The Hurting [Half-Speed Mastered]

by Tears for Fears

Overview

The Hurting would have been a daring debut for a pop-oriented band in any era, but it was an unexpected success in England in 1983, mostly by virtue of its makers' ability to package an unpleasant subject -- the psychologically wretched family histories of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith -- in an attractive and sellable musical format. Not that there weren't a few predecessors, most obviously John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band album -- which was also, not coincidentally, inspired by the work of primal scream pioneer Arthur Janov. (But Lennon had the advantage of being an ex-Beatle when that meant the equivalent to having a box next to God's in the great arena of life, where Tears for Fears were just starting out.) Decades later, "Pale Shelter," "Ideas as Opiates," "Memories Fade," "Suffer the Children," "Watch Me Bleed," "Change," and "Start of the Breakdown" are powerful pieces of music, beautifully executed in an almost minimalist style. "Memories Fade" offers emotional resonances reminiscent of "Working Class Hero," while "Pale Shelter" functions on a wholly different level, an exquisite sonic painting sweeping the listener up in layers of pulsing synthesizers, acoustic guitar arpeggios, and sheets of electronic sound (and anticipating the sonic texture, if not the precise sound of their international breakthrough pop hit "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"). The work is sometimes uncomfortably personal, but musically compelling enough to bring it back across the decades. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	06/09/2023
Label:	Emi Records / Mercury / Umr
UPC:	0602577683114

Tracks

1. The Hurting
2. Mad World
3. Pale Shelter [2nd Single Version]
4. Ideas As Opiates
5. Memories Fade
6. Suffer The Children
7. Watch Me Bleed
8. Change
9. The Prisoner
10. Start Of The Breakdown

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Tears for Fears   Primary Artist
Chris Hughes   Drums,Piano,Conductor,Percussion
Roland Orzabal   Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards
Phil Palmer   Guitar
Mel Collins   Saxophone
Manny Elias   Drums
Ian Stanley   Keyboards
Curt Smith   Bass,Vocals,Keyboards,Guitar (Bass)
Ross Cullum   Percussion
Caroline Orzabal   Vocals
Caroline Orzabel   Vocals

Technical Credits

David Lord   Producer
Tears for Fears   Producer
Chris Hughes   Producer,Programming,Rhythm Programming
Roland Orzabal   Composer,Programming,Rhythm Programming
Mike Howlett   Producer
C. Smith   Composer
Manny Elias   Composer,Programming,Rhythm Programming
Ian Stanley   Composer,Producer,Programming
Curt Smith   Composer
Ross Cullum   Producer
Immanuel Elias   Composer