Organisation (album)

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Organisation
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Organisation album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Released24 October 1980 (1980-10-24)
Recorded1980
Studio
Genre
Length40:05
LabelDindisc
Producer
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark chronology
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
(1980) 		Organisation
(1980) 		Architecture & Morality
(1981)
Singles from Organisation
  1. "Enola Gay"
    Released: 26 September 1980

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 previous OMD releases.

Organisation received generally favourable reviews and provided OMD with their first top-10 album in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number six on the UK Albums Chart. "Enola Gay" was the only single taken from the record, and was the group's fourth entry on the UK Singles Chart, reaching number eight. Organisation was remastered and re-released in 2003, with several bonus tracks.

Background[]

Organisation features a darker, more melancholic tone than OMD's previous work.[1] The band had been Factory label-mates, and had played many gigs with Manchester group Joy Division, whose frontman Ian Curtis died by suicide during the writing of the album. OMD's compositions were influenced by Joy Division's moody sound, with "Statues" being inspired by Curtis himself.[2][3] The record also drew from krautrock influences.[1]

Organisation was produced by Mike Howlett, formerly bass player of Gong; this marked the first time the band had worked with a producer. Keyboardist Paul Humphreys said, "We learned a lot from him. We were young and didn't understand the recording process and he guided us and pushed us – he was sensitive to our more esoteric, experimental side."[2] Malcolm Holmes, who had drummed for precursor outfit the Id and provided session musicianship for OMD (notably on "Julia's Song", from the group's debut album), was recruited as a full-time band member, replacing the TEAC tape recorder named "Winston".[1][4]

Sole single "Enola Gay" had little in common with the dark sound of the rest of the record, despite its bleak subject matter.[5] The song was written at the same time as the band's debut album, as was "Motion and Heart", which was considered as a second single.[6] "The Misunderstanding" is a holdover from the Id.[3] "The More I See You" is a cover of a song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren in 1945, and popularised by Chris Montez in 1966. The track began as an original composition, but frontman Andy McCluskey found himself singing the words to "The More I See You" over the song, which morphed into a cover version.[3] OMD's arrangement is radically different from that of previous versions.[7]

"Promise" features Humphreys' first lead vocal, as well as his first solo composition on an OMD album.[3] "Stanlow" was written about the Stanlow Refinery in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, where McCluskey's father and sister worked. OMD cherished the view of the refinery lit up at night, often observing it when returning from tours. McCluskey's father granted the band access to the site to sample sounds from the machinery; a diesel pump forms the rhythmic opening of "Stanlow".[2][3] "VCL XI" was the name of McCluskey and Humphreys' short lived group, which itself was named after a valve on the back of Kraftwerk's Radio-Activity album (the name of the valve is written "VCL 11" on the Radio-Activity sleeve).[2][3] The record's title is a homage to the band Organisation, a precursor to Kraftwerk.[8]

As with all of OMD's early album covers, the artwork was designed by Peter Saville Associates. It features a photograph by Richard Nutt of the cloud-covered peak of Marsco in the Red Cuillin hills, on the Isle of Skye.[9]

Reception[]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic4/5 stars[10]
The Big Issue4.5/5 stars[11]
Encyclopedia of Eighties Music4/5 stars[12]
Pitchfork6.2/10[5]
Q5/5 stars[13]
Record Mirror4/5 stars[14]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide3/5 stars[15]
Smash Hits5/10[16]

Organisation met with largely positive reviews.[17] Dave McCullough of Sounds asserted, "OMITD are a youth-mirror more valuable than any street chic punk outfit I can imagine. OMITD are warmer than your so-called 'warm' bands, your [Bruce] Springsteens, your [Graham] Parkers could ever be. They reflect the young horror of where and how we live but... they face the problems with an irrepressible intuitive sense that makes the best pop of any time."[18] Record Mirror's Daniela Soave said of the album, "Full of drama and numerous layers, it conjures up many images, so much so that it could almost be a film soundtrack... outstanding."[14]

In The Age, John Teerds wrote, "Much of the music is hook-laden and highly-memorable. Orchestral Manoeuvres... have a very distinctive sound which is hard to beat when you're looking for the best in a modern, electronic style."[19] Lynden Barber of Melody Maker observed, "OMD have produced not so much a collection of songs as a pervading mood, a feeling of restlessness spiked by an unsettling edge that never allows the music to descend into complacency... a very healthy step forward."[17] Smash Hits journalist Mark Ellen was indifferent to the record, encouraging OMD to "cease clinging to the idea of being a serious 'experimental' band and go all-out for the shameless synth-pop single."[16]

In a retrospective review, Ryan Leas of Stereogum dubbed Organisation "one of the great albums from the early synth-pop era", on which OMD were "forging new sonic territory but also capturing the feeling of the times".[1] Trouser Press wrote, "[Organisation] pays attention to ensure variation in the tunes... With nods to John Foxx and David Bowie, OMD overlays melodies to dramatic effect; the performances are excellent."[20] AllMusic's Ned Raggett said the record is "packed with a number of gems, showing [OMD]'s reach and ability continuing to increase" while "situating the band in the enviable position of at once being creative innovators and radio-friendly pop giants."[10] Scott Plagenhoef in Pitchfork was less favourable, praising "Enola Gay" as "one of synth-pop's peaks" but describing the remainder of the album as "primarily hit-or-miss synth noir".[5]

Legacy[]

Stuart Huggett of The Quietus wrote that OMD's "great leap forward second album Organisation" stands as a "lost classic".[21] In an article for Fact, Minimal Wave Records founder Veronica Vasicka identified Organisation as one of the mainstream records to have influenced the development of the minimal wave genre.[22] NME named it as one of the 50 best albums of 1980.[23] Organisation was listed in Slicing Up Eyeballs' "Best of the '80s", being ranked as one of the top 35 albums of 1980 based on 3,360 reader votes.[24]

Musicians have praised the record. Organisation was the first album purchased by DJ/producer Paul van Dyk, who said, "It was extremely influential. Early electronic, but also melodies and poppy elements, the general imprint of what later came for me in music."[25] Brett Wickens of Spoons and Ceramic Hello recalled, "[Organisation] was extremely moving. I used to listen to it driving in the dark a lot."[26] Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson said of the album, "It's not [OMD's] biggest record, but I think it's probably their best. It's got that Teutonic, Germanic kind of cold wave thing going on, which I've always been a sucker for."[27] In his foreword for OMD's biography Pretending to See the Future (2018), physicist/musician Brian Cox called Organisation "an album of gentle darkness beneath clouded skies, which I fell in love with aged 12 and still love today."[28]

Track listing[]

Original release[]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Enola Gay"Andy McCluskey3:33
2."2nd Thought"McCluskey4:15
3."VCL XI"
3:50
4."Motion and Heart"
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
3:16
5."Statues"McCluskey4:30
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."The Misunderstanding"
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
4:55
7."The More I See You"
4:11
8."Promise"Humphreys4:51
9."Stanlow"
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
6:30
Total length:40:05

US release (O.M.D.)[]

Organisation was not formally released in the US; instead Epic Records released a compilation in 1981. This US release collects material from Organisation and the first OMD album, but retains the sleeve-art of the debut LP.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Enola Gay"McCluskey3:31
2."2nd Thought"McCluskey4:12
3."Bunker Soldiers"
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
2:51
4."Almost"
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
3:46
5."Electricity"
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
3:32
6."Statues"
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
4:08
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."The Misunderstanding"
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
4:45
8."Julia's Song"
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
  • Julia Kneale
4:32
9."Motion and Heart"
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
3:13
10."Messages"
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
3:59
11."Stanlow"
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
6:30

2003 remaster[]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Enola Gay"McCluskey3:33
2."2nd Thought"McCluskey4:15
3."VCL XI"
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
3:50
4."Motion and Heart"
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
3:16
5."Statues"McCluskey4:30
6."The Misunderstanding"
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
4:55
7."The More I See You"
  • Warren
  • Gordon
4:11
8."Promise"Humphreys4:51
9."Stanlow"
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
6:40
10."Annex"
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
4:33
11."Introducing Radios" (live)
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
1:27
12."Distance Fades Between Us" (live)
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
3:44
13."Progress" (live)
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
2:57
14."Once When I Was Six" (live)
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
3:12
15."Electricity" (DinDisc 1980 version)
  • Humphreys
  • McCluskey
3:43
Total length:59:37

Notes[]

"Annex" was the B-side to "Enola Gay". "Introducing Radios", "Distance Fades Between Us", "Progress", and "Once When I Was Six" are tracks that were originally available on a 7" released with the first 10,000 copies of Organisation, and initial copies of the cassette (which had a special silver cover/inserts).

Personnel[]

  • Paul Humphreys – synthesizers, electronic organ, electronic and acoustic piano, rhythm programming, acoustic and electronic percussion and vocals
  • Andy McCluskey – synthesizer, bass guitar, electronic organ, treated acoustic piano, rhythm programming, acoustic and electronic percussion and vocals
  • Malcolm Holmes – drums and percussion

Charts[]

Chart performance for Organisation
Chart (1980–1981) Peak
position
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[29] 18
Spanish Albums (AFYVE)[30] 15
UK Albums (OCC)[31] 6

Certifications[]

Certifications for Organisation
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[32] Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Leas, Ryan (23 October 2020). "OMD's Organisation Is One Of The Great, Lost Synth-Pop Albums". Stereogum. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Wilson, Lois (30 September 2019). "OMD". Record Collector. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – Organisation". OMD. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  4. ^ Cummings, Sue (11 December 1986). "Audiences Catch On to OMD". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 28 May 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c Plagenhoef, Scott (18 July 2003). "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark / Organisation / Architecture & Morality". Pitchfork. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  6. ^ Browne, Paul (24 October 2020). "Organisation: These Games You Play". Messages. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  7. ^ Thompson, Dave. "The More I See You – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  8. ^ Porter, Christopher (28 September 2010). "Synthesized Past: 'History of Modern,' OMD". The Washington Post. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  9. ^ Fulton, Rick (20 November 2020). "Don't call us a nostalgia band". Daily Record.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b Raggett, Ned. "Organisation – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
  11. ^ Miller, Paul (21 February 1994). "When Synthesisers Rocked the Earth". The Big Issue.
  12. ^ Larkin, Colin (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music. Virgin Books. p. 350. ISBN 0753501597.
  13. ^ Eddy, Todd (May 2003). "The Synthesists (supplement)". Q. No. 202.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b Soave, Daniela (25 October 1980). "OMITD Get Organised". Record Mirror. p. 22.
  15. ^ Evans, Paul (2004). "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 607. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b Ellen, Mark (30 October – 12 November 1980). "Albums". Smash Hits. No. 50. p. 33.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b Waller, Johnny; Humphreys, Mike (1987). Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Messages. Sidgwick & Jackson. p. 80. ISBN 0-283-99234-4.
  18. ^ McCullough, Dave (25 October 1980). "Organisation". Sounds.
  19. ^ Teerds, John (11 December 1980). "Records". The Age. p. 49 (GG: 12).
  20. ^ Grant, Steven; Robbins, Ira; Reno, Brad. "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". Trouser Press. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  21. ^ Huggett, Stuart (17 May 2016). "OMD's Cold War Album Comes In From The Cold: Dazzle Ships Live". The Quietus. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  22. ^ Vasicka, Veronica (26 January 2010). "The 20 best Minimal Wave records ever made". Fact. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  23. ^ "1980 Best Albums And Tracks Of The Year". NME. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  24. ^ "Top 100 Albums of 1980: Slicing Up Eyeballs' Best of the '80s — Part 1". Slicing Up Eyeballs. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  25. ^ Moayeri, Lily (21 April 2020). "20 Questions With Paul van Dyk: The Trance Icon on Growing Up in East Berlin & Why Social Distancing 'Is Incorrect' as a Term". Billboard. Archived from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  26. ^ Browne, Paul (15 February 2014). "Brett Wickens Interview". Messages. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  27. ^ Bosso, Joe (17 September 2012). "Steven Wilson: my top 5 not-so-guilty pleasures of all time – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – Organisation (1980)". MusicRadar. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  28. ^ Houghton, Richard (2018). "Foreword". OMD: Pretending to See the Future. This Day in Music Books. ISBN 978-1999592721.
  29. ^ "Charts.nz – OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) – Organisation". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  30. ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  31. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  32. ^ "British album certifications – OMD – Organisation". British Phonographic Industry. 8 January 1981. Retrieved 28 May 2021.

External links[]

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