The Warmer Side of Cool
Studio album by
Wang Chung
Released23 May 1989
Recorded41B Studios, Westlake Village, CA from 1988-1989
Genre
Length52:04
LabelGeffen
24222
ProducerPeter Wolf
Wang Chung chronology
Mosaic
(1986) 		The Warmer Side of Cool
(1989) 		Everybody Wang Chung Tonight: Wang Chung's Greatest Hits
(1997)
Singles from The Warmer Side of Cool
  1. "Praying to a New God"
    Released: May 1989[1]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]

The Warmer Side of Cool is the fifth studio album by Wang Chung released in May 1989 by Geffen Records. The album marked an artistic change from the new wave sound of their previous albums into a more traditional rock sound. Commercially, the album was a disappointment, peaking at #123 on the Billboard 200 in its sixth and final week on the chart.[3][4] Despite poor sales, the album managed to provide a minor hit with "Praying to a New God", which peaked at #63 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 27, 1989.[5] Another song, "Swing", was scheduled to be the second single from The Warmer Side Of Cool, but its release was ultimately cancelled.[6]

Reception

The album received 2 of 5 stars from Allmusic's Kelvin Hayes. Hayes concentrated his criticism's on the band's shift into rock from the band's original sound that had made them popular, and that they focused too heavily on the then contemporary mainstream rock music. Apart from the previous criticism, he did praise several of the album's tracks describing them as 'good melodic rock.'[7]

Track listing

CD

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Praying to a New God"Jack Hues, Nick Feldman, David Chandler3:58
2."What’s So Bad About Feeling Good?"Hues, Feldman, Chandler4:11
3."Snakedance"Hues4:58
4."Swing"Feldman4:29
5."When Love Looks Back at You"Hues4:50
6."Games of Power"Feldman4:53
7."At the Speed of Life"Hues5:26
8."The Warmer Side of Cool"Hues4:42
9."Logic and Love"Feldman, Chandler4:04
10."Tall Trees in a Blue Sky"Hues4:21
11."Big World"Hues6:12
Total length:52:04

Cassette/LP

Side One

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Praying to a New God"Nick Feldman, David Chandler, Jack Hues3:58
2."What’s So Bad About Feeling Good?"Feldman, Hues, Chandler4:11
3."Snakedance"Hues4:58
4."Swing"Feldman4:29
5."When Love Looks Back at You"Hues4:50
6."Games of Power"Feldman4:53
Total length:27:19

Side Two

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."At the Speed of Life"Hues5:26
2."The Warmer Side of Cool"Hues4:42
3."Logic and Love"Feldman4:04
4."Tall Trees in a Blue Sky"Hues4:21
5."Big World"Hues6:12
Total length:24:45

Chart performance

Chart (1989) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard 200 123

Personnel

References

  1. ^ "Great rock discography". p. 883.
  2. ^ Allmusic review
  3. ^ https://www.billboard.com/artist/wang-chung/chart-history/
  4. ^ "The Warmer Side of Cool chart database". Billboard.elpee.jp. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  5. ^ Praying for a New God Charts on AllMusic.com
  6. ^ "Wang Chung History". wangchung.com. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  7. ^ "The Warmer Side of Cool - Wang Chung | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
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