Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – Crush (1985) Review | Another Dazzling Souvenir and Some Junk
Kronomyth 6.0: Paradise for a day.
I wrote a review of this for All Music Guide years ago. How did I do? Let’s just say I didn’t exactly crush it. Instead, I got on my high horse and trampled a very likeable album. It’s true that OMD may have fallen on their pink sword in the pursuit of romantic pop music, but you can’t argue with the results. A top 20 album in the UK, top 40 in the US, all while straddling that thin line between pop and art remarkably well. Highlights include the hits So in Love and Secret, plus smart cuts like La Femme Accident, Crush (with its shades of Dazzle Ships), and the rockin’ 88 Seconds in Greensboro. Maybe you’re thinking Simple Minds at this stage, another talented band who made some very famous pop songs that angst-ridden teens anthemized. Go ahead; both bands made music that went over the heads of their audience. Like Junk Culture before it, Crush mixes dark experiments with unbearably light melodies. Maybe the bleakness of Women III or The Native Daughters of the Golden West blew right past you. Maybe you didn’t care one way or the other. OMD remains unique in their ability to pursue pop’s unbearable sweetness while still delivering their share of ear-candy moments. When the band references Joan of Arc on “La Femme Accident,” you realize how little things have changed since Architecture & Morality. Is Crush timeless music? Probably not. But it’s paradise for a day, and that’s enough for me.
The Product
A1. So in Love (OMD/Stephen Hague) (3:28)
A2. Secret (3:57)
A3. Bloc Bloc Bloc (3:27)
A4. Women III (4:27)
A5. Crush (4:16)
B1. 88 Seconds in Greensboro (4:15)
B2. The Native Daughters of the Golden West (3:59)
B3. La Femme Accident (2:50)
B4. Hold You (4:00)
B5. The Lights Are Going Out (3:46)
All songs written by OMD unless noted.
The Players
Martin Cooper (vocals, saxophone, electronic keyboards), Malcolm Holmes (drums, electronic and acoustic percussion), Paul Humphreys (vocals, electronic keyboards, piano), Andrew McCluskey (vocals, guitar, bass guitar, electronic keyboards) with Stephen Hague (electronic keyboards, guitar), Maureen Humphreys (additional vocals), Graham Weir (trombone, electric guitar), Neil Weir (trumpet). Produced by Stephen Hague; engineered by Pete Coleman and Alan Douglas; mix engineered by David Jacob.
The Pictures
Illustration by Paul Slater. Sleeve by XL Design.
The Plastic
Released on elpee on June 17, 1985 in the UK (Virgin, V 2349), the US (A&M, SP 5077), Canada (Virgin, VL 2333), Germany (Virgin, 207 207 620), Japan (Virgin, 25VB-1038) and Mexico (Virgin, LAE 650) and in 1986 in Argentina (Virgin, TLP 60190) with lyrics innersleeve. Reached #13 on the UK charts and #38 on the US charts.
- Re-issued on compact disc in the UK (Virgin, CDV 2349) and the US (A&M, CD 3336).
- Re-issued on compact disc in 1996 in the UK (Virgin, CDVIP 155) and Germany and the Netherlands (Disky, VI-87476).
- Re-issued on compact disc on March 27, 2007 in the US (Caroline, 42451).
