Special Review: Faye Wong's "Faye Wong"

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The limited 3-D motion cover of the album.

Album booklet cover beneath the 3-D one.

Caucasian lady regular cover.

Checkered blanket regular cover.

This page contains reviews and opinions of Faye Wong's self-titled Mandarin EMI debut "Faye Wong.

Faye Wong "Faye Wong / Wong Fei

• Album type: Mandarin
• Record company: EMI
• Release date: September 1997
• Running time: 40:39
• Number of tracks: 10
• Number of new songs: 10
• Number of covers: 1 ( Cocteau Twins cover of "Rilkean Heart")
• Number of CD covers: 4 (?) (there is one limited 3-D motion cover of the album and 3 other regular covers with different degrees of collectiblity)
• Number of songs written and composed by Faye: 0
• Song list:
  1. Anaesthesia / Ma Jui
  2. You're Happy, So I'm Happy / Nei Fie Lok (Saw Yee Ngor Fie Lok)
  3. Bored / Moon
  4. Amusement Park / Yu Lok Cheung
  5. Mortal World / Yun Gan
  6. I Don't Want To Be This Way Either / Ngor Ya But Sern Jeh Mah Yeung
  7. Making A Fuss / Siu Tai Dai Jo
  8. Reminiscence / Wai Leem
  9. Into The Fire / Pok Faw
  10. Cloud's Edge / Wan Duen

• My opinions: Faye's long awaited debut certainly doesn't disappoint. Unless you're one listener who's looking for original Faye written and composed material because there isn't any to be found on this album. Instead, Faye continues to use talented folk like Lin Xi and even the Cocteau Twins once again (more on that later). Like Faye herself has stated, there's something for everyone in this album.
  My Fayevourite tracks on the album have to be "Bored", "You're Happy, So I'm Happy", and "I Don't Want To Be This Way Either". "Bored", track #3, is my Fayevourite mainly because it rocks, but in a good way. It's such a fun, fast song that has a "China rock" feel to it and I can't help but involuntarily bounce my head up and down every time I hear this song.
  "You're Happy, So I'm Happy", track #2, has been described by many as a sweet lullaby-type song with playful, innocent, child-like vocals by Faye. Some believe that this song was written for Faye to sing for her baby daughter. Another fun song on the album.
  "I Don't Wan To Be This Way Either", track #6, starts off like any other ballad but once it hits the chorus, look out. This song is sure to be a "sleeper hit". It seems rather uninteresting on your first listen but listen to it again. You'll quickly become hooked on the chorus and the overall simplicity and beauty of this song.
  Faye's Fayevourite group, the Cocteau Twins, offer their services again on this album. After their 2 new composed tracks made especially for Faye on the "Impatience" album, CT composes another new one "Amusement Park", track #4. CT performed and recorded this track in London and Faye recorded her vocals over it in Beijing. CT's ethereal style is evident in this track. Faye also covers an accoustic version of CT's "Rilkean Heart" on track #8, "Reminiscence". A very difficult song to sing, Faye handles it perfectly.
  The album is bookended perfectly with two ballads of similar yet constrasting styles. "Anaesthesia" is a melodic ballad with brillant repetitions and rhymes. The ethereal feel is inescapable. "Cloud's Edge" slows things down a bit and takes the etherealism to the next level. Close your eyes and you can feel yourself floating through the clouds. A perfect end to a near-perfect album.
  I've listened to many Faye albums now and I must say that this album is one of Faye's best works ever. It is near perfect. I truly like every single song on this album and I can't complain about any of them.
  (By Joshua Cheung)

  Some Reviews from my Visitors:

• biglook@ibm.net says: "This album is very good. I think the best songs are #3 & #8.
  
  1. Anaesthetic- a very good slow song with an ethederal feel to it because of the background vocals. 4 (out of 5)
  2. You're Happy so I'm Happy- The vocals are simple and beautiful, and I like how the tempo picks up near the end. 4.5
  3. Bored- This is a kinda fast-paced song. I don't know how to describe this song but it is very, very, very good. 5
  4. Amusement Park- Another excellent ethederal song by the Cocteau Twins. 4.5
  5. Mortal World- A traditional chinese song But with Faye singing it; it is something else. 4.5
  6. I Don't Want to Be This Way Either- When I first heard this song, I loved the chorus from the start but I didn't like the beginning much, but I listen to this cd so many times that the beginning of this song just sound very simple and nice now. 4.5
  7. Making a Fuss- A very good song. Nothing very special, though. 4
  8. Reminiscence- An excellent song that is very relaxing. I love the Ah part. I would never get tired of it. Her voice sounds so much richer now. 5
  9. Into the Fire- The beginning sounds like a regular ballad, doesn't sound like a Faye song, but the chorus is very good, very emotional. 4
  10. Cloud's Edge- The beginning is better than #9 and the chorus is good. 4

Song Translations