Wang Chung - Greatest Hits (1997) 320 vtwin88cube

Wang Chung
Everybody Wang Chung Tonight
Wang Chung's Greatest Hits (1997)

The London-based new wave group Wang Chung had a handful of hits in the mid-'80s, achieving their greatest popularity in the U.S. Originally called Huang Chung, the band consisted of vocalist/guitarist Jack Hues, bassist Nick Feldman, and drummer Darren Costin. The band recorded four tracks for 101 Records in the late '70s, all of which appeared on a pair of compilation albums. Huang Chung released their first single, "Isn't It About Time We Were on Television?," in 1980; the record led to a contract with Arista Records. The group released their first album, Huang Chung, in 1982. By the time they recorded 1984's Points on a Curve, the band had changed their name to Wang Chung. "Dance Hall Days" was a small hit in Britain, yet the band hit the Top 40 twice in America -- "Don't Let Go" made it to number 36, while "Dance Hall Days" reached number 16. From this point on, Wang Chung ignored the U.K. market, choosing to concentrate on the U.S. "To Live and Die in L.A.," the theme song from William Friedken's thriller, just missed making the Top 40 in 1985. That same year, Wang Chung switched from Geffen Records to A&M and Costin left the band. Hues and Feldman continued as a duo and released Mosaic in 1986. The album was their biggest hit, launching the number two hit "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" and the Top Ten "Let's Go!" Wang Chung returned in 1989 with The Warmer Side of Cool, which spent a mere six weeks on the charts, spawning the minor hit, "Praying to a New God." After the relative disappointment of the album, the group quietly stopped touring and recording.

Channels: 2 (stereo)
Sample Rate: 44.1 KHz
Sample Size: 16 bit
Bit Rate: 320 kbps

Audio Quality: Very High (Lossy)
Encoder: LAME 3.98r
Encoder Settings: Constant Bit Rate 320 kbps (Insane)
Contains: Album Art, ID Tag [ID3v2.3 (ANSI) & ID3v1.1]

Format: Mp3
Genre: Pop
M3U Playlist: Yes

Everybody Wang Chung Tonight: Wang Chung's Greatest Hits does a good job in collecting all of Wang Chung's 1980s hits. In fact, this well-assembled collection doesn't miss a beat -- it includes all eight of the duo's charted singles. A hybrid of 1980s post-punk pop/rock and new wave, Wang Chung's music was at times somewhat middle of the road (a case in point: the Top Ten hit "Let's Go") but, when at their edgy best, they produced some of the decade's most memorable hits. Among these is the swingin' 1984 Top 20 smash "Dance Hall Days," the eerie, mid-tempo "To Live and Die in L.A.," and the unforgettable "Everybody Have Fun Tonight," one of 1986's biggest hits. Also included in this collection is the interesting "Fun Tonight: The Early Years," which is "Everybody Have Fun Tonight"'s original demo (in ballad form) and was the single's B-side (and is quite a good recording in its own right). "Space Junk" is a groovy, shuffling, hip-hop-infused new track (at times reminiscent of Portishead) and one of the album's definite highlights. Finally, an updated and surprisingly good house/techno mix of "Dance Hall Days" rounds out this collection, which, for the casual fan, manages to include all of the duo's essential recordings and then some. If only all greatest-hits albums could be this thorough.

01.Dance Hall Days
02.Don't Let Go
03.Don't Be My Enemy
04.Hypnotize Me
05.Let's Go!
06.Praying To A New God
07.What's So Bad About Feeling Good
08.Wait
09.To Live And Die In L.A.
10.Big World
11.Fun Tonight The Early Years
12.Everybody Have Fun Tonight
13.Space Junk
14.Dance Hall Days (Flashing Back To Happiness 7" Mix)


Cheers!