The Hurting

by Tears for Fears

The Hurting cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 7 March 1983
  • Label: Phonogram
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Length: 1:05:58
  • Community rating: 4.07/5 from 11 ratings

Artists on this release: Curt Smith

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Tears for Fears' debut is a profoundly melancholic, highly introspective exploration of childhood trauma and primal scream therapy framed as immaculate synth-pop. The album heavily utilizes early drum machines and cold, brooding synthesizer arrangements to back Roland Orzabal's deeply passionate, anxious vocal delivery. 'The Hurting' remains an incredibly melodic, rhythmically sharp, and emotionally devastating masterpiece of the new wave era.

Genres

Descriptors: melodic, rhythmic, synthesizers, electronic, emotive, atmospheric, tense, dance

Tracklist

  1. The Hurting (4:16)
  2. Mad World (3:35)
  3. Pale Shelter - 2nd Single Version (4:33)
  4. Ideas As Opiates (3:45)
  5. Memories Fade (5:03)
  6. Suffer The Children (3:50)
  7. Watch Me Bleed (4:15)
  8. Change (4:14)
  9. The Prisoner (2:55)
  10. Start Of The Breakdown (4:58)
  11. Pale Shelter - Long Version (7:06)
  12. The Way You Are - Extended (7:40)
  13. Mad World - World Remix (3:41)
  14. Change - Extended Version (6:00)

Credits

  • Tears for Fears - primary artist
  • David Bates - a&r [a + r co-ordination]
  • Roland Orzabal - composed by [all titles composed by], songwriter [all songs by], vocals, guitar, keyboards, programmed by [rhythm programming]
  • Manny Elias - drums [drumming], programmed by [rhythm programming]
  • Phil Palmer - guitar [palmer picking]
  • Ross Cullum - performer [jazz high, dynamic toggle], producer [produced by]
  • Peter Ashworth - photography by [front cover photograph]
  • Davies And Starr - photography by [inner sleeve photograph]
  • Chris Hughes - producer [produced by], programmed by [rhythm programming], percussion [tuned percussion], conductor [conducting]
  • Ian Stanley - programmed by [keyboard programming], programmed by [computer programming]
  • Mel Collins - saxophone [saxophones]
  • Curt Smith - vocals, bass, keyboards
  • Caroline Orzabal - vocals [child vocal]

More from Tears for Fears: full discography