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The tenth through sixteenth tracks of the remastered edition are bonus tracks and were B-sides from the album's three singles, except "Gravity Never Failed", which was an out-take from the Architecture & Morality sessions (its original title, "Georgia", was transferred to another song on the record). Lyrics were largely inspired by historical figures and events, including Joan of Arc, after whom two songs were named. The songs avoided the verse-chorus-verse format, utilising lengthy instrumental passages and substituting choruses with synthesizer lines.
"The Beginning and the End" was an older composition that the band had attempted to record previously, but had shelved due to being unsatisfied with the results. The sample-heavy title track was compiled in the studio over a three-day period. "Sealand" was named after the Royal Air Force Sealand base on the Wirral, although the song is actually about an oil refinery it is also a nod to the Neu! song, "Seeland". " Souvenir" was the first track to be written for the album. McCluskey felt the title Architecture & Morality represented the interplay between the human and mechanical aspects of OMD: "We had the 'architecture', which was the technology, the drum machines, the rigid playing, the attempt to break out of the box by playing specifically crafted sounds, and the 'morality', the organic, the human, the emotional touch, which we brought naturally." Ladly, who was also a designer, was the girlfriend of Peter Saville, the album's sleeve designer, at the time. Īccording to the album's credits, its title was suggested to the band by Martha Ladly (formerly of Martha and the Muffins), who had read the 1977 book Morality and Architecture by David Watkin. All of these measures combined to produce a more naturalistic, emotive sound than on previous OMD releases. The group introduced other new instruments including prominent guitars on opening track "The New Stone Age", whose sound was intended to startle the OMD audience. Musically, the album is noted for making liberal use of those samples, as well as the Mellotron, a mechanical tape-replay keyboard. Ī catalyst in the development of OMD's new sound was Hughes using the band's studio to manipulate choral samples he had recorded. During his absence he formed Godot with former OMD session musician David Hughes.
Instrumentalist Martin Cooper left and re-joined the group during the making of the album, missing the bulk of the sessions. It's just trying to understand why people need religion and believe in it." The group spent two months recording at The Manor, Shipton-on-Cherwell, with additional recording completed at the band's own Gramophone Suite in Liverpool. McCluskey informed Melody Maker at the time, "I haven't gone and 'got God'. Frontman Andy McCluskey, a longtime atheist, told how the band "found a lot of influence in the emotional power of religious music". The album became a commercial success, selling over four million copies and spawning three international hit singles – " Souvenir", " Joan of Arc" and " Maid of Orleans" – which together sold eight million copies.ĭuring recording, the band introduced a number of new instruments to their sound palette, including the Mellotronĭuring the initial sessions for Architecture & Morality, OMD were looking for a new musical direction. The artwork was designed by longtime OMD collaborator Peter Saville, along with Brett Wickens, while its title was derived from the book Morality and Architecture by David Watkin.Īrchitecture & Morality met with a lukewarm critical response, but has since been recognised as one of the best and most influential works of its era The Morning News named the album the greatest of 1981, and "the blueprint for synth-pop". Inspired by religious music, the band sought to broaden their musical palette by utilising elaborate choral samples, the Mellotron, and other new instruments to create a more naturalistic, emotive sound.