Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) are have, for the most part, always been known as the band that "did that song from Pretty in Pink." And while If You Leave (said Pretty in Pink song) is a great pop song, people tend to think that all of OMD's stuff was always like that. They had been around since around 1979 and in there earlier days, they had been influenced by everybody from Kraftwerk, Neu!, and the Velvet Underground. Their first few albums still had pop music elements to them but they also experimented with different early electronic sounds, even going so far as sampling non-traditional sounds such as radio waves and ship horns. Here are thirteen songs from OMD's first 4 albums (and a few singles b-sides). These are VERY different from what they are usually known for. Some of it is very ambient and (dare I say it) even post rock sounding.

Pretending to See the Future
The Messerschmitt Twins
Waiting for the Man
VCLXI

These four are from their first two albums, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Organisation. They're all pretty electronic-y but without the dancey disco element (that was typical of electronic music of the time) to them. Waiting for the Man is a b-side cover of the classic Velvet Underground song.

Sealand
Architecture and Morality
The Beginning and the End
Navigation

These four are from their third album, Architecture and Morality. A little less electronic and more minimalist ambient. A&M is probably my favorite OMD album.

Of All The Things We've Made
Radio Waves
Dazzle Ships (Parts II, III & VII)
66 & Fading
4-Neu
The Avenue

The first three are from their fourth album, Dazzle Ships. 66 & Fading, 4-Neu and The Avenue are singles b-sides. The songs are more atmospheric. 66 & Fading is actually another OMD song reversed and slowed down. (That's right, Sigur Ros weren't the pioneering first band to do that.) The Avenue uses (what sounds like construction sounds as it's rhythm pattern. Industrial music before industrial music was cool. 4-Neu is a musical homage to, you guessed it, Neu!

Even though they went more of a pop direction in their later years, OMD created some really cool "alternative" music in their early days. And they could have held their own amongst some of today's more "experimental" "post-rock" bands.

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