Search - Omd :: The OMD Singles

Some great tunes are missing-but what a bunch of hits!!

Gary D. Lipkin | Springfield, VA USA | 10/04/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I know, I know----it is not a "perfect" OMD greatest hits collection. I know, I know- it ignores great stuff from "Dazzle Ships," "Liberator," "Sugar Tax," and, of course, the great and unreleased-in-the-US "Universal." I know, I know- it is almost the same of the now out-of-print "Best of OMD." Yes--I also wish it had "La Femme Accident." But what did you expect?? Virgin, for some inexplicable reason, has never liked OMD and never gave them the support they deserved. But take this for what it is: a fine compilation of some of the best music from one of the best, and certainly one of the most overlooked and underrated, bands of the 80's and 90's. Just try not to smile and relax when you give it a listen! When crap from the likes of Eminem, TLC, Limp Bizkit, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilar, Backstreet Boys, Destiny's Child, and the rest of today's pseudo-musicians exist only in cut-out bins and are forgotten--the unique and tuneful music of OMD will still be played and enjoyed by legions of fans. Here's to hoping that Andy McCluskey (and the rest) can be convinced to come out of "retirement" and do it again someday!"

A Truly Phenomenal Collection - - Every Song is Outstanding!

Tiggah | Calgary, Alberta Canada | 08/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I remembered really enjoying two or three of OMD's songs from the early 80s, so I decided to take a chance on this CD, even though the songs cover a span of 17 years (from 1979 to 1996) and there was so much that I was unfamiliar with. I was also leery as it has been my experience that so many "Best of" CDs consist of a few favourites interspersed with what, at best, can only be described as filler.I was, therefore, very surprised upon listening to this disc to find that not only is it one of those rare treasures on which there is truly not one poor song, but there is not one song that is anything short of excellent. This is easily one of my top 5 favourite albums of all time.For the person who is interested in experiencing some of the best of the electronic New Wave music that the 80s had to offer, this is the CD to get, bar none. The last five songs are from the 90s and would, I suppose, be best described as electronic Euro-pop rather than New Wave. They are, however, gorgeous songs, with melodies every bit as beautiful as the songs from the 80s. This CD is roughly 70 minutes long. The booklet that comes with it is lovely. It gives a nice little history of OMD, and I was surprised to discover the number of groups who were influenced by OMD--groups like Blancmange and Yaz to name but two. The booklet also lists the title and year of each of their albums as well as the year of each of the featured songs (so one knows from which album each song came). In short, there are certainly other groups who have written songs of the same calibre as OMD, but there are none that I know of that have written so many or that have been so consistent in doing so. Considering this group never had aspirations of pop stardom and went on to have 17 Top-40 hits in as many years, this collection of singles is a testament to nothing short of an extraordinary talent.Very highly recommended to anyone with an interest in classic 80s electronic New Wave music at its best. Whether you are fimiliar with OMD or not, you will not be disappointed with this CD. It simply does not get any better than this!"

Succulent Synth Sounds

Pieter | Johannesburg | 05/14/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Synth innovators at first, OMD ended up purveying standard melodic pop without that experimental edge. This is well demonstrated on this incomplete (The Sugar Tax album is especially under represented) singles collection, where early tracks like Electricity, Messages and Enola Gay have a rawer sound, through their golden period as represented by classics like Joan of Arc and Maid of Orleans (From Architecture & Morality), down to the fluffy pop of Walking On the Milky Way. They were ahead of their time in the early 1980s, with only artists like Numan, Kraftwerk and Yazoo mining the same synth groove, and I always loved their often somber and grave take on things. Never quite as weird as some of the above or groups like Suicide, they always stayed in the melodic realm so you could humm their tunes. Not everything here will go down in pop history, but when OMD were good, they were brilliant and there is enough evidence on this album to merit it five stars. Should appeal to a wide spectrum of people - both those who love melodic pop and those into synth sounds, like fans of the Pet Shop Boys."