Today I'm wrapping up Wang Chung's 80's years with a listen to their final album of the decade, The Warmer Side Of Cool (released in 1989). To keep up with the changing musical landscape, the band, which still only consisted of Jack Hues and Nick Feldman, would transition from new wave to a more traditional rock sound. Unfortunately, this pivot wouldn't work in their favor.
Critically, and sales wise, it would not perform well. The album as a whole would chart on the Billboard 200, reaching one hundred twenty-three, and produce only one minor hit, Praying To A New God, which peaked at number sixty-three on the Billboard Hot 100. This would be their last album and single to date to chart.
And on that sour note, let's dive right in!
The sudden shift in musical style is the first thing that stands out, and I have to agree with the critics, that it doesn't work. But, in Wang Chung's defense, it didn't work for many new wave and pop artists who shifted in the late 90's. I mean, look how quickly Duran Duran fell off the map back then.
While it's definitely not the best I've heard from them, there were a handful of standout tracks, which included What's So Bad About Feeling Good?, When Love Looks Back On You, and Tall Trees In A Blue Sky. However, with that said, I would still chalk it up to generic 80's rock. Basically, it's listenable, but nothing to write home about.
With the album being considered a flop, Hues and Feldman would decide to take a break and pursue other interests. For Hues, this consisted mainly of soundtrack work. He would eventually sign a solo deal with Sony. However, his debut, The Anatomy Lesson, would ultimately be shelved, and remains unreleased.
Both would go on to form new bands, with Feldman joining former Culture Club drummer, Jon Moss, to form Promise Land. Hues would create Strictly Inc. with Genesis alum, Tony Banks. Both bands would release a one and done self-titled debut, with Promised Land's coming out in 1992, and Strictly Inc.'s in 1995.
The two would come back together as Wang Chung in 1997 and set out on tour in support of their newly released compilation album, Everybody Wang Chung Tonight: Wang Chung's Greatest Hits. This was followed in 2000 by a series of nostalgia tours alongside A Flock Of Seagulls, Missing Persons, and Gene Loves Jezebel with Michael Aston. However, right before the event was scheduled to kick off, Feldman would bow out due to a previous commitment, leaving Hues to complete the shows himself.
Despite this, the end was nowhere in sight for the two working as Wang Chung. They'd perform together occasionally for a series of one-off events and embark on the Regeneration '80s tour along with ABC, Berlin, Cutting Crew, and Missing Persons in 2009. The two would remain active, and digitally release the studio album, Tazer Up! in 2012. However, by 2016, Hues would once again take a hiatus. He gave his blessings to Feldman to continue touring while he focused on jazz and instrumental music.
This would be a short break, as in 2017 the two once again reunited, and continued on, releasing another digital download album, 2019's Orchesography. Though there have been no new albums since, they remain active, continuing to tour. At present, they're on the road as part of Howard Jones' Things Can Only Get Better tour, which wraps up at the end of this month.
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