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THE REVIEW
The Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, or simply OMD, represented something more than just the unforgettable chorus of the legendary "Enola Gay". OMD commercialized the futurism of Ultravox and Eno, much like Gary Numan, but made their songs, unlike the English Dandy, more "human", filled with an almost moving romanticism.
Their debut album perhaps represents the less known side of the group, which would explode in the subsequent "Organisation". Characterized by often robotic cadences, owing too explicitly to Kraftwerk, it is illuminated by sudden and enchanting bursts of synth worthy of the best John Foxx. The first two tracks are the clearest example of this. "Bunker Soldiers" is a march for computerized toy soldiers, heir to the mechanical-decadent tradition of the German school, accompanied by a resounding synthesizer that rises dramatically (but never threateningly) in the chorus, marked by a solemn Brechtian recitation. A little electro-pop gem, no doubt about it. The subsequent "Almost" (at the time a single, when singles could still be like that) is the quintessence of their romanticism, with rushing waves of synth serving as a chorus echoing the Gary Numan fashion. But the true gem of the record is "Electricity", also a single, worthy of being placed alongside "Enola Gay" in terms of beauty. A compelling cadence serves as a carpet to the melancholic notes of an unforgettable piano, counterpointed by interventions of a decadent synth, a track to be counted among the milestones of synth-pop.
The electronic funk of "Julia's Song" is the last noteworthy episode of a record that is certainly not a masterpiece due to numerous tonal fallouts, but gives the sensation of being a missed opportunity. With greater attention (perhaps by combining the two albums, this one and "Organisation" released a few months later) a true gem of futuristic pop could have been crafted. Instead, this debut shines only halfway, but it is truly a brilliant shine.
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Summary by Bot
OMD’s debut album showcases a fusion of robotic cadences inspired by Kraftwerk and heartfelt romantic synth-pop. Standout tracks like 'Electricity' and 'Almost' highlight their unique sound. Although not a masterpiece, it remains a brilliant and underappreciated early synth-pop record. The album feels like a missed opportunity due to its uneven moments but still shines with futuristic promise.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
01 Bunker Soldiers (02:54)
Trained bodies in coordination
Is that a better way for bunker soldiers
But it's a nicer way to spend the war
On lava beaches and sandy seasides
The rusting bodies are surplus now then
We never taught them how to fight like that
The object's exercise is so compulsive
It's not a better way but it still suits us
I'd give up rice fields to fight like you
K B N U R A S T R S O L I E K B
It's not a better way
2 1 4 1 5 8 9 5 2 4 9 5 8 9 2 1
N U R N I T O L I B K B N U R E
Though we are here to stay
4 1 5 8 9 5 2 4 9 5 8 9 2 1 4 1
S T R S O L I B K B N U R A S T
Well that might seem OK
5 8 9 5 2 4 9 5 8 9 2 1 4 1 5 8
Waves of people in strange directions
It's no use talking, there's no decisions
They gave up houses to be refugees
The mud in ditches is over their knees
The sandbagged trenches are over our heads
This kind of warfare's become hide and seek
Though khaki uniforms are universal
Your propaganda is losing appeal
I'd give up rice fields to fight like you
I'd give up rice fields to fight like you
I'd give up rice fields to fight like you
I'd give up rice fields to fight like you
K B N U R A S T S O L I E K B N
It's not a better way
2 1 4 1 5 8 9 5 2 4 9 5 8 9 2 1
U R E S T R S O L I E K B N U R
Though we are here to stay
4 1 5 8 9 5 2 4 9 5 8 9 2 1 4 1
E S T R S O I L E A B A R T S T
Well that might seem OK
5 8 9 5 2 4 9 5 8 9 2 1 4 1 5 8
02 Almost (03:44)
I'd travel oh so far
To be where you are
I'd travel there by car
To be where you are
But if I get there I'd find
That I'd change my mind
It happens all the time
To a friend of mine
Always making statements
And moving step by step
Always acting theories
I will regret
My only consolation
In the things that I've done
Are the people who know me
And the objects I own
Happens all the time
To a friend of mine
Happens all the time
To a friend of mine
Happens all the time
To a friend of mine
Happens all the time
To a friend of mine
Happens all the time
04 Electricity (03:39)
Our one source of energy
The ultimate discovery
Electric blue for me
Never more to be free
Electricity
Nuclear and HEP
Carbon fuels from the sea
Wasted electricity
Our one source of energy
Electricity
All we need to live today
A gift for man to throw away
The chance to change has nearly gone
The alternative is only one
The final source of energy
Solar electricity
Electricity
Electricity
Electricity
Electricity
Electricity
E . . .
05 The Messerschmitt Twins (05:41)
My mind is made up, I'm changing faster
Your mind is made up, avoiding worries
My old image is set to fade away
Forget the talking
Forget the actions
And quiet voices and all that happened
In just one of hour
You could knock me down
The twos are one now
And ones are fuller
No longer giving
No longer taking
These ways are tried
They never seem to fail
And when you're asking
You sound like telling
Despite the questions
You're not receiving
I can't explain
Why you disappear
Your mind is made up
The time is taken
You reach decisions
We can't avoid them
There's no success
No matter what we do
The twos are one now
And ones are fuller
No longer giving
No longer taking
These ways are tried
They never seem to fail
These ways are tried
They never seem to fail
These ways are tried
They never seem to fail
These ways are tried
06 Messages (04:12)
It worries me this kind of thing
How you hope to live alone
And occupy your waking hours
We're taking sides again
I just wept I couldn't understand
Why you started this again
And every day you send me more
It makes it worse is this a plan of yours
To ensure I don't forget
I'd write and tell you that I've burnt them all
But you never send me your address
And I've, I've kept them anyway
So don't ask me if I think it's true
That communication can bring hope to those
Who have gone their separate ways
It hardly touched me when it should have then
But memories are uncertain friends
When recalled by messages
Coded messages
Poison letters
07 Julia's Song (04:41)
The means to an end
The sinful distress
Writing down meaningless words
Vaguely off hand
So the rest of the band
Can learn from the bees and the birds
Concentrate business man you,
You haven't got long
Planets are ruling your hearts
Stilettos and thighs may be burning your eyes
But it keeps you from falling apart
Heavy but generalised
Sordid and wet
Someone advised me to die
Blowing your mind
'Cause you know what you'll find
When you're looking for things in the sky
Under the influence
Rotting our nerves
Cutting us off at the mains
Nearing the end with your grandmother's friend
It's something to do when it rains
It's something to do when it rains
It's something to do when it rains
09 Dancing (02:59)
She didn't regret it
She never expected a fortune like this
But this is a present situation
And you really must understand
That I'm
Dancing
Oh who's next
10 Pretending to See the Future (03:46)
Avoiding this is like avoiding a plague
We can't understand the advances we made
We've tried to resist but it's so hard to say no
We're pretending to see what the future will hold
We appear to be in control of our fate
Just like soldiers believe they're in control of a war
But its moving so fast we cannot see what we've done
we're losing our eyes just to say that we've won
My mind's made up, my heart is broke
My fortune's is made me and I feel so choked
I can't understand how we could ever believe
The things we asked for but never received
We never understood the times we asked
The way we wasted all that passed
This neglect is final it's a stage we must
Endure to ever hope to see the first
My mind's made up about the things we did
We never saw we believed we couldn't say what we missed
My mind's made up, my heart is broke
My fortune's is made me and I feel so choked
I can't understand how we could ever believe
The things we asked for but never received
By making noises which we cannot control
The things we hoped that we'd never forgo
We appear to be in control of our fate
Just like soldiers believe they're in control of a war
But it's moving so fast we cannot see what we've done
We're losing our eyes just to say that we've won
My mind's made up, my heart is broke
My fortune's is made me and I feel so choked
I can't understand how we could ever believe
The things we asked for but never received
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a British synth-pop group formed in 1978 by Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys. They became widely known for the hit Enola Gay and influential albums like Architecture & Morality, blending electronic textures with melodic melancholy. After a 1990s hiatus, they reunited in 2006 and have continued releasing albums, including Bauhaus Staircase.05 Reviews
