Published on Dec 20, 1998
OK. Before we go any further, let’s establish one thing.
I hate this CD’s title
.
Wang Chung, like a lot of musicians in the eighties, got
cubbyholed with one hit, and no matter what else they did people
remembered them for the hook. Rick Springfield never got past
“Jessie’s Girl”, despite some work later in his career that was at
least interesting. Tears For Fears were forever those “Shout”-ing
guys. And Wang Chung will always be, to most people, the advocates
of having nocturnal fun, the slickly commercial spirit of the
day-glo Eighties in America.
Too bad. They don’t know what they were missing. Wang Chung
was…and is…more than glib pop. The band was primarily a
collaboration between Jack Hues, whose influence included the
symphonic sound of Yes and Genesis, and Nick Feldman, drawn more to
the pop sound of the early Beatles and the musical experimentation
of Miles Davis and Frank Zappa. (A third member, Darrin Costin,
left after their Geffen debut in 1984). Wang Chung’s stated
intention was to create ‘global pop’, a clever mixing of sounds
from multiple influences. This CD, an almost-comprehensive overview
of their career from 1984 to present, is a shining example of how
well it worked when it worked.
The early tracks from 1984’s
Points On The Curve, such as “Dance Hall Days” and “Don’t Be
My Enemy”, are enjoyable, if a little muddled. Their releases off
their third CD,
Mosaic, are bright and evocative, including the
aforementioned “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” — possibly the most
annoying song in music history — and “Let’s Go”.
What really shines, though, is the inclusion of material from
their second and fourth CDs. The 1985 soundtrack to William
Friedkin’s
To Live And Die In L.A. is complex, haunting, and dense,
almost reaching into symphonic rock. The driving beat of “Wait” and
the eerie minor keys of “To Live And Die In L.A.” are nothing short
of magnificent. (The original CD is out of print; I guard my copy
jealously.) Scattered in the mix as well are tracks from their
fourth CD,
Warmer Side Of Cool, from 1991, including the triumphant and
uplifting “Big World” and the stinging guitar licks of “Praying To
A New God”. Unlike most 80s synth-pop bands, Wang Chung had a
guitarist, and Jack Hues’ playing is cutting, melodic, and sadly
underrated.
For the completist, the CD includes alternate versions of “EHFT”
and “Dance Hall Days”, as well as one new track, “Space Junk”,
which is sadly lackluster and would have been best jettisoned into
orbit.
Like any overview of a career,
Everybody Wang Chung Tonight has its weak points. But for
anyone seeking a map to the middle ground between pop and symphonic
rock, this is where to go. But please, don’t ask me how you Wang
Chung. I don’t know either. (By the way, if I could rate the title
for this disc, it would be an “F”.)