Customer Reviews

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

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3 star:		(2)
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OMD is one of the transitional entities that bridged early electronic music pioneers like Kraftwerk, Brian Eno and Wendy Carlos, with the synthpop bands that populated the New Wave and dominated the early years of MTV. The band's 1979 single, "Electricity," pushed its synthetic instruments and machine rhythms up front, but warmed them with Andy McCluskey's bass, a catchy electric pianotron riff and a duet vocal from McCluskey and Paul Humphries that celebrated the power source of their music. The flip, "Almost," is an equal combination of synthetics and warmth, but the keyboards are less angular and more expansive, with a soaring lead line and steam-like backing for the lush, Bryan Ferry-esque vocal of longing and indecision.

For this first full-length album, issued in 1980, McCluskey and Humphries followed the same template, using their primitive electronic instruments to create pulsating and jabbing backings for vocals that borrow the strident tone of mod and punk. Their lyrics are often impressionistic sketches of emotions and concepts, including a soldier's life (a theme they'd revisit to even greater effect on "Enola Gay"), the illusions of time, and fatalism. The new-wave "Red Frame/White Light" unspools a series of telephone box snapshots, and the album's most conventional lyric in "Messages" finds the singer recoiling from the unwanted contact of a departed lover. The boozy near-instrumental "Dancing" sounds like a record caught off spindle, and the atmospheric "The Messerschmitt Twins" brings to mind the Human League's first full-length, Reproduction.

Microwerks' CD reissue is delivered in a tri-fold cardboard slipcase that reproduces the original LPs die-cut front cover and adds excellent liner notes by Jim Allen. The original ten tracks are augmented by four bonuses (though not the band-disliked Martin Hannett 7" productions of "Electricity" and "Almost," which were included on EMI's 2003 import reissue). There is a longer single of "Messages" whose bassier, fuller mix greatly improves upon the album version, and three B-sides: the dark "I Betray My Friends," an instrumental remix/dub of "Messages" titled "Taking Sides Again," and a pop-staccato cover of Lou Reed's "Waiting for the Man." Though critics more highly laud the band's follow-ups, Organisation and Architecture & Morality, this debut laid out the template and still sounds innovative today. 4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

OMD singles give the image of a group devoted to producing good pop tunes. Their albums paint a very different picture. This group was heavily influenced by Vevlet Underground (doesn't the title of 'Red frame/white light' remind you of something? and they also did a cover version of 'Waiting for the man') and Joy Division but also prepared to experiment in the most radical ways with the possibilities offered by new technological advances such as 'Emulators'. The version of 'Messages' here falls short of the glory of the single but the other two singles, the classic 'Electricity' and 'red Frame/White Light', are good. High points for me on this album are the superb 'Messerschmitt twins', the haunting synthesiser of 'Almost' (terrible lyrics though) and 'Julia's Song' (which sounds totally different from anything else they ever produced). 'Pretending to see the future' unfortunately is less convincing than a later live version released on flexi-disc (whatever happened to them?). The experimentation on this album is less radical than it would become but there is a good reason why DJ John Peel liked this group so much- they were very original for the time. The album has a certain youthful naivety which might not appeal to all.

I got this CD at a local outlet store, and i must tell you the content is a beautiful combination of dark, synth driven vocals and superb early 80s electronica. Unlike some of OMD's later albums, this one is much rougher and darker than any other i've heard. "Almost" is my favorite cut on the album, basically because of its fearful and cold driven synthline. "Bunker Soldiers" is one of those songs that really stick in your head for a while, as is "Red Frame/White Light". I also enjoy listening to "Dancing", which is kind of like a puzzle you keep trying to figure out but can't. "Mystereality" comes close to being too lighthearted for the album, though. But you can tell their experimentation pays off in the end with the very succesful "Electricity" and "Messages". Overall I was more than happy with the CD though. A wonderful debut album for OMD, I highly recommend it to anyone who are fans of McCluskey and Humphreys.

What a great item this is for any self respecting OMD fan or collector of Peter Saville designs. OMD's debut album has become an iconic piece of album design which is as innovative as the music contained therein.
Peter Saville's unique die cut sleeve failed to get the same treatment when the album was released on CD, something a lot of fans found disappointing. Yet here we are in 2010 with an American company giving us all what we once dreamed of.
It's a great album now housed in a great sleeve and the addition of bonus tracks from the Messages 10" UK release is an added bonus too.
If you like OMD, Peter Saville or genuinely funky CD sleeves then this is a must! Fantastic! Well done!
All we need now is the same treatment given to Architecture & Morality and Dazzle Ships...please?

Obviously with their first long play album you get OMD here at their rawest. But that's why its so good. Innovative, pioneering, experimentative, and influencing in itself, this album belongs in any serious music collection. This is the foundation of masterful electro pop that Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphries (with or without each other later on) would create for quite some time. You will have your own stand out tracks, but I have to close by citing "Julia's Song" and going WOW! Oh my god!

The casual, almost punk lyrical style of OMD really shows through on track 1, Bunker Soldiers. But this is pure synth-pop - Bunker Soldiers, Mystereality, and Red Frame/White Light are all definite emblems of that post-punk British synth-pop sound. This album evokes quite well the pre-MTV era; before videos began corrupting the image and then sound of modern rock, as we entered the new decade. The synthesizers and percussion are a little sketchy; whispy at times (Bunker Soldiers). But the dates on the CD version are misleading ('87 and "88) so remember, this is their self-titled debut from 1980! Certainly a classic album though. You might be tempted by the name to get Architecture and Morality, but this is their best album.

I really like these guys. I own all of their albums. They were like another Kraftwerk or Telex except these guys came out of England. This album in fact was my introduction to the band, back when they weren't chart busters. I love the electronic sounds of "Electricity" and "Bunker Soldiers". The track that still stands all time is definitely "Messages" which is their strongest track here and my personal favorites. Though it appears in it's original form on this album the single is the best version of this song. The single version can be found on their BEST OF collection. I always pictured the track "Julia's Song" with live guitars and drums. It's the song that caught the most attention for me. It still does today. I also enjoy listening to "Almost" in the dark. It gives that special effect. If you like the early New Wave sound of the 1980's you'll dig this. If you're more pop 80's check out the BEST OF collection.

While many prefer the more "popish" romantic junk put out by the marvelous OMD following JUNK CULTURE (last great record), it is on this debut that we hear traces of Kraftwerk and bubbling synthesizers. Prime cuts include "Bunker Soldiers," "Electricity" (their finest yet), and the haunting "Meschershmitt Twins". I personally own both vinyl and CD copies.

This album shows how OMD took the influence of Kraftwerk and was able to mold it with their own style and the result is a quirky solid collection of songs. Besides the recognizable "Electricity" and "Messages", there are solid songs such as "Bunker Soldiers", "Almost", "Pretending to See the Future" and maybe one of the best OMD songs ever "The Messerschmidt Twins". The only negative to the album is that it doesn't sound as well-produced as other OMD albums; however, there is a certain charm from the lack of production.

Definately not OMD's best album or even close, but it was their first one. I was really interested to hear what it sounded like so that's why I got it. The whole thing sounds very light, all the melodies are quite simple compared to the popular OMD singles we all know. When you have filler songs like "Julia's Song" and "Dancing" it brings the album down a little. A surprise I did like was the album version of "Messages" with a slower tempo and different synth, but still the same effect. "The Messerchmitt Twins" is beautiful, and only a preview of the slow tempo ballads McCluskey & Humphreys were going to soon bring out. Though not something you'll likely listen to much, I recommend it anyway.