Customer Reviews

Peel Sessions: 1979-1983

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This CD is very good especially if you are an avid OMD fan or if you want to see how OMD started out its musical career. If you are expecting a polished studio album-- or if you are expecting the romantic side of OMD ala " So In Love" or "Secret"-- then you may not like this album. In the early years, OMD meshed ideas concerning technology with human emotions. This album has BBC radio performances from 1979-1983 of songs they made off of the three albums : OMD, Organisation, and Dazzle Ships. The performances are live without an audience which gives the listener the feeling that OMD is performing right in the room.

Some of the songs sound better on this album than they do on the orginal album. All songs are similar to the original versions, but they are not identical which is another reason to get this album. "Dancing" sounds a LOT better than the original version on the OMD album. The bassline is funky and explosive with the trademark OMD sound effects in the background. Other highlights on this album are "Red Frame/White Light", "Bunker Soldiers", "Pretending to See the Future", and "Genetic Engineering". "Annex" was originally a B side song many years ago, so its not available on any album other than this one. The "Enola Gay" version on this album is a rough draft to the original "Enola Gay". It was recorded 6 months before OMD recorded the polished version which you can hear on Organisation, Best of OMD or the Singles. This album is very New Wave sounding, but it is easy to see why OMD must be considered among the pioneers of electronic music.

OMD was probably one of the most overlooked bands of the early 80's. They hit it big with 'So in Love' and 'If You Leave', but before then were many albums of unsurpassed orginality. Many of those songs are captured here. Many versions are equal to their studio counterparts, but some are even better. 'Annex' and 'The More I See You' fair very well and the version of one of their early hits, 'Enola Gay', is in my opinion, better than the original. This is a great disc for anyone who appreciates OMD's unique music. Most of these songs are 20 years old, yet they still sound great. This is a must-have for any fan!

OMD has always been one of my favorite bands since I bought their first two albums around 1980. This is the era before OMD "hit it big" on the US Top 40 charts; the era in which they were the most creative and new. The musical selections here are right on target for what they were doing during these early years. It's nice to get the rarely heard "Annex." This has a very pleasant version of the beautiful "Of All The Things We've Made" as well as two other songs from their ground-breaking "Dazzle Ships" album. It is interesting to see how far ahead of their time they really were. Most OMD fans already realize that. This collection just proves it even more.

The Peel Sessions - about time that they released something like that. On the basis of this I do hope that they go ahead with the intended 'B-Sides' album, but more about this release: It is good to heard the original versions of OMD-Fans favourites. Slightly more raw and experimental and who has seen them perform these songs 'on stage' will appreciate them even more as there is a likeness to the versions on The Peel Sessions. A recent review in the 'Q' magazine mentioned that favourites like 'Maid of Orleans', 'telegraph' & 'Joan of Arc' are unfortunately missing - sorry but they did not understand the concept of the album - maybe they would have been well advised to read the sleeve notes. Truly this is a superb album and I advise everbody who is into stuff from the early 80's to spend the money and buy it. Yes, it might sound dated but, hell, the material is upto over 20 years old. Go and get it !

This collection really represents the band at its best. The tracks sound fresh and inspired, and the production quality is first rate. The versions stay very close to the originals but still have their own unique qualities that make listening a real pleasure. The cover art is also excellent, and sticks to the spirit and style of original OMD covers by Peter Saville. This is one of the best Peel Sessions albums by anyone I've ever heard. This had me ordering the new remastered versions of the first three albums and pulling out everything I have of them for a fresh listen. They were really one of the greats in those early days of synth pop.

This is a great album. A must for any true OMD fan.