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I'm really gonna catch it here from Erasure fans so I'm going to tred as lightly as possible when I say this... First, let me be honest and say although I knew about Erasure and I listened to them on the radio, at school and with my friends, I never actually bought one of their albums until I was 20. I knew who they were, I knew Vince Clarke was writing the music, but during my high school years, I was more into Martin L. Gore and Depeche Mode than Vince. I had the Yaz albums, but I didn't latch onto Erasure. And a large part of that was simply because they were hugely popular in my school. To this day, I know straight classmates who will go to Erasure's outlandish concerts even though deep down, they're anti-gay just because Erasure was such a huge part of their teenage lives.
When I finally started getting into Vince as a song writer, I went back and picked up Erasure's back catalog, but for me, these earlier albums will always be remembered mostly by the singles I was hearing rather than the albums as a whole. That's why, as I put this disc in to listen to it, I honestly lump it together with pretty much everything right up until "Chorus".
"The Circus" is responsible for some of Erasure's most popular and mainstream music. It is a serious album. I'm always amazed when I listen to these records how incredible all of this early Erasure material is. Not only were they writing incredible pop music, they were also championing a cause and breaking the rules of established music companies. Erasure might not have been "Out" but they weren't "In-the-closet" either. In my mind, Erasure were a band that helped change the cultural opinion of a generation about gay and lesbians in society. They're so much more than just a pop band.
Although not all of these songs were released as singles, I know each and every one of these songs as if they were. They were played in assemblies, school dances, during lunch period... pretty much any social event you can think of I was exposed to this music. I even remember one of my art classes... The teacher would let students play cassettes while we were working if she approved of the music and Erasure made the cut quite a few times. I knew all of these songs by heart well before I purchased the CD.
In my opinion, the best tracks on this disc are 'It Doesn't Have To Be', 'Sexuality', 'Victim Of Love', 'Leave Me To Bleed' and 'Sometimes'. But let's be honest, the rest of the material is just as strong and good.
I'm not sure if this is limited to the US release, but my CD includes 3 bonus tracks. Edvard Greig's 'In The Hall Of The Mountain King' from Henrik Ibsen's play, "Peer Gynt". This unusual cover went a long way to prove Clarke's image as a true musical genius. And also showed Erasure fans, the band wouldn't limit itself to bubble gum pop. Instead, they would do whatever they deemed worthwhile musically. This appreciation for non-popular music would show up many times again throughout their recording history. The other two tracks are mixes of 'Sometimes' and 'It Doesn't Have To Be' respectively.
The album is produced by Flood who ended up being credited with taking Depeche Mode to rock and I believe was responsible for some amazing work with U2; which sorta surprises me. As daring and progressive as the material is, it maintains the strong pop sound of the band's 80's material. Flood is a producer I normally think of as pushing and challenging a band's sound. Maybe this was at the start of his career and he was cutting his production teeth on records like this.
No matter how you choose to look at this record, it's a classic. Either it's part of the 80's run of super hit records by Erasure the band, or it's a classic 80's record anyone interested in that musical period should listen to. It certainly defined much of my youth. No doubt there are reissues with more tracks and a better overall showcase of the band during this time, but my copy is simply this one. And I think it's great!
My final words: AN 80'S CLASSIC FROM ONE OF THE MOST PROGRESSIVE AND INFLUENTIAL 80'S BANDS!
ERASURE - THE CIRCUS
01. It Doesn't Have To Be
02. Hideaway
03. Don't Dance
04. If I Could
05. Sexuality
06. Victim Of Love
07. Leave Me To Bleed
08. Sometimes
09. The Circus
10. Spiralling
11. In The Hall Of The Mountain King
12. Sometimes (Extended Mix)
13. It Doesn't Have To Be (The Boop Dopa Doo Mix)
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)
I have two versions of this disc. The first is the standard CD and the second is the Collectors edition that includes the original CD plus a DVD with additional content. "Some Great Reward" is the 4th album by Depeche Mode. I had the cassette for years, but I didn't buy the CD until the last month of my time in Europe. I bought the CD in a small pawn shop of sorts in a little Austrian town called Dornbirn. My copy is the European release of the CD. I've actually decided to donate it to a friend in Europe who likes Depeche Mode but can't afford a lot of CDs right now. I think I'll ship it over so he can enjoy it.
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)
Through this blog I learned why British artists release multiple versions of singles. It's mainly to do with making sure your song qualifies to appear in the charts. The governing body of that rating won't allow more than so many minutes on a single. So most bands release a single with a song and possibly a b-side and then release a second longer single with mixes.
Our disc today is the second longer mix disc of Depeche Mode's single, 'Suffer Well'. 'Suffer Well' is a track taken from 'Playing The Angel". Not only is it one of my favorite tracks from the album, it also was the beginning of a new trend in the way DM records were released.
Depending on who was in the group, Martin Gore would sometimes share writing duties with other band members. Since he's been working on solo material, David Gahan was approaching the group about recording some of his original compositions. Of which this is one!
The first track is the '(Tiga Remix)' which basically sounds like a minimalist version of the album track. There's some percussion mixed in, but it's often faint and almost hidden in the track. Track 2 is the '(Narcotic Thrust Vocal Dub)'. This one jumps in pounding deeply and only relents when Gahan begins to sing. His vocals are highlighted. The house intense beats and loud frantic pace make this one a fun if not panic inducing party pleaser.
Number 3 is called the '(Alter Ego Remix)' and this track employs some distortion on the speakers to give the vocal delivery a gritty sound and make you think you're hearing a totally different recording of the vocals. It's followed by the '(M83 Remix)' which sounds amazing. Some of Martin's atmospheric vocals are highlighted and they sound so much better when you can hear then clearly. It's another somewhat minimalist arrangement, but it's lovely and surely one of the best on this release.
The final two tracks are both done by the same person. There's the '(Metape Vocal Remix)' and the '(Metape Remix)'. They're both nice and similar. All in all, you don't go wrong with this disc. It has a nice variety of mixes you've come to expect from DM. Lovely packaging and video as well. Love it. Well done, well done.
I highly recommend picking up this single and the album. My final words: A TASTY TREAT FOR THE EARS!
DEPECHE MODE - SUFFER WELL
01. Suffer Well (Tiga Remix)
02. Suffer Well (Narcatic Thrust Vocal Dub)
03. Suffer Well (Alter Ego Remix)
04. Suffer Well (M83 Remix)
05. Suffer Well (Metape Vocal Remix)
06. Suffer Well (Metape Remix)
I was a huge Depeche Mode fan back in the 80's. And I loved some of their later work. On the heels of "Playing The Angel", I was expecting something truly miraculous. At the same time, I was starting to feel like they'd hit their stride. Certain songs on more recent albums seemed predictable. For example, "Sounds Of The Universe" hosts the track, 'Jezebel'; a song we've already heard before. "Ultra"'s 'Sister Of Night' is another streetwalker/misunderstood prostitute song. And as much as I've enjoyed David Gahan's contributions to recent albums, 'Hole To Feed' sounds very much like 'The Dead Of Night' from "Exciter".
This was the first Depeche Mode record I didn't rush out and buy the day it was released. I skipped the tour and pretty much tuned them out with this effort. I blame the first single, 'Wrong' for my lack of interest. When I heard the song, it was literally the first DM song I didn't like. I thought it was boring and uninteresting. I streamed the album once online and based on my dislike of that first single, I dismissed the rest of the album without giving it a fair shot.
I recently found the album at a pawn shop for a small amount and I picked it up. Mostly because I have almost everything else the band has done. I can be a completest. I decided to listen to the record again and give it a fair shot.
Honestly, I'm still not excited about what I'm hearing, but I am excited about some of the sound choices. This album, more than any other seems to sound like their older material. There are a lot of great synth sounds all over this record and I enjoy that immensely. Certain songs like 'In Sympathy', 'Perfect', 'Miles Away/The Truth Is' and 'Fragile Tension' have that wonderful groove I love from DM.
But the overall mood of the album is somber, melancholy and dark. Normally, that would be something to look forward to, but in this case, the darkness holds no real mystery or secret.
I'm not going to bother with a track by track review... I'll simply say, this is the first Depeche Mode album I didn't love. I can't say it's horrible, but I can't say it's good either. I'm still up in the air. But I am sad. I never thought this day would come. It's possible Depeche Mode and I are at a crossroads where we have to part ways. More than anything, I feel like my youth is over. And that sucks.
My final words: NOT SURE IF I'LL BUY NEW RELEASES FROM DEPECHE MODE AFTER THIS.
DEPECHE MODE - SOUNDS OF THE UNIVERSE
01. In Chains
02. Hole To Feed
03. Wrong
04. Fragile Tension
05. Little Soul
06. In Sympathy
07. Peace
08. Come Back
09. Spacewalker
10. Perfect
11. Miles Away/The Truth Is
12. Jezebel
13. Corrupt
Einstürzende Neubauten is a German industrial band most famously known for the use of instruments made from power tools and metal. The majority of these instruments are percussive. My first exposure to them came when I read an article about Martin L. Gore from Depeche Mode. I can't remember if it was an interview or just a writer's imagination, but I do remember reading that Martin was a fan of the band. It went on to discuss how Depeche Mode's use of sampling to engineer sounds is a result of Gore's and other band members' attraction to this form of industrial music. As my interest in Depeche Mode grew, I wanted to hear the music by the groups they listened to.
I didn't found a copy of one of their albums until the mid 90's when I found "Tabula Rasa". I bought it and found the music interesting. I was also intrigued to hear Depeche Mode copy some sounds on newer material from that record. It was fascinating. When I saw this album out on Trent Reznor's Nothing label, I had to pick it up. I thought it would have some input by Reznor who is another artist influenced by their industrial chaos; however, Reznor has nothing to do with the record.
So... it's left to its own devices and I had to listen to it without any preconceptions or hopes. It was just a new record from a band I found interesting. How did it hold up?
Well, as much as I admire and enjoy the concept of groups being inspired by Einstürzende Neubauten, I find myself not quite catching the flow. Don't get me wrong... I like their music and I think lyrically, the band is quite ahead of its time. But it's not music I would put in to jam out to. There are some awesome exceptions... For example, the opening track 'Was Ist Ist' kicks in like a freight train barreling down the tracks and practically mows you under. It features a tongue twisting chorus that's as mentally provocative as it is verbally frustrating. Try saying, "Was ist ist, was nicht ist ist möglich" ten times fast. Translated, it says, "What is is, what is not is possible". I also like 'Die Explosion Im Festspielhaus'. It's a creepy slow number with bizarre lyrics and a dramatic storyline.
Other than that, the album is probably standard fare for them. 'Nnnaaammm' is way too long, and despite reading all kinds of hype about the track 'Stella Maris', I didn't enjoy it. At least not in particular. If you're a fan of Einstürzende Neubauten, this record probably won't disappoint you. It's certainly a book end to any collection. It's also not likely to be recognized as a ground-breaking or defining piece of work. My final words: FOR DIE-HARD FANS. DOWNLOAD INDIVIDUAL TRACKS.
EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN - ENDE NEU
01. Was Ist Ist
02. Stella Maris
03. Die Explosion Im Festspielhaus
04. Installation N°1
05. Nnnaaammm
06. Ende Neu
07. The Garden
08. Der Schacht Von Babel
09. Bili Rubin (Bonus Track)
Martin Gore is the principle songwriter and member of Depeche Mode. This solo project was created during the literal height of Depeche Mode's world fame. Recognized the world over as the author of some of the 80s most influential alternative rock songs, even during the band's fame, Gore made a unique decision in releasing this e.p. Fans of Depeche Mode were surely expecting more interesting tidbits of his popular songwriting style. Instead, they were treated to a compilation of cover songs. As the name implies, these were counterfeit tracks of the originals.
At first listen, you notice how sparse the arrangements are. Back in my days of music making, the keyword was "simplify". Whenever something didn't sound right, we'd simplify it in various ways. Drop out sounds or instruments. There are a number of ways to bring something to a manageable level. Whether or not the less bodied sound is due to the lack of Alan Wilder's input or intentional is unknown. It does possess a similar sound to demos circulating among collectors of popular Gore compositions. They sound almost like he'd cut them at home as song ideas to present for full production with the band.
Another interesting aspect of the disc is the glimpse it gives you into the mind of this artist. You hear the music that inspires him to write what he writes. His taste and style are clearly evident in these songs. With the exception of 'Motherless Child'; which is listed as a traditional piece, all tracks come from 70s/80s punk/new wave bands. Groups on the forefront of these musical movements like Joe Crow of the Nightingales, Tuxedomoon, Durutti Column, Comsat Angels and the Sparks. Over the years, I've tried to track down the original versions of these songs and I'm always surprised by the difference Martin makes on his versions. He brings an amazingly clear vision to the material and even after you've heard the originals, you're left thinking, "These really could be Gore compositions."
So you might not get what you want when you pick this up, but then again, you might get something you really enjoy. It's gonna be a toss up. But rest assured, the sweet timbre of Gore's vocals makes the release worth it.
In 'Compulsion' Gore sings, "Charm's in limited supply - And refusing to stretch." In the case of 'Counterfeit e.p.', it stretches for miles and miles. My final word: INCREDIBLE.
MARTIN L. GORE - COUNTERFEIT E.P.
01. Compulsion
02. In A Manner Of Speaking
03. Smile In The Crowd
04. Gone
05. Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth
06. Motherless Child
