release date: Apr. 30, 1984
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,98]
producer: Brian Tench and OMD
label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Junk Culture" - 2. "Tesla Girls" - 3. "Locomotion" - 5. "Never Turn Away" - 8. "All Wrapped Up" - 10. "Talking Loud and Clear"
5the studio album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark indeed marks a change of style. The band had been experimenting with synthpop on all their previous albums and all of a sudden they release a bold pop album. The album plays with elements from reggae, dance-pop, and particularly contemporary British pop. I remember my astonishment and sheer disappointment by this album. I couldn't believe it was the same band that had released Dazzle Ships one year earlier. The explanation has probably something to do with the fact that the predecessor sold poorly, and that the band had been associated with pop star potential with the inclusion of the popular songs "Enola Gay", "Electricity", and "Joan Of Arc" on the first three albums, whereas Dazzle Ships "only" brought "Genetic Engineering", which wasn't quite as successful nor as mainstream pop-minded. Here the band secured the record sales but also (sadly) withdrew from the experimental (and artistic) side to its talent.
The album reached #11 on the national albums chart list, but one may take into account that fans in general found it difficult to the band's musical direction at the time of this release. However, the singles "Tesla Girls" and "Locomotion" fared more than well. To me, though, the album was an unexpected low point and a big disappointment from the highly original Dazzle Ships.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]
