Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Dazzle Ships

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Dazzle Ships is the fourth album by the Wirral Peninsula born Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, henceforth known by it´s much easier abbreviation `OMD`.  Best known for the immensely successful predecessor ´Architecture and Morality´ this fourth album, though much maligned at the time, was the bands finest hour. The album was released in 1983 to an indifferent public and a hostile press. As a result the band would hastily reconvene to produce the rather bland ´Junk Culture´ in order to regain chart dominance with ´Talking Loud And Clear´ and ´Locomotion´.

But let´s return to the album at hand. The best 1 Euro investment I made in a long time was through buying this mint copy of a former ´80´s favorite that had completely passed me by the first time around. Even though you will be seeing plenty of cover designs by him  on this blog this seems to be as good a time as any to praise the work of Peter Saville. The man responsible for some of the most iconic record covers of the 1980´s is best known for his designs for Factory Records. This die-cut sleeve is made to resemble the hulk of so called ´Dazzle Ships´.

Dazzle camouflage was used on ships not to hide them from view but to make it difficult to estimate type, size speed and heading of oncoming vessels. The minimalist, yet intriguing cover is a gorgeous example of Peter Saville´s art.

Half of this album consists of straightforward pop songs while the other, in general less appreciated half,  celebrates found radio fragments, speaking clocks and cold war nostalgia. This should please fans of Kraftwerk around ´Radio Activity´ and in all makes for one of the best albums released in 1983.

  • Released: 1983
  • Recorded: 1982, The Gramophone Suite, Gallery Studio, Mayfair Studio
  • Producer: Rhett Davies
  • Telegraph – Virgin 205 295-320

Queen – Hot Space

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It’s amazing how Queen always manages to swing from the sublime to the ridiculous, often in one and the same song. This 1982 effort however is firmly rooted in the ridiculous with the exception of the David Bowie co-op “Under Pressure”. Queen’s rapid downhill slide had started several years earlier with the release of “News Of The World”, never mind it’s iconic singles “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions”, the album somehow never came together. Since then the individual parts of each new album never made for a very interesting whole. No more so than in the early 80′s, in retrospect the nadir of pop/rock music but at the time when we were actually living it, it really was exciting and glamorous. Up to a point that is… It’s a miracle there was still an ozone layer left by 1986 when blow-dried New Romantics had been replaced by sprayed-in-place Hair Metal.

Environmental concerns aside the early 80′s were not kind to established artists. Freddie grew downright scary facial hair, Phil Collins a) went solo and b) turned Genesis into a hit-machine, never mind it’s prog-rock credentials. Mike Oldfield started singing (I always liked him better when he was quietly noodling his instrumental pieces in the studio) and touring and David Bowie obscured all serious moonlight with a new golden quiff and ill-fitting suits. It was the era of 15 year old sex kittens (Bow Wow Wow) and dandy pirate highwaymen (Adam Ant) dominating the charts. In light of all this “Hot Space” is actually a pretty good album. It may have offended part of  Queen’s fan base with it’s predominantly funky patterns and very little of Brian May’s guitar work  it did however fit in nicely with the dominating trends of the day.

Lyrically “Hot Space” is hedonism re-invented. “I’ve got fire down below. I’m Just a regular dynamo”..(Staying Power), all of Body Language. It ain’t subtle. Neither is the John Lennon tribute “Life Is Real”  a song that still manages to induce spontaneous vomiting spasms in the listener. In all it’s safe to say that side one of Hot Space is a very passable, albeit rather dated, early 80′s record while side two is an absolute mess that is barely salvaged by the David Bowie collaboration “Under Pressure”, a late addition to the album, so doubtlessly included as mere filler.

Queen would go on to improve on their fortunes with 1984′s “The Works”, then squander all that goodwill on “It’s A Kind Of Magic” in 1987. A few short years later and HIV would claim Freddie Mercury’s life bringing an end to Queen as we knew and loved it, despite it’s apparent flaws.

  • Released: 1982
  • Recorded: 1981, 1982 Mountain studios, Montreux, Musicland studios, Munich
  • Producer: Mack, David Bowie on “Under Pressure”.
  • EMI 064-64773

Breakfast At Tiffany’s – Henry Mancini

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LPM 2632 Rca Victor, Mono 1962

The one that started it all and therefore the logical candidate to kick of this blog.  In the fall of 2006 I was enjoying a long weekend in Brussels with my future wife when we stumbled upon one second hand record store after the other. I was enthralled, I could spent hours perusing the bins and started to realize that one of the biggest mistakes I had ever made had been to throw out all my old records and replace them with CD’s.

We remedied that starting that day in Brussels when we returned with our first twelve albums.  A Project Debut III SE fitted with a Ortofon OM530 cartridge followed and we never looked back.

This 1962 soundtrack to the Blake Edwards directed film was my wife’s first vinyl buy. A lover of all things Audrey Hepburn we now not only have the soundtrack album but the DVD, framed movie poster and Barbie doll as well!

The prolific Henry Mancini recorded over 90 albums in his lifetime and contributed music to more than 100 movies from the well known Pink Panther theme to the deservedly obscure Tobe Hooper Science Fiction/Horror disaster Lifeforce. ‘Breakfast’s’ best know track must be the Johnny Mercer penned ‘Moon River’.  It has been covered hundreds of times with the standout being a version by Morrissey:

The album was a smash, remaining on the Billboard charts for 90 weeks. Audrey Hepburn wrote a very sweet ‘Thank You’ to Henry Mancini stating

“You are the hippest of cats – and the most sensitive of composers! “

  • Released 1962
  • Recorded 1962, Hollywood California
  • Recording engineer: Al Schmitt
  • RCA Victor LPM-2632 (Mono) LSP-2632 (Stereo)