When you consider Depeche Mode and their history, this is the album where the band settled into its 80's sound. The first record was a Vince Clarke effort and it sounds totally different from all subsequent records. "A Broken Frame" was the album Martin Gore cut his teeth on as lead songwriter and "Construction Time Again" still feels like it has some rough edges with moments of brilliance. "Some Great Reward" is a solid piece of work and releases around this period all sound similar to it. Even though their style continued to evolve over each additional record, this disc is the template of how future recordings would be composed and engineered.
Martin Gore's fascination with German industrial sounds and music seemed to create a working man's New Wave. If bands like Duran Duran and The Human League were the British equivalent to posh music; Depeche Mode were the blue collar working class. With sounds engineered from striking metal or steel barrels... Or any number of industrial products struck to produce a percussive noise; Depeche Mode made a name for itself by producing music based on sounds no one else was using. They became an entity unto themselves.
The first song on this disc is iconic to fans of the band. 'Something To Do' was an anthem of sorts. As a teen in the 80's, (or any generation for that matter), one of the most difficult and annoying aspects of life is monotony and boredom. Not only did the song champion the plight of the working class who "work too hard for so little"... It also focuses on the seeming futility of life. There's nothing to do but work to survive. This bleak observation resonated with fans especially with middle class and working class youth. You can also hear the unique percussion elements throughout this song that the band created through their extensive sound engineering.
The second track is a more melodic number that doesn't rely heavily on metallic percussion. 'Lie To Me' is also the song that gives the album its title. The lyric goes:
"Lie to me
Like they do it in the factory
Make me think that at the end of the day
Some great reward will be coming my way"
Once again, the futility of life is a theme explored. You can also see this song in the cover artwork. A young married couple are standing outside what appears to be a factory or warehouse. The implication is social unions such as weddings or buying a house are the rewards for a lifetime of hard work and slave labor. I quite love the mellow groove and softer feel of this song. In fact, it's one of my favorites.
'People Are People' is up next and this is without a doubt one of the band's biggest hits from the 80's! It was huge! It takes a somewhat naive poke at racism and bigotry; but is still an important statement. I think this song was uniquely positioned for a number of reasons... The 80's would prove to be the first generation who simultaneously had different races and genders as its pop superstars equally. Most kids growing up in the 80's weren't familiar with racism as a reality, but rather a concept. And that's why this song wasn't so much a rallying call to arms, but a reminder not to follow the path of those before us and embrace a concept we didn't understand. Once again, 'People Are People' uses the famous industrial percussion.
The first ballad of the album appears next in the form of 'It Doesn't Matter'. Martin Gore takes over on lead vocals and delivers a sentimental, though strange observation on infidelity and the nature of love. There are some engineered sound patches used in this song, but they're more melodic than percussive. 'Stories Of Old' is the fifth track and once again, there's a heavier focus on melody. The tune deals with an unwillingness to follow the established story book format of life that supposes finding the perfect bride is the ultimate goal of life. Martin and the boys refuse to sacrifice their success and pleasures for the simple possibility of love.
On 'Somebody', Martin returns to lead vocals on what became one of the band's most famous and popular ballads. This sweetly sincere and somewhat naive song pokes fun at its own fragility. It's both something to revile and love all rolled up into one sappy, sentimental expression of devotion. Played almost entirely as an acoustic piano piece, you can hear some distant sounds playing like background noise. Is that the whistle of a train?
'Master And Servant' returns the heavy percussion and delves into the casual nature of sexual intercourse that seemed prevalent during the 80's. Morality had shifted somewhat and Depeche Mode wanted to draw attention to it while comparing it to a flawed system of political and economic wealth disparity.
'If You Want' continues with the high energy of both melodic elements and percussive elements. This song has all the energy of a circus! The music is spinning and at times, carnival-like. It's followed by the final track, 'Blasphemous Rumours'. This is another popular tune among fans and deal mainly with irony and how in the end it must all be a huge cosmic joke by God.
If I were to say this album had an overall theme, I'd say it was a celebration of mundane live and the futility of wanting something more. In the end, you only have what you have. And following the plan of the system won't lead you to ultimate happiness.
It's a complicated look at reality and for young people, it espoused many fears of growing up and what they saw ahead of themselves. Either in the lives of their parents or in the world around them. This is an album that deeply resonates with its listeners but offers little hope. The only true hope was in the music itself. The only real peace of mind is found in the escapism of listening.
I loved this album as a kid and years later, when I listen to it as an adult, I still love it and find it compelling and intricate. As young people, Depeche Mode were a deeply thoughtful group with a view of the world very people could share. My final words: AN EPIC COMING OF AGE ALBUM BY A BAND THAT WAS ALREADY LEGENDARY.
DEPECHE MODE - SOME GREAT REWARD
01. Something To Do
02. Lie To Me
03. People Are People
04. It Doesn't Matter
05. Stories Of Old
06. Somebody
07. Master And Servant
08. If You Want
09. Blasphemous Rumours
DVD CONTENT
01. A Short Film: Depeche Mode - 1984
02. Something To Do
03. Lie To Me
04. People Are People
05. It Doesn't Matter
06. Stories Of Old
07. Somebody
08. Master And Servant
09. If You Want
10. Blasphemous Rumours
11. If You Want (Live In Basel)
12. People Are People (Live In Basel)
13. Somebody (Live In Liverpool)
14. Blasphemous Rumours (Live In Basel)
15. Master And Servant (Live In Basel)
16. In Your Memory
17. (Set Me Free) Remotivate Me
18. Somebody (Remix)
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