Universal (OMD album)
| Universal | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | ||||
| Released | 2 September 1996 | |||
| Recorded |
Pre-recorded at The Factory, Dublin, JE Sound, and Johnny Juma, Los Angeles Recorded at The Townhouse, and Metropolis, London | |||
| Genre | Synthpop, Britpop | |||
| Length | 49:40 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Producer |
Andy McCluskey Matthew Vaughan David Nicholas | |||
| Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Universal | ||||
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Universal is the tenth album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released in 1996. It spawned the group's first Top 20 hit in the UK for over five years with the track "Walking on the Milky Way". However, follow-up single "Universal" and the album itself performed poorly and this lack of success prompted singer Andy McCluskey to dissolve the band. It would remain their final album for over a decade until the group's reunion.
OMD co-founder Paul Humphreys, who had departed the group in 1989, served as principal songwriter on "Very Close to Far Away" and "If You're Still in Love with Me". Erstwhile McCluskey collaborator Karl Bartos (formerly of Kraftwerk) co-wrote "The Moon & the Sun".
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Colin Larkin | [2] |
Stephen Thomas Erlewine in AllMusic remarked: "Universal is a rote collection of synth-pop and dance-pop from OMD, demonstrating only a fraction of the sophisticated craft that made its predecessor Liberator enjoyable, and none of the adventurous spirit of their '80s records."[1]
Track listing
All tracks written by Andy McCluskey, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Universal" | 5:41 | |
| 2. | "Walking on the Milky Way" | McCluskey, Nigel Ipinson, Keith Small | 4:38 |
| 3. | "The Moon & the Sun" | McCluskey, Karl Bartos | 3:37 |
| 4. | "The Black Sea" | McCluskey, Stuart Kershaw | 3:38 |
| 5. | "Very Close to Far Away" | Paul Humphreys, McCluskey | 5:45 |
| 6. | "The Gospel of St Jude" | 2:23 | |
| 7. | "That Was Then" | 4:27 | |
| 8. | "Too Late" | McCluskey, Kershaw | 4:09 |
| 9. | "The Boy from the Chemist Is Here to See You" | 4:41 | |
| 10. | "If You're Still in Love with Me" | Humphreys, McCluskey, Kershaw | 2:51 |
| 11. | "New Head" | McCluskey, Simon Fung | 5:01 |
| 12. | "Victory Waltz" | 2:45 |
Personnel
- Andy McCluskey – vocals, keyboards, production, mix on tracks 8–9
- Matthew Vaughan – keyboards on tracks 1, 4, 8, and 10, guitar on tracks 2, 3, and 5, piano on track 3, bass on track 9, production on tracks 1–7, and tracks 10–12
- Breda Dunne – backing vocals on track 1
- Phil Spalding – bass on tracks 1–3, track 5, and track 7, backing vocals on track 2
- Chuck Sabo – drums and percussion on tracks 1–3, track 5, and tracks 7–9
- Hannah Clive – backing vocals on track 2
- Carol Kenyon – backing vocals on track 5
- Richard Allen Singers – vocals on track 6, courtesy of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
- Jimmy Taylor – guitar on track 7
- Maggie Keane – backing vocals on track 8
- Anne Dudley – string arrangement for track 10
- David Nicholas – production on tracks 1–7, and tracks 10–12, engineer, mix on tracks 2–10, and 12
- Gregg Jackman – mix on tracks 1, and 11
- Julie Gardner – engineer, assistant engineer
- Neil Tucker – assistant engineer
References
- 1 2 AllMusic review
- ↑ Larkin, Colin. The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music. Virgin Books. 1997. ISBN 0753501597. p. 350.