Even today, hits like “Shout” and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” still receive radio airplay and are streamed millions of times. It’s now been 40 years since Tears for Fears released one of the most seminal albums of the 1980s.
To mark the album’s 40th anniversary, “Songs from the Big Chair” – the album that gave the British duo their international breakthrough in 1985 – is now getting a new reissue in several formats.
Anniversary edition with a slight delay
The anniversary release is somewhat overdue (after all, “Songs from the Big Chair” originally came out in February of 1985). At the time, the pop scene was shaped by sophisticated studio technology, Fairlight samplers and glossy production.
Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal combined technique with substance. Their songs were inspired by personal conflicts, self-discovery, psychology and Weltschmerz.
It is therefore no surprise that Tears for Fears’ songs sound remarkably timeless compared with other productions of the era, both musically and lyrically.
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” inspired by the Cold War and the political uncertainty of those years, feels as relevant as ever.
Accordingly, the duo’s first number one hit in the United States remains a staple.
The song has been covered many times, including by Lorde, Weezer and punk icon Patti Smith.
According to current figures from the Chartmasters website, the original has been streamed more than 2.2 billion times on Spotify.
Other hit singles from the duo’s second album include “Mothers Talk,” “I Believe” and the cinematic “Head Over Heels,” which enjoyed a surprising renaissance on TikTok a few years ago.
And of course “Shout,” that ingenious blend of synth-pop, rock and protest anthem, which is a fixture at Smith and Orzabal’s shows. The duo have just completed a run of concerts in Las Vegas, where “Shout” provided the triumphant finale every night.
Multiple formats and many bonus tracks
The “40th Anniversary Edition” is available on vinyl in two variants, including a double LP on red vinyl with the originally unused cover artwork.
It includes several alternative mixes and demos which, according to the label, are available on vinyl for the first time, among them a piano version of “The Working Hour.” A classic single LP with the original tracklist is also available. Both are limited.
“Songs from the Big Chair” is also being released digitally and as a 3-CD edition. This comprises the original album, a disc with edited or alternative single versions of the album tracks and an interview, and a third disc with remixes, including a notable a cappella version of “Shout.”
These tracks were already included on the “Super Deluxe Edition” from 2014 and on the “35th Anniversary Edition.” The latest reissue therefore offers fans only updated packaging. Live tracks are not included.
Four decades ago, the album “Songs from the Big Chair” made the British band Tears for Fears world famous. It’s now considered an influential classic in pop history. To mark its anniversary, a new edition is being released. Universal Music/dpa
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