Review: “Songs From The Big Chair” by Tears For Fears (CD, 1985)

Today’s Pop Rescue from an uncertain fate is the 1985 Songs From The Big Chair – the second album by British band Tears For Fears. Will this be an album to Shout about, or should you ’empty Chair’ it? Read on…

Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair (1985) album. — Tears For Fears – Songs From The Big Chair (1985) album.

This apparent 9 track CD opens with second single Shout, a wonderful stadium-drum led, dark and anthemic ‘call to arms’ kind of track. I can only imagine that this was incredible to experience in the audience when played live. The track builds fantastically, and Roland Orzabal vocals are absolutely perfect here, and this is the perfect album opener.

Then it’s The Working Hour, which opens buy a lovely late-night moody saxophone solo performed by Will Gregory (who’d go on to form Goldfrapp). Percussion gently slides in alongside him, followed by piano and keyboards. The track has a 2 minute instrumental introduction, but it’s worth it as it sets the contrasting sound (to preceding track Shout) well. Vocals soar here in tandem with the saxophone and it’s a really nice richly layered song.

Next is the arrival of the iconic chugging intro of the band’s biggest UK hit Everybody Wants To Rule The World. Like Shout, this is a powerful, loud, and fantastic slice of 1980’s music. It took the band to #2 in the UK singles chart, and the track was (rightly) kept off the #1 spot by charity single We Are The World, performed by ensemble U.S.A For Africa, which had been sung at Live Aid.

A dramatic burst of synth strings is next, ushering in lead single Mothers Talk. The ‘work it out’ backing vocals stand out here like a catchy riff. Whilst this was the lead single from the album, a US Mix was released as the final track in 1986. The 1984 UK single version gave the band a decent Top 20 hit, where it reached #14, although it’s more subdued that Shout and Everybody… .

I Believe is next, and this has a jazzy style to it, and aptly we find Will on saxophone again. It’s a gentle track with a fantastic set of heartfelt vocals again from Roland alongside the piano. When released as the fifth single, it was released as a live recording re-titled as I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording)‘.

Then it’s Broken, which quickly gives us a shove back to the harder upbeat sound – loaded with big drums and guitars solos. The bass line here is wonderfully catchy. There’s a whiff of menace in it, but it carries the track along perfectly. At about the 1m 40s mark, the vocals drop in, and they are equally as big and soaring, but all too brief to help carry the song any further.

That’s followed by a piano intro into Head Over Heels – the album’s fourth single. This is a mid-tempo track, but the steady beat, and Roland’s vocals blend well with the softer backing vocals. It’s a pretty catchy track, most so in the chorus. The single-buying public pretty much agreed, and gave the band a #12 UK hit. The artwork for this edition of the CD states that next song Broken (Live) is the eighth song, but on this edition, it’s actually attached to Head Over Heels, and this is pretty seamlessly done – ending with the crowd cheering and whistling.

The cheers and whistles face into the album’s closing track Listen. Here we get wonderful synth pads and what sounds like a tiny vocal sample. It’s a warm and gently evolving 6m 49s track, and eventually about the 1m 30s mark, a brief set of vocals appear, only to head back into the almost ethereal wafting synths. A few more softer lyrics in here would have been nice, but musically it’s a nice track.

Tears For Fears’ lead single ‘Mothers Talk’ (1984).

Verdict

Over all, this album is a wonderful example of 1980’s rock-pop sounds, laced with some deliciously sounding synths too.

Roland’s vocals are fantastic throughout, delivering power and range with seemingly great ease. Shout and Everybody Wants To Rule The World clearly lead here, but Head Over Heels is another strong highlight too. Listen is a really nice layered listen too, but it’s almost of a different genre so might not suit all ears who are used to the band’s hits.

I Believe and Broken are probably the two lower points here, but even still, they’re both good tracks, it’s simply their catchiness that lets them down a little.

I think you’ll find this Big Chair comfy after a little bit of fidgeting.