The album opens with my 3rd favorite OMD song, So In Love. The best, followed shortly by Secret, one of my top 10 OMD songs. The rest of the album plays terrifically, keeping with a lot of their warm yet experimental songs, and does it without becoming boring. As Architecture & Morality was developing OMD's definitive sound, Crush finds them in their writing prime, fully comfortable with the style they'd created for themselves.
Also, OMD has a way with the saxophone that makes it sound as acceptable today as it did back then. Usually I cringe when a band whips out the sax and starts tooting away. Not OMD. It's perfect.
OMD were definitely influenced by Roxy Music with their use of the sax. For their time in pop music, I think OMD were actually more influential than New Order, who had cult status but no real hits. As time has gone on, however, their influence and credibility waned and thus they have been forgotten/overlooked in the years since. As stray singles go, I usually consider If You Leave to be in with this group rather than The Pacific Age.
ReplyDeleteAn absolute favorite of mine! 'Concrete Hands' is in my top 10 OMD tracks. Thanks for this share w/ extras.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the opposite corner with albums. Pacific Age was my favorite of OMD's. But Crush has a great sound of dark love to it. It really is a work of art.
ReplyDeleteExcellent album but it's Hold You not Hold on... Fantastic ballad strangely overlooked track that's fantastic..
ReplyDeleteI believe it's misprinted (on the US CD at least) as "Hold On". Guessing that's what you looked at.
DeleteThis is one I have never heard. Thanks for that opportunity.
ReplyDelete-Brian
And add an "e" at the end of "Maria Gallant". It is "MARIA GALLANTE" the B Side of "Locomotion". Great artwork by the way :)
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting fact is that the extended mix of "Concrete Hands" on the 12inch is the original version and the single featured a cut down edit on the B Side. "Crush" was a good album on the mainstream side. And still there were experimental parts as you mention! I personally loved the track "The Lights Are Going Out". And then once again we had great B Sides ("Firegun", "Drift", "Concrete Hands", "Maria Gallante").
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