Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Crush (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark album)

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Length
  
38:37

Release date
  
17 June 1985

Label
  
A&M Records

Crush (1985)
  
The Pacific Age (1986)

Producer
  
Stephen Hague

Genre
  
Synthpop

Crush (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark album) httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenthumbb

Released
  
17 June 1985 (1985-06-17)

Recorded
  
1984–1985 Amazon Studios, Liverpool

Artist
  
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Similar
  
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark albums, Synthpop albums

Orchestral manoeuvers in the dark omd crush full album 1985


Crush is the sixth album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released in 1985. It was the first of two OMD albums produced by Stephen Hague.

Contents

Aimed primarily at the US market, where the album sold well, Crush is notable for moving the band's sound in a far more commercial direction, although elements of earlier experimentation are still present. Three singles were taken from the record; "So in Love" (co-written with Hague) became the group's first hit single in the US. A long-form video, Crush - The Movie was also released, showing the group talking about their career and performing the songs from the album.

Omd hold you crush


Reception

Crush received positive appraisals in Britain, including what Andy McCluskey saw as the band's "first good LP review in NME". Ian Cranna of Smash Hits wrote: "OMD continue their healthy recovery of form... strong, melodic songs in a more lush, or, orchestral setting, while still retaining that passionate punch. It's a welcome return of the thinking-person's dance music, and isn't it good to hear real drums again?" Stateside, Michigan Daily critic Beth Fertig said the album "further confirms that [OMD] is one of the most creative forces in that synthesizer-band genre." Bill Henderson of the Orlando Sentinel commented that the record "contains some bouncy singing, soulful horns and tape tricks that never become tedious or overbearing."

Retrospectively, AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine said the record "may be less adventurous than [OMD's] earlier work" but is still a "thoroughly winning album". Erlewine's colleague Mike DeGagne wrote that the band's "best work came from 1985's Crush". Trouser Press, while favourable, felt the record has a "shortage of really memorable songs". In a 2013 online poll, Crush was voted the 23rd best album of 1985 based on the opinions of over 45,000 respondents.

Andy McCluskey said that he would do the record differently in hindsight, and feels that its production does not sound like OMD. Both he and Paul Humphreys expressed regret over not challenging label-enforced time constraints during the making of the album. Humphreys nevertheless remarked: "Still, there's some nice things on there."

"Hold You" was later covered by Color Theory.

Track listing

  • Per the album, all songs by OMD (except "So In Love", by OMD/Hague).
  • Per ASCAP database, all songs by Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey, except where indicated.
  • Personnel

  • Paul Humphreys – vocals, electronic keyboards, piano
  • Andy McCluskey – vocals, guitar, bass guitar, electronic keyboards
  • Malcolm Holmes – drums, electronic and acoustic percussion
  • Martin Cooper – vocals, saxophone, electronic keyboards
  • Kyle Green – additional vocals, piano, electronic keyboards
  • Stephen Hague – electronic keyboards, guitar
  • Graham Weir – trombone, electric guitar
  • Neil Weir – trumpet
  • Maureen Humphreys – additional vocals
  • Songs

    1So in Love3:29
    2Secret3:57
    3Bloc Bloc Bloc3:28

    References

    Crush (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark album) Wikipedia