484. Orchestral Manoeuvers In The Dark - Architecture and Morality (1981)
















Track Listing

1. New Stone Age
2. She's Leaving
3. Souvenir
4. Sealand
5. Joan Of Arc
6. Joan Of Arc (Maid Of Orleans)
7. Architecture And Morality
8. Georgia
9. Beginning And The End

Review

More synthpop and I just can't get enough of the stuff, this album is actually a quite strange one, it is a mix of pretty good pop tracks and some very impressive almost ambient tracks. This is no Eno album but still quite good.

OMD were one of those bands whose most successful tracks really are not truly representative of their body of work, we have some of those tracks here with a special nod to Souvenir, but right after the very catchy and pop-oriented souvenir there is an amazing almost 8 minute piece called Sealand which is completely different, the last track in the album reminds me of Sigur Ros for example.

All said this is a thoroughly enjoyable album which throws you some surprises, and that is always welcome in my world. Also notice the particularly good album cover by the master of all album covers Peter Saville.

Track Highlights

1. Souvenir
2. The Beginning and the End
3. Sealand
4. The New Stone Age

Final Grade

9/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

It is the group's most commercially and critically successful album, selling over 3 million copies. Released just eighteen months after their debut, it demonstrated both OMD's continuing musical maturity and advancement of their style.

Musically, the album was notable for making liberal use of the mellotron, a mechanical tape-replay keyboard more commonly associated in Britain with progressive rock bands of the early 1970s than with "synth pop".

Souvenir: