Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and PSB

[Mark R.Y.]

I really like their 2008 collection "Messages - OMD Greatest Hits" as a starter kit. 20 of their singles on the CD, 31 promo videos on the DVD.

[df118junkie]

Junk Culture is a fantastic album !! Don't listen to him /\/\/\/\/\

[Radiophonic]

What's with all these off topic threads with slim to no connection to the Pet Shop Boys?

[Hillbilly]

Thanks to all the suggestions, especially HB who gave me direct links. The first one I tried got me hooked already! Will be buying! Apart from the mentioned '88 comp, is there an extended versions collection at all? Although I am going to research a bit in a moment.

There is a "Singles Collection" as well, which is basically the same, with a few tracks excluded and the 90's hit singles added.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_OMD_Singles

What was the first song you tried?

[PoloPony]

What was the first song you tried?

Electricity the first you listed

[Hillbilly]

What was the first song you tried?

Electricity the first you listed

Yeah, that's a great one.

By the way, how could I forget "Souvenir", one of their sweetest melodies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDIYOiQUi2s

One of few OMD with lead vocals by Paul Humphries as well (two others are "Secret" and "Forever live and die").

[Palpatine]

What's with all these off topic threads with slim to no connection to the Pet Shop Boys?

I agree. An OMD thread should go in the off-topic section.

[PoloPony]

What was the first song you tried?

Electricity the first you listed

Yeah, that's a great one.

By the way, how could I forget "Souvenir", one of their sweetest melodies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDIYOiQUi2s

One of few OMD with lead vocals by Paul Humphries as well (two others are "Secret" and "Forever live and die").

I wanted to wait until I got a physical release to play anything else, as I think youtube listening is bad, but couldn't help myself. I played the beginning of Enola Gay. In the first few seconds I thought, aha, so Gazebo is not original (lol), then the song started and I realized instantly I knew the song, probably haven't even heard it in 15 years at least. As I imagined, the chances that I never heard anything by them were very slim, but I didn't think that they had a song I liked so much and consider an 80s classic [yeah, I grew up in the days of radio, barely listened to it, and don't think I ever caught anything by OMD on MTV when they actually played music videos, so you can see how you can know songs but have no idea about the title or the artist]. Thanks for the thread, thanks to Modern Family writers

[Danimal]

OMD have had quite a storied career. The first four albums are the experimental ones and the ones the OMD purists love.
The next three Junk Culture, Crush, and The Pacific Age are their 80s pop albums with much more of a full-band sound. Crush and The Pacific Age were produced by Stephen Hague (Crush was before West End Girls) and those albums bear his stamp.
The next three really aren't OMD albums but rather Andy McCluskey solo albums under the OMD name. Liberator was released a few months ahead of Very and sonically is its sister album.
Their comeback, The History of Modern, is in my opinion the best album top to bottom released in a number of years and I couldn't recommend a record more strongly. I would put the song writing and production up there with PSB's best. If you're new to OMD start with one of their greatest hits packages and History of Modern first, then move on to whichever OMD era you tend to gravitate toward.

[York Minster]

OMD have had quite a storied career. The first four albums are the experimental ones and the ones the OMD purists love.
The next three Junk Culture, Crush, and The Pacific Age are their 80s pop albums with much more of a full-band sound. Crush and The Pacific Age were produced by Stephen Hague (Crush was before West End Girls) and those albums bear his stamp.
The next three really aren't OMD albums but rather Andy McCluskey solo albums under the OMD name. Liberator was released a few months ahead of Very and sonically is its sister album.
Their comeback, The History of Modern, is in my opinion the best album top to bottom released in a number of years and I couldn't recommend a record more strongly. I would put the song writing and production up there with PSB's best. If you're new to OMD start with one of their greatest hits packages and History of Modern first, then move on to whichever OMD era you tend to gravitate toward.

I have to say, this is a good summary. I haven't listened to History of Modern, as I don't care much for most OMD, but I'll have to give it a listen now. Liberator/Very/Gratuitous Sax...what other albums were sister albums of these?

[Jamesqdot]

It's probably just a weird coincidence and me being influenced by this thread, but listening to the longer sample on iTunes, "In His Imagination" actually reminds me a little of later Andy McCluskey OMD.

[rollo]

I have to say, this is a good summary. I haven't listened to History of Modern, as I don't care much for most OMD, but I'll have to give it a listen now. Liberator/Very/Gratuitous Sax...what other albums were sister albums of these?

Well, to be honest I'm trying to avoid peeing in everyone else's pool, but for me History of Modern is patchy. It's got a few great moments (The Future, the Past, and Forever After) and a couple of dreadful ones (the first track and Bondage of Fate). But I live in hope for the next one - they've been great before, and they still have it in them.

How are you defining sister albums? Duran Duran's wedding album probably counts? How about Conscience by The Beloved? Republic by New Order?

[York Minster]

Sister albums probably means in terms of sound of the music. Domino dancing's (Edit, I wrote D.D to mean Duran Duran lol) Wedding Album has great tunes, like Come Undone, but it's not overly similar to PSB (except maybe Numb). Republic is of course Hague, but it's not overly influenced by the dance-pop of the era. Liberator and Gratuitous Sax are much more in the vein of Very.

[Danimal]

The History of Modern parts I & II are fantastic tracks. If You Want It sounds stunning on a good stereo system. I'll be the first to admit History of Modern takes a few plays to wrap your head around it, and there are one or two bum tracks (Bondage of Fate) but overall I would give the album 4 out of 5 stars. It's the opposite of The Pacific Age which is one or two decent tracks that stand out on an overall poor album!

[rollo]

Sister albums probably means in terms of sound of the music. Domino dancing's (Edit, I wrote D.D to mean Duran Duran lol) Wedding Album has great tunes, like Come Undone, but it's not overly similar to PSB (except maybe Numb). Republic is of course Hague, but it's not overly influenced by the dance-pop of the era. Liberator and Gratuitous Sax are much more in the vein of Very.

In that case Conscience by The Beloved should be high on your list.

The History of Modern parts I & II are fantastic tracks. If You Want It sounds stunning on a good stereo system. I'll be the first to admit History of Modern takes a few plays to wrap your head around it, and there are one or two bum tracks (Bondage of Fate) but overall I would give the album 4 out of 5 stars. It's the opposite of The Pacific Age which is one or two decent tracks that stand out on an overall poor album!

Actually I'm not sure I've even got Pacific Age now I think of it. Well look, I appreciate the tip, but I've got a good gramophone system and I've given it plenty of chances! It's not the sound that's the problem - OMD have always trodden a pleasant enough near-Kraftwerk line. I just wasn't blown away by the actual songs... If You Want It, Sometimes, Rfwk, The Right Side, etc are all good but none of them so good to deserve the reputation that the album seems to have.

But then I also think that Universal is a pretty good album, so what do I know?