Product Description

Though their albums were fully absorbing pieces of work that contained concise songs and atmospheric textures in equal measure, O.M.D. were regarded by many as being primarily a singles group. In the early 1980s, the groundbreaking Britishsynth-pop duo churned out a bucketload of UK hits, each more accessible and unforgettable than the last. The low-budgetelectric piano that carries the main riff of "Electricity" hints at the band's lo-fi beginnings, and some of the early songs ("Enola Gay", "Messages"), while attractively melodic,still bear a trace of post-punk urgency. As they moved along, however, Andy McCluskey and Roger Humphreys became (momentarily) more experimental (the unconventional, ethereal pop of "Souvenir") and progressively more lush and stylised. Such later singles as "If You Leave" and "(Forever) Live and Die" suggest a summit meeting of Phil Spector, Depeche Mode, and AVALON-era Roxy Music. Decades down the line, the tunes collected on THE OMD SINGLES make it clear why these two ladsfrom Liverpool were among the most memorable, substantive acts of the synth-pop era.

Track Listing

1. Electricity
2. Messages
3. Enola Gay
4. Souvenir
5. Joan Of Arc
6. Maid Of Orleans
7. Tesla Girls
8. Locomotion
9. Talking Loud And Clear
10. So In Love
11. If You Leave
12. Live And Die (Forever)
13. Dreaming
14. Sailing The Seven Seas
15. Pandora's Box
16. Call My Name
17. Dream Of Me
18. Walking On The Milky Way

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2383 in Music
• Released on: 1998-09-28
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
After releasing "Electricity" in 1979, OMD quickly became one of the more influential electro-pop bands. While the premise of a singing synthesizer duo may now be a fairly conventional concept, Andy McClusky and Paul Humphreys had very few role models when they first developed their unusual style. This package pulls together two full decades of OMD's distinctive pop craftsmanship. From the early sounds of "Enola Gay" to radio classics like "Joan of Arc" and "Souvenir", OMD's polished, dramatic readings influenced everyone from Depeche Mode to the Pet Shop Boys. Late-1980s tunes like "If You Leave" and "(Forever) Live and Die" round out this collection. While not displaying all the more offbeat aspects of OMD's music, this package certainly delivers the hits. --Mitch Myers

Customer Reviews

OMD review
Excellent compilation though I have 1 gripe. Red Frame White Light, where is this track? For a compilation advertising itself as The OMD singles this is a striking ommision.

ELECTRONIC HEAVEN
Synth innovators at first, OMD ended up purveying standard melodic pop without that experimental edge. This is well demonstrated on this singles collection, where early tracks like Electricity, Messages and Enola Gay have a rawer sound, through their golden period as represented by classics like Joan of Arc and Maid of Orleans (From Architecture & Morality), down to the fluffy pop of Walking On the Milky Way. They were ahead of their time in the early 1980s, with only artists like Numan, Kraftwerk and Yazoo mining the same synth groove, and I always loved their often somber and grave take on things. Never quite as weird as some of the above or groups like Suicide, they always stayed in the melodic realm so you could humm their tunes. Not everything here will go down in pop history, but when OMD were good, they were brilliant and there is enough evidence on this album to merit it five stars. Should appeal to a wide spectrum of people – both those who love melodic pop and those into synth sounds, like fans of the Pet Shop Boys.

Hmmm...not really neo-romantic
Overall, this album is fair - do not perceive me wrongly. Electronic tracks are abound. However, compared to other contemporary neo-romantics, such as Ultravox/Visage etc this album just feels superficial. It doesnt hold as much artistic vision as Ultravox's 'Rage In Eden' or John Foxx's music. It is much more commercial sounding, and rather repitively dull and uninspired. Tracks like 'Tesla girls' are fun and upbeat, but no amount of blipping and bleeping can turn this album around from a converted, bland commercial pop sounding offering into a more sophisticated 'arty' offering. Sorry!