OMD Singles, The - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

The Souvenir of OMD

Advantages: A journey through the development of an electro pop band
Disadvantages: There are a couple of awful tracks that could have been left off.

There doesn't seem to be much that hasn't come from Liverpool. What have we got to show from our North West cousins? The Beatles, Jimmy Tarbuck??So it was no surprise that the masters of 'synth pop' in the form of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark also were born and bred from the once grotty, depressing Northern dock city. The band formerly known as 'The ID' first applied their punk themes to our ears sometime in late 1978. The two founding members, Paul Humphreys (who was actually born in London) and Andy McCluskey released 'Electricity' in May 1979, then to re-record it only to not issue it as a single in September 1979. Just as well as it was a pretty appalling track that generated virtually nothing that to could be seen as warm and emotional. It was, thought, a track that launched an era of 'electricity' in the shape ...

sam1942 22.02.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Best Of OMD, The - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

Telephone Boxes and Speaking Clocks

Advantages: All the classics from their early years are featured
Disadvantages: Only covers 1979-1988, the 3 omitted singles could have been included instead of the two dodgy extended 12" mixes which take up almost 15 minutes between them

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark are either : (a) The silliest, most ridiculously-named band in the history of pop (b) Responsible for some of the most unusual, classic synthesizer ditties ever to make the charts (c) An enduring outifit capable of sustaining a career over 20 years, regardless of fickle trends and fashions (d) All of the above or... (e) A bunch of pretentious idiots with naff haircuts, dependent on wimpy little keyboards and tinny drum machines, who ought to have been fed to the Rock'n'Roll lions at birth Okay, so (e) is not an option here. Sorry folks. The year is 1979. Punk is the dominant musical and cultural force in Britain. Yet a separate breed of acts would emerge, inspired by the austere technology-assisted experimentation of bands such as Kraftwerk. The original Human League line-up - before ...

EnglishPatient 02.03.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Best Of OMD, The - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

Orchestrally Yours

Advantages: Comprehensive collection
Disadvantages: A few space fillers

[First of all: I dedicate this opinion to the wonder that is theediscerning, because he and I share a passion for this particular brand of 80s electropop. Theed, I salute you. xxx] The opinion, then. Once upon a time, 16 year old Andy McCluskey sat in his Liverpool bedroom, dreaming of making different music. Kraftwerk-inspired electronic pop, with meaningful lyrics was his game, and he wanted to call his band, eventually consisting of himself and skinny blond turned fat blond with mullet Paul Humphreys with a few regular supporting types, "the most pretentious thing I could think of". And so Orchestral Manouevres in the Dark - OMD - were born. They lasted almost 20 years, despite a Morrissey and Marr style rift which left Andy carrying the banner alone, and finally gave up the ghost in 1997, although rumour has it that all is ...

ruth_cole 15.12.2003 (16.12.2003) · Read full review
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Review of Singles - OMD