A new release this, as of June 2010 – an American re-issue of the first album by Orchestral ManÅ“uvres in the Dark, this time round packaged in something approaching the style of the original vinyl issue.
I’ll let the photos speak for themselves so you can see what the packaging is like. Musically, the CD is like the 2003 CD re-master except that it loses two tracks, the ‘Electricity’ and ‘Almost’ Martin Hannett/Cargo Studios versions. If you’ve already got the CD and aren’t overly fussed about the packaging, walk on by people, nothing to see here and you are losing two tracks. If however you have a thing for a miniature reproduction of such a fantastic sleeve design, this may well be softly cooing your name already…
Sacre bleu! Who knew such a thing existed?!! While missing the Martin Hannett versions of “Electricity” and “Almost” is an aesthetic crime to my ears, (they are the unbeatable versions of the songs for me) the packaging of this disc almost makes up for it! It’s certainly the only CD issue of this title that begins to approach the brilliance of the original vinyl (which I of course, own). I’ve never heard of this Micro Werks label but if I saw this in store I might have to spring for it. Verrrrrry tasty. Very tasty indeed.
I assume you know all about the new über-deluxe boxed set of the new OMD album due in the Fall, “History of Modern?” I just ordered mine.
http://omd.sandbag.uk.com/Store/DII-161-5-history+of+modern++limited+edition+box+set+++tshirt.html
Your breakdown photos for that should be your biggest posting ever!
Well, I know what you mean about the missing Factory versions of Electricity and Almost… but maybe they will appear on a miniature CD single reproduction of the original black-on-black Factory sleeve design of FAC6?! That would be quite something. Well, we can but dream…
Fingers crossed the new OMD album will be a return to form. They are certainly going for it with the packaging… I’m a big fan of Peter Saville’s work, so that is a definite plus for me that they have renewed their acquaintances.
Wow. A Japanese CD-3 of the Factory “Electricity” complete with thermographic printing! If you’re going to dream, dream big. Or is that small?
The demo [Sister Marie Says] they released a few months back on the website is pure OMD ca. 1981 and the band admits that it’s the closest they’ve come to deliberately pastiching themselves. The music actually does date from 1981. It was rejected then because it sounded “like the cousin of Enola Gay.” Thirty years on they don’t think that’s such a bad thing.
The band had collaborated on an art installation with Saville [always a friend of the band from way back] a few years back that was staged at a Liverpool museum. Andy found the event a revelation because there was no pressure to have a hit single with it. A light bulb seemed to go off for him, so if the new album was made in the same ars gratis artis spirit it could be a corker.
Wow. I just received my OMD “History of Modern” boxed set. It was an orgy of packaging fetishism. Better still, when I popped the DVD in and viewed the lyrics, the track for each lyric page began playing and “New Babies, New Toys” sounded wonderful. Of course, I was waiting to hear it in my car on the commute to the gym/work tomorrow for a critical listening. I eagerly await your breakdown photos with report!