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''Dazzle Ships'' is the fourth studio album by English electronic band
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic band formed in Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The group consists of co-founders Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboards, vocals), along with Martin C ...
(OMD), released on 4 March 1983 by
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a world ...
(under the guise of the fictitious Telegraph label). Its title and cover art allude to a painting by
Vorticist Vorticism was a London-based Modernism, modernist art movement formed in 1914 by the writer and artist Wyndham Lewis. The movement was partially inspired by Cubism and was introduced to the public by means of the publication of the Vorticist mani ...
artist Edward Wadsworth based on
dazzle camouflage Dazzle camouflage, also known as razzle dazzle (in the U.S.) or dazzle painting, is a family of ship camouflage that was used extensively in World War I, and to a lesser extent in World War II and afterwards. Credited to the British marine ...
, titled ''
Dazzle-ships in Drydock at Liverpool ''Dazzle-ships in Drydock at Liverpool'' is a 1919 painting by the English artist Edward Wadsworth. It is one of Wadsworth's most famous paintings. Creation Wadsworth had been involved with Vorticism, an abstract art movement led by Wyndham Lewi ...
''. The follow-up album to OMD's commercially successful ''
Architecture & Morality ''Architecture & Morality'' is the third studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 6 November 1981 by Dindisc. Inspired by religious music, the group sought to broaden their musical palette by ...
'' (1981), ''Dazzle Ships'' marked a departure in sound for the group, who contended with
writer's block Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. Mike Rose found that this creative stall is not a result of commitment problems or th ...
and record company pressure to duplicate their previous release. The album is noted for its
experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when a ...
content, particularly
musique concrète Musique concrète (; ): " problem for any translator of an academic work in French is that the language is relatively abstract and theoretical compared to English; one might even say that the mode of thinking itself tends to be more schematic, wit ...
sound collages, and the use of
shortwave radio Shortwave radio is radio transmission using shortwave (SW) radio frequencies. There is no official definition of the band, but the range always includes all of the high frequency band (HF), which extends from 3 to 30 MHz (100 to 10 m ...
recordings to explore
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
and
Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, was the group of socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America under the influence of the Soviet Union that existed du ...
themes. It also concerns itself with the rise of technology in society. The record spawned two singles: "
Genetic Engineering Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including ...
" and "
Telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...
". ''Dazzle Ships'' met with negative reviews and, despite reaching the top five of the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
, was regarded as a commercial flop; the record nevertheless attracted a
cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
. Over the years it has been cited as an influence by multiple artists, and has come to be acknowledged by music journalists as an underrated and misunderstood work. Since its re-release in 2008, ''Dazzle Ships'' has received critical praise.


Background

In the year following the release of commercially successful predecessor ''
Architecture & Morality ''Architecture & Morality'' is the third studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 6 November 1981 by Dindisc. Inspired by religious music, the group sought to broaden their musical palette by ...
'' (1981), co-founder and keyboardist Paul Humphreys had married, and he and singer
Andy McCluskey George Andrew McCluskey (born 24 June 1959) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. He is best known as the lead singer and bass guitarist of the electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), which he founded a ...
were growing apart.Waller, Johnny; Humphreys, Mike. ''Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Messages''. Sidgwick & Jackson. 1987. . pp. 110–118. The pair had never expected the success they had achieved, and elected to retire OMD, having purchased their first cars and homes in Wirral. McCluskey said, "After two solid years of work... we had written our final epitaph – Maid_of_Orleans"_A-side_and_B-side.html" "title="Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)">Maid of Orleans" A-side and B-side">B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
] "Of All the Things We've Made" – and didn't think we'd ever work together again. And all of a sudden, we were quite rich." However, Humphreys and McCluskey – who had delivered only three of their seven contracted albums for Dindisc – felt a debt to their fanbase, and began discussing new musical ideas.
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a world ...
, who had assumed OMD's contract following the collapse of
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...
subsidiary Dindisc, attempted to influence the sound of the album. Humphreys told how the label tried to sway the band towards duplicating ''Architecture & Morality'', while assuring them they would become "the next
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
"; this compelled the group to change musical direction. OMD were daunted by the pressure of matching the success of their previous release, and early sessions were not fruitful. Seeking refuge in their radio experiments of old, Humphreys and McCluskey came up with the sound collages "Dazzle Ships" and "Radio Prague". Paradoxically, in light of the eventual critical reaction to ''Dazzle Ships'', the more experimental direction taken on the record was partly a response to muted reviews of ''Architecture & Morality'', which "forced MDinto new areas". At the band's Gramophone Suite studio in Liverpool, they reshuffled their inventory of instruments, introducing the E-mu Emulator. Experiencing
writer's block Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. Mike Rose found that this creative stall is not a result of commitment problems or th ...
, Humphreys and McCluskey moved to California for six weeks to live with the parents of Humphreys' wife. Upon returning to Liverpool, however, the pair had failed to produce any substantial ideas for the album. They elected to exhume "Of All the Things We've Made" for inclusion, feeling it had been squandered as a B-side, and resurrected "Radio Waves", a holdover from OMD precursor group
the Id The Id were a new wave/ synthpop band from the Wirral, Merseyside, England formed in 1977. They are best recalled as the precursor to the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), in which Id members Andy McCluskey (bass, vocals), Paul ...
(this track was considered as a single). "The Romance of the Telescope (Unfinished)", which had appeared as a B-side to 1981's "
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...
", was reworked and completed. Instrumentalists Martin Cooper and
Malcolm Holmes Malcolm Holmes (born 28 July 1960 in Birkenhead, England) is a British drummer. He is best known for being the original drummer with Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Biography Holmes’ first drumming sessions were for the Id, who includ ...
grew dejected by the largely unproductive recording sessions, with Holmes stating, "This was the first time that OMD had reached a major stumbling block." The band were encouraged by critics to become more political. As such, they used
shortwave radio Shortwave radio is radio transmission using shortwave (SW) radio frequencies. There is no official definition of the band, but the range always includes all of the high frequency band (HF), which extends from 3 to 30 MHz (100 to 10 m ...
recordings to explore
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
and
Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, was the group of socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America under the influence of the Soviet Union that existed du ...
themes, while oscillating between moody pop music and experimental,
musique concrète Musique concrète (; ): " problem for any translator of an academic work in French is that the language is relatively abstract and theoretical compared to English; one might even say that the mode of thinking itself tends to be more schematic, wit ...
-influenced soundscapes. "Radio Prague" features the interval signal of the Czechoslovak Radio foreign service, including the
time signal A time signal is a visible, audible, mechanical, or electronic signal used as a reference to determine the time of day. Church bells or voices announcing hours of prayer gave way to automatically operated chimes on public clocks; however, a ...
and
station identification Station identification (ident, network ID or channel ID or bumper) is the practice of radio and television stations and networks identifying themselves on-air, typically by means of a call sign or brand name (sometimes known, particularly in th ...
spoken in Czech. "Time Zones" is a montage of various speaking clocks from around the world. Neither "Radio Prague" nor "Time Zones" carry a writing credit, with OMD being credited only for arranging the tracks. "This Is Helena", "ABC Auto-Industry" and "International" also include parts of broadcasts recorded off the air (a presenter introducing herself, an economic bulletin, and news, respectively). The record also explores the pros and cons of the rise of technology in society. For a time the group sought inspiration in a new studio,
Phil Manzanera Phillip Geoffrey Targett-Adams (born 31 January 1951), known professionally as Phil Manzanera, is an English guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music, and was the lead guitarist with 801, and Quiet Su ...
's White House (latter Gallery Studios) in
Chertsey Chertsey is a town in the Borough of Runnymede, Surrey, England, south-west of central London. It grew up round Chertsey Abbey, founded in 666 CE, and gained a market charter from Henry I. A bridge across the River Thames first appeared in t ...
, and hired producer
Rhett Davies Rhett Davies (born 1949 in London) is an English record producer and engineer. Davies' father was trumpet player Ray Davies (no relation to Ray Davies of The Kinks). Davies became a studio engineer at Island Records studios in the early 1970s, a ...
. McCluskey said, "We intimidated aviesin the end. The songs were simply not up his street. They weren't conducive to being handled with slick touches and it ended up with arguments." This did little to help band morale, as Holmes explained, "Both myself and Martin seriously began to doubt Paul and Andy's judgement... More and more, it was becoming Andy's album." The sample-based approach to compiling the tracks further alienated Cooper and Holmes; the latter would ultimately play on only three songs, which had been recorded during the earlier Gramophone Suite sessions. Holmes spent his time at the White House "playing video games and trying to convince imelf that Paul and Andy knew what they were doing." Part of the album was also recorded at Mayfair Studios in London. To maintain the band's image of being signed to an indie label, the ''Dazzle Ships'' record sleeve purported that the album was issued by the fictitious "Telegraph" label. It was released on LP,
compact cassette The Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called the tape cassette, cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. Invented by Lou Otte ...
and
compact disc The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in O ...
. The cover art was created by longtime OMD collaborator Peter Saville; ''
Dazzle-ships in Drydock at Liverpool ''Dazzle-ships in Drydock at Liverpool'' is a 1919 painting by the English artist Edward Wadsworth. It is one of Wadsworth's most famous paintings. Creation Wadsworth had been involved with Vorticism, an abstract art movement led by Wyndham Lewi ...
'', the painting which inspired the record's title and artwork, is in the collection of the
National Gallery of Canada The National Gallery of Canada (french: Musée des beaux-arts du Canada), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the ...
in Ottawa.


Commercial performance

''Dazzle Ships'' peaked at number five on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
(remaining in the top 20 for six weeks), and also reached the top-10 in New Zealand and Spain. The record achieved global sales of 300,000 copies; this figure represented a fraction of the sales of multi-million selling predecessor ''
Architecture & Morality ''Architecture & Morality'' is the third studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 6 November 1981 by Dindisc. Inspired by religious music, the group sought to broaden their musical palette by ...
'' (1981), and prompted OMD to move in a more conservative musical direction on subsequent releases.Stanley, Bob
How to lose 3 million fans in one easy step
''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
''. 7 March 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
'' NME''s Gary Ryan noted that the album "was considered a flop", while McCluskey recalled, "The painful joke at Virgin was that it shipped gold and
return Return may refer to: In business, economics, and finance * Return on investment (ROI), the financial gain after an expense. * Rate of return, the financial term for the profit or loss derived from an investment * Tax return, a blank document or t ...
ed platinum."


Critical reception

''Dazzle Ships'' received negative reviews, with ''NME'' and other outlets making unfavourable comparisons to the work of OMD heroes
Kraftwerk Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize t ...
. A scathing Mark Moses in ''
The Boston Phoenix ''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States of America by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the ''Portland Phoenix'' a ...
'' rechristened the album "''Guzzle Shit'' by Offensive Manure in the Park". ''
Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the '' NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in '' ...
''s Jim Reid observed a "nightmarish" album "replete with the worst kind of futuristic nonsense", while John Gill of ''
Time Out Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to: Time * Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team * Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken * Timeout (computing), an engine ...
'' labelled it "redundant avant-garde trickery". ''
Sun Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...
'' critic Michael Lawson dismissed the record's experimental content as filler, adding that "too much attention sgiven to soundtrack-like effects that only clutter what decent electropop baubles there are here." There were sporadic appeals for listener perseverance: Paul Colbert of ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
'' portrayed the album as "a challenge and a reward", while ''
Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand ...
'' reviewer Johnny Black argued that "the songs are waiting to be found and are as melodic, passionate and vital as ever". Although a critical and commercial disappointment upon release, ''Dazzle Ships'' came to be seen as a noble failure. It was endorsed by ''
Mojo Mojo may refer to: *Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * '' ...
'' as a "buried treasure" and an "ignored masterwork", while Todd Eddy of '' Q'' referred to a "transcendent record" that "stands alongside 981's''Architecture & Morality'' as a document of OMD's creative zenith." In '' The Rough Guide to Rock'' (1996), co-author Dave Castle said of ''Dazzle Ships'', "This austere evocation of modern alienation is the classic OMD album. Excellent use of samples and incredible synths on strong, melodic and above all highly intelligent pop music." ''
Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...
'' remained unconvinced, describing the record as "impressive but not satisfying". The magazine noted "some amazing sounds and a powerful atmosphere", but felt that "found-tape gimmickry" had taken precedent over songwriting. ''Dazzle Ships'' experienced a critical reappraisal upon its re-release in 2008. Tom Ewing of ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
'' wrote, "Luckily, you don't need a contrarian streak to love it... history has done its own remix job on ''Dazzle Ships'', and the result is a richer, more unified album than anyone in 1983 could have imagined." In a five-star review, ''
Record Collector ''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine. It was founded in 1980 and distributes worldwide. History The early years The first standalone issue of ''Record Collector'' was published in March 1980, though its history stretches ba ...
''s Daryl Easlea observed "consistently eccentric" and "dark and detailed" content, calling the album "a weirdly satisfying listen". Luke Turner of ''
The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quietu ...
'' asserted, "It stands the test of time as a heroic statement... ''Dazzle Ships'' was a fine realisation of that desire to be both pop and important that OMD first hinted at with '
Enola Gay The ''Enola Gay'' () is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, the mother of the pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets. On 6 August 1945, piloted by Tibbets and Robert A. Lewis during the final stages of World War II, it ...
' and '
Electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as describe ...
'."
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
's Ned Raggett said the record "beats Kraftwerk at their own game, science and the future turned into surprisingly warm, evocative songs." He and colleague David Jeffries hailed the album as a "masterpiece"—an opinion echoed by numerous critics.


Legacy

''Dazzle Ships'' has been recognised as one of the great underrated works of its era, and an album "ahead of its time". It was included in '' The A.V. Club''s "Hall of Fame", the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
''s "10 essential New Wave albums", and music journalist
Paul Roland Paul Roland (born 6 September 1959) is an English singer-songwriter, author and music journalist. Roland typically writes his songs in the form of stories, often addressing historical figures, characters from literature and film, or his own cre ...
's "Ten essential CDs" of the 1980s, among other distinctions.
John Bergstrom John Bergstrom (born March 3, 1973) is an American music critic and journalist. Career He is best known for his features and reviews on the international webzine ''PopMatters''. He is also a contributor to ''Trouser Press''.PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television ...
'' wrote, "It's becoming all-too-common to re-brand yesterday's commercial failures as 'overlooked masterpieces', but ''Dazzle Ships'' critical salvage job was well-deserved." ''
Quietus Titus Fulvius Junius Quietus (died 261) was a Roman usurper against Roman Emperor Gallienus. History Quietus was the son of Fulvius Macrianus and a noblewoman, possibly named Junia. According to ''Historia Augusta'', he was a military tribu ...
'' critic Stuart Huggett charted the record's journey "from 1983 release to 2016 Classic Album", stating that it features some of the band's strongest work but is "likely to remain too off the wall ever to permanently join the general public's Classic Albums canon". ''Dazzle Ships'' has maintained a
cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
. Ian Wade of ''The Quietus'' described ''Dazzle Ships'' as "deeply influential". Saint Etienne have cited the record as a major inspiration, particularly on their 1991 album, '' Foxbase Alpha''. Founder member, music journalist Bob Stanley, noted that ''Dazzle Ships'' came to be "accepted as a great record". It has also influenced artists including
Death Cab for Cutie Death Cab for Cutie is an American rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington, in 1997. The band is currently composed of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, piano), Nick Harmer (bass), Dave Depper (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Zac Rae (ke ...
,
Moby Richard Melville Hall (born September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, singer, producer, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "among the ...
,
Future Islands Future Islands is an American synth-pop band based in Baltimore, Maryland, comprising Gerrit Welmers (keyboards and programming), William Cashion (bass, acoustic and electric guitars), Samuel T. Herring (lyrics and vocals), and Michael Lowry (p ...
, and
Telekinesis Psychokinesis (from grc, ψυχή, , soul and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), or telekinesis (from grc, τηλε, , far off and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), is a hypothetical psychic ability allowing a person ...
, who declared ''Dazzle Ships'' a "genius" album. It was identified by Death Cab for Cutie's
Chris Walla Christopher Ryan Walla (born November 2, 1975) is an American musician, record producer, and film music composer, best known for being a former guitarist and songwriter for the band Death Cab for Cutie. Musical career Early bands While at Bo ...
as the record that "everyone points to as MD's magnum opus. It's really a gorgeous album. It's daring and it's weird and it leans a lot on the paranoia of the Cold War."
Arcade Fire Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's current touring line-up also includes former core mem ...
orchestrator
Owen Pallett Michael James Owen Pallett (born September 7, 1979) is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist. Under their erstwhile moniker of Final Fantasy, Pallett won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the album '' He Poos Clouds''. Palle ...
played an encore of songs from ''Dazzle Ships'' on a 2006 tour, and commented, "There have been certain records in my life that I feel have saved me. Saved my life... records that sound unique or try some new form of human expression. Records like Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's ''Dazzle Ships''." Rapper
Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Cudi would move to New Y ...
sampled "ABC Auto-Industry" on his 2009 track, "Simple As...", and
Another Sunny Day Another Sunny Day was an indie pop solo project of Harvey Williams, signed to Sarah Records. Williams later recorded two albums under his own name. History The band was a solo project for Harvey Williams (born in Newlyn, Cornwall), started wh ...
and Eggs each released a cover of "Genetic Engineering" as a single. Singer-songwriter Anton Barbeau referenced the album with his electronic piece "Slash Zed Zip", whose title is an anagram of "Dazzle Ships". The album has received further endorsements from Liars' Angus Andrew,
Animal Collective Animal Collective is an American experimental pop band formed in Baltimore, Maryland. Its members consist of Avey Tare (David Portner), Panda Bear (musician), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Geologist (musician), Geologist (Brian Weitz), and Deakin ( ...
, Amanda "MNDR" Warner, physicist/musician Brian Cox, and producer
Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, R ...
, who said, "I was just completely floored... It's just so elegant but a bit lo-fi at the same time." Andrew named ''Dazzle Ships'' as one of his favourite records, describing it as "such a cohesive statement, portraying a bleak and lonely environment of a different sort." He added, "It's such an incredible feat to feature experiments like 'Dazzle Ships, Pts. 1-3' 'sic'' and have them... enhance an album with more straight forward tracks like 'Telegraph'." Novelist and visual artist Douglas Coupland listed it among his 12 "must-have" records, stating, "''Dazzle Ships'' is amazing. It's like a love letter to machines. Like caraway seeds or hot mustard, it's an acquired taste."


Band response

After the release of ''Dazzle Ships'', the band came to view the record as a creative mis-step. Humphreys lamented that "the good songs on it were lost in the overall presentation aspect." McCluskey assumed much of the responsibility, saying, "When the ideas man ran out of ideas, there was nothing left for the melody man umphreysto work on." OMD manager Gordian Troeller expressed regret over not insisting the album be re-recorded. He said, "I didn't fight, Virgin didn't either... I think some of the misgivings Paul felt about the work at the time were too easily overriden by Andy." Following the album's critical re-evaluation, the group began to view it more favourably. Humphreys remarked, "When we re-released it a few years ago we got five-star reviews... so perhaps it was just a bit ahead of its time. I know fans still cite it as their favourite MDrecord." He later named ''Dazzle Ships'' as one of his three favourite OMD works, along with ''
Architecture & Morality ''Architecture & Morality'' is the third studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 6 November 1981 by Dindisc. Inspired by religious music, the group sought to broaden their musical palette by ...
'' (1981) and '' The Punishment of Luxury'' (2017). McCluskey said at the time of its re-release, "The album that almost completely killed our career seems to have become a work of dysfunctional genius... it's taken Paul umphreys25 years to forgive me for ''Dazzle Ships''. But some people always hold it up as what we were all about, why they thought we were great." McCluskey has stated that he is "inordinately proud" of the record.


Track listing

*Label copy credits: All songs written and/or arranged by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (except "Radio Waves", by OMD/Floyd). *Writing credits below from ASCAP database. The "Manor Version" of "Telegraph" was recorded at the same time as ''Architecture & Morality''. "Swiss Radio International" was dropped from the album at the last minute. Like "Radio Prague", it contains the call sign for a radio station and was once referred to as "The Ice Cream Song" by drummer Mal Holmes due to its similarity to the melodies played by ice cream vans.


Personnel

*
Andy McCluskey George Andrew McCluskey (born 24 June 1959) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. He is best known as the lead singer and bass guitarist of the electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), which he founded a ...
– vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, synthesizers * Paul Humphreys – keyboards, synthesizers, vocals, percussion * Martin Cooper – keyboards, synthesizers *
Malcolm Holmes Malcolm Holmes (born 28 July 1960 in Birkenhead, England) is a British drummer. He is best known for being the original drummer with Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Biography Holmes’ first drumming sessions were for the Id, who includ ...
– drums, percussion


Production details

* Recorded at The Gramophone Suite, Gallery Studio and Mayfair Studio * Mixed at
The Manor Studio The Manor Studio (a.k.a. The Manor) was a recording studio in the manor house at the village of Shipton-on-Cherwell in Oxfordshire, England, north of the city of Oxford. Overview The Manor and its outbuildings are listed Grade II on the Na ...
* Engineered by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Rhett Davies, Ian Little, Keith Richard Nixon, Brian Tench * Produced by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Rhett Davies * Mastered at The Master Room by Arun Chakraverty * Designed by M. Garrett, K. Kennedy, P. Pennington, Peter Saville, and
Brett Wickens Brett Wickens (born April 15, 1961 in Hamilton, Ontario) is a British-Canadian creative director known for his work with identity design. He is a partner for the Ammunition Design Group, and is currently living and working in the San Francisco ...
for Peter Saville Associates.


Instruments

In terms of instrumentation, ''Dazzle Ships'' saw the band begin to explore digital sampling keyboards (the E-mu Emulator) in addition to their continued use of analogue synthesizers and the
Mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. ...
. List of used instruments: * Roland Drumatix Rhythm Unit * Eko Rythmaker * Korg MS-20 * Roland SH09 * Roland SH2 * E-mu Emulator I * Novatron * Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 *
Oberheim OB-X The Oberheim OB-X was the first of Oberheim's OB-series polyphonic analog subtractive synthesizers. First commercially available in June 1979, the OB-X was introduced to compete with the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5, which had been success ...
* Solina String Machine * Vox Organ * Toy Piano * Rainbow Organ * Piano *
Gretsch Drums Gretsch Drums is a division of American musical instrument manufacturer Gretsch. The company was founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 1883. Gretsch drum kits have been used by many notable drummers including Max Roach, Tony Williams, Art Blakey, ...
*
Ludwig Drums Ludwig Drums is a United States musical instrument manufacturer, focused on percussion. The brand achieved significant popularity in the 1960s due to the endorsement of the Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. It is a subsidiary of Conn-Selmer. Products ...
*
Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
Military Bass Drum * Hammer Bass Block Guitar *
Fender Jazz Bass The Fender Jazz Bass (often shortened to ''J-Bass'') is the second model of electric bass created by Leo Fender. It is distinct from the Precision Bass in that its tone is brighter and richer in the midrange and treble with less emphasis on th ...
* Speak & Spell Machine *
Sanyo , stylized as SANYO, is a Japanese electronics company and formerly a member of the ''Fortune'' Global 500 whose headquarters was located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo had over 230 subsidiaries and affiliates, and was founded by ...
Short Wave Radio *
Typewriter A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical machine for typing characters. Typically, a typewriter has an array of keys, and each one causes a different single character to be produced on paper by striking an inked ribbon selectivel ...


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Notes


References


External links


Album lyrics



Clash Magazine – Andy McCluskey interview by John O Rourke 12/03/2008, ''Dazzle Ships'' re-release
{{Authority control 1983 albums Albums produced by Rhett Davies Concept albums Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark albums Virgin Records albums