Album “We thought of ourselves as an experimental band”
posted by on May 23 at 13:29 PM
Last month, ’80s synth pioneers turned pop fromáge specialists, Orchestral Manouvers In The Dark (OMD), released a live CD/DVD of newly recycled material with a title that could be a tagline for Slog, Architecture & Morality & More. With their contemporaries, Pet Shop Boys, Erasure and Depeche Mode still touring and reaping the financial and critical rewards of staying active, OMD’s return to the stage was better late than never. While the idea of performing an entire album, in order, isn’t new, OMD made the perfect choice in performing their third album, Architecture & Morality. Following the experimental self titled debut and slightly more gothic sounding second album, Organization (both released in 1980), Architecture & Morality (1981) has long been a fan favorite. The album strikes a balance between the experimental synth pieces and overt pop songs to collectively represent the bands past and hint at the future.
Like their contemporaries, Joy Division, OMD were inspired by the synth sounds of Kraftwerk and diy punk ethos prevalent in the late 70s. In fact, OMD and Joy Division share many similarities. Both bands broke into the industry on the back of Tony Wilson. OMD’s first single, Electricity, was produced by Martin Hannett, sleeve designed by Peter Saville and released on Factory Records. OMD got the expensive, iconic Saville die-cut sleeve treatment years before New Order’s infamous Blue Monday. The Factory connection continued with what must be the earliest recorded tribute to Ian Curtis, the haunting Statues on Organization, released the same year Curtis died.
A string of progressively tacky pop albums marred what had started as a strange but compelling union of arty synth textures and pop hooks. Their first four albums up to Dazzle Ships (1983), all weave experimental synth tracks with understated melodic pop and all stand up to repeat listens. It wasn’t until the band signed to A&M records in 1984 that the annoying, overproduced po(o)p started to dominate their albums, starting with, ironically enough, Junk Culture. Soon after Junk Culture, the band would be featured on John Hughes soundtracks and playing stadiums. Vocalist/bassist/spastic dancer, Andy McCluskey, had grown tired of OMD being dismissed as a cheesy pop act while the early experimental phase of their career was virtually forgotten (similar story with Talk Talk only in reverse). OMD have been unfairly maligned for years, The Smiths famously chose their simple name as a reaction to the overblown Orchestral Manouvers In The Dark, but with the release of this live show, they hope fans of their pop hits will revisit their more experimental work.
For fans of both the arty and the pop, this concert recording satisfies every need. Obscure album tracks like Romance of the Telescope share space with more well known pop numbers like If You Leave and Enola Gay. The DVD is well produced, sounds fantastic and includes some revealing interviews with the band. Unfortunately, as with all aging ’80s stars, watching them sweat to the oldies can be difficult to say the least. I’d love to see a celebrity version of So You Think You Can Dance featuring Andy McCluskey and Bernard Sumner squaring off.
On second thought, nevermind.
Interesting post. I will have to check out the DVD now,
Thanks
'Stop it right now. O.M.D. are pretty much the best English synth band ever and your recalcitrance to this fact is just another false construct preventing you achieving ultimate satisfaction and enjoyment. Sorry, did I say synth band? I meant band.
From the ground up, Architecture & Morality is a classic. It achieves the philosophers stone of being at once a beautiful pop album that is also resolutely experimental and disorientating. O.M.D. were at their pre-John Hughes prime when they recorded this; an experiment in marrying the robotic and the avant-garde to the universal truth of heartbreak and yearning.
Architecture & Morality, from its era defining Peter Saville design work upwards, is a stone- cold gem. From the angst ridden yelp of 'Oh my God! What have we done this time?' on opener "The New Stone Age" to the ambient wash of "Sealand," there was a band with an L postcode unafraid to stand in the imbecilic and dunder-headedly massive shadow cast by the four brain-damaged mop tops. (Ironically, there is a knowing nod to The Beatles in the form of "She's Leaving," winking sagely to another band that married pop and experimentalism.) But (and let's not dwell on this too long) O.M.D. are significantly better than The Beatles.'
- Playlouder
while I certainly agree that some of the John Hughes cuts were a bit over the top cheesy, works that came after their "Best of.." collection were also quite good. Unfortunately fate killed OMD in the form of a record label issue of some sort that made Sugar Tax difficult to obtain.
I went to watch OMD at hammersmith where this DVd was filmed. OMD were by far the best band I have ever seen perfrom, with Andy McCluskey being the a natural and entertaining frontman. His dancing is fantastic and brilliant to watch. The choice of songs was perfect, a good mix for OMD diehards and new converts. The DVD doesn't quite capture the concert but is a good watch and definitely well worth getting for any music fan, not just OMD fans!
Having followed the Manoeuvres since day one, with all the ups and downs, as a true fan I like every single album, every single concert, but not every single released. Fame would have possible been achieved with a different record label, because some of the single releases where badly picked to say the least and it has been documented that the band members had little to do with it. Instead, we true fans enjoyed OMD as they have been and still are, different & interesting, awaiting any news with anticipation, grabbing up every remastered copy of album available, google-ing our way through the net trying to find material that we have not yet bought, read, discussed. Thanks to he guys for this tour, the CD and DVD and whatever they come up with in future.
This guy needs to do more research before he writes another degrading column about OMD, he may find out what Andy as gone through personally in resent years to get to this stage in his life, and he may well change is outlook and rewrite this "trash".......Great to see the original line up back were they belong and thank you for this cracking CD/DVD.....see you in Liverpool 2008. Julian PS Need any advise?
the omd dvd is excellent, one of the best i have ever seen and heard, brilliant...
From the 1982 concert to this one proves that Andy, Paul,Mal and Martin can still deliver a cracking set after so longer a time and well worth the wait to see the original line up live on stage again. Whilst your on a winning formula, any chance of repeating the Dazzleships Tour??
Brian Geoghagan you need to get some basic training in what is acceptable and what is not. The term Spastic dancing is not clever or funny..it shows you up to be a fraud in a business that is cut throat and full of professionals.....u will not last. As for the review, u made some valid points but its a pity they were invalidated by your complete lack of respect of others. As a side note OMD have made some great albums why don't you have a listen......it might help you respect the unfortunate..
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