Released May 30, 1990 Genre Pop rock, new wave Label EMI | Recorded 1989-1990 Length 45:26 | |
Producer Peter Collins (all tracks)
Collins, Andy Hill (track 9) | ||
Tangled is the third studio album by Jane Wiedlin, released in 1990 on EMI Records. It was also her third solo album after leaving new wave group The Go-Go's.
Contents
Background
After the American Top 10 success of the 1988 single "Rush Hour" from the album Fur, Tangled took two years to complete and upon release failed to gain any commercial success and sold poorly, which in turn eventually led to Wiedlin's departure from EMI Records. Wiedlin would later state that this was largely due to EMI who failed to promote it. The album was supported by a Summer tour in America, with plans for the tour being announced as early as May 1990.
Two singles were released from the album. The leading and main single "World on Fire," was released with a semi-controversial music video. The single was issued in America, Japan and Italy. The second single was the promotional-only American single "Guardian Angel", which aimed solely at radio airplay. It was issued as a one-track promo picture CD with custom back insert and remains scarce today.
Tangled was produced entirely by Peter Collins, except for the track "99 Ways" which was produced by Collins and Andy Hill. Hill co-wrote the song with Wiedlin and Chris Thompson.
The title track "Tangled" would appear in the 1990 romantic comedy film Pretty Woman. It would be included on the film's soundtrack album release in January 1990.
Despite the album's limited success, EMI would release the 1993 compilation The Very Best of Jane Wiedlin which would include "Tangled", "Flowers on the Battlefield", "Paper Heart", "Guardian Angel", "Big Rock Candy Mountain", "99 Ways" and "World on Fire".
In the August 1990 issue of the Orange Coast Magazine, Wiedlin spoke of the song "Paper Hearts", which was written by Wieldin, Cyndi Lauper and Richard Orange: "It was sort of a song written by mail, more or less. I'd gotten a demo of the song in the mail and felt that it was real strong. She'd written it with another writer, but I wasn't that happy with the lyrics. I usually don't feel very comfortable singing other people's lyrics anyway. It's difficult to bring the right emotion into it. So, I asked them how they'd feel about me rewriting the lyrics, and they said, 'Go ahead and try, and we'll let you know what we think.' So I did, and they seemed to think the lyrics were OK. I recorded it, and I think the song came out great. You can't tell that it wasn't written at the same time." The song's lyrics, written by Wieldin, were inspired by Wieldin learning that her former best friend, who she was no longer in contact with, had become a heroin addict.
Later in a September 12, 1996 article in the Los Angeles Times, writer Jon Matsumoto revealed that the album had left Wiedlin "bitter" about the music industry. The album took two years to complete, and after the shooting of an "extravagant" music video", Wiedlin felt that EMI Records failed to properly promote the album. She commented: "It left such a bad taste in my mouth. It was, 'I can't handle this anymore.' I know [losing label support] happens to people all the time and there's nothing you can really do about it. Luckily, I had the [financial] luxury where I didn't really have to do anything. Then after a couple of years of floating around, I started thinking about doing music again and started writing songs."
Release
The album was released in America, Canada and Japan only via EMI USA. It was issued on vinyl, cassette and CD.
The American cassette release was a XDR (Expanded Dynamic Range) Cassette. In Canada, the album was pressed by Disque Americ and was distributed by Capitol Records/EMI Of Canada Limited. In Japan, it was released in 1991 as a 10-track CD, which included a lyric booklet picture sleeve plus an obi-strip.
Today the album remains long since out-of-print and has never re-issued or released as a digital MP3 download on places like Amazon or iTunes.
Critical reception
Alex Henderson of Allmusic stated, "Although a decent musician, Wiedlin doesn't have much of a voice - and her inadequacy as a singer is made all the more obvious by the pedestrian nature of the songs. None of this sugary, girlish pop-rock begins to compare with the Go-Gos' triumphs - or even Carlisle's solo projects. There's nothing wrong with sugary, girlish pop-rock if it's well done, but Tangled most certainly isn't. Between Wiedlin's weak singing and the consistently poor material, Tangled is a disc to avoid." Henderson had also selected "At the End of the Day", "Guardian Angel" and "World on Fire" as highlights by labeling them as AMG Pick Tracks.
In the August 1990 issue of the Orange Coast Magazine, writer Keith Tuber stated: "Tangled is easily her best individual project to date. The best track is "Paper Hearts," a tune she co-wrote with Cyndi Lauper."
Caitlin O'Connor Creevy of the Chicago Tribune reviewed the album on July 26, 1990, where she stated, "Former Go-Go Jane Wiedlin has certainly not taken a permanent vacation from the signature sound of her band of old, but she is able to develop a distinct tone and add an almost ethereal uniqueness to that familiar Go-Go's beat. Wiedlin's solo sound is more mature and considerably less bubble-gummy, bop-'til-you-droppy than that of the now-defunct girls band that brought us such classics as "We Got the Beat" and "Head Over Heels."
On September 9, 1990, Mike Boehm of the Los Angeles Times reviewed the album, stating, "Half of "Tangled" is slick and over-sweet. The former Go-Go does much better when setting her fragile, Cyndi Lauper sound-alike voice in more intimate ballad surroundings. Wiedlin also excels in two anthems that engage broad themes of war and freedom with emotional acuity. Why not make every song matter?"
Associated press writer David Dishneau reviewed the album for the Daily News on September 9, 1990, and for The Albany Herald on September 13, 1990. The same review was also posted in the Rocky Mountain News of October 5, 1990. The review stated "Jane Wiedlin was largely responsible for everything that was good about the Go-Gos. On Tangled, her second solo project, she builds on that reputation. The 10 selections, nine of them co-written by Wiedlin, lean toward bouncy, guitar-driven pop with engaging female harmonies that recall such 1980s Go-Gos hits as "Our Lips are Sealed" and "We've Got the Beat."
On June 24, 1990, Newsday writer John Anderson reviewed the album and stated, "As a member of the Go-Go's, Jane Wiedlin helped create a sugary froth of rock and roll that was fun but ultimately forgettable (as it was supposed to be). On her new album, "Tangled", Wiedlin creates pop rooted in '60s guitar rock and ringing with defiant optimism. It's persistent and irresistible."
In the San Jose Mercury News of July 29, 1990, a review of the album stated, "The tunes on "Tangled" are gracefully engaging pop, setting Wiedlin's pixie trill amid brisk, simple waves of guitar."