Customer Reviews

The OMD Singles

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I remembered really enjoying two or three of OMD's songs from the early 80s, so I decided to take a chance on this CD, even though the songs cover a span of 17 years (from 1979 to 1996) and there was so much that I was unfamiliar with. I was also leery as it has been my experience that so many "Best of" CDs consist of a few favourites interspersed with what, at best, can only be described as filler.

I was, therefore, very surprised upon listening to this disc to find that not only is it one of those rare treasures on which there is truly not one poor song, but there is not one song that is anything short of excellent. This is easily one of my top 5 favourite albums of all time.

For the person who is interested in experiencing some of the best of the electronic New Wave music that the 80s had to offer, this is the CD to get, bar none. The last five songs are from the 90s and would, I suppose, be best described as electronic Euro-pop rather than New Wave. They are, however, gorgeous songs, with melodies every bit as beautiful as the songs from the 80s.

This CD is roughly 70 minutes long. The booklet that comes with it is lovely. It gives a nice little history of OMD, and I was surprised to discover the number of groups who were influenced by OMD--groups like Blancmange and Yaz to name but two. The booklet also lists the title and year of each of their albums as well as the year of each of the featured songs (so one knows from which album each song came).

In short, there are certainly other groups who have written songs of the same calibre as OMD, but there are none that I know of that have written so many or that have been so consistent in doing so. Considering this group never had aspirations of pop stardom and went on to have 17 Top-40 hits in as many years, this collection of singles is a testament to nothing short of an extraordinary talent.

Very highly recommended to anyone with an interest in classic 80s electronic New Wave music at its best. Whether you are fimiliar with OMD or not, you will not be disappointed with this CD. It simply does not get any better than this!

I know, I know----it is not a "perfect" OMD greatest hits collection. I know, I know- it ignores great stuff from "Dazzle Ships," "Liberator," "Sugar Tax," and, of course, the great and unreleased-in-the-US "Universal." I know, I know- it is almost the same of the now out-of-print "Best of OMD." Yes--I also wish it had "La Femme Accident." But what did you expect?? Virgin, for some inexplicable reason, has never liked OMD and never gave them the support they deserved. But take this for what it is: a fine compilation of some of the best music from one of the best, and certainly one of the most overlooked and underrated, bands of the 80's and 90's. Just try not to smile and relax when you give it a listen! When crap from the likes of Eminem, TLC, Limp Bizkit, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilar, Backstreet Boys, Destiny's Child, and the rest of today's pseudo-musicians exist only in cut-out bins and are forgotten--the unique and tuneful music of OMD will still be played and enjoyed by legions of fans. Here's to hoping that Andy McCluskey (and the rest) can be convinced to come out of "retirement" and do it again someday!

This is by far the best compilation of OMD that's currently out there. The tracks selections cover chronologically every great track that they've ever done from "Electricity" to "Walking On the Milky Way" and so unlike the other earlier compilation that was released about 10 years earlier, this version more truly represents the best that OMD have ever done. Perhaps the most important reason why this is the better version is the brilliant sound quality. Having also heard the other version, I can tell you that they have done a brilliant mastering/mixing job on this disc so that the sound quality is very, very good. It's even better than many allegedly remastered discs that I've heard. If you are into the early 80's New Wave and early Techno scene and most of all, just great songs, this is the best compilation of OMD that you can find and with 18 tracks, is very good value for money as well. Highly recommended.

This is a great collection to bring new OMD fans in. Great electro pop songs, one after another. This undoubtedly will make these new fans go back and discover the countless other great pop songs that wouldn't fit on this collection. Andy and Paul were genuises at creating hooks and melodies. And please, unlike the reviewer below, don't categorize these guys as once new wave pioneers then turned popularity sell out. Who cares, its about the music, if you like it, and you will, then it doesn't matter the eclectic nature of it. Buy this album and then go from there once you're hooked. The songs are in order and pretty much shows the transition over time. But again, the hookish/melodic pop song is still the common bond in all.

Synth innovators at first, OMD ended up purveying standard melodic pop without that experimental edge. This is well demonstrated on this incomplete (The Sugar Tax album is especially under represented) singles collection, where early tracks like Electricity, Messages and Enola Gay have a rawer sound, through their golden period as represented by classics like Joan of Arc and Maid of Orleans (From Architecture & Morality), down to the fluffy pop of Walking On the Milky Way. They were ahead of their time in the early 1980s, with only artists like Numan, Kraftwerk and Yazoo mining the same synth groove, and I always loved their often somber and grave take on things. Never quite as weird as some of the above or groups like Suicide, they always stayed in the melodic realm so you could humm their tunes. Not everything here will go down in pop history, but when OMD were good, they were brilliant and there is enough evidence on this album to merit it five stars. Should appeal to a wide spectrum of people - both those who love melodic pop and those into synth sounds, like fans of the Pet Shop Boys.

This is possibly the best music investment I have made in the past 5 years.The compilation takes you from melancholy to get up and dance.I find myself humming the tunes and thinking of the lyrics at work.OMD gets in your head and you don't want it to leave.Highly recommended for any fan of the good side of synth pop.The only downfall I see in this album is the danger it presents by leading people to "car dance".

This is another colelction of OMD singles but this colelction continues the colelction even after Paul left the band. If you're a fan the only thing this might have you don't already have are some single versions of the later songs. Otherwise this is a collection of songs you probably already own. If you own the best of from a decade or so earlier then you might not be interested in this. This is an album to check out at the library, not spend your money on.

The best of OMD is highlighted in this CD. I got it when I was 13 through one if my best friends. It was worth the investment. Every track demonstrates the capabilities of any band who had access to a synthesizer. If you are not fond of 80's music, this is not a music cd for you. If you are an 80's aficionado, this should not be absent from your collection.

One of the best 80s groups around. One of the best compilations around. Could have gotten the full 5 stars if the dumb record company had put in their best track "Secret", seeing as the 1st compilation has been deleted. Dumb dumb dumb. OMD is no more, but their music lives on. Thank you for making my teens and the 80s so memorable. You are up there with the Pet Shop Boys.

Didn't know a thing about OMD until about ten years ago when my then thirteen year old daughter turned me on to them via their "Greatest Hits" CD. This version doesn't match up, but since the original hits package is out of print, go for this one. I really am relatively clueless as to what they're singing about on most songs, but it makes no difference. Great melodies, great singing, great sound. There's no "synth" band quite like them. I liked 'em so much I went out and bought Spandau Ballet's greatest, Naked Eye's greatest, New Orders greatest just to see what else I might have missed. None of the above compare to OMD, believe me. "So in Love"; listened to it a 1000 times, could listen to it a 1000 times more.