One record at a time: 339. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Sugar Tax

The original line up of OMD disbanded in 1989 but rather than throw in the towel, Andy McCluskey decided to continue the project alone. Aspirations for success in America and an inclination towards experimentation were put to one side and the band were born anew.

In an attempt to garner radio play and mass appeal the bass guitar and drums were replaced by the sounds of the Korg M1 and contemporary dance beats. The new approach seemed to work as "Sugar Tax" racked up platinum sales across Europe and was seen as a return to form. My copy of the record is the original 1991 pressing as this is one of few OMD albums that hasn't seen a repress since its release.

The album opens with the lead single "Sailing on the Seven Seas" which is a pleasing pop romp with a distinctive drum refrain. This song proved to be a big hit and must have buoyed Andy's confidence in the new incarnation of OMD. There's more straight up dance-pop in the form of "Pandora's Box (It's a Long Way)" and "Call My Name" which have that all important radio friendly sound. Another highlight for me is "Walk Tall" which has a fantastic synth bassline, Kraftwerk inspired beats and Roland D-50 presets scattered in the mix.

Personally I have always been disappointed by the cover version of "Neon Lights" on this record as the use of an unrelated female singer robs it of any impact. "Apollo XI" is 100% certified album filler and I have never been a big fan of the single "Then You Turn Away".

A good chunk of the album reflects on the break up of the band and Andy's relationship with fellow founding member Paul Humphreys. "Was It Something I Said" and "All That Glitters" are classic break up songs that have some bite but they pull back from anything too caustic and bitter. "Big Town" is slated as a reflection of the music business but, like a lot of these songs, the lyrics are ambiguous enough to leave the interpretation open to the listener. 4/5

One record at a time: 338. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - The Best of OMD

Released in 1988 this compilation always struck me as as a strictly commercial enterprise that was driven by Virgin Records.

The fact that Paul and Andy are featured on the cover is an immediate giveaway that something was different here. The decision to focus purely on the band's biggest hits and ignore whole swathes of material also points to this being a purely mercenary exercise. The phrases "Best of" and "Greatest Hits" are not synonymous and to my mind this record is actually the latter.

The original  LP I am listening to here is a fairly straightforward affair that presents fourteen of their biggest hits in chronological order. There is no room for either of the singles from "Dazzle Ships" and only one effort from their most recent album "The Pacific Age" got a look in. The version of "Tesla Girls" on this record is cited as being being unique to this compilation but it doesn't sound substantially different to my ears.

On the plus side there is a new song called "Dreaming" which is really rather good. I have always been mystified as to why this song didn't do well in the charts as it ticks all the right boxes for me. I guess it might have missed out on radio play and as we know, if it wasn't on the radio in the eighties, it didn't sell.

Despite these shortcomings, the record company must have done something right as this album recorded triple platinum sales and remains their biggest seller to date. For a long time this was the career defining retrospective that closed the book on the original line up of OMD. As a whistle-stop tour of their early years this remains a fine addition to any collection; but if you want something that truly befitting the title "Best of", you will have to cast your net much wider. 4/5

One record at a time: 337. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - The Pacific Age

By the time "The Pacific Age" was released in 1986 OMD had left behind any notion of producing art and where firmly a cog in the commercial machine (blame "Dazzle Ships"). For a band that started out with much loftier ambitions, this position was clearly untenable and the break up of the group became an inevitability. 

Yet the hits this album does contain are amongst my favourites. The single "(Forever) Live and Die" is one of the very best songs the band has ever made and "We Love You" is pretty accomplished in both production and composition. I have always liked "Shame" and the final song "Watch Us Fall" makes for a perfect ending. The trouble is, everything that surrounds these nuggets is pretty bland stuff.

Opening track "Stay (The Black Horse and The Universal Wheel)" has probably the most pretentious title of any OMD song (and it has some strong competition in this regard) but it sounds like safe, middle of the road nonsense. To my mind OMD had moved so far away from their natural sound that it's a wonder they had any of their old fans left - but then this record was created to win over Mary-Lou in Kansas City and not the people who bought their debut back in 1979. 

"Southern" is an instrumental that screams, "I am album filler" and the Fairlight samples on "Flame of Hope" have not aged well at all. "Goddess of Love" was so disposable it was also used as a b-side and "The Dead Girls" is enough to send me to sleep. For a long time this album was the band's valedictory and it felt like they were going out with a whimper. 2/5

One record at a time: 336. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Crush

1985's "Crush" saw OMD develop their polished pop with one eye firmly set on American audiences. In order to pander to their new target demographic, the band engaged the services of producer Stephen Hague and scattered guitar, acoustic drums and brass over their synth-pop creations. The plan didn't really work for America and it certainly didn't work for me.

In my youth I didn't have a high regard for this album as it wasn't electronic enough. My immature palette required strong hooks and lots of synthesisers (I guess it still does really) and this album just didn't deliver either. Today I can forgive the deficiencies in the execution and I have more patience to dig deeper, but this will never be my favourite OMD album. 

"So In Love" and "Secret" are obvious radio friendly singles that would grace any album from the era. If you dare to investigate further you will find that songs like "Women III" are their equal in every way and deserve a bigger audience. "88 Seconds to Greensboro" really shouldn't be any good as it is largely a live recording of the band playing conventional instruments - clearly an outrage to synth-pop - but it actually sounds quite good.

On the downside, the profanity in the title track is unnecessary and pulls an already dull piece down into the mud. I also detest the superficial commerciality of "Hold On" as it is cheesier than a mouse's packed lunch. Still, there is enough here to keep this album credible. 3/5

One record at a time: 335. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Junk Culture

After the commercial disappointment of "Dazzle Ships", OMD seemed determined not to be found wanting next time around. Any pretensions to art were left behind and 1984's "Junk Culture" focussed on accessible pop. 

In order to realise their new album the band elected to use a Fairlight CMI and relocate to AIR studios in Montserrat. Inevitably these changes leached into the record and the result can be something of an acquired taste.

One of the best examples of this new sound is the dub influenced title track which employs the Fairlight, plenty of percussion and some annoying horns. At the extremity "All Wrapped Up" goes for the full calypso experience and even includes a brass arrangement courtesy of Tony Visconti. All well and good if you like that sort of thing, but unfortunately I do not.

The version of "White Trash" on the album is far too slow and nowhere near as good as the demo available on the deluxe CD edition. "Locomotion" and "Tesla Girls" are catchy and you can hear that producer Brian Tench was determined to deliver some radio friendly singles here. Another single "Never Turn Away" is rather dull, but at least it doesn't have steel drums or other incongruous embellishments. "Hard Day" finds Andy singing in a different key to the rest of the band which creates a rather tortuous experience for the listener.

Closing track "Talking Loud and Clear" is a bit twee but it does seem to find a closer balance between sounding pop whilst remaining true to the natural sound of the band. My copy of this LP has the free 7" single with "The Angel Keeps Turning (The Wheels of the Universe)" which is five minutes of self indulgence that is only of interest to hardcore fans. 2/5

One record at a time: 334. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Dazzle Ships

What were Andy and Paul thinking when they released this record? Having achieved platinum sales and numerous plaudits for their third album, they decided to sacrifice their career at the alter of art for the follow up.

For OMD, commercial success did not equate to credibility and only a record made up of samples, sound collages and musique concrète could possibly restore their artistic integrity. 

Today you could argue that they achieved their goal as "Dazzle Ships" is seen as an intellectual album that pushed the boundaries of contemporary pop. Yet back in the day it was widely panned and did not sell well. I'm not even sure this record sells today as I have seen the recent 40th anniversary coloured vinyl edition being offered for as little as £15. 

So what is wrong with this album? Well, truth be told there isn't too much amiss. Tracks like "Time Zones", "The Romance of the Telescope" and "Silent Running" are really good compositions and the singles "Telegraph" and "Genetic Engineering" have true pop potential. What seems to drag the album down is the production. 

I definitely get the sense Andy and Paul had a new toy in the form of the EMU Emulator and decided to go to town with it. When pop tunes are allowed to emerge they are soon drowned in a sea of radio tuning, sonar pulses and vocal samples. Whilst earnest in intent, this approach didn't suit a casual pop audience and the album didn't even come close to matching the expectations of the record company.

In fact, you could argue that the break up of the band started with the commercial failure of "Dazzle Ships". OMD wouldn't dare return to such lofty concepts again and a constant push for commercial success led to dissatisfaction in the band. When they went their separate ways in 1989 OMD were still running on a treadmill designed to regain the sales flushed away by "Dazzle Ships". Still, it's quite a good album.

The second disc of the 2023 remastered version contains a number of demos and a live track that add twenty minutes of music. These early versions are only of interest to aficionados, but then that is exactly who the 40th anniversary edition is aimed at. An original copy with a die cut sleeve will cater for the needs of the majority. 3/5

One record at a time: 333. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Architecture and Morality

I own two copies of the original pressing of "Architecture and Morality" from 1981 as a result of a mistake. 

I bought my first copy in 2014 and it contained a flyer for the OMD fan club. I smiled at the antiquated looking application form and its request for payment by cheque or postal order and promptly threw it in the bin. Or at least I think I put in the bin, but equally I could have simply lost it. I don't really recall.

Either way, the flyer was nowhere to be found when I realised its presence made an original pressing of the LP more desirable. I searched eBay for months for a listing that contained the flyer, but there were none to be found. I wasn't fussy about the condition of the replacement LP as I could just take out the piece of paper and give the vinyl away to a charity shop (something I did in order to get the merchandise flyer for Jean Michel Jarre's "The Concerts in China") but there was literally nothing being listed on eBay. Eventually I gave in and bought a copy from an online store for slightly more than I wanted to pay. So now I have two copies of this LP, but only one contains a flyer. You never know, someday I might find the other one.

As with almost all OMD albums "Architecture and Morality" is somewhat juxtaposed to its predecessor. Where "Organisation" was dark and brooding, this album allows chinks of light to fall in the darkness. You still get the feeling Paul and Andy created these cracking pop songs as a by-product of their experiments in sound, but the success of tracks like "Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)", "Joan of Arc" and "Souvenir" meant this album sold very well and has become regarded as one of the seminal moments in eighties synth-pop. In fact the singles taken from this album were so influential that they were released as a box set to mark the albums 40th anniversary rather than the parent album itself. 

"She's Leaving" is a great 'single that never was' and "Georgia" is a perky bop that would take pride of place on many a lesser artists record. On the artistic and more experiential side, opening track "The New Stone Age" was meant to shock an audience looking for synthpop and the title track strongly points to the bewildering sound collages that were to come on future albums. A classic. 4/5