The Pacific Age | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 29 September 1986 | |||
Recorded | 1985–1986 | |||
Studio | ||||
Genre | ||||
Length | 40:18 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Stephen Hague | |||
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Pacific Age | ||||
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The Pacific Age is the seventh studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 29 September 1986 by Virgin Records. It was the last of two OMD studio albums produced by Stephen Hague, after Crush (1985). The record exhibits the same refined production values as its predecessor while venturing into the realm of mid-1980s sophisti-pop, retreating further from the group's experimental beginnings.
Working under increasing record label pressure and weathering a creative drought, the band committed each new song to the album with limited deliberation. The Pacific Age met with largely negative reviews, but has received some favourable attention in retrospective album listings. It was a Top 20 entry in the UK, Canada and New Zealand, as well as in multiple European countries. Lead single "(Forever) Live and Die" became the group's second Top 20 hit in the US.
Recording sessions for The Pacific Age were fraught with conflict and debauchery. It would be the last OMD studio album for five years, and the last to feature co-founder Paul Humphreys until 2010's History of Modern . The record is held in low esteem by OMD, with frontman Andy McCluskey calling it the band's "musical nadir".
Despite the gruelling recording and promotion schedule for predecessor Crush (1985), OMD's American label, A&M Records, wanted a new studio album as soon as possible in order to capitalise on the success of 1986 hit single "If You Leave" (from the John Hughes film Pretty in Pink ). [4] Afforded only two months to write a record, the band continued their focus on breaking the US market with more accessible pop material, while restricting the experimental tendencies of their earlier work. [5] [6] [7] The group again collaborated with producer Stephen Hague, albeit with the addition of his engineer, Tom Lord-Alge. [4] This ensemble worked out of Studio de la Grande Armée in Paris, building upon the band's earlier recordings at Liverpool's Amazon Studios. [4] [8]
OMD committed each new song to The Pacific Age with limited deliberation, while relying on some recent compositions for other projects. [8] [9] "We Love You" had been written for the film Playing for Keeps (1986). "Goddess of Love" was the group's original contribution to Pretty in Pink, but a rewrite of the film's climax rendered the track unsuitable (hence the creation of "If You Leave"). The band reworked the song for inclusion on the album, including rewriting the lyric. [8] One older track, "Southern" (which sampled Martin Luther King Jr.'s final speech in 1968), was included after failing to make the cut for Crush. Despite A&M's wishes, the group neglected to include "If You Leave" on the record. [4]
"Flame of Hope" uses Japanese TV commercial samples left over from the making of the Crush title track. "The Pacific Age" itself was based on the rising prominence of East Asia in world economics. [8] The songs "Cajun Moon" and "Cut Me Down" were almost featured, but according to McCluskey, "democracy won out". [4] Both songs were later included on the band's 40th anniversary retrospective box set, Souvenir (2019), which carries a CD of unreleased tracks. 1983 holdover "Heaven Is" was nudged off The Pacific Age in favour of "Flame of Hope", [4] but the track eventually surfaced on 1993's Liberator . Humphreys recalled trying to compose satisfactory material amid a creative drought, saying, "It felt incredibly rushed... we'd run out of ideas; there were no songs left in the well." [6] Sessions were marred by exhaustion, internal conflicts, and excessive consumption of drugs and alcohol. [6] [10]
For the first time, brothers Graham and Neil Weir were formally credited as members of OMD; [11] "Shame" was born out of Graham's desire to add a "soulful" element to the album. [4] The Weirs had been involved with the band as session musicians since the re-recording of "Julia's Song" in 1984 (a "Talking Loud and Clear" single B-side), and were credited as "also playing" musicians on Crush. [12] The Pacific Age features various session players, including guitarist Kamil Rustam and backing vocalist Carole Fredericks. [4]
The group intended to release "Stay (The Black Rose and the Universal Wheel)" as the first single, but Virgin pushed for "Shame" instead; "(Forever) Live and Die" was ultimately the first release. "We Love You" was issued as the second single. Virgin then scheduled "Shame" as the next single to the surprise of the band, who were on tour at the time. [8]
OMD intended to hire Peter Saville as the cover artist, given his contributions to many of the band's earlier artworks. However, Saville's later successes in designing covers for major acts like Peter Gabriel, the Rolling Stones and Wham!, had pushed his asking price beyond OMD's budget. [4] Graphic designer Mick Haggerty had recently returned from Mexico, where he had created various woodblock prints for a publishing company. He was enlisted to apply the same techniques to the Pacific Age cover, whose design was hand-chiselled from a piece of wood. To enhance the notion of a hand-made texture, the artwork was printed on the reverse of the sleeve so that the coarse, unvarnished side was facing outward. [13]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [14] |
The Brandon Sun | C+ [15] |
Encyclopedia of Eighties Music | [16] |
MusicHound | [17] |
Number One | [18] |
Record Mirror | [19] |
Smash Hits | 3/10 [2] |
Sounds | [20] |
Times Colonist | [21] |
Winnipeg Free Press | [1] |
The Pacific Age met with largely unfavourable reviews. [4] [22] Robin Smith of Record Mirror wrote, "The Pacific Age is a very flatulent album. It's difficult to digest and burps into life only occasionally. The most palatable songs, like '(Forever) Live and Die' and 'Shame', are surrounded by others that move with the grace of Tina Turner trying to dance in a pair of lead-filled wellies." [19] Smash Hits journalist Nick Kelly observed only "a couple of subversive melodies" among a "morass of passionless synth-rock ditties" and "characterless elevator 'musak'." [2] Melody Maker described the record as "wheezing, crumpled and limp" and "a bitter, bitter disappointment". [4] Paul Simper of Number One was more favourable, allowing that "the music – if not fire incarnate – has at least a warm glow". [18]
Los Angeles Times critic Steve Pond deemed the album to be "bloated" with "unnecessary pomp", and suggested that OMD find "a middle ground between what it used to be and what it's become". [23] Michael T. Lyttle of the Austin American-Statesman called the record "confusing and disappointing", adding that "[Stephen] Hague's labor on The Pacific Age can't bail out sub-par material. Look for no miracles here." [24] On the other hand, Winnipeg Free Press journalist Glen Gore-Smith found OMD to be "in fine form... adding low-tech elements to its sound, while maintaining the exquisite precision of its ethereal synthpop style." [1] Tom Lanham of the San Francisco Examiner identified the album as OMD's most cohesive since Architecture & Morality (1981), observing an "almost magical" rapport between McCluskey and Humphreys. He added, "Each track contains a palatable pop hook cleverly woven into its memorable framework. Potential hits abound." [25]
In a retrospective review, Trouser Press described The Pacific Age as "tiresomely ponderous and self-important", concluding, "Except for the smoothly contrived hit '(Forever) Live and Die' and the catchy 'We Love You', this dilettantish mess is less a set of songs than a meaningless collection of sounds." [26] Classic Pop 's Mark Lindores said, "The Pacific Age all but wipes out OMD's original identity, stripping it of everything that made them unique – an unfortunate turn of events for an act that previously had been ahead of the curve... As an album closer, 'Watch Us Fall' could not have been more apt." [10] A more forgiving Dave Connolly of AllMusic wrote, "It's true that tracks like '(Forever) Live and Die', 'Shame', and 'Goddess of Love' are more style than substance, but it's a style that plays to OMD's mastery of melody and mood... The band also continues to string snippets of sound together to create interesting patterns." [14]
Morale issues that arose during the onerous recording and promotion of predecessor Crush (1985), [6] [27] intensified during the making of The Pacific Age. Creative conflicts also came to the fore. These issues preceded a line-up split in the late 1980s; co-founder Humphreys would not appear on another OMD studio album until the group's post-reunion release, History of Modern (2010). [5] [6] [9]
Since the end of 1986, The Pacific Age has received some favourable attention in various album listings. The Gavin Report placed the record at no. 90 in its "Alternative Top 100" of that year. [28] StarPhoenix critic Terry Craig named The Pacific Age one of the 10 best albums of 1986, as did CFNY-FM listeners. [29] [30] In May 1987, the Los Angeles Times called it one of the five best digitally-recorded CD albums on the market, praising its "dazzling brightness". [31] Slicing Up Eyeballs readers later voted The Pacific Age as the 46th-greatest record of 1986, [32] while Diffuser.fm staff ranked it the 38th-best alternative album of the year. [33] It was placed at no. 672 in CMJ's "Top 1000, 1979–1989". [34]
Billy Manes of Orlando Weekly felt the record an "underrated opus". [35] Author Anna Smaill cited The Pacific Age – in particular the track "The Dead Girls" – as an influence on her 2015 novel, The Chimes. [36]
McCluskey discussed the album in the 2014 book, Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs That Defined the 1980s:
"The Pacific Age is our musical nadir. That was the one where we were writing songs because we had to make an album. We were going round and round America in buses for months on end, and the record company said, 'It would be great if we had a new album for Christmas.' We were on the treadmill. We were going back to an empty well. We were exactly the sort of band we promised we never would be. There were no concepts, no weird ideas, no 'Enola Gay'... I was dragging out lyrics that I would have been appalled by 10 years earlier." [5]
McCluskey feels that the record's production "just doesn't sound like [OMD]", and has noted that it features tracks he wishes the band had never released. [9] [27] Humphreys stated, "There were a couple of nice things on it, but to us, overall, it didn't work." He pointed to "surrounding circumstances, the time factor and conflicts that were going on". [37]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Stay (The Black Rose and the Universal Wheel)" | 4:22 | |
2. | "(Forever) Live and Die" |
| 3:38 |
3. | "The Pacific Age" |
| 3:59 |
4. | "The Dead Girls" |
| 4:48 |
5. | "Shame" |
| 4:15 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
6. | "Southern" |
| 3:41 |
7. | "Flame of Hope" |
| 2:40 |
8. | "Goddess of Love" |
| 4:30 |
9. | "We Love You" |
| 4:10 |
10. | "Watch Us Fall" |
| 4:11 |
Total length: | 40:18 |
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD)
Additional musicians
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [49] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [50] | Silver | 60,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic band formed on the Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The group consists of founding duo and principal songwriters Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, along with Martin Cooper and Stuart Kershaw (drums). Regarded as pioneers of electronic music, OMD combined an experimental, minimalist ethos with pop sensibilities, becoming key figures in the emergence of synth-pop; McCluskey and Humphreys also introduced the "synth duo" format to British popular music. In the United States, the band were an early presence in the MTV-driven Second British Invasion.
Paul David Humphreys is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the keyboardist and secondary vocalist of the electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), which he founded alongside lead singer and bassist Andy McCluskey in 1978. The Quietus remarked, "If, roughly speaking, McCluskey is the intellect and inquisitive nature in the group, then Humphreys is the heart." The pair have been recognised as pioneers of electronic music.
Dazzle Ships is the fourth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 4 March 1983 by Virgin Records. Its title and cover art allude to a painting by Vorticist artist Edward Wadsworth based on dazzle camouflage, titled Dazzle-ships in Drydock at Liverpool.
Junk Culture is the fifth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 30 April 1984 by Virgin Records. After the commercial disappointment of the experimental Dazzle Ships (1983), OMD and Virgin intended for the group to shift towards a more accessible sound on its follow-up release. The band retained much of their early experimental approach but embraced a wider range of influences than previously, drawing inspiration from pop, dance, Latin and black music. Frontman Andy McCluskey characterised Junk Culture as "the catchiest, poppiest album [OMD] ever made".
Organisation is the second studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 24 October 1980 by Dindisc. On Organisation the group worked with a producer for the first time, enlisting former Gong bass player Mike Howlett, while session musician Malcolm Holmes became the band's full-time drummer. The record is noted for its dark, melancholic tone in comparison to other OMD releases.
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is the debut studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 22 February 1980 by Dindisc. Recorded at the group's Liverpool studio, it showcased their minimal synth-pop style and peaked at number 27 on the UK Albums Chart. "Electricity" and "Red Frame/White Light" were released as singles; a re-recorded version of "Messages" provided OMD with their first hit in the UK, reaching number 13.
Crush is the sixth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 17 June 1985 by Virgin Records. It is the first of two OMD studio albums to be produced by Stephen Hague. Aimed primarily at the US market, Crush is notable for moving the group towards a more polished sound, although elements of earlier experimentation are still present. During recording the band employed a greater use of organic instrumentation than in the past.
Universal is the tenth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 2 September 1996 by Virgin Records. Frontman Andy McCluskey opted for a more organic, acoustic sound on the record, which peaked at number 24 on the UK Albums Chart. It was generally well received by music critics, although the British media's overall resistance to OMD – who had been rendered unfashionable by the prevalence of grunge and indie rock – prompted McCluskey to dissolve the group. Universal was their last album until 2010's History of Modern.
Sugar Tax is the eighth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 7 May 1991 by Virgin Records. It was the group's first studio album since 1986's The Pacific Age, and the first of three recorded without co-founder Paul Humphreys, who had departed in 1989. Featuring singer Andy McCluskey alongside a new backing band, Sugar Tax leans towards the then-prevalent dance-pop genre, with McCluskey's songwriting at times being influenced by the breakdown of his relationship with Humphreys.
Liberator is the ninth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 14 June 1993 by Virgin. Recorded by OMD frontman Andy McCluskey along with musicians enlisted for the multi-million selling Sugar Tax (1991), the album ventures further into the dance-pop style explored by its predecessor.
The Best of OMD is a compilation album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released in 1988; marking a decade since the band's beginnings. The record essentially delineates the group's experimental early years from their pop-oriented later work: side one features recordings from 1979 to 1984, while side two is drawn from the group's 1984–1988 efforts.
"If You Leave" is a 1986 song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD). It was recorded for the soundtrack to the film Pretty in Pink (1986), in which it is played prominently during the final scene. Along with 1980's "Enola Gay", the track has been described as OMD's signature song.
"Electricity" is the 1979 debut single by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), featured on their eponymous debut album the following year. Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys sing the lead vocals on the track together in unison. Recognised as one of the most influential singles of its era, "Electricity" was integral to the rise of the UK's synth-pop movement. It has garnered praise from music journalists and other recording artists.
"Walking on the Milky Way" is a song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD). It was released as a single on 5 August 1996 and appeared on their Universal album a month later. The song reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the group's first UK top-20 hit in over five years, and their last UK top-40 single. The band were flanked by a full string orchestra for their Top of the Pops performance of the song broadcast on 16 August 1996.
"Secret" is a 1985 song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the second single from their album Crush. Paul Humphreys sings lead vocals on the track. It became their second US Billboard Hot 100 entry, peaking at number 63, and also made number 34 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)" is a song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released in 1982 as the third single from their third studio album, Architecture & Morality. To prevent confusion with the group's previous single "Joan of Arc", the song was retitled "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)" for its single release. Both songs are about the French heroine Joan of Arc and both reached the Top 5 of the UK Singles Chart—although this release was more successful internationally, topping the charts in several countries including Germany, where it was the biggest-selling single of 1982. "Maid of Orleans" has sold four million copies worldwide.
"Locomotion" is a song by the English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 2 April 1984 as the lead single from their fifth studio album, Junk Culture (1984). It was one of the band's biggest European hits, charting within the Top 5 in the UK, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands, while also peaking at No. 14 in Germany.
History of Modern is the eleventh studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 20 September 2010 by 100% Records. It is their first album since 1996, and the first to feature the classic four-piece OMD line-up since 1986's The Pacific Age. It was recorded remotely, with band members compiling the tracks via the Internet.
English Electric is the twelfth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), and their second since the 2006 reformation of the group. Preceded by lead single "Metroland" on 25 March 2013, it was released on 5 April by 100% Records. Unlike predecessor History of Modern (2010), which was compiled remotely via the Internet, English Electric saw OMD co-founders Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys write and record in person, with the aim of recreating their artistic chemistry in years past. The album was largely inspired by McCluskey's then-recent divorce.
The Punishment of Luxury is the thirteenth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), and the third since their 2006 reformation. Produced by OMD, it was released on 1 September 2017 by 100% Records in the UK and White Noise elsewhere. In July of that year, the band commenced a tour of North America and Europe in support of the record.