In the three decades since Tears for Fears' artfully styled and earnestly composed "Mad World" was released to radio, the single holds as much relevance today as it did in March 1983.

So, too, does the entire album "The Hurting," the pop-friendly but synth-inspired record that band co-founders Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith spent many months perfecting as they dabbled in the studio and experimented with different musical styles. Indeed, coming back to this album after the passage of time underscores the layers of wordplay and sense of accomplishment the pair had in their youth and affirms their place among that generation's songwriters.

Listening to the CD, now — through a lens of growing from a teenager to adult — songs like "Memories Fade," with its focus on growing older and knowing when to let go, have a particular resonance. So, too, does the single "Pale Shelter," with the original 7-inch version included, that flows with an inspired intensity and longing.

The band has assembled an impressive collection of remixes, live sessions and of course B-sides, which packs the four-disc (three CDS and a DVD) set to the brim with bonus material, details about the songs and a the band's 1984 show at the Hammersmith Odeon.