Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark [OMD]: Sugar Tax (1991)

It took almost five years, but OMD finally released its eighth album on May 7, 1991. Because it was released in 1991, it's not easy to obtain on vinyl, especially in North America. In fact, I have never seen a copy anywhere in any store since it came out.

The second odd thing is that Paul Humphreys left the band after the last record, so Andy McCluskey soldiered on by himself. Oddly, McCluskey's name appears nowhere on the record or jacket or inner sleeve. Instead, credit is given simply to OMD.

The last weird thing is that the song Sugar Tax appears on the b-side of Then you Turn Away, because it was not ready in time for the record's release date. It also appears on the 12" releases of Pandora's Box and Sailing on the Seven Seas.

This record has more of a pop dance feel than OMD's previous efforts. McCluskey recorded three records as OMD without Paul, and then he, too, called it quits, for a while anyway.