Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED]

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 29, 1992)
• Original Release Date: February 22, 1980
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Virgin Records Us
• ASIN: B000000WG5
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #252,467 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Bunker Soldiers

2. Almost

3. Mystereality

4. Electricity

5. Messerchmitt Twins

6. Messages

7. Julia's Song

8. Red Frame/White Light

9. Dancing

10. Pretending to See the Future

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Out of print in the U.S., this is the first album byOrchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, first released on Virginin 1980. 10 tracks, including the new wave hits 'Messages'and 'Electricity'. The All-Music Guide gave this album four& a half stars (out of five possible). --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An under-rated gem, March 13, 2002

By	s k a kitson (Birmingham, UK) - See all my reviews

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.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars totally unique experimentation, July 2, 2003

By	Tim Lagcher (Belhaven, NC USA) - See all my reviews

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.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Welcome To The 80's Synthpop, September 28, 2001

By	R. Toomey (Piscataway, NJ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.