Length 49:02 Release date 14 June 1993 Genres Synth-pop, Dance-pop | Liberator
(1993) Universal
(1996) Label Virgin Records | |
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Released 14 June 1993 (1993-06-14) Recorded The Pink Museum and The Ministry in Liverpool Producer Andy McCluskey, Phil Coxon and Barry White Artist Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Similar Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark albums, Dance-pop albums | ||
Liberator is the ninth album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1993. It peaked at No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart.
Contents
None of the album's three singles cracked the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart, although lead single "Stand Above Me", and follow-up "Dream of Me" did make No. 21 and No. 24 respectively. OMD co-founder Paul Humphreys, who had left the group in 1989, co-wrote third single "Everyday" (a No. 59 UK chart entry).
Omd heaven is
Background
Frontman Andy McCluskey had originally been influenced by World War II aircraft, the B-24 Liberator in particular. The cover art originally featured a variation of the "bomber girl" nose cone art that many of them used.
"Sunday Morning" is a cover version of the song originally recorded by The Velvet Underground. "Dream of Me (Based On "Loves Theme")" takes a sample from the instrumental hit, "Love's Theme", originally released in 1973 by The Love Unlimited Orchestra.
"Heaven Is" was first performed by OMD during their showcase tour in late 1983, prior to the release of the Junk Culture album the next year (along with other new songs such as "Tesla Girls", "Never Turn Away", and the title track). "Heaven Is" however did not make the album and was shelved (it also nearly made 1986's The Pacific Age) until the publication of this re-recorded version which contains some lyrical variations such as the name of the pornographic actress Christy Canyon as opposed to newsreader Selina Scott in the 1983 version. A demo version of the original was finally released in 2015, as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of Junk Culture.
A song called "The Liberator" had been planned to appear on the album, but was dropped.
Reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine in AllMusic remarked: "While it is far from the experimental and edgy synth-pop that earned the group rave reviews in the early '80s, [Liberator] is an enjoyable, lightweight collection of appealing dance-pop." The Electricity Club included the record in the list, "Some Not So Great Albums By Some Great Acts", but described "King of Stone" and "Christine" as "pure genius".
Andy McCluskey felt that he "messed up" the album, and described it as "way too busy".
Track listing
All tracks written by Andy McCluskey, except where noted.
Personnel
Mixed at Amazon Studios, Liverpool tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 10, 12 mixed at Sarm West, London
Songs
1Stand Above Me3:34
2Everyday3:57
3King of Stone4:18