Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/22/2010 12:11 PM EDT
- Mattyhorn
- Posts: 4224
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- Last: 11/29/2010
In an effort to start a new series of threads, here's my pitch: your own great or favorite albums and why you like them (or don't).Tears For Fears were one of those bands that were successful, yet different than the average 80s pop group. "Songs From The Big Chair" is their greatest achievement, IMO. One of the best albums of the decade that also happens to include one of the most durable, defining, eloquent singles of the decade: "Everybody Wants To Rule The World". It's cautious yet upbeat, mellow but urgent...a singular pop confection.
This was their second LP and a bit mellower than their angst-y debut. Of course, it also has the fine singles "Shout" and "Head Over Heels" plus worthy album tracks "Mother's Talk" and "I Believe". Overall, the production is crystalline, the hooks magnetic, and the musicianship first-rate.
Full track listing:
1. Shout
2. The Working Hour
3. Everybody Wants To Rule The World
4. Mother's Talk
5. I Believe
6. Broken
7. Head Over Heels / Broken
8. Listen
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/22/2010 12:23 PM EDT
- NumbaFouwer
- Posts: 2698
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- Last: 3/20/2011
I like Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon and The Wall the most. Pink Floyd is my favorite band, and I like their concept of songs blending into each other. I'll admit that you can't listen to The Wall everyday though.
(I don't know why I showed pictures of those albums, as everybody knows them.)
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/22/2010 12:49 PM EDT
If you've never heard this album, you are in for a treat. Tommy Bolin played guitar in James Gang for a couple of years as well as playing with other rock and jazz fusion artists. Private Eyes was his second solo, and sadly, his last album. He died of a drug overdose in 1976 right before going on tour with Jeff Beck.
1. Bustin Out for Rosey
2. Sweet Burgundy
3. Post Toastee
4. Shake the Devil
5. Gypsy Soul
6. Somebody Will Bring Our Love Home
7. Hello, Again
8. You Told Me That You Loved Me
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/22/2010 1:01 PM EDT
- Mattyhorn
- Posts: 4224
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- Last: 11/29/2010
Good choices, all.
I would encourage folks to start their own separate threads for each one.
Sorry I'm not as adept at this as zilla or jesse....
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/22/2010 1:36 PM EDT
- mrmojo1120
- Posts: 6753
- First: 3/5/2008
- Last: 5/19/2013
It's difficult to pick out 1 album as my favorite.My choice in music pretty much goes with whatever mood I might be in at that moment.However,if I was start a music collection from the start,my 1st purchase would be The Rolling Stones "Let it Bleed".
To me,this is the album that defines the Stones during the period that I consider their apex.It has a little Country twang in songs like the remake of H_onky Tonk Woman called Country Honk to the driving sounds of Gimme Shelter.
When it came out in 1969,it was one of the first albums I bought.I also liked the inside cover where among the credits it proclaimed"THIS RECORD SHOULD BE PLAYED LOUD".It also has a phrase that I use in my tagline 'HARD KNOX AND DURTY SOX" which is what Keith wanted the album to be named.
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/22/2010 1:56 PM EDT
Here's 5 of my "top to bottom" favorites. no particular order.
Quadrophenia
White Album
Eat a Peach (deluxe edition)
Brothers in Arms
Synchronicity
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/22/2010 2:31 PM EDT
- NumbaFouwer
- Posts: 2698
- First: 2/15/2010
- Last: 3/20/2011
MrMojo. That's quite a story you told about that "hard knox and durty sox" tagline. It fits very nicely with the Sox also.
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/22/2010 2:52 PM EDT
- gerbs
- Posts: 522
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- Last: 4/25/2013
Back on the original topic, this is a great choice for a "great album" discussion. Listening to radio in the 80s, I remember being favorably impressed by the first TFF track I heard, "Change", but when "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" hit the airwaves it really did have a timeless quality that has not worn out 25 years later, and is well reflected in an album that is true to the group's style but still offers quite a bit of sonic variety among the different tracks (or even within a track, as I always consider Broken / Head Over Heels / Broken as a single entity (e.g. linked on the ipod)).
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/22/2010 3:48 PM EDT
- mrmojo1120
- Posts: 6753
- First: 3/5/2008
- Last: 5/19/2013
Mattyhorn..I apologize for getting off the subject of the original thread.I misread your post.My bad.
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/22/2010 4:03 PM EDT
- Mattyhorn
- Posts: 4224
- First: 5/30/2008
- Last: 11/29/2010
No worries...it's all good.
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/22/2010 5:44 PM EDT
- Hfxsoxnut
- Posts: 8419
- First: 5/30/2008
- Last: 5/19/2013
I rediscovered Tears for Fears as a result of the Donnie Darko movie which featured 'Head Over Heels' and a new version of 'Mad World'. (I even started a thread here on that.)
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/22/2010 5:46 PM EDT
- Hfxsoxnut
- Posts: 8419
- First: 5/30/2008
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In Response to
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair:
If you've never heard this album, you are in for a treat. Tommy Bolin played guitar in James Gang for a couple of years as well as playing with other rock and jazz fusion artists. Private Eyes was his second solo, and sadly, his last album. He died of a drug overdose in 1976 right before going on tour with Jeff Beck. 1. Bustin Out for Rosey 2. Sweet Burgundy 3. Post Toastee 4. Shake the Devil 5. Gypsy Soul 6. Somebody Will Bring Our Love Home 7. Hello, Again 8. You Told Me That You Loved Me
Posted by WalkingTheWalk
I'm a huge fan of Tommy...one of my alltime favorite guitarists.
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/22/2010 7:37 PM EDT
In Response to
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair:
In Response to Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair : I'm a huge fan of Tommy...one of my alltime favorite guitarists.
Posted by Hfxsoxnut
Yes, some nice contrasts on this album, from totally rocking out to gentler tunes like Sweet Burgundy and Gypsy Soul. I was hooked the first time I heard this and still find it refreshing these many years later.
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/22/2010 9:44 PM EDT
- Hfxsoxnut
- Posts: 8419
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In Response to
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair:
In Response to Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair : Yes, some nice contrasts on this album, from totally rocking out to gentler tunes like Sweet Burgundy and Gypsy Soul. I was hooked the first time I heard this and still find it refreshing these many years later.
Posted by WalkingTheWalk
I have Private Eyes and several of the compilation CD's. If Bolin hadn't done himself in he was on his way to being a star...or Jeff Beck-like cult status anyway. He had that gentle, melodic side, he was a good writer and he was just an amazing player.
I would recommend to anybody to listen to the first three tracks on Private Eyes and see if they're hooked or not.
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/23/2010 9:56 AM EDT
- yogafriend
- Posts: 4742
- First: 2/23/2006
- Last: 5/17/2013
I'll have to go with one of my favorite artists, someone I consider a real balladeer, Sarah McLachlan, and her album "Surfacing" , which I believe is her most popular to date.
Even though some of the songs on this album were played (some may think over played) quite a bit and became very popular, I have never grown tired of listening to them, because I have always felt McLachlan sings from a deep and honest heart. It's a great composition.
Song list:
Building A Mystery
I Love You
Sweet Surrender
Adia
Do What You Have To Do
Witness
Angel
Black & White
Full of Grace
Last Dance
ps Also enjoyed seeing where your tagline originated, MrMoJo!
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/23/2010 11:40 AM EDT
- Hfxsoxnut
- Posts: 8419
- First: 5/30/2008
- Last: 5/19/2013
Folks, the OP's idea seems to have gone by the wayside, which was to start up a separate new thread for discussion of each 'great album'.
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/26/2010 1:57 AM EDT
- carnie
- Posts: 10917
- First: 5/26/2008
- Last: 5/4/2013
In Response to
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair:
I like Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon and The Wall the most. Pink Floyd is my favorite band, and I like their concept of songs blending into each other. I'll admit that you can't listen to The Wall everyday though. I don't know why I showed pictures of those albums, as everybody knows them.
Posted by NumbaFouwer
The first time I smoked pot, my best friend and I listened to Dark Side of The Moon. The heartbeat at the beginning had me losing my mind.
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/26/2010 2:04 AM EDT
- carnie
- Posts: 10917
- First: 5/26/2008
- Last: 5/4/2013
But back on the topic, my top 5 albums:
5. The Allman Brothers Live At Fillmore East
4. Meet the Beatles
3. Street Survivors
2. Sam Cooke Portrait of a Legend
1. Abbey Road
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/28/2010 2:44 PM EDT
- cooloo46
- Posts: 3
- First: 9/25/2010
- Last: 9/28/2010
My favorites in no particular order are:
Sticky Fingers
London Calling
The Allman Brothers Band
Electric Ladyland
Wild Gift
Re: Great Albums: Songs From The Big Chair
posted at 9/29/2010 2:15 PM EDT
- jesseyeric
- Posts: 13665
- First: 6/15/2007
- Last: 4/25/2013
Time to move this in another direction. I believe the point was to start threads about specific albums, much like we have done with "The Artist of the Day".
As for Songs from the Big Chair. I thought it was excellent and going to propel this band into Superstar status. It didn't happen that way, but I have much respect for them.
