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If The Hurting was mental anguish, Songs from the Big Chair marks the progression towards emotional healing, a particularly bold sort of catharsis culled from Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith's shared attraction to primal scream therapy. The album also heralded a dramatic maturation in the band's music, away from the synth-pop brand with which it was (unjustly) seared following the debut, and towards a complex, enveloping pop sophistication. The songwriting of Orzabal, Smith, and keyboardist Ian Stanley took a huge leap forward, drawing on reserves of palpable emotion and lovely, protracted melodies that draw just as much on soul and R&B music as they do on immediate pop hooks. The album could almost be called pseudo-conceptual, as each song holds its place and each is integral to the overall tapestry, a single-minded resolve that is easy to overlook when an album is as commercially successful as Songs from the Big Chair. And commercially successful it was, containing no less than three huge commercial radio hits, including the dramatic and insistent march, "Shout" and the shimmering, cascading "Head Over Heels," which, tellingly, is actually part of a song suite on the album. Orzabal and Smith's penchant for theorizing with steely-eyed austerity was mistaken for harsh bombasticism in some quarters, but separated from its era, the album only seems earnestly passionate and immediate, and each song has the same driven intent and the same glistening remoteness. It is not only a commercial triumph, it is an artistic tour de force. And in the loping, percolating "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," Tears for Fears perfectly captured the zeitgeist of the mid-'80s while impossibly managing to also create a dreamy, timeless pop classic. Songs from the Big Chair is one of the finest statements of the decade.
© Stanton Swihart /TiVo
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Neil Taylor, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Bascombe, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Neil Taylor, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Bascombe, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Immanuel Elias, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Neil Taylor, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Bascombe, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Christopher Merrick Hughes, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Neil Taylor, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Bascombe, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1984 Mercury Records Limited
Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Bascombe, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Will Gregory, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Christopher Merrick Hughes, Producer - Tears For Fears, MainArtist - Manny Elias, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Neil Taylor, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Chris Hughes, Producer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Bascombe, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Neil Taylor, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Chris Hughes, Producer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Bascombe, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Neil Taylor, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Bascombe, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1984 Mercury Records Limited
Curt Smith, ComposerLyricist - Ian Stanley, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Christopher Merrick Hughes, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1984 Mercury Records Limited
Curt Smith, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1984 Mercury Records Limited
Curt Smith, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Ian Stanley, Producer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - ROLAND ORZABAL, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1983 Mercury Records Limited
Ian Stanley, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 1983 Mercury Records Limited
Curt Smith, Producer, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Ian Stanley, Producer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - ROLAND ORZABAL, Producer, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1983 Mercury Records Limited
Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Immanuel Elias, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Curt Smith, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Ian Stanley, Producer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, Producer, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Christopher Merrick Hughes, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Ian Stanley, Producer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, Producer, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - ARUN CHAKRAVERTY, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tears For Fears, MainArtist - Manny Elias, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Ian Stanley, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - ROLAND ORZABAL, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Robert Wyatt, ComposerLyricist - DAVID BASCOMBE, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tears For Fears, MainArtist - Nicola Holland, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
DISC 2
Curt Smith, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - Ross Cullum, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist - Emmanuel Elias, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1983 Mercury Records Limited
Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Christopher Merrick Hughes, Producer - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1984 Mercury Records Limited
Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1984 Mercury Records Limited
Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Smith, Producer - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, Drum Programming, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Chris Kimsey, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Christopher Merrick Hughes, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist - Manny Elias, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Chris Hughes, Producer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Bascombe, Engineer, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Sandy McLelland, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Tears For Fears, MainArtist - Andy Davis, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Annie Mccaig, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Marilyn Davis, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Ian Stanley, Producer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - ROLAND ORZABAL, Producer, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist - Manny Elias, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Christopher Merrick Hughes, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1986 Mercury Records Limited
Curt Smith, ComposerLyricist - Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - Ross Cullum, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist - Emmanuel Elias, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1983 Mercury Records Limited
Stevie Lange, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - Dave Bascombe, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist - Manny Elias, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1986 Mercury Records Limited
Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Christopher Merrick Hughes, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist - Manny Elias, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1986 Mercury Records Limited
Curt Smith, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1984 Mercury Records Limited
Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Bascombe, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Sandy McLelland, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1984 Mercury Records Limited
Chris Hughes, Producer - Not Applicable, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist - David Bates, Producer
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
DISC 3
Curt Smith, ComposerLyricist - Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - Ross Cullum, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist - Emmanuel Elias, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1983 Mercury Records Limited
Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Christopher Merrick Hughes, Producer - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1984 Mercury Records Limited
Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1984 Mercury Records Limited
Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Christopher Merrick Hughes, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Curt Smith, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Neil Taylor, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Bascombe, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1984 Mercury Records Limited
Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1984 Mercury Records Limited
Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Christopher Merrick Hughes, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1984 Mercury Records Limited
Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - MICHAEL BARBIERO, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Thompson, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Chris Hughes, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1984 Mercury Records Limited
Steve Smith, Producer - Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - Chris Kimsey, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Christopher Merrick Hughes, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Ian Stanley, ComposerLyricist - Chris Hughes, Producer - ROLAND ORZABAL, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
DISC 4
Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Will Gregory, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Tears For Fears, MainArtist - Dale Griffin, Producer - Andy Davis, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Manny Elias, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Engles, Producer
℗ 2014 BBC
Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Will Gregory, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Immanuel Elias, ComposerLyricist - Tears For Fears, MainArtist - Dale Griffin, Producer - Andy Davis, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Manny Elias, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Engles, Producer
℗ 2014 BBC
Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Will Gregory, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Tears For Fears, MainArtist - Dale Griffin, Producer - Andy Davis, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Manny Elias, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Engles, Producer
℗ 2014 BBC
Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Will Gregory, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Tears For Fears, MainArtist - Andy Davis, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Manny Elias, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Curt Smith, Bass Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Ian Stanley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - ROLAND ORZABAL, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Will Gregory, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Tears For Fears, MainArtist - Andy Davis, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Manny Elias, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1985 Mercury Records Limited
Album review
If The Hurting was mental anguish, Songs from the Big Chair marks the progression towards emotional healing, a particularly bold sort of catharsis culled from Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith's shared attraction to primal scream therapy. The album also heralded a dramatic maturation in the band's music, away from the synth-pop brand with which it was (unjustly) seared following the debut, and towards a complex, enveloping pop sophistication. The songwriting of Orzabal, Smith, and keyboardist Ian Stanley took a huge leap forward, drawing on reserves of palpable emotion and lovely, protracted melodies that draw just as much on soul and R&B music as they do on immediate pop hooks. The album could almost be called pseudo-conceptual, as each song holds its place and each is integral to the overall tapestry, a single-minded resolve that is easy to overlook when an album is as commercially successful as Songs from the Big Chair. And commercially successful it was, containing no less than three huge commercial radio hits, including the dramatic and insistent march, "Shout" and the shimmering, cascading "Head Over Heels," which, tellingly, is actually part of a song suite on the album. Orzabal and Smith's penchant for theorizing with steely-eyed austerity was mistaken for harsh bombasticism in some quarters, but separated from its era, the album only seems earnestly passionate and immediate, and each song has the same driven intent and the same glistening remoteness. It is not only a commercial triumph, it is an artistic tour de force. And in the loping, percolating "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," Tears for Fears perfectly captured the zeitgeist of the mid-'80s while impossibly managing to also create a dreamy, timeless pop classic. Songs from the Big Chair is one of the finest statements of the decade.
© Stanton Swihart /TiVo
About the album
- 4 disc(s) - 59 track(s)
- Total length: 05:03:58
- Main artists: Tears For Fears
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: UMC (Universal Music Catalogue)
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2014 Mercury Records Limited This Compilation ℗ 2014 Mercury Records Limited
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