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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Considering that Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, the English duo known as Tears for Fears, were avid followers of Arthur Janov, father of the Primal Scream form of mental therapy, it wasn't surprising that one of their biggest hits was titled "Shout". What was surprising was how the two managed to take all their deep- rooted inner turmoil and make such positively buoyant music. Case in point: their other Songs From the Big Chair-spawned, No. 1 hit, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", was a meditative contemplation of the struggle for power within interpersonal relationships as a metaphor for global supremacy--which, thank god, had a good beat so you could at least dance to it. --Billy Altman
Product Description
TEARS FOR FEARS Songs From The Big Chair (1999 issue Taiwanese 15-track digitally remastered CD album featuring the hit single Everybody Wants To Rule The World plus 7 bonus recordings including Mothers Talk and Shout US Remixes complete with extensive liner notes plus obi-strip)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Circa March 1985 an issue of a magazine called Electronics and Music Maker featured Tears for Fears on the cover and prompted me to investigate them. Twenty years on the use of TFF material in 'Donnie Darko' prompted me to revisit their albums. Strangely, like a lot of recently released 80s albums (Rio, Don't Stand Me Down, Porcupine), this is a lot better than I remember it being. The album strikes a neat balance between fast dance orientated tracks, pop songs, and slower numbers. Standout tracks are the relentless Shout, Everybody Wants To Rule The World', 'Mother's Talk', the gorgeous melody and understated grandeur of 'I Believe', and the sheer pop bliss of 'Head Over Heels'. This is the sound of an adventurous band that wasn't given credit at the time for its achievements. Much like OMD, TFF suffered in the cool stakes for reasons other than the music - bad hair/incessantly namechecking Arthur Janov's 'The Primal Scream' in the case of TFF and bad dancing/attire in the case of OMD. These days where some new bands seem unable to function without visibly referencing the past it's refreshing to hear music that wasn't afraid of sounding modern and wasn't concerned about some foggy notion of retro authenticity. This issue is rounded off with a goodly number of, somewhat inessential, bonus tracks. I quite like 'The Marauders' though, the tinkly bonk synth sounds and burbling bass bringing to mind a Radiophonic Workshop with some of the kinks ironed out.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The original album 'Songs From The Big Chair' features the worldwide smash hits 'Shout', 'Everybody Want To Rule The World' (No.1 in the USA, No.2 in the UK) and 'Head Over Heels'. However, it was only eight-track long and didn't fully showcast Roland Orzabal amazing talent at writing meaningful and out-of-the-mainstream compositions. The extra tracks on this re-release of 'Songs From The Big Chair' paints a better picture of what the duo was about. All the extra tracks were available on the b-sides of the singles when they first came on vinyl. Most can also be found on the brilliant Tears For Fears collection of b-sides 'Saturnine Martial and Lunatic' album.
If you don't own a Tears For Fears album this is the one to get. Overall it's a good blend of pop chart hits and soundtrack quality b-sides. And the mind-addictive 'Shout' will have you muttering the lyrics to yourself for weeks.
In terms of production, this re-mastered collection is amazingly well 're-mastered'. The sound that comes through my hi-fi system is crip and clean, and at least twice better than the original album version. It worth noting that Chris Hughes was the producer of the original album, and he is also involved in the re-mastering of this new collection -- the result is one of the best re-mastered albums in my collection.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Artistically and commercially brilliant. An album for my all-time Top Ten, including ALL artists and ALL genres of music. Over the last 25 years, few artists with substantial emotional depth and intelligence have managed to achieve mainstream international success. Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith did just that with "Songs From The Big Chair".
From the cathartic chant of opener "Shout" (still great for leaping around to at home!), to the ridiculously catchy massive hit "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", to the jazz crooning of "I Believe", every track has quality and substance. The standard of musicianship is exceptional, and a wide range of styles are embraced. Raw emotional power, lyrics that dig deep into psychological suffering but which are still somehow uplifting (even if it's not always clear what they are actually about), and great tunes. The sheer craftmanship shines throughout.
Tears For Fears made some excellent music both before and after this album, but it was with this one that all the ingredients really came together as a whole. Masterful. Thank you Roland and Curt.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
One of the Best Albums of the 1980s
This is a review of the remastered CD with additional tracks. I was there in 1985 as a twenty-year-old fan who considered - and still considers - this to be one of the best albums... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Nicholas Casley
Not bad
Very talented, especially Orzabal. However, in my opinion Tears Roll Down and Elemental are better. All the best songs on this are on TRD.
Published 5 months ago by Miketang
TFT
Ordered this after watching Ashes to Ashes re-runs and remembered what I loved about it when I listened to it at school (showing my age!)
Published 5 months ago by K. L. Naylor
Broken!
This digital remastering is excellent and fresh.
What a relief from the currently available hit music! Read more
What a relief from the currently available hit music! Read more
Published 11 months ago by Mr. C. A. Laurie
An album of a generation
This became one of the 'must have' album's for a generation.
Superb songs, some of which have become classics.
Superb songs, some of which have become classics.
Published 15 months ago by TrsChe
Absolute peak of British 80's Albums
Yes I know they were played to death at the time but this is still one of the best sounding albums of all time IMHO, the songs, the arrangments, the musicians, the recording... Read more
Published 18 months ago by R. Walker
Songs from a big chair
Bought this cd for my other half and he thinks its great. Reminds him of his youth!
Published on 6 Sep 2009 by Mrs. J. Buckingham
Songs from the big chair
Excellant, just as I remembered it if not better than the cassette format of course!
Published on 3 April 2009 by Mr. Giles Hodges
Still sounds amazing in 2009!!
I just want to say that the remastered version of this is one of the best i have ever heard, the production and the mix is perfect - all remasters should sound like this. Read more
Published on 4 Feb 2009 by Miss R. L. Rettinger
To paraphrase slightly -something happened and i,m head over heels
I remember at the time of the release of Songs From The Big Chair a critic said it fully justified the smug expressions on the cover . And it does. Read more
Published on 19 Dec 2008 by russell clarke
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