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Another Depeche Mode album I have two versions of. I have the original US CD and the Deluxe Edition. There are some slight differences but I'll discuss those when I actually get ready to type the track list.
This was Depeche Mode's third album and actually the second of theirs I actually bought. If you break down Depeche Mode's evolving musical sound over the years, "Construction Time Again" is the quintessential record for the early years. Unlike "Speak & Spell", (which is more of a Vince Clarke creation than a DM record), and "A Broken Frame", (on which Martin cut his writing chops for the first time), CTA shows a more mature and settled songwriting style and set the standard for the rest of the 80's. The band would choose unusual subject material and the songs would often be sensitive and insightful at the same time. This is also a record where they begin to embrace the industrial barrage of engineered sounds they would become so famous for. Part of this is because of Martin's exposure to the German industrial sounds of bands like Einstürzende Neubauten.
You can definitely hear a theme on this record and that is disappointment. Having taken over as lead song writer for the band and suddenly finding himself successful, Martin L. Gore looks at the world around him and realizes it's not what he expected or even wanted it to be. From the initial track, 'Love, In Itself' he discusses these small epiphanies. For Martin, The Beatles "All You Need Is Love" turned out to be a lie spoon fed to the masses to keep people hoping things would turn out better than they were. For him, Love... In itself, wasn't enough. He continues the theme in 'More Than A Party' by comparing the world to a party where greedy people send one message while doing the opposite.
"Keep telling us we're to have fun
Then take all the ice cream so we've got none"
Gore was also heavily inspired by a trip to Asia where he saw firsthand the devastation of extreme poverty. Morally, he wasn't able to reconcile his world with the suffering he witnessed and songs like 'Pipeline' and 'Everything Counts' continue the theme of financial inequality and his growing disillusionment. 'Shame' describes his embarrassment of his own success while 'Told You So' attempts to address the serious and often fruitless political efforts of business' and governments to pass the buck without taking responsibility for their actions. Especially those that harm others.
The final track, 'And Then....' is Gore's call to arms. Realizing the world wasn't nearly as big as it had once seemed, he sends out a plea asking people to start to care and make a change.
New band member, Alan Wilder also contributed songs to the album. Although not exactly in line with Gore's overall theme, his songs compliment Martin's quite nicely. 'Two Minute Warning' creates a sense of urgency and necessity while 'The Landscape Is Changing' shows an awareness of environmentalism even before it became a huge topic of discussion. Gore's material dealt primary with the human condition while Wilder reflects on the world as a whole. Between the two of them, they created an album of socially conscious and relevant material.
This is probably one of my favorite DM albums. I love it! I remember working late at night when I would have the closing shift and driving home listening to these songs. I found them so inspiring I can't even begin to put it into words. It definitely helped me form a world view and define my sense of right and wrong.
There's a hidden reprise of 'Everything Counts' at the end of the album just after 'And Then....'. The US Version also includes the 12" long version of 'Everything Counts' as a bonus track. The Deluxe Edition features the disc in its original form without the added mix, but it includes the second disc with all sorts of bonus material. I'll specify everything in the tracks lists below. For the record, since the cover is identical, I'll only post the one pic here.
My final words: AN INFLUENTIAL BRILLIANT PIECE OF MUSIC.
DEPECHE MODE - CONSTRUCTION TIME AGAIN
01. Love, In Itself
02. More Than A Party
03. Pipeline
04. Everything Counts
05. Two Minute Warning
06. Shame
07. The Landscape Is Changing
08. Told You So
09. And Then....
10. Everything Counts (Reprise)
11. Everything Counts (Long Version) (US Only)
DVD CONTENT
01. A Short Film: Depeche Mode - 1983
02. Love, In Itself
03. More Than A Party
04. Pipeline
05. Everything Counts
06. Two Minute Warning
07. Shame
08. The Landscape Is Changing
09. Told You So
10. And Then....
11. Everything Counts (Reprise)
12. Get The Balance Right!
13. The Great Outdoors!
14. Work Hard
15. Fools
16. Get The Balance Right! (Combination Mix)
17. Everything Counts (In Larger Amounts)
18. Love, In Itself (4)
Another awesome Kickstarter exclusive from E6 and frontman, Dick Valentine! This time, the band deliver a soundtrack to a mocumentary film they made called, "Roulette Stars Of Metro Detroit". The two disc set also includes a new Dick Valentine CD entitled "Raw". But more on that in a minute.
The E6 disc is actually quite amazing! It's made up of a selection of tracks. There's new original material, some covers and a remix. Together, it's a rather satisfying listen and one I'm currently enjoying on a regular basis. The covers are interesting choices. The first one, 'All Night Long' is from a band called Rainbow. They're made up from former members of Blue Oyster Cult. I think the track was originally released in 1979 but I'm not sure. I didn't know this one at all prior to it showing up here. I had to research it online. The first time I listened to it, I thought, "Holy smokes, they're turning into an 80's hair band!" but the song is so rocking and fun it's become one of my favorite on the disc. The second cover is 'Obsession' by 80's one hit wonder band, Animotion. I actually remember buying their cassette when the song first came out and hating the rest of the tracks. 'Obsession' was the only track worth owning and I never upgraded that cassette to CD. The third and final cover is Oingo Boingo's 'When The Lights Go Out'. Danny Elfman is an amazing songwriter and his quirky song writing style translates well into E'sixian. It's excellent!
The mix on the disc is the Dubai Bros. remix of 'Night Vision'. The first time I heard it, I thought it was weird and I wasn't sure if I liked it. However, on subsequent listens, it's become one of the tracks I love the most. In fact, I play it all the time in my truck while I'm driving. It's such an odd remix and yet it feels completely right! It's actually made me excited to listen to mixes again. I've sorta got to the point where I think they're not worth my time. As much as I like the original 'Night Vision', I like this one just as much if not more. It adds so much dimension to the song. Wow.
As for the new original material, holy smokes! I love 'An Omen Of Things To Come', 'I Upgraded To You' and 'Shrink The Bastards'. They're simply phenomenal and yet another reason I've become such a hardcore fan of this band.
The second disc, the Dick Valentine album, isn't a disc full of new songs like his other previous efforts, but rather an outtake disc of sorts. Don't get me wrong, you hear demos of songs that haven't been released, but the majority of the tracks are music demos for tracks that were released. He includes his rough musical ideas for tracks he wrote for both Electric Six and Evil Cowards. The majority of the tracks are instrumental or the musical blueprints of the songs, but what makes the disc so fascinating is you actually get an idea of how the songwriting process works for him. It's interesting to hear these rough versions compared to the produced and polished released tracks. I'm highly pleased with the amount of material included on these discs and I'm enjoying the discs equally!
This set was a kickstarter exclusive. If you didn't buy it through the original campaign, I'm not sure you'll get another chance to own it. It's certainly worth having and for those of you who didn't, you're missing out. My final words: ANOTHER VICTORY FOR THE ROULETTE STARS OF METRO DETROIT!!!! THEY WIN ALL THE MONIES!
ELECTRIC SIX/DICK VALENTINE - ROULETTE STARS OF METRO DETROIT/RAW
DISC ONE - Original Soundtrack
01. Compensation
02. All Night Long
03. An Omen Of Things To Come
04. Obsession
05. Night Vision (Dubai Bros. Remix)
06. I Upgraded To You
07. Shrink The Bastards
08. Lottery Reptiles (Tropicalia Mix)
09. When The Lights Goes Out
DISC TWO - Raw
01. Classon Av. Robots
02. Digital Jackass
03. Hello! I See You
04. I Belong In A Factory
05. I Can Translate
06. I'm Not Scared Of Flying Saucers
07. Laughing Gas
08. Making Progress
09. Miami
10. Rubbing Me The Wrong Way
11. Suitcases
12. Synth 2
13. Theme From Garage Band (Test 1)
14. Tonight Should Have Never Been Tonight (Test 3)
15. Waste Of Time And Money
16. Zora And Nora
Wow, so today is an interesting and rather unique CD I'm going to write about... This album isn't one you can purchase in stores and it's also not a promotional item as far as I know.
Way back in the 90's, Wendy And Lisa composed the score to the film, "Dangerous Minds". I've already reviewed the movie soundtrack. And I freely admit I bought it because of the Wendy And Lisa track. I loved the new version of 'The Life' re-titled 'This Is The Life' and I had to have it. If you watch the movie, you can hear a lot of the incidental music they wrote although my memory seems to play tricks on me. Much of what I remember hearing were variations of the song 'This Is The Life' and I'm not entirely mistaken.
This disc is apparently some outtakes of themes they recorded for scenes in the movie. Some of them are based on 'This Is The Life' but others aren't. In fact, track 13, 'M26 - Master' actually sounds like the musical blueprint for 'Niagra Falls'; a song released many years later.
Track 17, 'M3 - Master With Electric Guitar' appeared on their website many years back as a streaming file showcasing some of the scoring they'd done for different projects. I used to check the site every day hoping they'd upload new songs and outtakes.
This material is phenomenal. It's relaxing and wonderful to just sit down and groove along with. I wish everyone could hear this amazing bit of work. I'm astonished.
As a long time follower of Lisa & Wendy, I've grown to love the complexity and otherworldly quality I imbibe from the music they compose. It helps me hear more in the music I listen to from other artists. Maybe it's the way they put all the little notes together. It's so different. Even Prince noticed a difference in his music when they left. He lost a key ingredient to the sound he'd become famous for. They added complication and dimension to his music in ways even he couldn't recreate.
They are unique. And this incredible disc convinces me of this even more. It's breathtaking and lovely. I'd like to see them create a fan club and release material like this directly to their hardcore fans. I know I'd pay to get discs of music like this each month.
My final words: TOO UNIQUE AND INCREDIBLE TO DESCRIBE. PURE JOY AND HAPPINESS TO OWN AND LISTEN TO THIS WORK.
WENDY AND LISA - "DANGEROUS MINDS"
01. M12 - Old Master
02. M13 - Master
03. M13 - Alt. (No Bass, Drums Or Guitar)
04. M10b - Master
05. M15 - Master
06. M12 - New Master
07. M17 - Master With Stereo Drums
08. M17 - Master With Mono Drums
09. M30 - Master
10. M31 - (Death) Master
11. M29 - Master
12. M29 - Alt. (No Drums)
13. M26 - Master
14. M28a - Master
15. M21 - Master (Piano Segment)
16. M22 - Master
17. M3 - Master With Electric Guitar
18. M3 - Master With No Ele. Guitar And More Acoustic
19. M24 - Master
This is another interesting single from Rammstein because it's a song they didn't release on one of their albums. It's actually taken from a tribute to Depeche Mode CD called "For The Masses". It includes DM covers by other bands like The Smashing Pumpkins and The Cure.
Rammstein delivers one of the better covers on the disc and this single is packed with mixes and a surprise bonus multimedia track. Their cover is mixed by a number of people including Charlie Clouser who was working heavily with Nine Inch Nails at the time and was a member of the touring band. KMFDM also contribute a mix.
The first mix is from Goth-Metal band Tiamat. It's a dark and slow grind mix that really devolves the track into something seething. It's followed by two mixes from Clouser who famously takes metal tracks and turns them into club friendly rock outs. He delivers on both of his mixes. The first being more accessible than the second. He takes the vocals on the second mix and gives them the midi treatment. Still, the beat is there and the song is simply groovy!
The final mix by KMFDM is more industrial than the previous mixes. Not only does it sound more industrial, but it's also stripped of most instrumentation going for a minimalist approach. Finally, there's a live multimedia clip accessible through your computer. You can watch the band play 'Wollt Ihr Das Bett In Flammen Sehen' from their first album "Herzeleid". The track was recorded live in Berlin in 1996. It's an awesome performance and gives you an idea of what the band are actually like in a live setting.
This CD is packed with cool stuff and comes in a slim case. It is worth the price. I think it's loaded with value and you shouldn't feel even slightly guilty about adding it to your collection. My final words: A CD WORTH STRIPPING FOR.
RAMMSTEIN - STRIPPED
01. Stripped
02. Stripped (Psilonaut Mix)
03. Stripped (Heavy Mental Mix)
04. Stripped (Tribute To Dusseldorf Mix)
05. Stripped (FKK Mix)
06. Wollt Ihr Das Bett In Flammen Sehen (Live Arena, Berlin '96.5.01)
This is the second disc in the "Home And Dry" single release. This would be the one normally reserved for mixes and additional music. Oddly enough, there are only three tracks on this disc. The first is a mix of 'Home And Dry'. It's an ambient mix. Normally, I'd find this type of mix a little boring but I think it suits the song well. I alternate between this mix and the original version depending on my mood. But I like it enough to be happy it's on this release.
The next two tracks are versions of 'Break 4 Love'. This is a collaboration between the Pet Shop Boys and Peter Rauhofer. Rauhofer was a popular DJ and mixer. He famously mixed music for artists like Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Elton John, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Cher and Alicia Keys. The song was originally recorded by techno pop dance band, Raze.
The first cut is an edit of the song while the second is an actual mix. The song is OK and they do an excellent job interpreting it. If I had one complaint, it would be the extreme start and stop of the beat throughout the track. It feels like they're dropping the bottom out and just leaving you hanging. The song doesn't have enough substance to maintain a flowing narrative one can listen to without a solid beat happening underneath. Neil does his best with the vocals, but they're just not strong enough to carry the track all the way through.
Sadly enough, they do the same thing on the mix. They keep dropping the beat out or strip out all rhythm tracks with the exception of the bass drum. That just creates a dull throb instead of momentum. Still, it's nice to have these tracks on the single as they don't appear on any of the Pet Shop Boys albums except as bonus tracks on deluxe editions.
Like its counterpart, CD1, this disc comes in a slim case. My final words: A NICE COMPANION PIECE TO CD1 WITH AN EXCELLENT MIX AND MORE B-SIDES!
PET SHOP BOYS - HOME AND DRY
01. Home And Dry (Ambient Mix)
02. Break 4 Love (UK Radio Edit)
03. Break 4 Love (Friburn & Urik Hi Pass Mix)
Martika released an album with the same title, but this is the single for the title track. Containing 3 tracks, my reasons for buying this disc aren't exactly the most original. I already had the CD and all of the music. I had some extra money, the CD was cheap and quite honestly, I wanted to hear the mix on the second track. I'm not sure the purchase was worth it, but I'm not entirely unhappy I own this little bit of history.
Prince worked with Martika on this record and in my opinion, he wrote some of his best songs of the time for this record. The title track, 'Martika's Kitchen' is a great number musically. The lyrics get a bit fluffy in a couple of places, but I suspect that's because this song existed already and the lyrics were changed to fit her name. That's cool and I'm happy with it. It's obviously from the "Graffiti Bridge" recording sessions and there were other tracks from that period that remain unreleased.
On the other hand, the second number, 'Love...Thy Will Be Done' is one of his best songs ever. Martika gets a writing credit for the track. My understanding is that she gave him a bunch of lyrics ideas she was working on and he produced this little masterpiece. It's simply one of the most amazing songs ever written. I love it. I especially loved the music. On this single, Prince contributes a mix of the song. I much prefer the original. The drum pattern on this mix kinda washes the undertone out. The song seems to be missing depth. It's still a magnificent number and well worth hearing.
The third track is the album version of a song Martika wrote called 'Broken Heart'. It's a nice track. I enjoy listening to it, but it doesn't possess the sound or quality of the Prince numbers. It appears here almost as an afterthought. And honestly, it's eclipsed by the stronger material.
Like all the other European and UK singles, this disc came in a slim case. My final words: A DECENT RELEASE THOUGH NOT NECESSARILY ONE YOU NEED. WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S VALUE IS UP FOR DEBATE.
MARTIKA - MARTIKA'S KITCHEN
01. Martika's Kitchen (7" Edit)
02. Love...Thy Will Be Done (Prince Mix)
03. Broken Heart
This is another UK 2 part single and this disc is the 1st disc. 'Home And Dry' is a song from the album "Release". Like most Euro and UK singles, it comes in a slim case with a sticker on the front signifying it's part of a 2 CD set.
I absolutely love this song. And in the grand tradition of part 1 CD single sets, this disc is all about making sure 'Home And Dry' could compete on the singles chart. There are three tracks on the disc. They're both b-sides and they're both incredible.
'Sexy Northerner' has an urgency to the music making you feel the anticipation of flirting and falling in lust with another person. As genuine and heartfelt as 'Home And Dry' is, 'Sexy Northerner' is superficial and sexy! My favorite line from the song is, "It's not all - - football and fags!"
The final track on the single is 'Always' which reminds me of a gospel track. When you hear it, I'm sure you'll wonder why I think this way, but it's a gospel track because the chorus is all about keeping faith and enduring. "Always, summer comes".
This entire disc is a win for me. From start to finish. My final words: AN EXCELLENT 1ST DISC IN A SET SHOWCASING SOME MEMORABLE MUSIC!
PET SHOP BOYS - HOME AND DRY
01. Home And Dry
02. Sexy Northerner
03. Always
This is an interesting release. For many reasons... First and foremost, this single by Rammstein doesn't appear on any of their albums. The track is actually a cover of a 1982 song by Kraftwerk. Both versions are fantastic although you have to give intensity and excitement to Rammstein's version as Kraftwerk's is somewhat droning and solemn.
The single lists 4 titles but the final title is actually a computer game you can play on Windows when you stick the disc in your computer. You take on the form of one of the Rammstein members and you make your way through a series of levels using a flamethrower weapon. It's actually quite strange and compelling all at the same time.
The second track on this single is a b-side called 'Kokain'. This is a strange and confusing song with all sorts of implied meaning. The basic concept is chopping up lines of cocaine and snorting them, but sub-textually, there's much more happening here and some of it highly questionable.
The third track is an alternate version of 'Alter Mann' from "Sehnsucht". Not much to go into here.
This single is quite rare now and sells for quite a bit of money on sites like eBay and Amazon. It's packaged in a slim case typical of European and UK singles. If you can find it at an affordable price, I suggest picking it up. It really is an amazing disc. And as far as I know, it's the only place you can find 'Dad Modell' and 'Kokain'.
My final words: EASILY ONE OF THE BEST EURO SINGLES EVER! EXCLUSIVE INCREDIBLE CONTENT, INVENTIVE AND PACKED WITH VALUE! MUST OWN FOR ANY RAMMSTEIN FAN.
RAMMSTEIN - DAS MODELL
01. Das Modell
02. Kokain
03. Alter Mann (Special Version)
04. Rammstein Computerspiel
Another European single! This time, Marilyn Manson's 'The Fight Song'! This is the first of a 2-Disc set and also came with collectible Tarot cards with Manson and band members posing as figures from the Major Arcana cards in a standard tarot deck. My particular copy came with the Emperor, Fool, Devil and Death cards.
Although there are 3 tracks listed on this disc, the third is actually a multimedia track you can only play on a computer. Therefore, it doesn't count towards the running time on the disc and allows the song to be counted on the Euro charts.
I would comment to say 'The Fight Song' is standard Manson fare, but it's more accurate to say, it's standard fantastic Manson fare! This is one of his good songs and I quite love it. The second track is Slipknot's remix of the track and although they sorta dropped the bottom out of the tempo, it's a pretty good mix. The multimedia track is the music video for 'Disposable Teens'.
Usually, these first discs in multi disc UK and Euro sets are the ones I find the least value in. Especially when the additional track is an edit, mix or another album track. However, in this case, there's all kinds of added value. The remix is a bit of a cop-out but the addition of the multi media track and the collectible tarot cards makes this an awesome release and one I seriously enjoy owning! Like other European and UK singles this disc comes housed in a slim case.
My final words: EXTREMELY COOL MANSON SINGLE WELL WORTH YOUR TIME IN TRACKING DOWN.
MARILYN MANSON - THE FIGHT SONG
01. The Fight Song
02. The Fight Song (Slipknot Remix)
03. Disposable Teens (CD-Rom Video)
This is the second of a 2 disc set. The first disc was the single itself and this is the import disc with the mixes on it. Thanks to this blog I've learned how the single releases in the UK actually work. They produce multiple singles because in order to be considered for the UK chart, a single can only be so long. The first disc is usually the qualifying single for chart position while the second contains mixes and other misc. materials.
There are five mixes on this disc and anyone who knows me knows 'John The Revelator' was my favorite song from "Playing The Angel". I loved it and I've always complained the song was too short. It packs quite a wallop in the small amount of time it was given on the disc. Although these versions clock in a lot longer, they're more about the mix and less about the original song. Not that I don't like them. Because I do and I'm happy to see longer versions. I guess my point is, none of them seem to pack in the excitement and intensity of the original version. And that's fine. They were never meant to. Rather, they were meant to transition the song to club and dance play where it could gain more exposure.
The second mix is the one that seems to embody the original rhythm the most. Although it lives up to its name of being rather murky. The third mix is all about adding guitar bits and making it sound almost like a 'Route 66' version of the song. It's unique. The fourth is a deep beat version while the 1st and final mix are roughly the same. The fifth mix being a dub of the first.
It's nice to hear these different versions and in their own way, they're interesting. Still, none of them capture the feeling I get when I listen to the album version. I remember hearing that song in concert and absolutely loosing my head over it. I was so excited I screamed like a little girl. It was amazing!
"Playing The Angel" was a excellent record for me and probably the last disc by the band I really loved. I'm glad I have all the singles from this album and I enjoy the entire project from start to finish. This is a dynamic period of Depeche Mode history to collect. My final words: A GREAT MIX CD AND EXCELLENT COMPANION PIECE TO THE SINGLE.
DEPECHE MODE - JOHN THE REVELATOR
01. John The Revelator (Dave Is In The Disco Tiefschwarz Remix)
02. John The Revelator (Murk Mode Remix)
03. John The Revelator (Unkle Re Construction)
04. John The Revelator (Boosta Club Remix)
05. John The Revelator (Tiefschwartz Dub)
So it won't take a genius to figure out why I picked up this little single. I wasn't really into Ginuwine or anything he was doing, but I wanted to hear his cover of this Prince classic so I picked up this import single at a used record store and let me tell you... I wasn't impressed.
Ginuwine has an OK voice and for what he was doing at the time, he was fine. He never did anything I was excited about so I mostly just ignored him on the radio. But I picked up this disc without having heard the track before. I assumed it would be a standard cover... it's anything but. Back in those days, you couldn't sample tracks the way you can now. If I'd heard it, I might not have bought it. I think the music is weak all around. It's a slow tempo version. They've obviously tried to transform the song into a sexy ballad. Instead, they turn it into a drudgery. The song practically yawns at you. There's none of the energy, the intensity of the original track. It meanders on and eventually fades out. It's absolute dulls-ville. The disc features two other tracks. I'm not sure if they're from an album or b-sides and to be honest with you, I don't really care. Neither one of them are interesting in my opinion.
All around, I was extremely disappointed with this single. I regret purchasing it. Even more than that, I regret Ginuwine covered such an amazing Prince song and ruined it like he did. My final words: MONEY FLUSHED DOWN THE TOILET. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME.
GINUWINE - WHEN DOVES CRY
01. When Doves Cry
02. I'm Feelin' You
03. I'll Do Anything (I'm Sorry)
Shelby J. is an experienced vocalist working with a lot of names in show business... She sang backup to D'Angelo in his band, The Soultronics. She's also worked with Santana but is probably most well known for the time she spent in Prince's band, The New Power Generation. She toured with him during her time as a member and it's from that time with him that this song was written.
She was working on a solo album and Prince contributed to it by working on this track with her. As a native North Carolinian, the song is basically her impressions and thoughts about growing up in North Carolina. Because of demand, Shelby produced a limited number of promotional CDs of the single she sold on her website directly to her fans. The disc contains three tracks. The first being the full version of 'North Carolina'. The next 2 are edits of the longer first track.
'North Carolina' by itself is an OK track though hardly Prince's most exciting or interesting. Shelby has a great voice and she does an excellent job. The song just isn't a stand out number. Still, because this is the only physical format the song can be found on, this disc will be worth a lot of money and might very well become one of the most rare Prince items out there.
I'd be interested in hearing more collaboration material Shelby may have done with Prince, but for now, this is the only known collab. that actually exists. I'm not going to go into this release any further. My final opinion hasn't changed on subsequent listens of the track so my final words are: OK SONG BUT A DISC MOSTLY FOR COMPLETISTS.
SHELBY J. FEATURING ANTHONY HAMILTON - NORTH CAROLINA
01. North Carolina (Full Version)
02. North Carolina (The Hot Sauce Edit)
03. North Carolina (The Tripp Edit)
