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Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Pretending to See the Future
2018 marks the 40th anniversary of one of the world's most popular electronic bands, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Pretending To See The Future is the first official OMD biography since 1987's Messages. Taking the reader on a journey from their Merseyside beginnings via debut single `Electricity' (released on Manchester's iconic Factory label) into the 1980s and a string of Top 40 hits that includes `Enola Gay', `Souvenir', `Joan of Arc', `Locomotion' and US smash `If You Leave', the book also covers the band's break up in the 1990s and their triumphant return in 2006. The book contains a commentary from OMD founders Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys and is packed full of fan memorabilia and hundreds of photos. With many images in full colour and previously unseen pictures from the bands own archive, this is the OMD story as it's never been told before.
- GenresMusic
448 pages, Hardcover
Published December 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 22, 2021
In which the band that has meant the most to me for almost four decades now gets the definitive, warts 'n' all tribute. It's a wondrous concept – Andy McC and his colleagues (but mostly Andy McC) giving us the run-down on the band's history, from first meeting to first gazillion seller, to first thoughts of inventing Atomic Kitten (an act literally inspired by a quarter of Kraftwerk, don't'cha know), to the events that started the band's fortieth anniversary, of which this was part.
And it's the usual flawed OMD product. OK, the extended paperback edition (gah!) might have ironed out the copious typos, non sequiturs and other errors (like the second T in Mathew Street's first word, the small matter of announcing HoM#1 as a single a year before it existed, Stu being in a photo labelled 2010, etc), but I doubt it managed to sort the other aspect of the book, the fan testimony. Yes, fans were asked to contribute memories of note, so the book acts as a collective diary, with every gig, if someone can add something, getting its own entry. Otherwise it's every major release that breaks this up into chapters, and band eras that split it into greater parts. But boy, reading this you see some really amateurish editing of these considered, meaningful fan thoughts – and a good friend of mine who told me how her piece was chopped about seems to have got off quite lightly in comparison with others.
That said, even Andy gets that treatment sometimes, with his thoughts on the re-record of "Electricity" being bodged. Oh, and we're all too old now and so the black on salmon box-outs don't work, either. Yes, it is a mammoth undertaking – an earnest, honest, concision-is-for-lesser-groups product, full of insight, anecdote and getting the record straight, but it's annoying to say it needed a stronger pass with the red pen (that's why it fits so appropriately into the band's history, for many of their major projects have a flaw somewhere). And yet it is still not quite enough – windows in the history remaining shut (what happens in the Caribbean stays in the Caribbean, perhaps), and the geeky minutiae of the early chapters not being followed up for us obsessives can be most annoying.
This is still, though, by far the most official, definitive book, even surpassing the level of insider knowledge the one from Paul H's own brother provided when it came out, and there is clearly a case of us welcoming fans loving it by default, but as a pro book reviewer I have to say my eyebrows went up for the wrong reasons too often.
And it's the usual flawed OMD product. OK, the extended paperback edition (gah!) might have ironed out the copious typos, non sequiturs and other errors (like the second T in Mathew Street's first word, the small matter of announcing HoM#1 as a single a year before it existed, Stu being in a photo labelled 2010, etc), but I doubt it managed to sort the other aspect of the book, the fan testimony. Yes, fans were asked to contribute memories of note, so the book acts as a collective diary, with every gig, if someone can add something, getting its own entry. Otherwise it's every major release that breaks this up into chapters, and band eras that split it into greater parts. But boy, reading this you see some really amateurish editing of these considered, meaningful fan thoughts – and a good friend of mine who told me how her piece was chopped about seems to have got off quite lightly in comparison with others.
That said, even Andy gets that treatment sometimes, with his thoughts on the re-record of "Electricity" being bodged. Oh, and we're all too old now and so the black on salmon box-outs don't work, either. Yes, it is a mammoth undertaking – an earnest, honest, concision-is-for-lesser-groups product, full of insight, anecdote and getting the record straight, but it's annoying to say it needed a stronger pass with the red pen (that's why it fits so appropriately into the band's history, for many of their major projects have a flaw somewhere). And yet it is still not quite enough – windows in the history remaining shut (what happens in the Caribbean stays in the Caribbean, perhaps), and the geeky minutiae of the early chapters not being followed up for us obsessives can be most annoying.
This is still, though, by far the most official, definitive book, even surpassing the level of insider knowledge the one from Paul H's own brother provided when it came out, and there is clearly a case of us welcoming fans loving it by default, but as a pro book reviewer I have to say my eyebrows went up for the wrong reasons too often.
January 21, 2019
Er, wow. This is a massive labour of love, exhaustively documenting the history of OMD from pre-Cambrian times up to late 2018, straight from the guys themselves, with many additional contributions from friends of the band, community members (hey why wasn't I asked?), other musicians, music industry types, etc. If you're hardcore OMD then you won't want to miss this.
November 30, 2021
A very interesting way of portraying the band.
I didn’t contribute with my story since I thought it wouldn’t be reading material. I must admit the beginning of the book leading up to the split was the most interesting part, but it was nice to read how fans around the world all have a different relationship with the band.
I didn’t contribute with my story since I thought it wouldn’t be reading material. I must admit the beginning of the book leading up to the split was the most interesting part, but it was nice to read how fans around the world all have a different relationship with the band.
May 7, 2019
Excellent book, incorporating the fan's point of view and OMD members'. Brilliant read!
May 12, 2020
Absolutely superb book about the the history of OMD with contributions from the band, fans and other people from the music industry
February 10, 2020
Ok I'm biased, this was always going to be 5 stars. A fanthology of eighties synth band OMD, interesting record of the history of the band from the groups and fans perspective. As you would expect from OMD book is beautifully compiled, arty in looks and very informative. From the fans point of view it's nice to see the thoughts of fans you know and stand beside at the shows. Will appeal to anyone who has an interest in eighties music or synth music in general.
February 28, 2020
Fantastic book, an excellent way of telling a story alongside having fans' memories and tributes, memorabilia and the band's original lyrics, notes etc. Superb.
August 29, 2021
While the concept of an oral history that includes fan stories is great, I'm afraid the execution is a little overlong and increasingly redundant. And I say that as a fan myself.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews