TEARS FOR FEARS - SONGS FROM THE BIG CHAIR

Here's another one from the 80's, folks!  There was a radio show called "Rock Over London".  I can't remember which station played it in Southern Utah, but I do remember it came on Thursday nights and I would sit in my mom's bathroom (cause that's the only place the radio would pick up the station), and discover all kinds of new bands and music.  That's where I first heard Tears For Fears.  Later, this record came out and the group exploded on the American charts.  You couldn't tune in a radio station anywhere without hearing one of their songs.  

I was familiar with the singles showing up on American Top 40, but one Sunday afternoon on the King Biscuit Flower Hour (I'm guessing that was the name of the show), I recorded an entire concert by them.  It was remarkable.  Still, I never picked up the album until many years later.  I stumbled across the CD in Vegas and bought it.  Brand new.  And I've never regretted that purchase.

The first track on "Songs From The Big Chair" is 'Shout'.  There's not much I can say about this song you don't already know.  It's an international hit single and just about everyone knows it.  The second tune is 'The Working Hour'.  There's already a developing theme here.  Oppression.  Whereas 'Shout' was about protest and standing up for a cause, 'The Working Hour' is about others benefiting from others efforts.  "This is the working hour, we are paid by those who learn from our mistakes".  Although our society is based on a barter system that supports payment for labor, most business' undervalue their workforce.  People are underpaid and unjustly compensated for their labors.  Still, companies endure because they know if one person quits, they can always hire another one to fill in.  Whoops, that was a bit of a rant and probably not at all what the song is about.  But it's what I take away from it.  

The third number is 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World'.  This is a straightforward piece about acquiring power and the consequences.  It's also a metaphor for the selfish nature of the human id.  Being controlled by the id is another form of personal oppression.  Having an id based personality can be extremely debilitating.  'Mother's Talk' is a song I remember from the live radio broadcast because it's got such a powerful beat and sound.  I'm not completely sure what the meaning of the song is, but it seems to me it describes the power of rumor.  "When the wind blows, when the mother's talk"... Implying words are as powerful as nature.  Again, gossip can be a form of oppression.  So in my opinion, the theme continues.  

'I Believe' comes next and even with the soft jazz rhythm, it feels like a light at the end of the tunnel.  It offers hope in the belief of another person while simultaneously calling the listener to think authentically and take control of their destiny.  Almost in response, 'Broken' kicks in and takes a huge steaming poop all over the music we've thus far enjoyed.  Roland Orzabal rebels against everything and tells you he doesn't believe things will be alright.  There's confusion, rage and uncertainty wrapped in one aggressive sound barrage.  If music were war, this song would be on the front line.

'Head Over Heels' begins and you suddenly have a new dynamic happening.  This is the one song you can actually consider a love song.  Of the bunch, it's also the most uplifting.  Still, the relationship it describes and the poetry of the piece continue the theme of oppression.  It's about being controlled by love.  I'm particularly fond of the line, "You keep your distance with a system of touch and gentle persuasion".  Whenever I hear these words, I picture a movie screen in my head and I see a couple courting like they would in older days.  When he would advance, she could keep him at bay with soothing touches and delicate arguments.  A much more subtle time.  One I wish we had today.  Too many people feel comfortable pushing and violating the personal space of others.  Even more frightening is how complacent we are about it.  We're so used to it, we don't care about privacy anymore.  That's a broad generalization to be sure and one I probably shouldn't be making.  But that's where this song takes. me.  It then goes on to describe the complexities of family relationships and how these expectations can be oppressive as well.  The song segues back into a reprise of "Broken" and ends in a firecracker burst.

The final song on the album is 'Listen'.  Although it doesn't resolve the theme of the disc, it offers a strange view of major world events.  Possibly in the hope of teaching.  Learn from mistakes.  Look to the future.  Whatever the function of the track, the music is sweeping and feels like a closing.

The entire offering is quite short, but packed with material both thought provoking and invigorating.  I truly enjoy this disc and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in this duo.  My final words: AN OPPRESSIVE THEME TO SET YOUR EARS FREE.

TEARS FOR FEARS - SONGS FROM THE BIG CHAIR
01. Shout
02. The Working Hour
03. Everybody Wants To Rule The World
04. Mother's Talk
05. I Believe
06. Broken
07. Head Over Heels/Broken (Live)
08. Listen