I own an original UK pressing of this record along with a completely superfluous repressing from 2022. There's nothing to distinguish the modern version other than the usual poor quality artwork and annoying surface noise. I think I might have bought it as part of a "3 for £50" type deal - but I shouldn’t have done really. Still, if you're going to own duplicates of any Tears For Fears album, it might as well be this one.
"Songs From The Big Chair" can truly claim to be a classic and is a masterclass in both songwriting and production. As the opening track "Shout" uses patches from the Fairlight CMI (probably the greatest ever use of the distinctive ARR1 sample) and Yamaha DX7, it sounds distinctly "eighties". Yet the quality of the production means the song remains set above any of the ephemeral drivel produced by the band's contemporaries.
The second track "The Working Hour" is not as immediate as "Shout" but it remains an impressive composition. The song is generally good value for its six and a half minutes runtime, but the extended coda is too reliant on the warbling saxophone of Will Gregory for my taste.
The anthemic "Everybody Wants To The Rule World" must be known to everyone and won't benefit from my evaluation: suffice to say it is a classic. Another single "Mother's Talk" rounds out the first side with its Fairlight samples and superb drum programming. The band have since expressed some disappointment with this track, but it really is much better than their attitude might suggest.
The flip side of this album begins with the piano driven ballad "Believe". Now this song is undoubtedly well crafted and Roland provides a great vocal; but damn that saxophone is irritating. The hit single "Head Over Heels" is sandwiched between two versions of the track "Broken" which is a recycled b-side. This might not sound like the most auspicious description of a track but it really does work in the context of the album. This just leaves the final track "Listen" which I find mesmerising. Ian Stanley's distinctive Roland System 100M patches combine with Fairlight samples and obscure vocals to create an epic aural landscape that lays the listener gently back to terra firma. 4/5
