''Random Thoughts'' (), alternatively ''Thinking Here and There'' or ''Wondering Music'', is the seventh Cantonese studio album by Chinese recording artist

Faye Wong Faye Wong ( zh, 王菲; pinyin: ''Wáng Fēi''; born 8 August 1969) is a Chinese singer-songwriter and actress. Early in her career, she briefly used the stage name Shirley Wong (). Born in Beijing, she moved to British Hong Kong at the age o ...

. It was released through

Cinepoly Records Cinepoly Records (新藝寶) is a Hong Kong–based record label founded in 1985. It was a subsidiary of PolyGram Records and the film company Cinema City. Ownership of Cinepoly Records switched to Universal Music Group after Universal acquired ...

on 29 June 1994. It confirmed her move into

alternative music Alternative music may refer to the following types of music: *Independent music *Alternative rock *Alternative pop *Alternative R&B *Neo soul, sometimes known as alternative soul *Alternative reggaeton *Alternative hip hop *Alternative dance *Alter ...

and covers songs by the

Cocteau Twins Cocteau Twins were a Scottish rock music, rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth on the Firth of Forth by Robin Guthrie (guitars, drum machine) and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981. In 19 ...

, whose influence she readily acknowledged.

Cover art

The album cover was unusual for its time: instead of any image of the singer's face, the main cover design shows overlapping phrases such as "no new images" and "no photo booklet" in

Chinese character Chinese characters are logographs used to write the Chinese languages and others from regions historically influenced by Chinese culture. Of the four independently invented writing systems accepted by scholars, they represent the only on ...

s of varying size, all of which have some

strokes Stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop ...

missing but allowing the phrase still to be discerned. An alternative cover was all white except for the artist and album name, the latter in the same partial characters. The cover was the first to include the Mandarin name 王菲 (Wang Fei).

Songs

The title track "Random Thoughts" is a cover of the Cocteau Twins' "

Bluebeard "Bluebeard" ( ) is a French Folklore, folktale, the most famous surviving version of which was written by Charles Perrault and first published by Barbin in Paris in 1697 in . The tale is about a wealthy man in the habit of murdering his wives an ...

". Track 5, "Know Oneself and Each Other", covered their song "Know Who You Are at Every Age", which was likewise from their 1993 album ''

Four-Calendar Café ''Four-Calendar Café'' is the seventh studio album by Scottish band Cocteau Twins, released on 18 October 1993 by Fontana Records. It was their first release since leaving their former record label 4AD. Two singles were released to promote the a ...

''. Track 3, "Heaven and Earth", is a cover of Taiwanese singer

Phil Chang Phil Chang (; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Chong Yí, born 30 April 1967) is a Taiwanese singer-songwriter, television presenter and actor. Education and career By the time he graduated from Feng Chia University in financial services, he was already known ...

's 1993 hit "Well-Intentioned" (用心良苦). "Dream Lover" (sometimes translated "Person in a Dream") is a cover of

The Cranberries The Cranberries were an Irish rock music, rock band formed in Limerick in 1989. The band was composed of lead singer and guitarist Dolores O'Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan (Noel's brother), and drummer Fergal Lawler. O'Riord ...

' "

Dreams A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5–20 minutes, althou ...

". It was a successful hit single, and was featured in

Wong Kar-wai Wong Kar-wai (born 17 July 1958) is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films are characterised by nonlinear narratives, atmospheric music, and vivid cinematography involving bold, saturated colours. A pivotal figure o ...

's critically acclaimed film ''

Chungking Express ''Chungking Express'' is a 1994 Hong Kong anthology crime dramedy film written and directed by Wong Kar-wai. The film consists of two stories told in sequence, each about a lovesick Hong Kong policeman mulling over his relationship with a woma ...

'' in which Faye Wong also starred. She also recorded a

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

version, "Elude", on ''

Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the planetary surface, surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from ...

''. Both versions are still played frequently in Chinese media. An encore for Faye Wong
, China Daily, 11 December 2009

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Sales and certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 1994 albums Faye Wong albums Cinepoly Records albums Cantopop albums