“The Hurting (1983) is consistently wise beyond its creators’ years. ‘Mad World’ is such an efficient, pointed, yet graceful chronicle of adolescent angst and exasperation that it has been covered by everyone from techno DJs to folk singers to industrial heavy metal outfits,” (PopMatters). In 2001, the track was notably covered (minus the original version’s layers of 1980s synths) by Gary Jules for the soundtrack of the film Donnie Darko.
“… Independent of lyrical or emotional content, this is simply one of the strongest, most fully-realized albums of the early-to-mid 1980s. Augmented by keyboardist Ian Stanley and drummer Manny Elias, (Roland) Orzabal and (Curt) Smith find a near-perfect balance between cool, moody electronics and earthy guitars, drums, and percussion. Orzabal and Smith were fans of intelligent synth-poppers like OMD, sure, but they were also fans of Peter Gabriel’s early solo work … Indeed, you could argue that only in early ’80s England could an album like The Hurting have been a Number One smash … Even with all the hooks and production details, this is a draining experience, one that commands attention start to finish but is nevertheless not for the faint of heart.”
“Watch Me Bleed,” a track which wasn’t bestowed the status of release as a single, runs in E minor for its intro, several initial verses, and the first two choruses. At 1:55, a vocal bridge shifts via an unprepared modulation into C minor, then D minor at 2:07 before returning to E minor. The bridge sequence repeats at 2:19 before returning to E minor in earnest at 3:01 for the balance of the tune.
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