Heels
Never listened to a tears for fears album before. I know their hits and I'm generally not a fan so wasn't expecting to enjoy this. Very 80s, and not the kind that i enjoy Shout and everybody wants to rule the world don't do it for me. I can leave the rest of the album too. However, I think head over heels is a great track. By far the best thing about this album. Head over heels aside, I won't be going back
80s isn't my thing.
Är svag för synt.:)
Great, great new wave. Like inside of the pure, poppier new wave lane, you really can't get better than some of what this album accomplishes. Shout is a certified banger, as well as Mothers Talk, and the big hit Everybody Wants To Rule The World genuinely is immune to being overplayed despite its ubiquity—it's that good of a song. The Working Hour is also a catchy tune, but less so than the other three that make up the opening stretch. The album begins to lose a bit of its insane momentum going into the back stretch as their slower songs, while also good, are not quite up to the gold standard of the A section. Definitely a pinnacle of new wave, and essential 80s music.
The hits are quite good. The other tracks are quite dull. Overall, fine album, but not one I have much desire to sit down and listen all the way through again. Favorite track: Shout
High hi’s and low lo’s; slowly respecting new wave more
A sophisticatedly produced synth-guitar-pop, and add more 'hammering' edge than their synth-based pop contemporaries. But between me and this, there's no bridge now. Fav Track: Shout
Relaxing album, doesn’t overdo it on the synth, quite mellow and interesting. 3.5/5
I enjoyed this one more than I expected. Very 80s but also pretty infectious.
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)
Enjoyed this, like TFF anyway, but only really know the hits. This album landed well in our house, and got 4s all round. Who am I to argue?
Top 3 Songs: 1 - Everybody Wants To Rule the World (3) 2 - Head Over Heels / Broken (7) 3 - Shout (1)
Some absolute bangers here, even the less good songs are good
Superb!
This album in my opinion is a 5/5 album. My con with it was it wasn't long enough and it was over you noticed. It has the hits that you know from band but also hidden gems that should've been more known, listen, mother's talk, i believe, should've been up there with or are up there with everyone wants to rule the world and shout. Overall an excellent what I will seek to buy in the future.
boring
This is the type of album that defines a genere
Full of classics. Would recommend!
A few songs I really liked whilst the rest was quite middle of the road
overall I liked it
Classic
Solid 3.75, some really decent songs with some that were forgettable. Some songs were also a little long for no reason
Is there a specific term for the variant of nostalgia for when the listener was younger than the target audience and yet the sound was prolific enough to still be memorable, is it melophilic impostor syndrome? stolen era valor? This album falls squarely in that murky space where recollection feels incomplete and almost disingenuous. In regards to the album itself Songs from the big chair is quite a solid collection of tracks ranging from the more chill "I believe", the ever present "Shout", the underrepresented banger "The working hour" to the outright iconic "Everybody wants to rule the world".
Great album. First song sounded kind of familiar, but by the third one I realized what this was. Added to a list of vinyls I need to get
Good listen, no need to do again
Man, this is such a weirdly specific memory for me. Grade school aged me, stuck inside on a Sunday scrubbing my parents bathroom on chore day, hating my life and belting out the lyrics to "Shout" in what was surely peak adolescent cracklyness.
Shout sucks lol Listen is pretty good tho
Better than it really should be.
The two most popular tracks are bangers but all together it's just not for me :(
Great album, love it.
I remember when this album came out and I thought they were overrated. They were so popular, and I couldn't understand why. Listening to it now ~40 years (WTF) later and I realize they are much better than I gave them credit for. Still not for me but at least I sort of get it now. 3.5 stars
I didn’t really know what to expect to much from this album, all I knew was that I recognised ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’ just based off its popularity but even that didn’t really describe this album. Songs From The Big Chair is a collection of pop rock songs almost stretching to prog rock territory. The album opens with probably one of my favourite intro tracks I’ve gotten on this list so far with ‘Shout’ which is this 6 1/2 minute grand build up track that continues to incorporate more and more in the instrumental as the track goes on. It is an incredibly moving track that sparks motivation, for me anyways. Both vocalists fill the track so well it’s an incredible opening. Of course the main other stand out track is ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’ which has this great upbeat pace to it, almost as if you’re running in a montage in an 80’s movie, it fits the era of the time perfectly and also it being a great song there’s no denying it’s impact. The rest of this album follows this general vibe of upbeat synth wave rock pop apart from the track ‘I Believe’ that takes a somber approach which is a nice break as it really puts the duos vocals on display. My slight downfall for this album is the closing track ‘Listen’ which I find to be a little all over the place, a sort of grand build up as the opening was like would’ve suited the ending as well but still it’s a nice song and the guitar on the backend is so satisfying. To be honest this album really did way more for me than I was expecting and for the most part I can only praise it.
Love this album.
The album is best in small doses in the year of our Lord, 2023, and for less than the right reasons. The 80s possess a certain amount of campy, near unbelievable that it was ever a real thing stigma. It truly was a great time to be alive, but also a weird one that when it ended, it ended hard, and no one saw it coming. "Songs From The Big Chair" though, this is a callback to the music of the decade where the camp and unbelievability serve as a delightful foray into nostalgia. While the album at large gets ignored because of how popular "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" remains, the album in its entirety is a respectable masterpiece that captures 80s pop as lightning in a bottle. Electronic dominance notwithstanding, we get to hear that the band members are actually very good musicians from a pop-genre that honestly felt materialistic rather than genuine. In a way, it makes one feel that the 80s was real, and for that achievement of authenticity, this album deserves a listen.
YESSS
Great album, low key one of the best of the 80s. It doesn't immediately come to my mind when I think of albums of that era because TFF is more subtle and less bombastic than a lot of their peers. But dig in, and you have some of the best pop music from the past 40 years. The album also has a variety of musical influences, including that post punk depth that's missing from most 80s pop. Striking arrangements, eloquent songwriting, plenty of hooks. Not to mention, it has aged beautifully. In an era of throwaway music, TFF delivered an album that's of its time, but pretty timeless. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Head over Heels / Broken (reprise), Shout, The Working Hour, I Believe, Mothers Talk, Listen, Broken
The two classic songs Shout and Everybody Wants to rule the world are classics for a reason, they are just good songs catchy and synthy and have this dreamy feel. But I have heard them too much and am tired of them, do not like hearing them again. The other songs are strange and slow and have the same dreamy nature like it is a bit hazy and far away in a memory, but they lack some of the punch that especially Shout has. They pull down the album from teh already meh point of the two songs I am familiar with.
If John Lennon and Yoko Ono brought Arthur Janov into the rock sphere, then Tears for Fears were the ones to bring him into wider popular culture. With Songs From the Big Chair, the duo showcase a tendency to make the cerebral and the creative collide in one bombastic package and prove themselves able to become juggernauts of the music world. With effortless care and amazing precision, Songs From the Big Chair stands tall as one of the 1980s most powerful and irresistibly rewarding albums that demands repeat listening from start to finish. P.S. the Steven Wilson 2014 mix enlivens and enhances the album's brilliant sound and performances and it is best not ignored.
why is there so much 80s trash on this list?
Great album, good morning mood. Lots of synth
This album kicks ass. Every song is a banger, except for maybe I Believe but that's just because it's slower. It still sounds great. The instrumentation and production on this is absolutely insane. Everything sounds so deep and powerful. The lyrics and vocals are great. Also some crazy and wacky choices near the end like including the motif of a previous song and having the closer basically be a 7 minute outro. Some of the best 80's songs ever, perhaps some of the best of it's entire genre are on here and it just hits different. Also Disturbed can suck my ass they suck and should stop covering 80's songs. Score: 90 Art: 70
Perfection. Masterpiece. An eight song record packed to the brim with nothing but smashers. If you want music that perfectly represents the 80s, here it is. This album is incredible with great vocals and lyrics. The production is immaculate and rich. My absolute favorites: Shout, The Working Hour, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Head Over Heels (My personal favorite and a top 10 song of all time.)
Agradable musicalmente.
BL: Tears for Fears were a major part of my childhood, “Pale Shelter” is probably in my top 50 songs of all time. I know the two hits off of this album but none else so I’ll see how I find it AL: it was a very good album overall. Good composition, good orchestration, good vocals and lyrics. I didn’t think it was exceptional but there were a few tracks that really stood out as amazing. Would I come back to it again? Probably not for a while but I enjoyed the listen. It reminded me however how overrated I think Head over Heals is, that track is just a massive load of uninspired Meh, I don’t know why that song became so popular FT: “Shout”, “Everyone wants to rule the world”, “Broken” 3/5
A wonderful collection of songs with immaculate production.
- Shout Everybody Wants to Rule the World
pretty good
Had to restart everybody wants to rule the world because I wasn’t invested enough the first listen
What an incredible album! Peak 80s vibes right here! God I love Tears For Fears, Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, and Head Over Heels on one album!?! An absolute masterpiece of and album! 10/10 have listened and will listen again!
Very 80s. Meh, this was fine. I did not think it was anything special.
love it. perfect synth-pop. a 4.1
Cheery 80's pop...wonderful to listen to
everybody wants to rule the world is an all-time banger but i wasn’t expecting the rest of this album to be so good
Didn’t really care for most of the album tbh
yeah, that's the 80s.
Tear open your mind and let the Lord bless your soul with the honourable fruit of his loins. For he has arisen and now, forevermore will his glory fill our hearts with his twisted tales of death and marital impotence. God is back and he's very pissed off. Feel his wrath as he forces you to shag your sister in the basement whilst the rest of the family watch.
Such a banger. Dave Forrest, April 2023.
3 Gute Songs. Der Rest ist leider eher Mittelmaß. 3-4
This album slaps
Damn strong album.
Ok maybe I don't hate all of the 80s. But maybe that's just the nostalgia for road trips with my dad talking. Also the last song on this album was legit.
Quite simply one of the best albums of the entire 1980’s by any artist in any genre.
"Shout" is great, but that's it really.
3,5
Despite my general dislike and hatred of 80s synthpop music, I enjoyed this one. It had some of their biggest hits and the other songs were pretty good.
it was good not great. Classic 80s. Wouldn’t bring to island with me.
The singers voice is heavenly British 80s pop is so fun This is one of those albums where you close all of the blinds and dance and your house in your socks The last song Listen is trippy as hell I was not expecting that. As Kevin would say "I would like to do drugs to that song"
This album has some jams yo. Went back and listened to Head Over Heels/Broken 3 times since finishing. That guitar solo slaps. Would totally do drugs to Listen.
already heard
Historically not a huge Tears for Fears fan. I did enjoy tracks like Head Over Heels. The bassline is satisfying and I wish it was more forward in the mix. Favorite track: Head Over Heels Least favorite: The Working Hour
Extremely strong. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is a strong contender for the '80s best song and the rest of the record – including the overplayed "Head Over Heels" and "Shout" retain heft and substance and authentic emotional content today.
WHEN THE WIND BLOWS WE CAN WORK IT OUUUUT
Shit, meant to use my INXS yardstick quip here instead of L'Eau Rouge. What ever I'll say it again: If INXS are the my yardstick for the epitome of good 80s music then these guys get relatively close. Everybody Wants to Rule the World is a cracking tune. Also not on this album but the video of Curt Smith doing Mad World with his daughter is one of the best things on the internet.
Ah, "Songs From The Big Chair", an album that holds Tears' top three most popular songs. I've never sat down to really give the band a listen and I enjoyed the album. I of course knew the hits but also enjoyed some of the other songs.
This is a really good record. I forget how good a lot of these songs are because they've become nostalgic or ubiquitous, but they are still kicking ass. It's anthemic and joyous and dark and it just works. Great songs that sound great. Hard to beat that.
wow.
I have so much nostalgia for Tears for Fears. They’re great but I’m saving my five stars for Peter Gabriel.
It's hard to deny how wonderful this is and how influential the music being pumped out by these guys is/was. I was jamming to almost every song on the album and listened to another album, this shit slaps, as the kids say.
Happy to come back.
Tears for fears are not my cop of tea, but this lp sounds great even after 40 years
A few good tracks. Slightly confused album, starts off at a brisk place but slowly progresses away from pop and to a more ethereal style by the end.
not different from what i expected, what means that i liked very much
Impressive
SNORE.
Listened Before? Y This is a top-notch mid-80s New Wave album. These guys had a few giant hits on this one and the rest of it is pretty decent as well. Tears for Fears is a band I much prefer to listen to their greatest hits though, as the deep cuts just aren't on par with the hits. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Head Over Heels
There are some real gems on this album. This brings back such strong memories of high school that I'm not sure if I should add, or subtract, a star from my rating. This gets three stars on the strength of the 4 songs that got regular radio play. The rest aren't that great, but the album has aged pretty well for a mid-80's album.
Solid first half with typical 80s style but went a bit overboard and Avantgarde in the second half.
Sounds quintessentially 80's
Not special, cool sounds and iconic songs though...
Assez soecial, un style de l’epoque et aumoins du chanson qui ont beaucoup tourne. 3.5
Some obvious synth classics but the balance of the album is more reserved use in comparison to other artists of the era. Songs like I believe stand out as different for it's tempo, but even the up beat tracks are lyrically bleak
3.5/5
This is one of those albums where there were a couple of tracks I was digging, but they were the same ones I've been digging for decades. Overall, alongside that phenomenon is a lot of sound that is so played out.
Shout, shout. Let a fart out. Though this album doesn't smell like grandma's bathroom, it does sound like she's saying gentle goodbye to brown after her Metamucil supplement. The power of the saxophone is wide ranging, and it affects people differently. Generally when I hear it, I have the urge to punch it in the face, but hey, this is the music of the 80's and people did things differently back then. We have to accept it and learn from mistakes of the past. Aside from the tender ooze of that wretched instrument, I found the album to be out of place, not fitting in any singular world. I hated the bulk of it, but I really loved the smaller bits which more than made up for the forgettable stuff. You just can't throw the baby out with the bathwater anymore... ask grandma.
“Shout,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” and “Head Over Heels” seem to hold up really well? But past that, it’s all 80s cringe to match the cover photo, complete with the usual attempts to ruin the saxophone as an instrument.
With this album, and especially it's monster hits "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", Tears for Fears announced their presence as the accessible voices of the disaffected youth of the 80s. Less emo and sonically dissonant than their cousins-in-pop like The Cure, The Smiths, etc., Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith mixed catchy riffs, powerful arrangements and deeply felt lyrics to capture the airwaves, as well as the ears and hearts of listeners worldwide. Somewhat less angst-y than their primal scream therapy influenced debut album The Hurting, Songs from the Big Chair retains much of their anger and pain, but ups the ante musically, marrying their new-wave synth roots and sonic experimentation with pop hooks and lush orchestrations that get ever deeper with repeated listenings. There's a definite Beatles' influence (which the boys exploited maybe a bit too much on their next release, Sowing the Seeds of Love), especially in the Abbey Road inspired flow of the second half of the album, from "I Believe" on. The songs move naturally from one to the next, shifting mood, tempo, rhythm and sentiment, but always feeling somehow cohesive. The brilliance of this approach is highlighted by bookending the MTV-friendly love song "Head Over Heels" with the driving, bass heavy "Broken". Following this up with contemplative and sonically fascinating "Listen" (truly *listen* to this track - preferably through good headphones!) wraps the album up nicely, leaving me wanting more, and yet, strangely, also sated. This album is one of my favorites - possibly my most favorite - of the 80s and my youth. Listening to it takes me back to the days when music first revealed itself to be a transformative experience that could help me to analyze my thoughts and moods, and help me find solace amidst the chaos of teen life.
I haven’t started listening to the album yet, and I have to say these dudes’ hair is amazingly horrible. It was apropos to the time and genre, which makes me fearful for what is coming. Let’s hear what happens… Shout consists of the chorus repeated repeatedly and not much else. The Working Hour is laden with extra cheesy 80s saxophone shit. Not a good start. Everybody Wants To Rule The World is really good. Let’s go!!! OOF, oof, and Oof! Head Over Heels pulls us out of the nose dive. Conclusion: the hair is apropos to the album, which is bad but not amazingly so.
9/10 - its just a great album isn't it?
I really wanted to like this album, since I like everybody wants to rule the world, but it was really mediocre. no songs stood out to me
TEARS FOR FEARS É FODA
already recently relistened - 8/10
This album blew me away. I knew about the radio hits, but every song is a banger. Listen almost took my no. 1 spot and this was the first time I had heard it. Just awesome. Perfect 80s albums. Like I said every song is a banger but I’ll rate them. Perfect 5! 1. Everybody Wants To Rule The World 2. Listen 3. Head Over Heels 4. Shout 5. The Working Hour 6. Mothers Talk 7. I Believe 8. Broken
Big chair. Bigger songs. Much like some of this album’s equally overblown contemporaries - The Police’s “Synchronicity”, a-ha’s “Hunting High and Low”, Genesis’s “Invisible Touch” - it’s a decent record elevated by some excellent blockbuster singles. The rest of the material can be a little patchy, but mostly pulls through. The production is everything we now think of as the 1980s to the nth degree: gated drums saturated in reverb, synthesised bass and some fretless work, corny woodwind synths and orchestra hits… it’s all there. It makes for a dramatic foundation for Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith to sing over, though I’d argue it’s never better employed than in the leading track, “Shout”. “Shout” is a formidable opener, full of gravity and drama, though it starts on about a level 7 and doesn’t give much room for build-up: an even steeper crescendo would have done wonders. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, the single which has perhaps immortalised Tears for Fears more than any other, is a classic example of an album’s biggest hit being hastily written, recorded and slapped on in the last few days. It feels a little more spontaneous, and everything about it works perfectly, crystallising the band’s pop pretensions in an efficient two-chord shuffle. The middle-eight sends it to the heavens. “Songs…” also deserves a special mention for its perfect intertwining of “Broken” and “Head Over Heels”. Foreshadowing the latter’s riff lifts “Broken” so much beyond a mere filler piece: it would have been great to hear similar repeated motifs throughout the album to hang it all together a little more. And for my money, “Head Over Heels” is the essential cut here: bold, wistful, chaotic, theatrical. The rest are a curious bunch, revealing the band digging deeper and yielding some treasure and some fossilised crap. “Listen” is refreshingly subtle and ethereal: an intriguing closing track with its incantation at the end, loosely translating as “Birthday girl, don’t worry”. A reassurance, a mantra, a prayer echoing into a swirling void. “Mothers Talk”, the album’s lead single, is a fun bass workout, but has not quite stood the test of time on account of its suffocating drums and cheesy orchestra hits. On the other hand, “I Believe” is absolutely turgid and spends five minutes going nowhere. On the whole, while some of the low points are difficult to sit through, the highs balance it out and make for an enjoyable listen. Scraping a 4 mostly thanks to the brilliance of “Head Over Heels”.
Really interesting pop album here. Their voices get a little dreary to listen to over the course of an entire album, but the instrumentation is cool. Favorite track: The Working Hour
This album is a significant upgrade in all aspects and the view from the plateau must have been a fine one. Still prefer their first album, not as good but sprinkled with freshness.
Hmmm... I was expecting to find this exhausting, but maybe I'm turning, slowly, into a Tears for Fears fan. I appreciate how emotive the vocals are, and the instrumentation is layered and rich. Some of the songs are too intense - or too "80's" for me - but this album is chock-full of hits, some of which I really like - "Head Over Heels" to be specific. I guess I've heard it in enough movies and shows that I like that it's finally worn me down. I'm not quite "fan" status but I can tell I'm getting close.
New Wave Prog Masterpiece. Equal parts warm soul and cold synths.
Peak 80s new wave. Even though it is very 80s, it is so in a good way. Solid hits and catchy songs that most people already know, but the album is full of them.
Some songs repetitive, overall great vibe
Tears for fears is sick this album was great and a classic
very good
The hits hit and the rest is fine. A high 3
sean spencer would be proud of us today🤭
I’m back in the game and will go through all the missed albums. This one started real good, but tailed off drastically. Shout and rule the world best tunes. 2.5/5, im rounding it down though.
Belter
a legendary 80s album with some truly iconic hits. deep, echo-y, and delicious, with a few songs that slightly overstay their welcome. the sound of mostly upbeat pastel nostalgia
Just very good all the way around. One disagrees with the editors that “Head Over Heels” is the standout here; it’s good enough but feels too obvious and cloying a singalong (which is to say too many girls liked it back in the day). “Everybody Wants to Rule” is tops among a very accomplished set of songs. “The Working Hour” is wonderful and “Shout” (like “EWTRTW”) somehow stood up to just massive overplaying. “I Believe” is lovely and the closer “Listen” suggests to me how the band wanted to be heard (i.e., serious and thoughtful). T4F have always had a vision and executed it effectively and with meaningful emotional impact across their oeuvre (though occasionally overindulged themselves). Re their other work: don’t sleep on the “The Hurting,” a very strong and under-appreciated record, darker with goth touches and without the maximalist (and psychedelia-adjacent) bent of later records. A case can be made that it’s at least as good as Big Chair and perhaps better (on certain days of week, in certain moods). Seeds of Love is underrated, too (though the charge of being overdone applies more persuasively there). Even the new record (2022) recommends itself. Lingering ‘80s cheese factor and too much success might hurt their reputation a bit, but T4F are a substantive and (one daresays) an important band. Substantively more than a 4 but not just a tick short of a 5.
A good record, one I had and liked back in the day, not sure I needed to listen to it again before I die, but there you go. Roland knows the value of a big chorus and interestingly doesn't need a strict verse/chorus model to get his ear worms happening. I'd forgotten about the wall of sound production, it's very interesting the depth of the sound, the drums in particular. The hits are superb, joyous even in their angst. Head Over Heels is just pop perfection, a timeless song that has lent itself to some lovely covers, always the mark of a great song.