Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Messages: Greatest Hits (Virgin)

Between them Andy McClusky and Paul Humphries have been responsible for creating two brilliant, but very different, bands. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, the early 80s Factory descendents who sampled blast furnaces and the Stanlow oil refinery. And OMD, the late 80s stadium pop act who defied all expectation by updating their sound and becoming – if only briefly – a relevant force in the 90s. It’s sometimes difficult to reconcile the fact that the two came from the same people, and consequently difficult to package the two together in one Best Of. Which is possibly why Virgin keeps trying over and over again.

This is their third major compilation release, with only minor tweaks in track listing from 1998’s The OMD Singles. But in the ten years since then the band have taken hold of their heritage and begun to repackage it and reperform it to renewed critical acclaim. And the main reason to buy this one is the bonus DVD, which contains 30 promo videos (11 of which are available for the first time) and one Top Of The Pops performance (for Joan of Arc).

The early and later videos remain stylish and, while OMD’s videos from the mid-80s (cod love stories that make Brookside look glamorous) have been derided for a long time, here in context they’re like classic retro museum pieces, the colour, comedy part of a fascinating, diverse legacy.