Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Featuring the core members Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey, the Liverpudlian synth pop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark formed in the late 70s. Humphreys and McCluskey began performing together in school, playing in the bands VCL XI, Hitlerz Underpantz, and the Id. After the Id split in 1978, McCluskey was with Dalek I Love You for a brief time. Once he left Dalek, he joined with Humphreys and Paul Collister to form Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The group released its first single, "Electricity," on Factory Records; the record led to a contract with the Virgin subsidiary DinDisc. Using their record advance, McCluskey and Humphreys built a studio, which allowed them to replace their four-track, and recorded with drummer Malcolm Holmes (formerly of the Id) and Dave Hughes (formerly of Dalek I Love You). In 1980, the group released its self-titled debut album. Organisation appeared the same year, which featured the U.K. Top Ten single "Enola Gay"; Hughes was replaced by Martin Cooper after its release. The bands next few albums -- Architecture & Morality (1981), Dazzle Ships (1983), and Junk Culture (1984) -- found the band experimenting with its sound, resulting in several U.K. hit singles. Recorded with two new members, Graham and Neil Weir, Crush, their most pop-oriented album, found more success in America than in Britain as the single "So in Love" hit number 26 on the charts. "If You Leave," taken from the Pretty in Pink soundtrack, was their biggest American hit, climbing to number four in 1986. The Pacific Age was released the same year, yet America was the only country where it was popular. Shortly after its release, the Weir brothers left the band, followed by Holmes, Cooper, and Humphreys. McCluskey continued with the band, releasing Sugar Tax in 1991; in the meantime, Humphreys formed the Listening Pool. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark returned with Liberator in 1993. It was followed three years later with Universal, which saw Humphreys return for some co-writing credits. By the late 90s, McCluskey had moved into artist management, while Humphreys revived the OMD name for occasional shows. A full-blown reunion came in 2006, including both McCluskey and Humphreys, plus Holmes and Cooper. Initially, OMD toured around a full-album performance of Architecture & Morality, and released one of their performances as Live: Architecture & Morality & More. While it may have seemed the band wasnt interested in making another studio album, OMDs first post-re-formation record History of Modern appeared on the 100% label in 2010. English Electric followed in 2013, with a guest appearance from Propagandas lead vocalist, Claudia Brücken. Recording sessions for English Electric proved to be quite arduous and left the band wondering if they would continue. The tour that followed proved to rekindle their desire to make more music and as soon as they were off the road they began writing songs for another album. Taking its name, and some inspiration, from Italian divisionist/symbolist painter Giovanni Segantinis work titled The Punishment of Luxury, the bands 13th album was made by the duo of McCluskey and Humphreys and released by White Noise Records in September of 2017. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 27 Title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Released: 1980-02-22 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:00:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Bunker Soldiers (02:53) 2 Almost (03:44) 3 Mystereality (02:45) 4 Electricity (03:32) 5 The Messerschmitt Twins (05:41) 6 Messages (04:12) 7 Julia’s Song (04:41) 8 Red Frame/White Light (03:11) 9 Dancing (02:58) 10 Pretending to See the Future (03:46) 11 Messages (04:45) 12 I Betray My Friends (03:52) 13 Taking Sides Again (04:22) 14 Waiting for the Man (02:56) 15 Electricity (03:36) 16 Almost (03:46) |
| Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark : Allmusic album Review : OMDs first full album won as much attention for its brilliant die-cut cover -- another example of Peter Savilles cutting-edge way around design -- as for its music, and its music is wonderful. For all that, this is a young band, working for just about the last time with original percussionist Winston; theres both a variety and ambition present that never overreaches itself. The influences are perfectly clear throughout, but McCluskey and Humphreys would have been the last people to deny how Kraftwerk, Sparks, and other avatars of post-guitar pop touched them. Whats undeniably thrilling, though, is how quickly the two synthesized their own style. Consider "Almost," with its dramatic keyboard opening suddenly shifting into a collage of wheezing sound beats and McCluskeys precise bass and heartfelt, lovelorn singing and lyrics. The chilly keyboard base of "The Messerschmitt Twins" gets offset by McCluskeys steadily stronger vocal, while the swooping, slightly hollow singing on "Mystereality" slips around a quietly quirky arrangement, helped just enough by Coopers at-the-time guest sax. Even the fairly goofy "Dancing" has a weird atmosphere at play in the metallic vocals and groaning tones. In terms of sheer immediacy, theres little doubt what the two highlights are -- the re-recorded and arguably better version of "Electricity" is pure zeitgeist, a celebration of synth pops incipient reign with fast beats and even faster singing. "Messages," though it would later benefit from a far more stunning reworking, still wears the emotion of its lyrics on its sleeve, with a killer opening line -- "It worries me, this kind of thing, how you hope to live alone and occupy your waking hours" -- and a melody both propulsive and fragile. The mysterious chimes and spy-movie dramatics of "Red Frame/White Light" (inspired by a phone box) are almost as striking. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is just like the band that made it -- perfectly of its time and easily transcending it. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 27 Title: Organisation Released: 1980-06-29 Tracks: 15 Duration: 59:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Enola Gay (03:31) 2 2nd Thought (04:15) 3 VCL XI (03:50) 4 Motion and Heart (03:17) 5 Statues (04:30) 6 The Misunderstanding (04:53) 7 The More I See You (04:12) 8 Promise (04:49) 9 Stanlow (06:41) 10 Annex (04:32) 11 Introducing Radios (01:27) 12 Distance Fades Between Us (03:44) 13 Progress (02:57) 14 Once When I Was Six (03:12) 15 Electricity (03:43) |
| Organisation : Allmusic album Review : If OMDs debut album showed the band could succeed just as well on full-length efforts as singles, Organisation upped the ante even further, situating the band in the enviable position of at once being creative innovators and radio-friendly pop giants. That was shown as much by the astounding lead track and sole single from the album, "Enola Gay." Not merely a great showcase for new member Holmes, whose live-wire drumming took the core electronic beat as a launching point and easily outdid it, "Enola Gay" is a flat-out pop classic -- clever, heartfelt, thrilling, and confident, not to mention catchy and arranged brilliantly. The outrageous use of the atomic bomb scenario -- especially striking given the eras nuclear war fears -- informs the seemingly giddy song with a cut-to-the-quick fear and melancholy, and the result is captivating. Far from being a one-hit wonder, though, Organisation is packed with a number of gems, showing the bands reach and ability continuing to increase. Holmes slots into the bands efforts perfectly, steering away from straightforward time structures while never losing the core dance drive, able to play both powerfully and subtly. McCluskeys singing, his own brand of sweetly wounded soul for a different age and approach, is simply wonderful -- the clattering industrial paranoia of "The Misunderstanding" results in wrenching wails, a moody cover of "The More I See You" results in a deeper-voiced passion. Everything from the winsome claustrophobia of "VCL XI" and the gentle, cool flow on "Statues" to the quirky boulevardier swing of "Motion and Heart" has a part to play. Meanwhile, album closer "Stanlow," inspired by the power plant where McCluskeys father worked, concluded things on a haunting note, murky mechanical beats and a slow, mournful melody leading the beautiful way. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 27 Title: O.M.D. Released: 1981 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Enola Gay (03:31) 2 2nd Thought (04:15) 3 Bunker Soldiers (02:51) 4 Almost (03:46) 5 Electricity (03:32) 6 Statues (04:08) 7 The Misunderstanding (04:40) 8 Julia’s Song (04:32) 9 Motion and Heart (03:13) 10 Messages (03:59) 11 Stanlow (06:30) |
 | Album: 4 of 27 Title: Architecture & Morality Released: 1981-11-06 Tracks: 9 Duration: 36:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The New Stone Age (03:19) 2 She’s Leaving (03:28) 3 Souvenir (03:37) 4 Sealand (07:44) 5 Joan of Arc (03:48) 6 Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans) (04:11) 7 Architecture and Morality (03:40) 8 Georgia (03:22) 9 The Beginning and the End (03:44) |
| Architecture & Morality : Allmusic album Review : If there was a clear high point for OMD in terms of balancing relentless experimentation and seemingly unstoppable mainstream success in the U.K., Architecture & Morality is it. Again combining everything from design and presentation to even the title into an overall artistic effort, this album showed that OMD was arguably the first Liverpool band since the later Beatles to make such a sweeping, all-bases-covered achievement -- more so because OMD owed nothing to the Fab Four. All it takes is a consideration of the three smash singles from the album to see the group in full flower. "Souvenir," featuring Paul Humphreys in a quiet but still warm and beautiful lead role, eases in on haunting semi-vocal sighs before settling into its gentle, sparkling melody. The mid-song instrumental break, with its shifted tempos and further wordless calls, is especially inspired. "Joan of Arc," meanwhile, takes the drama of "Enola Gay" to new heights; again, wordless vocals provide the intro and backing, while an initially quiet melody develops into a towering heartbreaker, with Andy McCluskey and band in full flight. If that wasnt enough, the scenario was continued and made even more epic with "Maid of Orleans," starting with a quick-cut series of melancholic drones and shades before a punchy, then rolling martial beat kicks in, with Malcolm Holmes and technology in perfect combination. With another bravura McCluskey lead and a mock-bagpipe lead thats easily more entrancing than the real thing, its a wrenching ballad like no other before it and little since. Any number of other high points can be named, such as the opening, "The New Stone Age," with McCluskeys emotional fear palpable over a rough combination of nervous electronic pulses, piercing keyboard parts, and slightly distorted guitar. "Shes Leaving" achieves its own polished pop perfection -- it would have made an inspired choice for a fourth single if one had been forthcoming -- while the heartbreaking "Sealand" and "Georgia" hint at where OMD would go next, with Dazzle Ships. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 27 Title: Dazzle Ships Released: 1983-03-04 Tracks: 12 Duration: 34:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Radio Prague (01:18) 2 Genetic Engineering (03:37) 3 ABC Auto‐Industry (02:06) 4 Telegraph (02:57) 5 This Is Helena (01:58) 6 International (04:25) 7 Dazzle Ships, Parts II, III & VII (02:21) 8 The Romance of the Telescope (03:27) 9 Silent Running (03:34) 10 Radio Waves (03:45) 11 Time Zones (01:49) 12 Of All the Things We’ve Made (03:27) |
| Dazzle Ships : Allmusic album Review : OMDs glistening run of top-flight singles and chart domination came to a temporary but dramatic halt with Dazzle Ships, the point where the bands pushing of boundaries reached their furthest limit. McCluskey, Humphreys, and company couldnt take many listeners with them, though, and its little surprise why -- a couple of moments aside, Dazzle Ships is pop of the most fragmented kind, a concept album released in an era that had nothing to do with such conceits. On its own merits, though, it is dazzling indeed, a Kid A of its time that never received a comparative level of contemporary attention and appreciation. Indeed, Radioheads own plunge into abstract electronics and meditations on biological and technological advances seems to be echoing the themes and construction of Dazzle Ships. What else can be said when hearing the albums lead single, the soaring "Genetic Engineering," with its Speak & Spell toy vocals and an opening sequence that also sounds like the inspiration for "Fitter, Happier," for instance? Why it wasnt a hit remains a mystery, but it and the equally enjoyable, energetic "Telegraph" and "Radio Waves" are definitely the poppiest moments on the album. Conceived around visions of cryptic Cold War tension, the rise of computers in everyday life, and European and global reference points -- time zone recordings and snippets of shortwave broadcasts -- Dazzle Ships beats Kraftwerk at their own game, science and the future turned into surprisingly warm, evocative songs or sudden stop-start instrumental fragments. "Dazzle Ships (Parts II, III, and VII)" itself captures the alien feeling of the album best, with its distanced, echoing noises and curious rhythms, sliding into the lovely "The Romance of the Telescope." "This Is Helena" works in everything from what sounds like heavily treated and flanged string arrangements to radio announcer samples, while "Silent Running" becomes another in the line of emotional, breathtaking OMD ballads, McCluskeys voice the gripping centerpiece. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 27 Title: Junk Culture Released: 1984-04-30 Tracks: 10 Duration: 43:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tesla Girls (03:51) 2 Locomotion (03:53) 3 Junk Culture (04:06) 4 Apollo (03:39) 5 Never Turn Away (03:57) 6 Love and Violence (04:40) 7 Hard Day (05:39) 8 All Wrapped Up (04:25) 9 White Trash (04:35) 10 Talking Loud and Clear (04:20) |
| Junk Culture : Allmusic album Review : Smarting from Dazzle Ships commercial failure, the band had a bit of a rethink when it came to their fifth album -- happily, the end result showed that the group was still firing on all fours. While very much a pop-oriented album and a clear retreat from the exploratory reaches of previous work, Junk Culture was no sacrifice of ideals in pursuit of cash. In comparison to the groups late-80s work, when it seemed commercial success was all that mattered, Junk Culture exhibits all the best qualities of OMD at their most accessible -- instantly memorable melodies and McCluskeys distinct singing voice, clever but emotional lyrics, and fine playing all around. A string of winning singles didnt hurt, to be sure; indeed, opening number "Tesla Girls" is easily the groups high point when it comes to sheer sprightly pop, as perfect a tribute to obvious OMD inspirational source Sparks as any -- witty lines about science and romance wedded to a great melody (prefaced by a brilliant, hyperactive intro). "Locomotion" takes a slightly slower but equally entertaining turn, sneaking in a bit of steel drum to the appropriately chugging rhythm and letting the guest horn section take a prominent role, its sunny blasts offsetting the deceptively downcast lines McCluskey sings. Meanwhile, "Talking Loud and Clear" ends the record on a reflective note -- Coopers intra-verse sax lines and mock harp snaking through the quiet groove of the song. As for the remainder of the album, if there are hints here and there of the less-successful late-80s period, at other points the more adventurous side of the band steps up. The instrumental title track smoothly blends reggae rhythms with the haunting mock choirs familiar from earlier efforts, while the elegiac, Humphreys-sung "Never Turn Away" and McCluskeys "Hard Day" both make for lower-key highlights. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 27 Title: Crush Released: 1985-06-17 Tracks: 10 Duration: 38:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 So in Love (03:29) 2 Secret (03:57) 3 Bloc Bloc Bloc (03:28) 4 Women III (04:26) 5 Crush (04:27) 6 88 Seconds in Greensboro (04:15) 7 The Native Daughters of the Golden West (03:59) 8 La femme accident (02:50) 9 Hold You (04:00) 10 The Lights Are Going Out (03:56) |
| Crush : Allmusic album Review : The lightweight synthesizer pop of Crush represents a nearly complete reinvention of the bands original ideals, trading in the influence of Ultravox and Kraftwerk for the more contemporary fare offered up by The The, Howard Jones, et al. From a commercial standpoint, the move paid off, breaking the band into the U.S. Top 40 on the strength of singles like "So in Love" and "Secret." Anyone looking for signs of OMDs original identity, however, will have to settle for "Joan of Arc" rewritten as a pop song ("La Femme Accident," arguably the albums most pleasant moment), some interesting patterns on "Crush" and "The Lights Are Going Out" that recall Dazzle Ships, the relatively edgy "88 Seconds in Greensboro," and shades of Brian Enos "Third Uncle" on "The Native Daughters of the Golden West." Switching horses in midstream does allow OMD to cultivate a new audience without losing their U.K. listeners, but it also invites the suggestion that Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys were stylemongers rather than electronic visionaries. Producer Stephen Hague keeps the arrangements clean and simple, so much so that its difficult to hear what (if anything) Martin Cooper and Malcolm Holmes contribute to the final product. Unfortunately, given the lyrics on this album, OMD picked the wrong time to be intelligible (and including a lyric sheet is just begging for trouble). The words to "Crush," "Bloc Bloc Bloc," "Hold On," and "Secret" reveal that melodies really are their strong suit. Crush offers very little of substance; maybe thats always been the case with OMD, and earlier albums simply masked it better by taking the road less traveled. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 27 Title: The Pacific Age Released: 1986 Tracks: 10 Duration: 40:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Stay (The Black Rose and the Universal Wheel) (04:22) 2 (Forever) Live and Die (7″ mix) (03:35) 3 The Pacific Age (03:59) 4 The Dead Girls (04:48) 5 Shame (04:15) 6 Southern (03:41) 7 Flame of Hope (02:40) 8 Goddess of Love (04:29) 9 We Love You (04:08) 10 Watch Us Fall (04:12) |
| The Pacific Age : Allmusic album Review : The Pacific Age is the last OMD album to feature founding member Paul Humphreys (although The Best of OMD does collect a pair of subsequent singles). With producer Stephen Hague returning and guests Graham and Martin Weir elevated to full-time members, OMD aggressively targets the American pop market cultivated with Crush and the Top Ten single "If You Leave." With the Weirs horns and a trio of female backing vocalists, the music on The Pacific Age sounds larger than life (the opening "Stay" in particular), a trait common to popular music in the mid-80s. The added production value and better material represent an improvement over Crush, despite the opinion of some that The Pacific Age is a bland sellout. Its true that tracks like "(Forever) Live and Die," "Shame," and "Goddess of Love" are more style than substance, but its a style that plays to OMDs mastery of melody and mood. The album follows the familiar trend of alternating tracks sung by Andy McCluskey and Humphreys, which effectively shifts the mood from energetic to understated often enough that the material feels fresher than it might otherwise. On the quieter tracks -- "Dead Girls" and "The Pacific Age" -- the ghost of their earlier work reappears. The band also continues to string snippets of sound together to create interesting patterns; nothing on here is as jarring as the experimental Dazzle Ships, and tapping into Martin Luther Kings legacy on "Southern" might be overreaching the limited range of pop, but the band does bring their technical skill to bear on a few cuts. If their last album was a halfhearted attempt to court commercial tastes, The Pacific Age benefits from its wholehearted pursuit of the same. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 27 Title: The Best of OMD Released: 1988 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:14:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Electricity (03:32) 2 Messages (04:45) 3 Enola Gay (03:31) 4 Souvenir (03:37) 5 Joan of Arc (03:48) 6 Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans) (04:11) 7 Telegraph (03:43) 8 Tesla Girls (03:34) 9 Locomotion (03:53) 10 Talking Loud and Clear (03:55) 11 So in Love (03:29) 12 Secret (03:57) 13 If You Leave (04:28) 14 (Forever) Live and Die (7″ mix) (03:35) 15 Dreaming (03:57) 16 Genetic Engineering (03:37) 17 We Love You (extended) (06:14) 18 La femme accident (12″ mix) (06:16) |
| The Best of OMD : Allmusic album Review : Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys make up Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, who were responsible for some of the catchiest and brightest synth pop that the 80s had to offer. O.M.D.s material was a step above other keyboard pop music of the time, thanks to the combination of intelligently crafted hooks and colorful rhythms that bounced and jittered with pristine charm. Their squeaky-clean brilliancy initiated by both their synthesizers and subdued yet attractive vocal styles gave them a more mature sound over bands like Duran Duran and A Flock of Seagulls, who were attracting a younger audience. The Best of O.M.D. is an excellent compilation of their polished music, starting out with less provocative material like the basic electronic wash of "Electricity" and the bare but ebullient fervor of "Enola Gay." As this set moves along, so does the craftiness of their work, which is evident on tighter sounding songs like "Tesla Girls" and "Locomotion," where the intricacy of their formula begins to take a more resounding shape. O.M.D.s best work came from 1985s Crush album, which harbored the midnight airiness found in "So in Love" as well as the adolescent innocence that streamed its way through "Secret," which are two of the best tracks on this set. Even though "If You Leave" was the highlight of Pretty in Pinks soundtrack, its adult feel and smooth transition from stanza to chorus makes it their most memorable song. With only four singles reaching the Top 40 in the 80s, all included here, the 18 tracks that make up this compilation prove that O.M.D.s music was far more consistent and illuminating than the charts represent. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 27 Title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark / Organisation / Architecture & Morality Released: 1990 Tracks: 28 Duration: 1:54:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Bunker Soldiers (02:53) 2 Almost (03:44) 3 Mystereality (02:45) 4 Electricity (03:32) 5 The Messerschmitt Twins (05:41) 6 Messages (04:12) 7 Julia’s Song (04:41) 8 Red Frame/White Light (03:11) 9 Dancing (02:58) 10 Pretending to See the Future (03:46) 1 Enola Gay (03:31) 2 2nd Thought (04:15) 3 VCL XI (03:50) 4 Motion and Heart (03:17) 5 Statues (04:27) 6 The Misunderstanding (04:53) 7 The More I See You (04:12) 8 Promise (04:49) 9 Stanlow (06:41) 1 The New Stone Age (03:22) 2 She’s Leaving (03:28) 3 Souvenir (03:37) 4 Sealand (07:44) 5 Joan of Arc (03:48) 6 Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans) (04:11) 7 Architecture and Morality (03:40) 8 Georgia (03:22) 9 The Beginning and the End (03:44) |
 | Album: 11 of 27 Title: Sugar Tax Released: 1991 Tracks: 12 Duration: 51:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sailing on the Seven Seas (03:45) 2 Pandora’s Box (04:09) 3 Then You Turn Away (04:17) 4 Speed of Light (04:29) 5 Was It Something I Said (04:29) 6 Big Town (04:19) 7 Call My Name (04:23) 8 Apollo XI (04:13) 9 Walking on Air (04:49) 10 Walk Tall (03:55) 11 Neon Lights (04:19) 12 All That Glitters (04:06) |
| Sugar Tax : Allmusic album Review : With the split between McCluskey and the rest of the band resolved by the formers decision to carry on with the bands name on his own, the question before Sugar Taxs appearance was whether the change would spark a new era of success for someone who clearly could balance artistic and commercial impulses in a winning fashion. The answer, based on the album -- not entirely. The era of Architecture and Morality wouldnt be revisited anyway, for better or for worse, but instead of delightful confections with subtle heft like "Enola Gay" and "Tesla Girls," on Sugar Tax McCluskey is comfortably settled into a less-spectacular range of songs that only occasionally connect. Like fellow refugees from the early 80s such as Billy Mackenzie and Marc Almond, McCluskey found himself bedeviled in the early 90s with an artistic block that resulted in his fine singing style surrounded by pedestrian arrangements and indifferent songs. There was one definite redeeming number at the start: "Sailing on the Seven Seas," with glam-styled beats underpinning a giddy, playful romp that showed McCluskey still hadnt lost his touch entirely, and which became OMDs biggest single at home since "Souvenir." Beyond that, though, the album can best be described as pleasant instead of memorable, an exploration by McCluskey into calmer waters recorded entirely by himself outside of some guitar from Stuart Boyle. Without his longtime bandmates to help him, the results lack an essential spark (Holmes drumming creativity being especially missed). In a tip of the hat to a clear source of inspiration, Sugar Tax includes a pleasant cover of Kraftwerks "Neon Lights," with guest vocals by Christine Mellor, while "Apollo XI" uses Dazzle Ships-styled sample collages made up of moon-landing broadcasts, though the song itself isnt much. Even at its most active -- "Call My Name" and "Pandoras Box" -- Sugar Tax is for the most part just there. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 27 Title: Liberator Released: 1993-06-14 Tracks: 12 Duration: 49:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Stand Above Me (03:33) 2 Everyday (03:57) 3 King of Stone (04:17) 4 Dollar Girl (04:19) 5 Dream of Me (Based on Love’s Theme) (04:13) 6 Sunday Morning (03:23) 7 Agnus Dei (03:39) 8 Love and Hate You (03:18) 9 Heaven Is (04:29) 10 Best Years of Our Lives (04:35) 11 Christine (05:05) 12 Only Tears (04:14) |
| Liberator : Allmusic album Review : OMD have rarely been as dance-oriented as they are on Liberator, a collection of retro-disco and contemporary 90s club cuts. While it is far from the experimental and edgy synth-pop that earned the group rave reviews in the early 80s, it is an enjoyable, lightweight collection of appealing dance-pop. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 27 Title: Universal Released: 1996-09-02 Tracks: 12 Duration: 49:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Universal (05:39) 2 Walking on the Milky Way (04:38) 3 The Moon & the Sun (03:37) 4 The Black Sea (03:38) 5 Very Close to Far Away (05:45) 6 The Gospel of St Jude (02:23) 7 That Was Then (04:27) 8 Too Late (04:09) 9 The Boy From the Chemist Is Here to See You (04:41) 10 If Youre Still in Love With Me (02:51) 11 New Head (05:01) 12 Victory Waltz (02:45) |
| Universal : Allmusic album Review : Universal is a rote collection of synth-pop and dance-pop from OMD, demonstrating only a fraction of the sophisticated craft that made its predecessor Liberator enjoyable, and none of the adventurous spirit of their 80s records. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 27 Title: The OMD Singles Released: 1998-11-24 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:10:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Electricity (03:31) 2 Messages (04:45) 3 Enola Gay (03:31) 4 Souvenir (03:37) 5 Joan of Arc (03:48) 6 Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans) (04:11) 7 Tesla Girls (03:34) 8 Locomotion (03:53) 9 Talking Loud and Clear (03:55) 10 So in Love (03:29) 11 If You Leave (04:28) 12 (Forever) Live and Die (7″ mix) (03:35) 13 Dreaming (03:57) 14 Sailing on the Seven Seas (03:45) 15 Pandora’s Box (04:06) 16 Call My Name (04:15) 17 Dream of Me (03:53) 18 Walking on the Milky Way (04:03) |
| The OMD Singles : Allmusic album Review : Looking back on 20 years of creative growth since the electro-pop bands inception, The OMD Singles is logically and chronologically arranged. The earliest recordings, 1980s "Electricity" and "Messages," prove electric messages were being channeled from such German pioneers as Kraftwerk and Neu! These English boys were enamored of melody, though, and it was not long before such dulcet, song-like structure became self-evident, as in 1984s "Tesla Girls." From then on, it is a steady climb in coherence, with synth rhythms downplayed in order to bring the melodic theme to the front. The pinnacle of this progression is OMDs memorable "So in Love" (1985) and "If You Leave" (from 1986s Pretty in Pink). The album closes with their last hit, 1996s glam-influenced autobiography "Walking on the Milky Way." The last original member, Andy McCluskey, has blessed this greatest-hits package as the final swan song for the long-lived group. Originating in post-punk synth experimentation and closing in dated, but still strong, pop productions, The OMD Singles is an excellent time line of the band whose sound covered in a single career that same territory explored by the Human League, Erasure, Yaz, New Order, and beyond. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 27 Title: Navigation: The B-Sides Released: 2001 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:13:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Almost (03:46) 2 I Betray My Friends (03:52) 3 Waiting for the Man (02:56) 4 Annex (04:32) 5 Sacred Heart (03:27) 6 The Romance of the Telescope (unfinished) (03:18) 7 Navigation (03:27) 8 4‐Neu (03:33) 9 66 & Fading (edit) (02:24) 10 Her Body in My Soul (04:41) 11 The Avenue (04:12) 12 Garden City (04:04) 13 Concrete Hands (03:48) 14 Firegun (04:37) 15 This Town (03:46) 16 Gravity Never Failed (03:24) 17 Burning (04:16) 18 Sugar Tax (04:06) 19 (The Angels Keep Turning) The Wheels of the Universe (04:51) |
 | Album: 16 of 27 Title: The OMD Singles / Navigation – The OMD B‐Sides Released: 2003 Tracks: 37 Duration: 2:23:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Electricity (03:31) 2 Messages (04:45) 3 Enola Gay (03:31) 4 Souvenir (03:37) 5 Joan of Arc (03:48) 6 Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans) (04:11) 7 Tesla Girls (03:34) 8 Locomotion (03:53) 9 Talking Loud and Clear (03:54) 10 So in Love (03:29) 11 If You Leave (04:28) 12 (Forever) Live and Die (7″ mix) (03:35) 13 Dreaming (03:57) 14 Sailing on the Seven Seas (03:45) 15 Pandora’s Box (04:06) 16 Call My Name (04:15) 17 Dream of Me (03:53) 18 Walking on the Milky Way (04:03) 1 Almost (03:46) 2 I Betray My Friends (03:52) 3 Waiting for the Man (02:56) 4 Annex (04:32) 5 Sacred Heart (03:27) 6 The Romance of the Telescope (unfinished) (03:18) 7 Navigation (03:27) 8 4‐Neu (03:33) 9 66 & Fading (edit) (02:24) 10 Her Body in My Soul (04:41) 11 The Avenue (04:12) 12 Garden City (04:04) 13 Concrete Hands (03:48) 14 Firegun (04:37) 15 This Town (03:46) 16 Gravity Never Failed (03:24) 17 Burning (04:16) 18 Sugar Tax (04:06) 19 (The Angels Keep Turning) The Wheels of the Universe (04:51) |
 | Album: 17 of 27 Title: Architecture & Morality & More Released: 2008-04-28 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:07:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Architecture and Morality (03:30) 2 Sealand (06:50) 3 The New Stone Age (03:41) 4 Georgia (03:16) 5 Shes Leaving (03:25) 6 Souvenir (03:36) 7 Joan of Arc (03:38) 8 Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans) (03:40) 9 The Beginning and the End (03:31) 10 If You Leave (04:40) 11 Forever (live and Die) (03:36) 12 Pandoras Box (04:01) 13 Locomotion (03:47) 14 Sailing on the Seven Seas (04:10) 15 Enola Gay (05:03) 16 Electricity (03:39) 17 The Romance of the Telescope (03:34) |
 | Album: 18 of 27 Title: Messages: Greatest Hits Released: 2008-09-29 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:16:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Messages (04:45) 2 Electricity (03:31) 3 Enola Gay (03:31) 4 Souvenir (03:37) 5 Joan of Arc (03:48) 6 Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans) (04:11) 7 Genetic Engineering (03:37) 8 Telegraph (02:57) 9 Locomotion (03:53) 10 Talking Loud and Clear (03:55) 11 Tesla Girls (03:34) 12 So in Love (03:29) 13 Secret (03:57) 14 If You Leave (04:28) 15 (Forever) Live and Die (7″ mix) (03:35) 16 Dreaming (03:57) 17 Sailing on the Seven Seas (03:45) 18 Pandora’s Box (04:06) 19 Dream of Me (Based on Loves Theme) (03:53) 20 Walking on the Milky Way (04:03) |
 | Album: 19 of 27 Title: History of Modern Released: 2010-09-19 Tracks: 13 Duration: 58:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 New Babies; New Toys (03:51) 2 If You Want It (04:44) 3 History of Modern, Part I (04:40) 4 History of Modern, Part II (04:12) 5 Sometimes (03:45) 6 RFWK (03:46) 7 New Holy Ground (03:41) 8 The Future, the Past, and Forever After (04:51) 9 Sister Marie Says (04:00) 10 Pulse (03:43) 11 Green (04:16) 12 Bondage of Fate (04:06) 13 The Right Side? (08:18) |
| History of Modern : Allmusic album Review : A 2005 appearance on a German television program, followed by a tour -- throughout which the original four members performed 1981s Architecture & Morality in its entirety -- culminated in the first OMD album since 1996 (and this particular quartet’s first since 1986). History of Modern, for the most part, sounds like OMD. There are two alarming exceptions: “Sometimes” incorporates turntable scratching and guest vocalist Jennifer John, who interjects with lines from “Motherless Child,” while “Pulse” is oversexed and awkward neo-electro sleaze, full of bedroom whispers, moans, and yearning yelps. Most updates to the group’s sound are natural, though only a handful of the songs -- the placid ballad “New Holy Ground” and the somehow cathartic and pensive “Green” especially -- rate with the earlier material. At its best, History of Modern is to OMD what Secrets is to the Human League: an inspired return from post-punk-turned-synth-pop greats. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 27 Title: So80s (SoEighties) Presents Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Released: 2011-02-11 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:19:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 If You Leave (extended version) (05:59) 2 Secret (extended mix) (06:14) 3 Telegraph (extended version) (05:36) 4 Talking Loud and Clear (extended version) (08:50) 5 Genetic Engineering (extended) (05:08) 6 Call My Name (12″ version) (05:22) 7 Dreaming (extended mix) (06:21) 8 So in Love (extended version) (05:35) 9 Tesla Girls (extended mix) (04:45) 10 (Forever) Live and Die (extended mix) (05:53) 11 Never Turn Away (extended version) (06:32) 12 Sailing on the Seven Seas (extended version) (05:46) 13 Brides of Frankenstein (US Release megamix) (07:14) |
 | Album: 21 of 27 Title: English Electric Released: 2013-04-05 Tracks: 14 Duration: 49:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Please Remain Seated (00:44) 2 Metroland (07:33) 3 Night Café (03:46) 4 The Future Will Be Silent (02:41) 5 Helen of Troy (04:13) 6 Our System (04:33) 7 Kissing the Machine (05:06) 8 Decimal (01:16) 9 Stay With Me (04:27) 10 Dresden (03:37) 11 Atomic Ranch (01:44) 12 Final Song (03:28) 13 Time Burns (02:09) 14 The Great White Silence (03:52) |
| English Electric : Allmusic album Review : On their second album since their 2005 reunion, synth pop pioneers Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark rekindle the spirit of two new wave classics, the first being their own "slept on" masterpiece from 1983, Dazzle Ships, an album that pushed the boundaries sonically. From the blippy, robotic, and almost musique concrète opener "Please Remain Seated" to the geometric sleeve that credits DZ designer Peter Saville with Executive Art Design, English Electric carries on the pop-meets-avant-garde spirit of that fan favorite album. It gives up a love song like "Night Café" thats so glossed and polished that it could be used in a John Hughes film, and then it offers an edgy swerve like "Decimal," where answering machine messages, countdowns, and other disembodied voices provided some kind of silicon chorus thats equally majestic and precise. Propaganda singer Claudia Brücken contributes some seductive computer voice narration on the highlight "Kissing the Machine," which, being co-written and previously performed by Karl Bartos, brings to light the albums other obvious influence, Kraftwerk. Key cut "Metroland" is dangerously close to Kraftwerks "Neon Lights," and with its booming drum beat and sampled choir, "Our System" sounds like Andy McCluskey crooning at the Electric Café, but what a croon it is. Here, his voice is comfortable for the most part, full-bodied the whole way through, and powerful when need be, while background tracks are constructed with care, combining angular and certain beats with melodies that are either majestic and big or pillowy clouds of future fluff. Put it all together and it is the kind of OMD longtime fans crave, and if it comes closest to pandering with "Helen of Troy" (their "Joan of Arc" revisited) the duos performances are as inspired as they are familiar, and you can say the same for most of the songwriting. Still, OMDs Kraftwerk fixation at this late date is a retro-within-retro move that puzzles, so prepare to be jarred a bit before declaring this a welcome addition to the catalog. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 27 Title: Night Café Released: 2013-09-16 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Night Café (03:44) 2 Kill Me (03:58) 3 The Great White Silence (03:50) 4 Time Burns (02:07) 5 No Man’s Land (04:26) 6 Frontline (03:34) 7 Night Café (Vile Electrodes ‘B-Side the C-Side’ remix) (04:51) 8 Night Café (Metroland’s Nighthawks remix) (06:21) 9 Night Café (Taoyoyo remix) (03:39) 10 Night Café (Sin Cos Tan remix) (05:25) |
 | Album: 23 of 27 Title: Access All Areas Released: 2015-02-05 Tracks: 7 Duration: 22:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Messages (04:29) 2 Mystereality (02:51) 3 Bunker Soldiers (02:48) 4 Motion & Heart (02:41) 5 Red Frame/White Light (03:04) 6 Enola Gay (03:04) 7 Electricity (03:51) |
 | Album: 24 of 27 Title: Dazzle Ships at The Museum of Liverpool Released: 2015-09-25 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:19:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Dazzle Ships (02:14) 2 ABC Auto Industry (02:17) 3 Sealand (06:59) 4 Messages (04:38) 5 Radio Waves (03:47) 6 Genetic Engineering (03:21) 7 History of Modern, Part I (04:24) 8 Julia’s Song (04:03) 9 She’s Leaving (03:55) 10 Souvenir (03:55) 11 Maid of Orleans (04:46) 12 4 Neu (03:25) 13 International (05:46) 14 Metroland (05:46) 15 Sister Marie Says (04:06) 16 Sailing on the Seven Seas (04:06) 17 Enola Gay (04:32) 18 Electricity (03:45) 19 The Romance of the Telescope (03:40) |
 | Album: 25 of 27 Title: Architecture & Morality / Dazzle Ships – Live at the Royal Albert Hall Released: 2016-05-09 Tracks: 28 Duration: 1:50:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Dazzle Ships, Parts II III VII (02:08) 2 Radio Prague (01:01) 3 ABC Auto Industry (02:05) 4 International (05:07) 5 Silent Running (03:42) 6 This Is Helena (02:14) 7 Genetic Engineering (03:22) 8 Telegraph (03:52) 9 Radio Waves (04:03) 10 Time Zones (01:59) 11 Of All the Things We’ve Made (03:10) 1 4 Neu (03:30) 2 Julia’s Song (04:52) 3 Almost (03:56) 4 Messages (05:25) 5 Architecture & Morality (03:13) 6 Sealand (07:10) 7 New Stone Age (04:13) 8 Georgia (03:22) 1 She’s Leaving (03:54) 2 Souvenir (03:55) 3 Joan of Arc (03:56) 4 Maid of Orleans (03:44) 5 The Beginning and the End (04:41) 6 Electricity (05:18) 7 Enola Gay (06:51) 8 History of Modern, Part 1 (04:55) 9 The Romance of the Telescope (04:35) |
 | Album: 26 of 27 Title: The Punishment of Luxury Released: 2017-09-01 Tracks: 12 Duration: 42:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Punishment of Luxury (03:26) 2 Isotype (06:10) 3 Robot Man (02:59) 4 What Have We Done (03:47) 5 Precision & Decay (01:43) 6 As We Open, So We Close (03:03) 7 Art Eats Art (03:20) 8 Kiss Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Bang (02:59) 9 One More Time (03:06) 10 La Mitrailleuse (02:04) 11 Ghost Star (06:18) 12 The View From Here (03:04) |
| The Punishment of Luxury : Allmusic album Review : With 2013s English Electric, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark made a record that paid tribute to their heroes Kraftwerk, while also embracing their own mid-80s sound, which made them the darlings of the John Hughes set. They must have liked the formula they used to get that result, because they repeat it on 2017s The Punishment of Luxury. Now down to the duo of Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, theyve once again crafted a sleek and shiny synth pop album that has all the clean lines of their original incarnation and all the gloss of their poppiest era. It makes for a very nostalgic listening experience, but it never feels like a museum piece, especially since neither mans voice sounds like it has aged a day. The duo sound like they are having a blast on the kitschier tracks like "Art Eats Art" and "Robot Man," while also being proper studio boffins on songs like "Precision & Decay" or "La Mitrailleuse" that tip the scales in favor of art. As impressive as those two elements of their sound are, when they combine the gloss and the technique is when things really start getting good and they fully recapture the spirit of their best work. It mostly happens on uptempo, dancefloor-centered songs -- the pulsing title track is one fine example -- but the heartfelt ballads also benefit from their years of experience and skill. "One More Time" and "Ghost Star" are the kind of drop-dead beautiful ballads most of the bands that followed in OMDs footsteps wish they could make. In fact, The Punishment of Luxury is the kind of album they still wish they could make. It may be a little old-fashioned in places and theres the occasional track that doesnt work 100-percent, but the album is another strong showing from a band that could have packed it in years ago and become a nostalgia act, but have instead continued to make fine pop art. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 27 Title: The Punishment of Luxury: B Sides & Bonus Material Released: 2017-12-15 Tracks: 10 Duration: 44:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Isotype (03:50) 2 Skin (03:01) 3 The Punishment of Luxury (single mix) (03:11) 4 The Punishment of Luxury (12″ extended mix) (06:58) 5 Lampe Licht (04:41) 6 The Punishment of Luxury (Manhattan Clique mix) (06:05) 7 What Have We Done (single edit) (03:23) 8 What Have We Done (extended mix) (05:51) 9 Hahaha (03:26) 10 What Have We Done (Chicky & Coco remix) (04:00) |