[This is Not the Big Chair] -- Well, it is the big chair. But it's not just the Big Chair this week. For the final week of February 2025, we have two albums that are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their respective release dates. One was released 40 years ago this week while the other hit that milestone last week. And, as with my prior twofers, these albums are quite different from each other.
The Falcon and the Snowman – First up is Pat Metheny Group's soundtrack album for the 1985 film The Falcon and the Snowman. This album was released on February 22, 1985, and as with much of Pat Metheny's catalog in the 1980s, it is jazz fusion with a bit of an atmospheric bent. This record also features some interesting collabs. Metheny and company worked with two classical outfits for much of the album. The National Philharmonic Orchestra appears on "Flight of the Falcon", "Extent of the Lie", "The Level of Deception", and "Capture" while the Ambrosian Choir appears on the opening and closing tracks, "Psalm 121" and "Epilogue (Psalm 121)." Ambrosian's contributions not only bookend the soundtrack, but also lent a very different vibe for Metheny. However, Ambrosian's contribution to the vibe was not nearly as different as this one other collaborator that impacts just one song on the album: David Bowie on "This is Not America." Bowie wrote lyrics and recorded vocals for a different version of the song to play over the film's credits. Bowie's participation was director John Schlesinger's suggestion, as Metheny himself reveals in his tribute to David Bowie on his site. In that post, Metheny tells the story of how Bowie worked on the song, and he shares his awe at Bowie's studio work. The embedded YouTube playlist below does not include the music video for the Metheny/Bowie collab, so I'll link that here for you.
Songs from the Big Chair – Next, we have the second studio LP from Tears for Fears. Released forty years ago this week, on February 25, 1985, this record was even more successful than their very successful 1983 debut. Between the US, UK, and international markets, six of Big Chair's eight tracks were released as singles. The album peaked at #2 in the UK and at #1 in the U.S., ultimately going multi-platinum. That success was driven by two huge singles, "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," both of which topped the US Billboard Hot 100. Oh, and a third single, "Head Over Heels," my personal favorite, also performed rather well internationally. Overall, Songs from the Big Chair garnered glowing reviews, was named one of the 1980s' best albums (by Slate and Pitchfork), and rocketed up charts around the world. The album even earned a nod in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
So, did you have either, or both, of these records back in 1985?
Flashback #1: The Falcon and the Snowman (February 22, 1985)
Flashback #2: Songs from the Big Chair (February 25, 1985)
And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
See you in seven!
