Metamatic Forums Socialising The Green Room OMD - History of Modern

"It's about the machinery of the music industry and all these willing volunteers who get themselves up on to X Factor and Pop Idol [England's version of American Idol] and have Simon Cowell inflict them upon us and upon themselves," McCluskey tells SPIN.com. "Particularly in England -- Simon Cowell is singlehandedly responsible for some of the most ******* awful music in the last 15 years that's been inflicted on the entire planet."

Yeah! & imagine the state of the pop industry if 'Atomic Kitten' were still going as well.

Ehmmm ... I kinda like the songs I heard so far, I think ... :rolleyes:
For example: I'd rather have David Bowie doing a 'Low 2' album. And I'd rather NOT have DB trying to incorporate the next hype, say dubstep ...

sorry Gary I have to agree with the other opinions posted here.

Its certainly a poppy and catchy song, and musically its OMD of the later period, and may well get them back in the charts, perhaps, but I think the lyrics are really naff, and fluffy as any pop nonsense can be:
"Cream will float, but sh!t will sell" :rolleyes:

Attacking X-Factor (much as I'm want to be sarcastic about it myself) does also seem a bit late in the day now, and there's more worthier things for guys as talented as OMD once were to focus their attention on.

I just don't get it with Andy, he's made various references over the years on programmes I've watched where he has attempted to downplay the serious side of OMD and implied that they shouldn't have got so deep about wanting to change the world with a pop song, and instead have been less idealistic in their approach. Well, I suppose that explains Atomic Kitten then.

Golden period for me is still the first OMD album and through to Dazzle Ships, after that is when the ship sank and I bailed out.

Well maybe it's because I'v just come off a very relaxing rtwo week holiday and I've got out more and had lots of fresh air and sunshine and all that, but I just have to say I REALLY LIKE If You Want It AND the video too...

yes production and everything is a bit OTT and very "rich" sounding (in fact the sparser Villa NAh remix gets the edge) but it's amazingly catchy and a very strong track, just like OMD used to be and obviously still can be.
I wasn't disappointed by the video at all which is a bit Pet Shop Boys-y but that's good .. not much of the McCluskey brothers but a bunch of strapping young "kids" doing something "modern" yes!..if you want a "cringeworthy" OMD video, then they did plenty of those in the 80s!

I was a bit taken aback by New Toys but I'd prefer to listen to it properly in the context of the album.. it may be a strong opening à la New Stone Age or may turn out a bit Black Rose & Universal Wheel .. don't know, we'll see.

30 second previews of each track on the album are now up on iTunes. If you don't have iTunes, one of the guys on the OMD forum has very decently saved the whole preview as an mp3 file on the link below;

http://www.mijnbestand.nl/Bestand-WVBVM366L8FS&download=TLEVSB7NC8DC

Looks like there are at least a couple of tracks to keep us fans of the old-style experimental OMD happy. Maybe I will buy the album after all!

Sorry chaps, this ain't for me!

I was hoping after seeing OMD live last year, I might be converted.

Sadly not.

Haven't heard anything yet but at least have made the decision to avoid the deluxe version.

For me, most of the first album is great, then three classics and then The Locomotion - the sheer horror. I have a slight soft spot for the Sugartax singles and a few of the later B sides but otherwise ...

Look out Hull...
http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk...il/article.html

For what it is worth there's a review in this months Q. They give it four stars.

"Even so, while synth-pop might have been oh-so-'80's, a winning way with a rattling pop tune is timeless"

I gotta admit, I guess I'm one of the few who's really digging OMD's new material. I'm quite literally counting down the days for the album to come out (although I'll probably have to order it in Australia, as I doubt I'll see it in retail stores, I'm generally lucky if I come across the "singles" compilation under the various "O" artists).

Undoubtedly "If You Want It" is a pretty disgusting example of synthpop trash, and what possessed them to release it as a first single is beyond me. However "New Babies: New Toys" is my a new favourite, and I'm really pleased with what I've heard of "A History of Modern (Pt 1 + 2)" on youtube.

Bring it on, I say.