Dreaming computers in the disco

In 1983 it was not clear what would become of these British synth bands: Visage – yesterday again. Heaven 17 – communist aesthetes. A Flock Of Seagulls – a joke with hairstyles. The Human League – pompous pop. Yazoo – anemic thud with soul vocals. Depeche Mode – melancholy with punch. Ultravox – larmoyant bags under your eyes.

Calling themselves Tears For Fears, the two sleepy late romantics hit the scene with the addictive singles “Pale Shelter” and “Mad World.” Your computers dreamed, the modules glowed. It wasn’t until the end of the decade, when The Seeds Of Love was released, that they revealed themselves as hippies.

Already “The Hurting” had the really big melodies and feelings. Tears For Fears were brilliant, they used effects but also saxophone and guitar solos, their songs were disco and opera at the same time – and you could hear them at home. Or in the Hammersmith Odeon, as a DVD now shows. In the biggest box this side of Mike Oldfield we find the B-sides and rarities, all the radio sessions and the concert DVD.

Once upon a time, The Hurting was just a record! Among the extras, however, is some maxi-single rubbish and some pomp that Roland Orzabal was already inclined to back then. The next album, “Songs From The Big Chair”, brought world fame with “Shout”, but also stretched the boundaries of the duo. “The Hurting” still has the irresistibly unspeculative quality of the naive beginning.

This archive text is the review for the 2014 published deluxe edition of “The Hurting”.

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