Search - Wang Chung :: Points on the Curve

Your fear of past mistakes intensifies your fear of everythi

M. Alden | Maine, United States | 03/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was a sophomore in high school when "Points On The Curve" came out in 1983, and nobody I knew heard of it. I picked up the cassette at a local comic book/record shop in Fairbanks, Alaska after the proprietor of that shop, Randy, played a few tracks from the record. I immediately responded to the atmospheric new wavey sound of the tracks I heard and bought the cassette outright. This was in late winter/early spring.

Over the next few months I came to appreciate "Points On The Curve" on a deeper level after repeated listenings (mostly on my Sony Walkman).

Wang Chung went on to record a brilliant soundtrack for William Friedkin's "To Live And Die In L.A." in 1985. I remember reading the liner notes to that album and director Friedkin extolled the virtues of Wang Chung, citing their classical influences matched with modern innovation. I nodded my head in agreement. Up until this point, Wang Chung seemed almost criminally underrated.

The album Mosaic changed some of that and perhaps Wang Chung enjoyed their true fifteen minutes of fame in the 80s with that superb effort.

As much as I enjoyed the record, I still felt that Points On The Curve was their best.



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Flash forward twenty three years later. Not having heard the full CD for many years, I loaded Points On The Curve onto my iPod, and took it on the road. I can tell you that I appreciate this collection of songs perhaps even more as an adult than I did as a teenager. Wang Chung's sound will probably come across as dated and quaint with younger listeners, and that's understandable. It is dated in certain respects. But lyrically, it has aged well. And from a compositional standpoint, it is still lovely to listen to. Some of my favorite tracks include "Wait", "The Waves", "Talk It Out" and "Dance Hall Days"."

OK, so "Wang" is part of the name, so what?

gdatlanta | Atlanta, Georgia USA | 08/23/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I actually saw this tour when they opened for The Cars in 1984. For the time this came out, it's really a display of technical genius. Computer music was still "analog", sequencers were primitive - the instuments were octagonal, pastel and had LED displays - and everyone had diagonal zippers on their clothes with Kanji charachters (oh, and only one glove on). I got this CD for a trip down memory lane and was quite impressed with the songwriting, the performances and the production. Yes, it has that "hit" Dance Hall Days, which is relatively lame compared to some of the other songs on here. The vocalist is strong and solid. The drummer is so precise I often wonder if it is indeed a computer playing most of the track. Of course, it does exhibit a dated sound by today's standard - lots of analog synths and definitely a British "new wave" aura surrounding it. The songwriting and production leave it able to still stand tall even today. Unfortunately, I couldn't give a flip for anything else this band has done - I found their other albums nearly intolerable - this one really sticks out and is likely the best you'll get from these guys."

"Take your baby by the hand..."

mwreview | Northern California, USA | 02/27/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album has the mega hit "Dance Hall Days," which is right up there with "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" as the most recognizable Wang Chung track, Of course, "Dance Hall" is available on countless 80s compilations, so why buy this album? Well, if you like techno dance music with some retro 80s sound, you will enjoy Points on the Curve. The first half is the most retro-sounding and contains my favorite songs on the album. "Wait" is excellent; it is jumpy yet also quiet with quick and precise keyboards. In contrast, "True Love" has a full keyboard sound at the chorus with a powerful beat. "The Wave" is a pleasing, relaxing track while "Look at Me Now" really kicks!""Don't Let Go" is a nice retro-sounding dance number. "Even If You Dream" is good, although, lyrically, it is not the best. "Don't Be My Enemy" has the most soul with plenty of saxophone. "Devoted Friends" is an interesting ballad. The versus have a different sound as one note does not follow in a predictable way which really adds to the overall sound. It is not the typical ballad and this uniqueness makes me listen to it more closely. "Talk It Out" continues with the more unique, almost spooky, sound but is more jumpy; however, it is repetitive at the end. This album is very solid so, if all you know is "Dance Hall Days," give Points on the Curve a try."