Customer Reviews

Liberator

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album really isn't as bad as you think. It may not be progressive or truly brilliant (i.e. Sugar Tax), but it's total no-brainer: eh, easy to like, easy to listen to. The overall feel of this album is upbeat and joyous. In fact, it's a little TOO happyhappyjoyjoy (almost like Erasure, which i'm not fond of.) If you are looking for a that melancholy synthpop vibe, you won't really find it here. However, this album IS worth your money b/c of the amazing, amazing track "Christine" which will bring you to your knees in tears. Absolutely stunning and i guarantee you will agree. Everyone who has heard "Christine" falls in love with the track. 'Dream of Me'is another ecstasy-dreamy-beat that whips you into watery dance unsconsciousness, with angelic female vocals. "Heaven Is" is an awesome, addictive dance track that really gets you moving. The most progressive track is probably "Agnus Dei" which really shows off OMD's electronic beginnings - A chorale of heavenly voices spouting "Agnus Dei" and other unidentifiable phrases melded, cut, scratched and broken into a hard techno frenzy that speeds faster and faster--and then lulls to a stop, then starts again. Early 90s rave right there. The rest of the songs arent' breaking new ground---but none are so horrible that you have to skip them, either. like i said, they are enjoyable and danceable; you will find pieces of the melody in each song that is so beautiful. Should you get this album? YES, if you want gorgeous instrumentals and heavenly dance.

The fact that OMD--or rather, Andy McCluskey--can do his worst and still sound reasonably good, is adequate testimony of OMD's musical competence. This disc is witness to that. It's unlikely that you'll ever bump into an OMD fan (that is, someone who's familiar with OMD's catalog beyond "If You Leave"). But in the rare event that you do, there's an even slimmer chance that you'll find a fan who considers "Liberator" a masterful work of sonic genius. This CD lacks, among other things, the unconventional, innovative elements of "Architecture and Morality," the ethereal splendor of "Organisation," and most disappointingly, the emotional charge evident throughout the first half of OMD's library. Even the immediate predecessor to this disc ("Sugar Tax") with its quasi-sobbing and desperate lyrics beared some semblance to those early gems which proved that not all synthpop bands were unsoulful, vapid white boys. To the contrary, OMD was appropriately recognized within the right circles as something of a musical anamoly: here was evidence that you could, in fact, marry computer commands and synthetic sounds with painfully sincere human emotion and produce something legitimate.

Unfortunately, that sense of pioneering is blatantly absent on "Liberator." If it's possible for great artists to be influenced by lesser-quality sell-outs, this CD would be exhibit A--the mastermind of McCluskey haunted by the ghost of Ace of Base. Songs like "King of Stone," "Love and Hate You," and "Heaven Is" all fall short of OMD's previous standards. Blame all the programming-heavy noises on this album which leave precious little room for ingenuity.

And speaking of noises, it's necessary to address the "instrumentation" on this album. By nature of the definition of synthpop (which is what OMD used to be), you can't clutter up your sound with too many traditional instruments. So it's okay that the liner notes for "Liberator" acknowledge only two "real" instruments for their sparse inclusion, guitar and piano. But if you're going to fill up on synthesized sounds, at least choose something that tastes good (e.g. nearly any B-side from the Pet Shop Boys). Instead, "Liberator" is dance-emphatic with only minimal nods to the original synthpop agenda of invention.

It's not all unbearable though. Standout tracks like "Christine," and the beautifully contemporary take on "Sunday Morning" will remind some discriminate listeners that McCluskey is not helpless without Paul Humphries. Moreover, "Everyday" benefits from a well constructed sequencer track, while "Dream of Me" is pure bliss. So for those of us who can forgive McCluskey for appealing to commercialism, there is some solace in the fact that even a bad OMD album is still...good.

I'm not sure why people seem to dismiss this album as dance/tripe, but as far as I'm concerned, it is one of the best cd's O.M.D. ever released. Right up there with "Sugar Tax". There is depth in these songs, you just have to listen. The opening track "Stand Above Me" is a great song and I love the backing vocal parts near the end. "Everday" has excellent bass and is a danceable track, but the words are meaningful and deep. My favorite track on the album "King of Stone" is often overlooked, but connects with me strongly. After the great dance track "Dollar Girl", we have "Dream Of Me" which is on the singles cd. It's good, but not one of my favorites and shouldn't have been a single(if it was). "Sunday Morning" is great and almost sounds like "La Femme Accident". "Agnus Dei" is a sort of instrumental acidhouse type experiment that takes a few listens to really enjoy, probably the worst song on the cd, though. "Love You And Hate You" is excellent and very sing-along. "Heaven Is" almost could be an Erasure song, but I really like it also. The last 3 songs on the cd are perhaps the best ones-"Best Years Of Our Lives","Christine" & "Only Tears". In particular, I love "Only Tears" and wish it would go on longer. Overall a SUPER album with every track a quality one. OMD seemed to get better and better with each album in my opinion...and definately get "Universal"-it's a great thematic album.

"Liberator" by OMD might sound a little bit off for early day OMD fans, but we have to agree that some songs here are a grade A pop tunes. Songs like "Christine", "Only tears" are very addictive, well anyway try and listen to this CD two or three times and you'll see how it'll grow on you.

I've had this album ever since it was first cranked out of Andy McClusky's talented soul and onto CD, and to be quite frank, this was my favorite of theirs, and one of their best. This album is well polished, smooth, fun, exuberant, and full of different moods, great lyrics and music that will take you on a roller coaster ride of fun. I'd have to say this album is the culmination of what Andy was trying to do all through the 80's. I "ditto" what the reviewer said in the review "GREAT ALBUM!!!, June 27, 2001". I couldn't describe the individual songs and why they are my fav's any better. Nonetheless, after reading all of the bashing this album took it amazes me... WHY!!!!???? great album and that's that, I hate bashing anyone, but if bashing needs to take place, feel at liberty to bash the folks that completely misunderstood this album, and buy it and listen through the album a few times in repeat... you won't be unpleased believe me.

For reference, you will find this album a favorite alongside New Order's much underappreciated Republic, Red Flag's even more underappreciated Lighthouse, and Cause and Effect's Trip... all timeless albums. They still go great mixed in with the mature and relaxingly talented musicians Coldplay, Sarah McLachlan, Delerium, Balligomingo, and Depeche Mode in the mix... Great album guys. OMD - Andy McClusky, I wish you could have done more just like this. Gosh, the critics here kill me, to them I say, lighten up... learn to breath in and out, OMD made a lot of great music, relax and enjoy it.

With a wide range of musical artistry, Liberator is a solid gem from OMD, songs that you'll want to hear over and over. Some new OMD classics can be found on the album, and no one can deny the catchiness and power of songs like Dollar Girl, Dream of Me, and Heaven Is. While some of OMD sounds trite and bubble-gummy, the duo does do nice things with songs like Christine, All That Glitters, and King of Stone. In all, this can be OMD's best work in the modern era.

I personally liked the direction that McCluskey took OMD in after the disbanding. Sugar Tax was probably the best album OMD released since Architecture and Morality. Although Liberator is not quite as good as Sugar Tax, it is extremely good. The songs are in the same boat as S.T., upbeat straight foreward dancy stuff, normally music that would absolutely repulse me, but since it's got the OMD magic, it's definately ok. If you think about the other dance music that was being made around the same time as Liberator, there's no comparison. OMD was making the best dance music in the early 90's and getting no recognition for it. Even the Pet Shop Boys didn't have the same charisma as OMD. I really enjoy this album a lot, even if it is not lyrically or musically their deepest and most introspective release, because it is full of quality, fun and upbeat music. If you have Sugar Tax and like it, but have been turned away by all the negative reviews about this album, I would strongly advise you to give this album a chance, you probably won't be disappointed!

This album has a mix of great tunes, forgetable tunes and lousy tunes. "Stand Above Me" and "Dollar Girl" are upbeat and catchy, but "Best Years", and "Christine" are slow, emotional and intensely beautiful. Worth the price of admission alone.

Unfortunately, there's quite a few misses here as well: "King of Stone", "Dream of Me" (Dreck), "Sunday Morning" and "Agnus Dei" are just pretty tired tunes.

The good tunes are great; the bad ones awful. Still, if you make it through to the end you'll be glad you did.

There danciest album. This album is more dancey than there others. I really like the different sound on this one.

The majority of the songs on this album swerve from banal and trite (Stand Above Me, Everday, Dollar Girl, king of stone and Sunday Morning) to mediocrity like Dream of Me, and The Best Year's of Our Lives. However there are those two songs on this album that are so extraordinarily well crafted, and so gorgeously beautiful that its worth it to purchase despite the mediocrity, and pap that ruins the rest of the album. Christine is downright stunning, with keyboard lines, and synthesizers shimmering like a musical aurora borealis, and lyrics of such grief, and plainative sadness, its impossible to keep oneself from being awestruck that it shares space with sunday morning and stand above me. Glorious. And the concluding piece, only tears, shimmers with beauty, and confidence. One has to wonder what Andy was doing the rest of the album, but in the end, I consider it money wellspent, considering that few songs in my library surpass the beauty of two aforementioned tracks.

However, despite their beauty they can't overcome the musical and lyrical vapidness of the rest of the album-with these two songs, its three stars, without them its a half of star at best. After hearing this album, its quite understandable that Andy decided to retire three years later, with the slightly better swan song, Universal.