The OMD Singles

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 24, 1998)
• Original Release Date: November 24, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Virgin Records Us
• ASIN: B00000DMH5
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #33,779 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

After releasing "Electricity" in 1979, OMD quickly became one of the more influential electro-pop bands to emerge from England. While the premise of a singing synthesizer duo may now be a fairly conventional concept, Andy McClusky and Paul Humphreys had very few role models when they first developed their unusual style. This package pulls together two full decades of OMD's distinctive pop craftsmanship. From the early sounds of "Enola Gay" to radio classics like "Joan of Arc" and "Souvenir," OMD's polished, dramatic readings influenced everyone from Depeche Mode to the Pet Shop Boys. Late-'80s tunes like "If You Leave" and "(Forever) Live and Die" round out this collection. While not displaying all the more offbeat aspects of OMD's music, this package certainly delivers the hits. --Mitch Myers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Truly Phenomenal Collection - - Every Song is Outstanding!, August 5, 2001

By	Tiggah "the Anglophile" (Calgary, Alberta Canada) - See all my reviews

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!

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some great tunes are missing-but what a bunch of hits!!, October 4, 1999

By	Gary D. Lipkin "GaryDL" (Springfield, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best OMD Compilation that's out there! Great Sound Quality Too!, January 24, 2006

By	Frederick Baptist (Singapore) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.