| Laserdiscs were an unusual media that predated DVD. Generally
the same size as a vinyl disc, they offered better visual quality
than the more common VHS video format, but were often quite expensive.
They failed to make a significant impact on the market that videos
had dominated in the 1980's, although their popularity in countries
such as Japan - as well as dedicated enthusiasts - meant the format
managed to survive.
This Japanese release was the first time OMD had featured on laserdisc.
The laserdisc also comes with a glossy sheet with lyrics to the songs played during the show. ˙One side of the sheet has the lyrics in English, the other in Japanese.
This performance was captured during the Architecture And Morality tour at a concert at the Theatre Royal in London on the 4th December 1981. The concert was one of two extra dates added to the tour due to its popularity.
This video captured the highlights of one of OMD's concerts and
shows the band at the height of their powers. |
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| Some of the songs featured on the video were later redubbed because
of concerns about the sound quality. Some of the lip-synching, however, isn't perfect on some of the tracks, such as She's Leaving.
The original price of the laserdisc was 5,800 Japanese Yen.
A lot of the copies of this laserdisc suffer from 'laser rot' - meaning that due to the disc being improperly sealed, air gets inside the disc causing oxidisation resulting in poor playback quality.
OMD have also featured on compilation laserdiscs in Japan, notably the rare Genetic Engineering video which appeared on a laserdisc version of a Now That's What I Call Music release.
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