Crush (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark album)

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 was the first of two OMD albums produced by American record producer Stephen Hague.

Crush
Studio album by
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Released17 June 1985 (1985-06-17)
Recorded1984–1985
StudioAmazon Studios, Liverpool
Genre
Length38:37
LabelVirgin
ProducerStephen Hague
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark chronology
Junk Culture
(1984)		 Crush
(1985)		 The Pacific Age
(1986)
Singles from Crush
  1. "So in Love"
    Released: 13 May 1985
  2. "Secret"
    Released: 8 July 1985
  3. "La Femme Accident"
    Released: 12 October 1985

Aimed primarily at the US market, where the album sold well, Crush is notable for moving the band's sound in a far more commercial direction, although elements of earlier experimentation are still present. Three singles were taken from the album; "So in Love" (co-written with Hague) became the band's first hit single in the US. A long-form video, Crush – The Movie was also released, showing the band talking about their career and performing the songs from the album.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Encyclopedia of Eighties Music[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[3]

Crush received positive appraisals in the UK,[4] including what Andy McCluskey saw as the band's "first good LP review in NME".[5] Ian Cranna of Smash Hits wrote, "OMD continue their healthy recovery of form... strong, melodic songs in a more lush, or, orchestral setting, while still retaining that passionate punch. It's a welcome return of the thinking-person's dance music, and isn't it good to hear real drums again?"[4] Stateside, Michigan Daily critic Beth Fertig said the album "further confirms that [OMD] is one of the most creative forces in that synthesizer-band genre."[6] Bill Henderson of the Orlando Sentinel observed "bouncy singing, soulful horns and tape tricks that never become tedious or overbearing".[7] A favourable Bill Merrill in the Altus Times praised the "smooth combination of airy vocals and catchy hooks" found on "Secret" and "Women III".[8]

Retrospectively, AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine said the record "may be less adventurous than [OMD's] earlier work" but is still a "thoroughly winning album".[9] His colleague Dave Connolly commended a handful of tracks, but said that the "lightweight" Crush "represents a nearly complete reinvention of the band's original ideals" and offers "little of substance".[1] Trouser Press found the record to be enjoyable despite a "shortage of really memorable songs".[10] In reviewing The Best of OMD (1988), AllMusic's Mike DeGagne wrote that Crush contained the band's "best work".[11] In a 2013 online poll, the album was voted the 23rd best of 1985 based on the opinions of over 45,000 respondents.[12]

Andy McCluskey said that he would do the record differently in hindsight,[13] and feels that its production does not sound like OMD.[14] Both he and Paul Humphreys expressed regret over not challenging label-enforced time constraints during the making of the album. Humphreys nevertheless remarked, "Still, there's some nice things on there."[15]

"Hold You" was later covered by Color Theory.[16]

Track listing
  • Per the album, all songs by OMD (except "So In Love", by OMD/Hague).
  • Per ASCAP database, all songs by Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey, except where indicated.
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."So in Love"
3:29
2."Secret" 3:56
3."Bloc Bloc Bloc" 3:28
4."Women III" 4:26
5."Crush" 4:27
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."88 Seconds in Greensboro"4:15
7."The Native Daughters of the Golden West"3:58
8."La Femme Accident"2:50
9."Hold You"4:00
10."The Lights Are Going Out"3:57
Total length:38:37

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the Crush liner notes.[17]

Album singles
Release date Single UK
[18]		 GER IRE
[19]		 NLD
[20]		 US Hot 100 US Dance
13 May 1985 (1985-05-13) "So in Love" 27 18 13 7 26 16
8 July 1985 (1985-07-08) "Secret" 34 25 24 — 63 —
12 October 1985 (1985-10-12) "La Femme Accident" 42 — — — — —

References
  1. Connolly, Dave. "Crush – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  2. Larkin, Colin (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music. Virgin Books. p. 350. ISBN 978-0753501597.
  3. 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.
  4. Waller, Johnny; Humphreys, Mike. Messages. Sidgwick & Jackson. 1987. ISBN 0-283-99234-4. p. 150.
  5. Waller, Johnny; Humphreys, Mike. Messages. Sidgwick & Jackson. 1987. ISBN 0-283-99234-4. p. 152.
  6. Fertig, Beth (18 September 1985). "Records". The Michigan Daily. Google News. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  7. Henderson, Bill (7 July 1985). "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Crush". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  8. Merrill, Bill (18 August 1985). "Record review". Altus Times. Google News. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  9. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Crush – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  10. "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Crush". Trouser Press. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  11. DeGagne, Mike. "The Best of OMD". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  12. "Top 100 Albums of 1985: Slicing Up Eyeballs' Best of the '80s — Part 6". Slicing Up Eyeballs. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  13. Tarchala, Lori (24 October 2011). "Interview: Andy McCluskey". Messages – The OMD Magazine. Archived from the original on 3 October 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  14. Gourlay, Dom (July 2007). "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Interview". Contactmusic. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  15. "OMD interview - Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys (part 3)". FaceCulture. 29 April 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  16. Messages: Modern Synthpop Artists Cover OMD. AllMusic. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  17. Crush (CD booklet). Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Virgin Records. 1985.CS1 maint: others (link)
  18. "everyhit.com search results for Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". Archived from the original on 18 July 2007. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
  19. "irishcharts.ie search results for Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". Archived from the original on 1 February 2010. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
  20. "De Nederlandse Top 40, week 28, 1985". Archived from the original on 28 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
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