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Architecture And Morality
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
1981
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!I'm completely blown away by this album - it's so full of surprises. It starts as a Cold War inspired atmospheric exercise, a la "Spacelab" by Kraftwerk or "Warszawa" by David Bowie. Heavy on rich synth sounds of the era. It moves seamlessly to industrial instrumentals that masterfully layer noise and disparate sounds. Throughout they throw in bouncy pop songs that carry that Soviet synth sound, overlaid with vocals with loads of reverb and echo. Given that this album came out in 1981, it feels like a "granddaddy" reference for so many bands, and albums that would follow. Hell, it sounds futuristic to this day. One of the best albums in recent memory! (And this is one I listened to probably 30 albums into this exploration).
I'm genuinely pretty shocked to be giving a new wave synth pop album five stars, but this was looooovely! I've never really listened to OMD before, except passive radio play, so I didn't really know what to expect, other than a vague idea they were very poppy? This was excellent - atmospheric, emotive, unexpected shifts happening mid song - it kinda prefigures post-rock! Fave track - "Sealand". Just - WOW.
If there was a clear high point for OMD in terms of balancing relentless experimentation and seemingly unstoppable mainstream success in the U.K., Architecture & Morality is it.
It's an OK album. Nothing out of the ordinary with some nice chill tunes. Sometimes a bit too electric for my taste.
The first song was an absolute BANGER, but the rest of the album bounced between "pretty good" and "pretty boring" unfortunately.
L'arrivée de cet album dans le générateur confirme ce que je pensais depuis déjà un bon moment : Robert Dimery a un sens de l'humour très aiguisé. Je n'ai pas trop envie de m'attarder sur l'aspect musical de cet album qui est, nous l'avons tous compris, une sorte de poisson d'avril avant l'heure. On est en effet plongé dès l'introduction dans un ennui des plus profonds. Différents sons se mélangent, mais aucun ne parvient à attirer notre attention, et ce tout au long de l'écoute. De temps à autre, une voix dont on se serait bien passé vient se poser sur les instruments pour nous débiter différents couplets sans le moindre intérêt. Je soupçonne d'ailleurs le chanteur à qui celle-ci appartient d'être né de la même portée que le camarade Morrissey tant les deux voix sont horriblement similaires. À côté de cela, j'ai été très irrité de voir que mon analyse du genre de l'album comme étant majoritairement de l'"Ambient rock" n'a pas été partagée par Wikipedia qui a préféré le cataloguer de "Synth-pop". J'entrerai donc très bientôt en procès contre l'encyclopédie en ligne et vous tiendrai informés de chaque étape de la procédure. À bientôt chers lecteurs
Beautiful! I really enjoyed this one, and will definitely check out more OMD. It's not enough just having "If You Leave" in my music library.
A beautiful album which I will always be grateful for stumbling across. This is an example of why I persist with this project…without it I would have been musically the poorer. Buy this album!
Muy estraño, pero muy interesante. Me gustó creo todo, aunque lo identifico más para moods muy exactos. Entre movido de repente, sombrío, todo synth, a veces darks, no sé. "The New Stone Age", "Souvenir", "Sealand", "Sacred Heart", entre mis favs. No skips. 9.5/10
No sé. Es que empieza bien, y continúa maso. Me gusta porque es chill y darketona, pero también hubo multiples momentos en los que pensé que estaba de hueva el mood, supo go que un poco ese era el punto . Fav: The New Stone Age (rolón)
great synth-pop record, only got to li sten to the live version but Joan of Arc is a treat
Best OMD album. Also has one of the best synthpop songs of all time in "Souvenir." Bridging the gap between Kraftwerk and 80s synthpop/new wave. 7-8/10
This was a very very pleasant surprise, I dread now when I see an 80’s album in my daily draw but this was quite amazing, yea there are synths but not used in the common hideous way this list has me used to by now, I’m very glad I found this one. Favorite song: of all the things we’ve made
Is this the sound of white guys in turtle necks sipping pinot and shedding a single tear? Is it the sound of Englishmen trying to be German? Whatever it is, it's enjoyable. Hearing some Magnetic Fields, LCD Soundsystem, Depeche Mode. It's interesting to hear an album from 1981 that so clearly reminds me of my high school and college experience. Vanity of vanities, truly there is nothing new under the sun.
There’s a lot of interesting soundscapes on this album. Many of the songs would be perfect for film scores. It’s a beautiful album. Best listening to this alone and high and not on a perfectly warm spring afternoon on a vacay-eve. Still broke through the tone being off for my day. 4
If there was a clear high point for OMD in terms of balancing relentless experimentation and seemingly unstoppable mainstream success in the U.K., Architecture & Morality is it. Again combining everything from design and presentation to even the title into an overall artistic effort
I have had zero exposure to this band outside of the one hit, and I pleasently surprised with how fresh this felt
I've already saved it in my albums, I THINK THAT SAYS SOMETHING nie skupiłam się bardzo na muzyce czy słowach, ale nie musiałam, wiem, że wrócę
22nd July 2021 Listened on my phone first thing while dozing in and out. Quiet week this week which is nice. Off to Norfolk this weekend... I really enjoyed this. Squishy 80s synth, nice.
Souvenir is big Pet Shop Boys and hence MGMT vibes. The percussive foundation of Sealife provides a rich textrual back drop... ahh nevermind. Early electronic can go one of two ways and this fell on the good side.
Special. Synthpop, quand meme bon, je ne connaissais pas mais c’est tres atmosphErique. 4.10
Very adorable, it refers to quite nostalgian sounds, which I personally enjoy. Definitely good piece of synth-pop.
First song and thought it was a one star. But by the end of the album I loved it. Can hear inspiration that so many artists drew from OMD
4/6 3.5/5. Reminded me a lot of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra album, but synth, and same range of lighter, then heavier, more melancholy records. Standout Tracks: The New Stone Age, Souvenir, Sealand, Architecture And Morality, Of All The Things We've Made
Synthpop is a genre that I'm often conflicted about: I like the "synth" part, but the "pop" song structures often leave much to be desired. Additionally, the sound palettes available to electronic musicians in the early '80s were much more limited by the technology of the day, meaning that a lot of the genre's pioneers had pretty much the same sound. However, given these limitations, this album was about as good as it could have been. Best song: Architecture And Morality builds nicely, although I'll also mention the irresistible '80s banger Joan Of Arc.
С сегодняшнего дня я решил ставить оценки, исходя из собственных впечатлений от альбома, а не из какого-то мифического уважения к записям в этом списке. И вот с этим альбомом снова всё то же самое, что и с другими: да, прикольно, но для меня скучновато и как-то не цепляет.
Sort of inspired at times... otherwise boring as can be... If I were around in ‘81, I’m sure I would have loved it. But it has not aged well, and what has come after has made strides so large (both abstractly and generically) that this album lives in obscurity. Maybe I’m just not cultured enough.
This has always been an album I wish I liked more than I did, given its historical significance and acclaim, but I dunno, it's never fully clicked with me.
Seems like an influential record in the Electro-Pop genre, Joy Division sounds like OMD. Some nice, experimental yet accessibly pop songs.
I had no idea what to expect with this one. It was exactly as described, the innovative bridge between early electronic music and electro pop. I liked it!
Probably my favorite of the synth pop kind of albums we’ve had so far. wasn’t the most interesting, but enjoyable. Favorite Tracks: “She’s Leaving” and “Motion and Heart”
An interesting turn for OMD as they abandon their electro dance roots for a darker more experimental sound. Some of it works well but some leaves me cold
Nicht wahnsinnig konzentriert gehört, zugegeben. Trotzdem, ich mag die Idee, den Entwurf und in Teilen die Umsetzung. In anderen Teile müsste (und könnte) ich mich wahrscheinlich stärker reinarbeiten, aber dazu fehlt Zeit und auch Antrieb. Trotzdem: aus dem Stand und für den Moment 2,6.
Feiner Dark-Pop mit breiter Farbpalette. Hab mich nach Eno‘s „Another Green World“ sehr auf dieses Album gefreut, bin doch etwas enttäuscht worden; wo Eno es geschafft hat, einen kurzweiligen, knackigen Volltreffer zu landen so verfehlen OMD diesen ein bisschen zu stark. Vielleicht auch weil das geschulte Dream Pop Ohr ihr Schaffen in späteren Bands und Projekten gut aufgegriffen und weiter entwickelt erkennt. Das schmälert ihren Wert als Trailblazer nicht, zumal wenn man das Entstehungsjahr bedenkt. Nur entsteht aus freien und eher instrumentellen (Füller-)Stücken, nicht allzu poppigen Pop Songs und schillernden Perlen (grandios: „Souvenir“) eine allzu unterschiedlich gewobene Textur, die sich eher unausgewogen als abwechslungsreich anfühlt. Ungleichmäßige 2.7
The album gets off to a promising start, with the raw, edgy sound of <The New Stone Age>. <Souvenir> has a catchy riff (it reminds me of a slow-dance version of Anola Gay). There’s a fair number of slow jams. Their Kraftwerk influence is, unfortunately, often accompanied by smaltzy singing and lyrics, as in < Maid of Orleans>. Lots of pop hits in Europe. I prefer the closing songs are less commercial.
6/10. it's not bad and it had some interesting ideas but i didn't like it all that much, it seemed really melodramatic.
Het begon al The Cure en New Order en dat vond ik wel tof. Maar halverwege de plaat leek het ineens een andere band te worden en werd het minder spannend.
OMD, second to The Coral in the most musical Wools race. Contrary to my general musical tastes, I tend to prefer OMD's more poppy output and whilst this album has some moments, a lot of the more experimental stuff is pretty forgettable.
Really interesting album. It was almost able to sustain that interest over the course of the full hour runtime. My hour with OM in the D included a banana smoothie, taking care of business in a sawdust composting toilet, a 4 minute shower, 25 minutes of exercise for my old man back, and doing the dishes. Given this was 1981, I'm assuming this album had a big hand in defining the 80s synth pop sound. The vocals, the instruments, the recording, it all sounds very very 80s. Sometimes it's a soundtrack to Stranger Things. Sometimes it's a big proto Duran Duran pop song. May never put this on again, but thanks for the spin, 1001. B-
well more intersting than i was expecting. maybe my first taste of beer garden since the invention of the injectable microchip has greased the wheels. who knows what is real any more?
I’m giving this an extra star for having come out in 1981. I think this must have been pretty revolutionary.
Background noise really. We tried to give it a listen and kept forgetting to listen! Wasn't as terrible as I was expecting when I read the Wikipedia but obviously not actually good
“Joan of arc” and “extended souvenir” are both bops. Sounds like a movie soundtrack for a lot of the album. Really experimental production. There aren’t a ton of highs, but few lows either
Very interesting music. It simultaneously sounds vintage 80s and current. Singer sounds like Morrissey kinda. Pablo and I got through about three songs in the studio before he had to turn it off to work. He said they have better albums and was surprised this one was picked to be on the list.
The length of this album holds it back. There is some really nice, catchy synth-pop here but its often surrounded by filler in an album that would shine if it was 40 minutes (but alas clocks in at just over an hour).
Initially I discounted this album… aside from a few songs it seemed quite stereotypical for the synth pop genre. BUT! This can actually be acknowledged as the birth of synth pop so contextually it’s pretty fucking cool. A modest 6/10 time vibe personally, my fav tracks are She’s leaving, souvenir and the beginning and the end.
Very 80's - nothing special. There are a few tracks here and there that stick out. Very ethereal sounding. I like those.
Barely makes it to the "OK enough for background music". Generally speaking, I only appreciate Enola Gay, and it's not even from this album of theirs...
I liked this for the most part except for the weird slow songs that were mostly electronic? idk if thats the right word. FS: Souvenir
Didn't really get this when it was released, apart from the "Joan of Arc" single, so didn't buy it until a fair few years later. It's great!
Un album très interessant n'en déplaise a robtunnelier, qui doit être sanctionné pour sa mauvaise review. J'ai engagé mon propre paternel afin de mener la traque, et corriger comme il se doit rob. Il est actuellement en transit vers Stuttgart, et ne devrait plus tarder à remettre rob à sa place.
Struck me as experimental synth. 80s flavor comes out in full force here. Fairly enjoyable album but probably wouldn't revisit.
I painted the ceiling of my bathroom to this album, and I have to say it lends itself quite well to that. I wasn't blown away, but I liked it.
Well I had a hard time finding the "original version of yhis album. TIDAL does not have it except as a bizarre compilation album that bears little resemblance to the original release. Searching individual tracks I put together a Playlist in the same order as the original release, but thar did not seem fair. So YouTube to the rescue. On to my review. I was only familiar with this band from my vinyl copy of Organization from oh so long ago. That album never connected with me other than Enola Gay. With this album I think OMD reached another level. More variesd and dramatic than Organization. Highlights are The New Stone Age, which rocks like no other OMD song I've ever heard, Sealand is achingly beautiful in it's sparseness and huge dramatic drum sound and Souvenir is synth pop at its finest. I think this album is stronger than Organization. I'm going to revisit Org as perhaps I gave it short shrift back in the day. 3.5🌟
Dit soort muziek heeft wel iets. Het is ook een beetje kale muziek, eenvoudig en simpel. Ik twijfel tussen goed en heel goed. ***
No tää oli tällanen. Ajoittain hyvää, mut muuten ei oikeestaan. Ilmeisesti joku 80-luvun pioneeribändi ja joku musiikkipervo dumaa mua siitä ku en tienny
I’m not sure if it was because I was listening this in bed, but I got a bit bored listening to the album about halfway through and felt that sleepy lofi suited me much better. Then I realized I’m really bad at sleeping with headphones on, so I turned off the lofi as well. The ending to the intro song felt a little random, I remember thinking. A discrete piece of randomness that didn’t feel significant, like any child could have created the piece. For an album with the word “architecture” in the title, it could be perceived as ironic. Maybe the value of the album lies in its lyrics? I’ll check it out later.
honestly, I couldnt get into this album, unlike something like Dexy's Midnight Runners, thought i cant outright compare the two, this also had a bit of The Cure feel to it. I know this band's biggest song was "If You Leave", but this album just didnt resonate with me.
Somehow I had heard Georgia before and that song is weirdly endearing. However, most of the album (especially the more experimental parts) was borderline unlistenable. 4
With such bombastic band and album names, I found the music disappointingly minimalistic. I can see it being enjoyable when in the right mood or how this album may have been a strong influence for many new wave bands to come. But as an album, no, I definitely didn't like it. Mostly boring and occasionally annoying.
i like the whatever you call the music in the background it's so dreamy, especially in "she's leaving". actually scrap what i said before all the songs have a nice tinkle to them but souvenir is something else
I enjoyed it, but I listened to another orchestra focused album and didn’t like it as much as that.
Electronic rock. Seems really good, unfortunately just not my taste in musical style. Joan of Arc is a straight bop though.
pretty meh. stopped like halfway through because it was boring. at least it was in English
Not notable really. Some songs were alright, but I don’t see myself coming back enthusiastically for another listen
I was quite excited by this album - unfortunately for me it did not deliver. I like the Souvenirs song, but nothing else really stood out.
Mostly boring and drawn out for no apparent reason. However, I can see from where some of the later 90s electronic music was inspired. Worth a listen. Once.
I definitely know I know something by this band. They have a big hit I think. My guess is it is not on this album. One of those John Hughes songs. These guys are exactly what I thought they were. The Smiths, The Clash, The Cure, that whole vibe. The New Stone Age - Electronic Emo. Experimental Kraftwerk stuff in here for sure. Depeche Mode feel, but less polished. More punk. She's Leaving - This one starts with a Joy Division sound. Souvenir - First of the "singles" off this album. Nice song. How was that a single? It was pretty "care-free" to me. Sealand - Avant Garde to say the least here. And it's a long one. Feels slightly pretentious so far, but for its time, this might have been a true demonstration of something. 4:00 before vocals set in. I just don't feel that this song held up as the anchor it apparently was designed to be. The industrial noise part made me laugh. Like now I'm expecting animal sounds like a goat or something to mix in...and if they do - I'll pee my pants. Joan of Arc - Second single off the album. First thought is, "Why?" but it's more of a metaphorical comparison I think. This has a stronger single feel than Souvenir. Maid of Orleans - So what's with the Joan of Arc motif? The music video for this one is...something. The message being, "we're smart." We read and play chess and know things about Joan of Arc. Also, here's a cross, so keep your faith? Architecture and Morality - Title track. And as title tracks go, it's a let down. More loud, industrial noises, all building to...nothing. I know this was inspired and inspiring, but without context, it's not something I want to listen to. Georgia - This one sounds like Devo. Or Donkey Kong? Some kind of commentary on Russia and the USSR? The Beginning and the End - Honestly, the guitar was a welcomed sound. These guys got a little too self-important I think. Give me synth pop, not a lecture. Sorry. Overall, experimental, somewhat interesting, but ultimately all over the place.
Has some interesting moments, but generally fairly bland, and not very unique. On the higher end of 2 or the lower end of 3
Frankly, it's just boring to me. In the over-an-hour it takes for this album to wrap up, there's only a few tracks that caught my ear - Georgia, Architecture and Morality, and Motion and Heart; and even at that, A&M is over before it gets going (oddly enough given the problem with the majority of the album is the opposite), and the carnival-style novelty of Motion and Heart wore thin on me by the end. I understand and generally appreciate the appeal of an album that works as a whole, rather than as a collection of singles; however, I just didn't find the sounds on this appealing for the best part, and was ready for every song to end by the time it finally did. The crafted hooks weren't enough to get past the overly repetitive tracks on this, and the vocals grated on me. I respect the craft, and synthesized experimentation... I just really didn't find that this one hit the mark
Very electric and very new wave. Did not have any re-listenability. Some songs were OK, but I was bored through most of it.
The familiarity of the singles probably keeps them fresh. The general sound of the album and how different it was at the time soon got passed by. Others took it on developed it much further.
Spotify doesn't even have the full album! The two singles they did have were alright. But I couldn't give this the full listening experience. Spent the day listening to I, Jonathan by Jonathan Richman instead.
The most interesting Song is The New Stone Age. And much of the rest - I have not remembered
Sounds a lot like discount Depeche Mode. Not bad but I don't know why I'd listen to this when I could just listen to Depeche Mode.
more like architecture and mundanity...not a very exciting album. Honestly thought the band were one hit wonders and was surprised to see that album on this list. Would much rather listen to Kraftwerk. 2/5
I question this record's inclusion on this list. I was not impressed. I guess for historical context it's here, but this was not a legendary listening experience for me.
Maid of Orleans ken ik wel en vind ik wel aardig, maar verder kan ik hier echt helemaal niks mee...
I avoided them at my freshers’ ball. That is my main connection to this feeble synth doodling. Undeservedly revered.