Customer Reviews

Points on the Curve

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
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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.

* * * *

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".

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.

I loved this album when I first heard it in 1983. Hearing it today brings back all those great memories. Wang Chung was on the cutting edge of the 80's techno sound. The music from "Wait" was used in the movie "To Live and Die in LA". They also wrote a song by that name as well. They are an incredibly talented group of artists. I only wish we had heard more from them.

Brings back lots of high school memories, but I wish the sound was better. I listened to this album on cassette for many years, and though it's great to have the convenience of the CD version, both sound almost the same to me.

Thankfully, the songs are still enjoyable to listen to. BONUS: You can finally find out what Jack Hues sings on "Dance Hall Days" because lyrics are included. Same with "Don't Let Go," which I loved for years and just recently learned what the second verse's lyrics were.

Though the drums and synths are pretty much out of date, this CD is a testament to an earlier era of MTV pop, circa 1983 - 4, before American artists like Huey Lewis, the Boss, and Mellencamp stormed the charts to take back the flag. Wang Chung had the last laugh, though, when they scored two smash singles in 1986 - 7 from their "Mosaic" LP, which is also recommended.

Wang Chung really outdid themselves with this CD. It is great. Wait, and The Waves are my favorites, plus Dance Hall Days..Get this release and To Live and Die in LA....they are both fantastic and super cheap too......

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.

Probably my least favorite Wang Chung album. My fave is "Warmer Side Of Cool", which I consider a remarkable and practically timeless album. I got this because I wanted to check out all their stuff. Aspects of this seem dated in an '80's sort of way. Performance is fine, but the writing and arrangements don't compete with WSOC. This is not a BAD album, but it doesn't grab me. There might be a few tunes better than the rest of the album. I would recommend this only to super fans or the very curious. I might listen to it again a long time from now. Usually within 2 listens I pretty much know what I think forever, and I did give it 2 listens.

20 years have come and gone, and yet Points on the Curve still stands the test of time. The combination of Jack Hues (vocals), Nick Feldman (bass guitar), and Darren Costin (drums) make for one of the best bands of the 1980s. POTC is an excellent collection of pop, dance, and new wave music, with just a hint of rock in it. From the #1 dance hit "Dance Hall Days" all the way through "Talk it Out", this is one of the few albums with strong material all around and which you just can't stop listening to, over and over and over...

-RoMo37
--DECEMBER 19, 2008