China Crisis 'Black Man Ray'

Chart Peak: 14

YouTube

Most of the songs on this album so far seem to fall into one of two categories: either they're painfully overfamiliar, or I've never knowingly heard them before. This one certainly falls into the latter category, although I had at least vaguely heard of it. After this and 'Wishful Thinking' I'm rather getting the impression that China Crisis were one of those bands where you had to be there.

There seem to be all sorts of theories about who or what Black Man Ray might have been (see here for the most interesting treatment of the issue I've found) but there's a vagueness about the whole thing, musically and lyricially, that makes the question fairly uninteresting to me. Producer Walter Becker (the one from Steely Dan who wasn't selling solo albums) polishes this to a fine sheen but leaves it too smooth to grab onto; the result is pretty but ineffectual. And just like their biggest hit, it seems to doze off and fade out at the end, without leaving much trace in my memory.

Also appearing on: Now 2
Available on: Flaunt the Imperfection

China Crisis 'Wishful Thinking'

Chart Peak: 9

YouTube

China Crisis are another of those acts that I remember being successful, but I've no memory of any of the music until much later. Even now, I can't really make out what 'Wishful Thinking' is supposed to be - is it supposed to be MOR, or prog (as the album title Working with Fire & Steel: Possible Pop Songs - Volume 2 would seem to suggest), or just mainstream pop? Is it supposed to be New Wave, as their Wikipedia entry suggests? And perhaps more importantly, do I care?

There seems to be quite nice tune buried somewhere in this record (although I can't entirely escape the suspicion that it's 'Your Song') but under all the production I can't really get a handle on it. The chorus seems oddly undersold down in the midst of all this: I can imagine someone like the Pale Fountains making a far better job of that. It's pleasant but it feels like it could be more. And the undramatic fade-out seems a bit of a weak way to finish Side 3.

Also appearing on: Now 5
Available on: China Crisis Collection: The Very Best of China Crisis