Architecture & Morality

Architecture & Morality
Studio album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Released 8 November 1981 (1981-11-08) [1]
Recorded 1980–1981 at The Gramophone Suite, Liverpool and The Manor Studio, Shipton-on-Cherwell [1]
Genre Synthpop
Length 37:13
Label DinDisc, Virgin
Producer Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Richard Manwaring and Mike Howlett
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark chronology
Organisation
(1980)		 Architecture & Morality
(1981)		 Dazzle Ships
(1983)
Singles from Architecture & Morality
  1. "Souvenir"
    Released: 4 August 1981 (1981-08-04) [2]
  2. "Joan of Arc"
    Released: 9 October 1981 (1981-10-09) [2]
  3. "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)"
    Released: 15 January 1982 (1982-01-15) [2]
  4. "She's Leaving"
    Released: 1982 (1982) (Benelux only) [3]
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [4]
BBC (positive)[5]
Pitchfork Media (8.7/10)[6]

Architecture & Morality is the third album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1981. It is the group's most commercially and critically successful album, selling over 3 million copies[5]. Released just eighteen months after their debut album, it demonstrated both OMD's continuing musical maturity and advancement of their style. The album is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. According to the album's credits, the album title was suggested to the band by Martha Ladly, formerly of Martha and the Muffins, after the 1977 book Morality and Architecture by David Watkin [1].

Musically, the album was notable for making liberal use of the mellotron, a mechanical tape-replay keyboard more commonly associated in Britain with progressive rock bands of the early 1970s than with the synthpop of the 1980s.

The artwork was produced by Peter Saville and Brett Wickens. Architecture & Morality was released several times with varying artwork, most notably in yellow, blue and grey but even green versions are available. The original cover from 1981 is light yellow/orange in a die-cut sleeve.

The tenth through sixteenth tracks of the remastered album are bonus tracks and were B-sides from the album's three singles, except "Gravity Never Failed" which was out-take from the album sessions, originally intended to have been a single A-side, but not released until 1988, as the B-side of "Dreaming".

Remixes of "The Romance Of The Telescope" and "Of All The Things We've Made" appeared on OMD's next album, Dazzle Ships, which was released in 1983. "Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)" is often simply referred as "Maid of Orleans", released as a single with the title "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)".

All of the album's songs were included in the first part of the setlist on OMD's 2007 comeback tour.

Contents

Track listings

All songs were written by Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, except where noted.

Original release

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "The New Stone Age"   McCluskey 3:22
2. "She's Leaving"     3:28
3. "Souvenir"   Humphreys, Martin Cooper , Dave Hughes 3:39
4. "Sealand"     7:47
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Joan of Arc"   McCluskey 3:48
2. "Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)"   McCluskey 4:12
3. "Architecture and Morality (Instrumental)"     3:43
4. "Georgia"     3:24
5. "The Beginning and the End"     3:48

2003: remastered CD

No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "The New Stone Age"   McCluskey 3:22
2. "She's Leaving"     3:28
3. "Souvenir"   Humphreys, Cooper 3:39
4. "Sealand"     7:47
5. "Joan of Arc"   McCluskey 3:48
6. "Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)"   McCluskey 4:12
7. "Architecture and Morality (Instrumental)"     3:43
8. "Georgia"     3:24
9. "The Beginning and the End"     3:48
bonus tracks
No. Title Writer(s) Length
10. "Extended Souvenir"   Humphreys, Cooper 4:16
11. "Motion and Heart" (Amazon version)   3:07
12. "Sacred Heart"     3:30
13. "The Romance of the Telescope" (Unfinished)   3:22
14. "Navigation"     3:00
15. "Of All the Things We've Made"     3:25
16. "Gravity Never Failed"     3:24

2007: remastered CD with DVD

Disc One: CD

Same tracks as the remastered CD from 2003.

Disc Two: DVD

Promo videos
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Souvenir" (promo video) Humphreys, Cooper  
2. "Joan of Arc" (Live at Top of the Pops, 29-10-1981) McCluskey  
3. "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz of Joan of Arc)" (promo video) McCluskey  
Live at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane 4-12-1981
No. Title Writer(s) Length
4. "Almost"      
5. "Mystereality"      
6. "Joan of Arc"   McCluskey  
7. "Motion and Heart"      
8. "Maid of Orleans"   McCluskey  
9. "Statues"   McCluskey  
10. "Souvenir"   Humphreys, Cooper  
11. "The New Stone Age"   McCluskey  
12. "Enola Gay"   McCluskey  
13. "Bunker Soldiers"      
14. "Electricity"      
15. "She's Leaving"      
16. "Julia's Song"   McCluskey, Humphreys, Julia Kneale  
17. "Stanlow"      

Personnel

Chart performance

Chart (1981/1982) Peak
position
Netherlands Albums Chart [7] 1
UK Albums Chart [8] 3
French Albums Chart [9] 21
Austrian Albums Chart [10] 16
Canadian Albums Chart[11] 18
New Zealand Albums Chart [12] 22
Swedish Albums Chart [13] 28

References

  1. ^ a b c "OMD DISCOGRAPHY | ALBUMS 1980 - 84". Official OMD website. http://www.omd.uk.com/discography/albums/html/a_8.html. Retrieved 4 November 2009 (2009-11-04). 
  2. ^ a b c "OMD DISCOGRAPHY | SINGLES 1979 - 84". Official OMD website. http://www.omd.uk.com/discography/html/index_79_84.html. Retrieved 4 November 2009 (2009-11-04). 
  3. ^ "Q & A". Official OMD website. http://www.omd.uk.com/html/qa_recs.html. Retrieved 4 November 2009 (2009-11-04). 
  4. ^ Raggett, Ned. "Architecture & Morality > Review". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r23964/review. Retrieved 4 November 2009 (2009-11-04). 
  5. ^ a b Patel, Amar (20 April 2007 (2007-04-20)). "Review of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Architecture And Morality". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/nb8c. Retrieved 4 November 2009 (2009-11-04). 
  6. ^ Plagenhoef, Scott (18 July 2003 (2003-07-18)). "Album Reviews: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark / Organisation / Architecture & Morality". Pitchfork Media. http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11793-orchestral-manoeuvres-in-the-darkorganisationarchitecture-morality/. Retrieved 4 November 2009 (2009-11-04). 
  7. ^ "Chart Stats - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Architecture And Morality". http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=OMD+%28Orchestral+Manoeuvres+In+The+Dark%29&titel=Architecture+%26+Morality&cat=a. Retrieved 7 November 2009 (2009-11-07). 
  8. ^ "Chart Stats - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Architecture And Morality". http://www.chartstats.com/albuminfo.php?id=5523. Retrieved 7 November 2009 (2009-11-07). 
  9. ^ "OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark) http://www.infodisc.fr/Albums_Detail.php". http://www.infodisc.fr/Albums_Detail.php. Retrieved 7 November 2009 (2009-11-07). 
  10. ^ "OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark) - Architecture & Morality - austriancharts.at (German)". http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=OMD+%28Orchestral+Manoeuvres+In+The+Dark%29&titel=Architecture+%26+Morality&cat=a. Retrieved 7 November 2009 (2009-11-07). 
  11. ^ "http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/ OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark) - Architecture & Morality". http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.6242a&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=nnnmj6p1qiabice4ql54s7omf4. Retrieved 4 October 2009 (2009-10-04). 
  12. ^ "charts.org.nz - OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark) - Architecture & Morality". http://charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=OMD+%28Orchestral+Manoeuvres+In+The+Dark%29&titel=Architecture+%26+Morality&cat=a. Retrieved 7 November 2009 (2009-11-07). 
  13. ^ "swedishcharts.com - OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark) - Architecture & Morality". http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=OMD+%28Orchestral+Manoeuvres+In+The+Dark%29&titel=Architecture+%26+Morality&cat=a. Retrieved 7 November 2009 (2009-11-07). 

External links

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Andy McCluskey • Paul Humphreys • Martin Cooper • Malcolm Holmes
Stuart Kershaw · Phil Coxon · Nigel Ipinson · Abe Juckes · Lloyd Massett · Graham Weir · Neil Weir · Mike Douglas · David Hughes
Studio albums
Compilation albums
Live albums
Singles and EPs
Videography
Related articles