Well, we have finally covered every OMD album, except for the latest release, Universal, which is absolutely excellent. This of course, will be the second to last album survey, after which we wil change gears and start taking other types of surveys. This was another good month in terms of responses and there were a lot of surprises here.

Before you leave here, don't forget to Fill out this month's survey and send it in for me to include in next months results page. As always, I look forward to hearing from you all!

Here are your favorite Dazzleships tracks

Outstanding, one of my top 3 favorites----- 32%

Good album would recommend it----- 26%

Best OMD album Ever----- 21%

Average----- 16%

Below average, would not buy----- 5%

Here's what you had to say about Dazzleships

"After the masterpiece of "Architecture and Morality", I and I think most OMD fans found Dazzle Ships dissappointing and hard to understand in terms of the musical progression the band was taking. Dazzle Ships marked a vey distinct downturn in their fortunes inthe UK from which they never critically or commercially properly recovered. A lot of the tracks seemed - and still do seem - very peculiar, with little merit to them at all. However, in fairness the album does contain some thoughtful tracks uncommon in most pop groups repertoires. however, such as silent running and international. The usual, slightly off-beat, non-commercail side to the band also showed through. Although I would buy Dazzle Ships, it rests very much with three to four tracks, much of the rest not worth listening to. However, I saw OMD on the Dazzeships tour - my first rock concert and it was a night I will literally never forget."

Andy Cadman

Portsmouth

UK

"Dazzle Ships was my first exposure to OMD. The album was in a markdown bin at a record store. It had a cool looking cover, so I bought it. I loved it. To me, it was an electronic substitute for that other eclectic sounding album I liked, "Dark Side of the Moon," although completely different. The mix of sounds, rhythms, and haunting voices into a continuous flow is ingenious. To this day, Dazzle Ships remains my favorite album. And, as far as I see it, it is unique among all the band's stuff. I can compare any other OMD album to at least one other. But Dazzle Ships stands alone as a sort of electronic experiment. This is my first time on this web page, and I was initially dejected to see that Dazzle Ships had not been reviewed. Good timing. I was prompted to search out OMD as I recently saw my old girlfriend, who is as big a fan as I am. On On."

Mark T. Bradshaw

Ann Arbor, Michigan

USA

"Being a die-hard OMD fan since the age of 10 years makes it very difficult to critize the brilliance of OMD. 'Dazzle Ships' is the exception in my case. I bought the album because I wanted to own everything OMD ever produced. The only song on this album which I think is any good, and in fact happens to be one of my faovourites is 'Telegraph'. Of course the Dazzle ships version of 'Telegraph' can't hopeto match the extended 'Telegraph' mix on 'The Best of OMD' which is an masterpiece in synth work of the early eightes. The rest of this albumbesides the the song, 'Radio Waves' leaves me rather dissapointed. This album can never hope to compete with the likes of 'Crush', 'The PacificAge', 'Architecture & Morality' & 'Sugar Tax'. Why does a die-hard OMD fan rate this album as a dissapointment ? It smacks of a group in a very experimental stage, in fact to the extreme. I personally don't like this album and would rate it 3 out of 10 as opposed to Pacific Age which I would give 10 out of 10."

Matthew Greenway

Sandton, Johannesburg

South Africa

"It is a really good, but often overlooked, album. No doubt, this is OMD's most bizarre masterpiece they've ever composed. It is a brilliant album, but very strange, lyrically AND musically. But, perhaps THAT'S why this masterpiece called "Dazzle Ships" IS so brilliant!

From listening to this album, (and, essentially all early OMD albums), you get the idea that Andy is a very interesting fellow...(he'd HAVE to be to create such weird, irritating, beautiful, melodic, annoying, irresistible music as found on "Dazzle Ships"...

Spencer Acadia

Beaumont, TX

USA

"Brilliant! A classic. Excellent 1980's dance-type music from the best band in the world"

Anne Marie Colbert

Brisbane

Australia

"Excellent and relevant, this is definitely in the top of my OMD priorities. Not poppy or simpering about love, this is a wonderful release dealing with issues that have changed and affected the world. It is excellently experimental at times, masterfully done. Since this is the OMD I fell for, you can see why I would be completely disappointed with later releases. Telegraph tends to be poppy, but since the rest are so good, it is easy to forgive. It was extremely hard to pick 3 favorite songs, since the whole thing is so good. I liked the design of the cd, very sparse, adding to the feel of the sounds. I liked the Dazzleships story in the booklet-this is overall a very well done work. Highly recommended."

Juliette Kyser

Scarborough Me

USA

"First impression is everything", and this is the curse bestowed on 'Dazzle Ships' by many OMD fans and critics, including myself. The first 3 OMD albums had firmly established OMD's innovative pop sensitivity, yet Andy & Paul's obsession with Kraftwerk went too far with 'Dazzle Ships'. Too many short 'industrial' tunes left us listeners hollow and unsatisified. A few standout trks like "Telegraph", "Of All The Things We've Made", and "The Romance Of the Telescope" could not turn 'Dazzle Ship' into a balanced, consistant album. OMD showed a lot of efforts here, and I don't think it's a bad album. But overall 'Dazzle Ship' is muddy, to say the least."

Colin Liu

Toronto, Ontario

CANADA

"It's a good album. I'm thought I was more into experimental stuff than OMD when I came across Dazzleships back in 85 or so, but I soon changed my mind. Dazzleships is still worth listning at. "

Niklas Hedin

Stockholm

Sweden

"With the experimental sound of Architecture and Morality being so successful critically and commercially, I think OMD tried to push things to the limits of their talents. The catchy songs like "Telegraph" are not as catchy as "Souvenir" and the experimental songs like "Dazzle Ships" do not hold up as well as "Sealand". "Time Zones" sounds like a clever idea until you hear it, then why would you listen to it again? The only songs that succeed are the ballads "Romance of the Telescope" and "Silent Running" which have wonderful melodies and mysterious themes. Still, failed OMD experiments like this one are a lot more impressive than the long string of successful pop songs they cranked out afterwards."

Scott Larson

Portland Oregon

USA

"International is by far the best song on the album, Andy's vocals are so good."

John Irelan-Hill

Huddersfield

England

"Definitely regarded as the most avant-garde and bizarre album from the boys. In fact, Dazzle Ship has always been one of my most memorable OMD album as it was "Genetic Engineering" that first introduced me to the music of OMD way back in 1983. Beside the aforementioned classic, the second hit "Telegraph" along with several haunting tracks like "Silent Running" and "The Romance of the Telescope" stood the test of time as songs which I enjoy even till today. However, I could not quite make up tracks like "Time Prague", "Time Zones" and the annoying "Dazzle Ship", should I consider them as instrumentals or simply recorded sound. I suppose Paul and co were trying hard to break new ground in this album. It wasn't a commercially successful album as I recalled. However, taking away those few non-consequential tracks, I would dare say that Dazzle Ship is THE greatest album that OMD has ever recorded."

Nathan Ho

Singapore

China

"This album is by far the Best of the band. It seems to be the most experimental of all. Afterward I believe the overall quality of the band went downhill, or maybe it was just the changes needed to remain a part of pop culture. This albums is great for relaxation and regaining my composure. I am almost sure that without the existence of Dazzle Ships, I would most certainly be residing in a home for the criminally insane. Long live the Old OMD..."

Matthew K Puvogel

Seattle

USA

"This album's got a spooky vibe running through it that I really love. It's almost sad-sounding. Telegraph is such a great song. It's funny - all of my friends who claim to be OMD fans think I'm weird for owning DazzleShips - All they have is the Best of.. CD. I guess no songs from this album were put on the Best of so they'll say "There aren't any good songs on this, I've never heard of any of them!" Oh well."

Jameson Yin

Bedford,MA

USA

"Well, this was it! Andy and Paul stuck their necks out with the ultimate in ambitious albums and got burned for their efforts. That said I think the Dazzle Ships is a wonderful album and I enjoy every track except for the title one. Typically romantic and very innovative it proves the genius behind OMD. If there is a turning point in their career then it is this album and I'm sorry they were hurt by the criticism of it because their repsonse was Junk Culture which I agree with Pat was a pretty dreaful album. Paul and Andy themselves denounce this album these days but no song will ever match the heartfelt singing on International. An album I'll still be playing and loving in 50 years."

Tim Roman

Melbourne

Australia

"Telegraph is a typical pop-song. Not bad... Genetic Engineering is really good, the real OMD-sound of the middle eighties. Romance of the telescope is the best on this LP. But: This album is a little bit too experimental for me..."

Andrew Podmaniczky

Budapest

Hungary

"I just bought it because there were still some albums missing of OMD."

guenne

vienna

austria

"I only discovered this page recently, so it was nice that my all-time favourite, Dazzle Ships, was left until last. It was my first taste of experimental synth music, and I remember it for being quite different from most commercial fare the charts serveThere is a beautiful effective contrast between the experimental tracks, such as Radio Prague, Genetic Engineering &c; and the more melody-oriented tracks such as International (which really should have been the 3rd single --- I cried a little when the radio broadcast faded into the music first time I heard it), and Silent Running. The ethereal sound of these songs mean that they could easily fit onto Architecutre & Morality. Dazzle Ships is a masterpiece, OMD's most creative work."

Alexander William Sinclair Macfie

Abergavenny, Gwent

UK

"A very brave album for OMD to make after the success of Architecture and Morality and one which I think suprised a lot of fans who had not heard their first two albums and so did not know how they liked to experiment and play with sounds. A very atmospheric LP and definately one to show up your stereo system. Between the stranger tracks are some terrific songs such as Telegraph (how didit fail to make the charts),Radio Waves and Silent Running.

Ian White

Reading

England

"Well, what I have done this month as I have every other month is give the CD we are rating a good listen to during that time so that I may be fair and impartial. To my surprise, I found Dazzleships to be overall very good. Favorite tracks were a simple pick here. Genetic Engineering tops my list for this CD, great idea and use of different types of sounds make this stand out over many OMD tracks. My second favorite here is Romance of the Telescope, excellent drum work and you can tell that Andy really enjoys singing this song. It is great to see live (Sheffield Hall 1985), and even Andy says this is his favorite on the album, and maybe even of all!! Third place for me was a tie between Telegraph and Radio Waves. Both great, upbeat dance tunes that should have helped this album be a success, but for some reason the public and press were not impressed, but then again, what do they know!! See you all next month for the Universal review (IT IS AWESOME!!)