Points on the Curve
Studio album by
Wang Chung
ReleasedFebruary 1984 (US)
March 1984 (UK)[1]
Recorded1983
StudioAbbey Road Studios (London)
GenreSynth-pop,[2] dance
Length43:15
LabelGeffen
Producer
Wang Chung chronology
Huang Chung
(1982) 		Points on the Curve
(1984) 		To Live and Die in L.A.
(1985)
Singles from Points on the Curve
  1. "Don't Be My Enemy"
    Released: June 1983
  2. "Dance Hall Days"
    Released: January 1984
  3. "Don't Let Go"
    Released: February 1984 (US)
  4. "Wait"
    Released: June 1984[3]

Points on the Curve is the second studio album by English new wave band Wang Chung, released in 1984.[4][5]

Background

Points on the Curve is Wang Chung's first studio album since changing their name from Huang Chung and switching from Arista to the Geffen Records. It reached No. 34 on the UK album charts on 21 April 1984 and No. 30 on the Billboard 200 album charts on 14 July 1984. The album features the No. 1 dance single "Dance Hall Days" and includes the hit singles: "Don't Let Go", "Don't Be My Enemy" and "Wait". The album cover was designed, and featured art direction by Barney Bubbles, who would kill himself three months after this album was released in the UK.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
The Philadelphia Inquirer[7]
Smash Hits5/10[8]

The Philadelphia Inquirer deemed the band "mean-spirited fops."[7] The Daily Breeze called the album "a collection of fairly standard, English dance numbers."[9] By contrast, in a retrospective review for AllMusic, Kelvin Hayes wrote that "although the sound is a little dated, its craftsmanship still holds true."[10]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Jack Hues; co-writers are noted.

Side one
No.TitleCo-writer(s)Length
1."Dance Hall Days" 3:59
2."Wait" 4:25
3."True Love"Nick Feldman3:51
4."The Waves"
  • Darren Costin
  • Feldman
4:29
5."Look at Me Now" 4:37
Total length:21:20
Side two
No.TitleCo-writer(s)Length
1."Don't Let Go"Feldman4:22
2."Even If You Dream"David Burnand4:11
3."Don't Be My Enemy"
  • Costin
  • Feldman
4:23
4."Devoted Friends" 4:09
5."Talk It Out"Feldman4:50
Total length:21:55

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the Points on the Curve liner notes.[11]

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1984) Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[12] 56
US Billboard 200 30
UK Top 75 Albums 34

Year-end charts

Chart (1984) Rank
US Billboard Hot 100 59

References

  1. ^ "Great rock discography". p. 882.
  2. ^ Geoffrey Himes (4 May 1983). "Wang Chung: East Meets West's Beat". The Washington Post. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Great rock discography". p. 882.
  4. ^ Wenner, Cheryl (19 July 1984). "Britain's Wang Chung opened...". The Morning Call. p. D8.
  5. ^ Lacey, Liam (2 February 1984). "Wang Chung's songs may be a little trite, but they're well done". The Globe and Mail. p. E3.
  6. ^ "Points on the Curve Review by Kelvin Hayes". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  7. ^ a b Tucker, Ken (29 January 1984). "Wang Chung, Points on the Curve". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. I4.
  8. ^ McCloskey, Brian (15 March 1984). "Smash Hits, March 15, 1984 - p.27". Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  9. ^ Branst, Lee (20 April 1984). "Also Saturday, the Palace hosts Wang Chung...". Daily Breeze. p. E12.
  10. ^ Hayes, Kelvin. Wang Chung - Points on a Curve at AllMusic. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  11. ^ Points on the Curve (CD booklet). Wang Chung. Geffen Records. 1983.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 332. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

External links

Wang Chung
Authority control databases
Categories