Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Overview

OMD's first full album won as much attention for its brilliant die-cut cover -- another example of Peter Saville's 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; there's 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. What's 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 McCluskey's precise bass and heartfelt, lovelorn singing and lyrics. The chilly keyboard base of "The Messerschmitt Twins" gets offset by McCluskey's steadily stronger vocal, while the swooping, slightly hollow singing on "Mystereality" slips around a quietly quirky arrangement, helped just enough by Cooper's 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, there's little doubt what the two highlights are -- the re-recorded and arguably better version of "Electricity" is pure zeitgeist, a celebration of synth pop's 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. ~ Ned Raggett

Product Details

Release Date:	11/09/2018
Label:	Virgin Emi
UPC:	0602557050806

Tracks

1. Bunker Soldiers
2. Almost
3. Mystereality
4. Electricity
5. The Messerschmitt Twins
6. Messages
7. Julia's Song
8. Red Frame/White Light
9. Dancing
10. Pretending To See the Future

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark   Primary Artist
Paul Humphreys   Keyboards,Percussion,Electronic Percussion,Vocals,Voices
Andy McCluskey   Bass,Vocals,Keyboards,Voice Bag,Electronic Percussion
Malcolm Holmes   Percussion
Dave Fairbairn   Guitar
Martin Cooper   Saxophone

Technical Credits

Paul Humphreys   Programming,Arranger,Composer
Andy McCluskey   Arranger,Composer,Programming
Simon Heyworth   Remastering
Chester Valentine   Producer
Ben Weisman   Composer
David J   Composer
Lou Reed   Composer
Martin Hannett   Producer
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark   Composer,Producer
Mike Howlett   Producer
Daniel Ash   Composer
Kevin Haskins   Composer
Florence Kaye   Composer
Peter Murphy   Composer
Julia Kneale   Composer,Lyricist
Paul Browne   Liner Notes
Andrew McCluskey   Composer
George Andrew McCluskey   Composer
Paul David Humphreys   Composer