BUY OR BURN? Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode recently released their latest album, “Sounds of the Universe”.  A couple weeks back, lead singer  Dave Gahan was hospitalized with a tumor (surgery was successful) , and it got me thinking about their 30 year career;  so I’ve decided to rank all 12 studio releases, from their least to best.  Linkin park, Crystal Method and Radiohead have sited them as major influences, and Los Angeles’ KROQ  (the most influential modern rock station in the country for many years), lists them as the #6 KROQ band of all time.  Often overlooked, simply, as a “synth” or “keyboard” band, it somehow minimizes their true place in music history. They clearly deserve a spot in the rock and roll hall of fame, and I truly hope they got that deserving honor, sooner than later.  I’m sure they will eventually.

For DM fans, enjoy the journey back to high school and your younger years. For newcomers, feel free to use as a guide to navigate through their long career.  On every CD, I recommend key tracks notated with the word “Buy”, and their lesser tracks with the word “Burn” (yes, a clever pun).

Note- next to the album, you’ll see a number. A little back of the clock info:  How I got this number was I gave each track a value between 1-10 (1 being the worst), got a total of all tracks, and then divided that number by the number of tracks. So for the math challenged, if there were ten cuts, and each song was amazing and had a value of 10, that would be 100 total for the album, which I would then divide 100 by the amount of tracks (10), and the album would be a 10!

Ranking from their worst to best.

12. Speak and Spell (1981) 5.2

The debut CD from DM, and their least to date. It’s a decent debut but suffers for many reasons. Gahan has not found his voice, and he is very low key on the tracks. Martin Gore had yet to begun to write, having penned only two tracks. Most of Speak and Spell is written by Vince Clarke; Clarke lasted one album with Depeche before leaving to form Yaz and then later Erasure, having plenty of success with both bands. The first single, “Dreaming Of Me” is so cute, you just want to pinch its cheeks, and  the albums third single, “Just Can’t Get Enough”, soared to #8 in the UK charts -- the keyboard hook still remains one of the catchiest I’ve ever heard; a classic lick.

Buy (Just Can’t Get Enough, Dreaming Of Me)

Burn (Boy’s So Go, Nodisco)

 

11. A Broken Frame (1982) 5.9

Often regarded as the bands worst album, even by Gore himself.  Through the years, the hits on this album (“See You”, “Meaning of Love” and “Leave in Silence”) had no staying power on radio or live.  Very much a Gore album, as Clarke left and Alan Wilder wasn’t really involved until the next album.  “The Sun and The Rainfall”, the album ender, is one of their best, and certainly the best DM song of the early years. A moody stunner, with a beautifully simple keyboard part and mature lyrics (Things must change, we must rearrange them, or we'll have to estrange them. All that I'm saying, the game's not worth playing, Over and over again). The first great DM song and the wonderful promise of what Gore had to offer.

Buy (The Sun & the Rainfall)

Burn (Monument, Satellite)

 

10. Construction Time Again (1983) 6.33

Enter the Alan Wilder years, as they gain a fourth member again.  I don’t think DM fans knew how valuable Wilder was until he left in 1995. You can certainly hear his touch immediately on this debut with the band, as Wilder co-writes two cuts with Gore. He was musically trained and considered the true “musician” in the band. Construction Time Again also introduced samplers into their music and the band started toying with using everyday sounds in their tunes. On Construction, the band took on an industrial music feel and began sampling many metallic/metal clank sounds.  “Everything Counts” is still a live staple, with its huge chorus and classic keyboard melody.

Buy (Everything Counts, Two Minute Warning)

Burn (Pipeline)

 

9. Exciter (2001) 6.36

Gore had writer’s block when constructing the album and that seems apparent to me when listening to Exciter. The second release since Wilder’s departure (but the first where you feel it), the songs seem to lack a great keyboard hook; I’m not sure if it’s a direct correlation to his departure, but it’s there nonetheless. The album takes on less keyboard lead parts, and instead the songs are more landscapes, like a musical score.  In the past, DM had these same landscapes, but its more apparent when  there are no lead keyboard melodies over the soundscape (for lead hooks think Strangelove, Just Can’t get Enough, Enjoy The Silence,  Walking In My Shoes, Never Let me Down Again, etc). When listening to this album, it’s completely obvious that the lead key melodies are vital and enhance a DM song, and when they’re not there, I feel DM suffers.  Also, the Gore sung tracks are weak.  “Dream On” is an intimate, delicate lead single, which is pleasant enough. It didn’t blaze the charts, probably because it comes across as a tad passive, as most of the album does.  “I Feel Loved” is by now a very familiar typical dance DM number; almost too familiar, like they can crank out songs like this all day. “Shine” is a great tune, and it rides a really cool pulsating mood. Definitely the best tune on the record. The album ends with the solid, bubbly “Goodnight Lovers”. The song has some keyboard overlays that sound like early 80’s DM and its familiar and wonderful. The problem with Exciter is simple. From 1984-1997, the band was at their creative best, and it’s obvious that this album is simply not up to snuff with their best stuff.

Buy (Shine, Goodnight Lovers)

Burn (Comatose, Breathe)

 

8. Sounds of the Universe (2009) 6.42

The latest effort isn’t bad. It has fresh sounds and a relevance to it. The album reached #3 on the Billboard US charts and #1 in many countries, showing that the band still sells globally.  “Wrong”, the lead single, definitely commands your attention on early listens; the song is almost obnoxiously catchy, like a commercial jingle that will not leave your head. If you haven’t seen the video, you need to; a classic music video in days where most videos are a bore.   However, the highlight on SOTU is “Fragile Tension”; a refreshingly original DM tune, with great music on the verses and a cool, bluesy guitar lick on the chorus.  The verses have a soft, sensual keyboard and guitar touch that, once again, shows these guys still have some tricks up their sleeves. Gahan sounds awesome singing softly over the sparse, yet simple verses.  Gahan also co-writes three songs on SOTU (as he did on 05’s Playing the Angel), but the three he pitches in on here aren’t as good as the last time he co-wrote. And as it has been in recent years, the Gore lead vocal song is not good (Jezebel). Like Exciter and Playing the Angel, the record sorely lacks great lead keyboard parts.

Buy (Fragile Tension, In Sympathy). 

Burn (Jezebel, Corrupt, Little Soul)

 

7. Playing the Angel (2005) 6.45

“Precious” the lead single off Playing the Angel, is everything one could ask for from DM. After the disappointing Exciter, it was wonderful to hear a more traditional DM sound.  The song has a clear meaning, as it’s about what Martin Gore suspects his children felt when he divorced their mother.  For such a real topic, I had never heard a song on the subject, and it’s very touching. “Precious” is as good as anything they have ever done and it’s a relief they can still deliver the goods 25 years in.  The album is unique, in that after 25 years, Gahan finally pitches in on songwriting duties. This is a huge deal, as just about every DM song prior, has been written by Martin Gore.  Gahan co-writes three tunes on the disc and two of them are among the best on the record (Suffer Well, Nothing’s Impossible).  The Gore sung “Macro” and “Damaged people” are not good.  Gore’s cuts had been highlights for years, but for the past decade, for the most part, they are the lesser tunes on DM albums. “Lillian” and “Suffer Well” have a similar, pulsating feel to the classic “A Question of Time”. A solid effort by the band, but also lacks the lead keyboard parts that Exciter and Sounds Of The Universe are missing. The lead keyboard hooks used to be a strong element for the band when they were younger and it’s horribly missed. “Precious” has a nice lead keyboard hook, and that’s why the song is so strong, and even highlights the missing keyboard hooks from other tracks through its strength.

Buy (Precious, Nothing’s Impossible)

Burn (Macro, Damaged People, I want It All)

 

 

6. Some Great Reward (1984) 6.9

Their first great album; leaps and bounds better than its predecessor, Construction Time Again. “People are People” became their first US hit, reaching #13 on Billboard Hot 100, and launched Depeche into the mainstream in America.“Blasphemous Rumors”, albeit heavy-handed, is a touching/angry lyric about God, mad about why some people die (in this case a young girl):  “I don't want to start any blasphemous rumors, but I think that God's got a sick sense of humor, and when I die I expect to find Him laughing”. Controversy surrounded the song, as it was banned at some radio stations. However, the song features a chorus that is impossible to get out of your head after a few listens. “Somebody”, a Martin Gore sung ballad, is a beautifully tortured song about longing to find the right person, that fits right in at proms and weddings.  It was the first Gore sung track to be released as a single. It’s so honest and candid about longing:”when I’m asleep, I want somebody, who will put their arms around me and kiss me tenderly” and even ends with a little grin: “Though things like this make me sick, in a case like this, I’ll get away with it”. Gore clearly noting how lovey-dovey yearning is a tad sickening, well, until you find it yourself. And on Some Great Reward, Depeche clearly find who they are.

Buy (Somebody, Blasphemous Rumors)

Burn (If You Want)

5. Music for the Masses  (1987) 7.3

The album became the band's highest-charting in the US upon its release, reaching #35 on the Billboard 200, and all three singles generated airplay.  Possibly their most sexual album, overtones run through many of the songs, from “I Want You Now” to “Strangelove” and “Behind the Wheel”; it’s almost bursting at times.  “Never Let Me down Again” is an anthemic song, with a surging chorus and a brilliant keyboard and piano part. A sing along about bonding with your friend; the bond appears to be drugs (“We're flying high” is sung a few times). The Gore sung “The Things you said” is a vulnerable and   haunting ballad with some truly heartfelt lyrics: “I heard it from my friends about the things you said/How can a view become so twisted?” Later in the song, Gore sings:” I thought we had something   precious, now I know what its worth”. A real down to earth song that touches home, because you can simply relate to it.  All the while it’s infused with a simple, stark, pulsating beat for the verses and a subtle , beautiful keyboard melody on the chorus.  Intensity and restraint are hard to capture in a song and this tune clearly does. A high point for DM is “Behind the Wheel”. Another intense tune, with a great fusion of keys and guitar that again captures a mood and rides it well.  They played to 80,000 people at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles to end the tour, and Depeche Mode 101 (the documentary and live album) was based on the show.  The title of the album, Music for the Masses, was tongue in cheek ‘cause the band never though they would crack the mainstream.  However, this album helped them take leaps and bounds towards what they thought were once impossible.

Buy (The Things you said, Behind the Wheel, Never Let Me down Again)

Burn (Sacred, Nothing)

 

 

 

4. Black Celebration  (1986) 7.7

Depeche Mode’s darkest album, a fan favorite, is filled with a sense of foreboding dread, an ominous landscape of atmosphere and some amazing tunes.  It didn’t have the mainstream, commercial appeal that it needed at the time to take the band to the next level, but nonetheless was a stepping stone to building and maintaining the soon to be mainstream explosion.  The Martin Gore sung “A Question of Lust” is a gorgeous ballad, with a great chorus and a wonderful, moody keyboard hook.  The album features songs about death, sex and religion—staples in the Depeche arsenal.  The album has the most sung by Gore than any other DM record. However, the last song on the album, the stunning Gahan sung “But Not Tonight” (a non charting single in the US), is perhaps the hidden gem of the Depeche Mode catalog. Maybe their best song and certainly one that leaves its mark on you after you hear it. Gahan is vocally at his best here. A gutty, emotional vocal, where he feels so connected, that you literally feel what he is singing, on every word.  A song that seems meant to be listened to on a long drive, sets a mood like only DM can ---at times, the verses makes you feel like Gahan wants to cry as he’s singing (The stars in the sky, Bring tears to my eyes, They're lighting my way tonight), but yet, you feel hopeful (And I haven't felt so alive In years, The moon Is shining in the sky, Reminding me, of so many other nights). Even the chorus melody is upbeat.  A song about someone who has every reason to be down, but is invigorated by the stars, moon and wind ---the universe. Sometimes you don’t know why you’re in a great place, but you just are on a particular night, and this song is about that night.  “But Not Tonight” definitely puts you in a great place. On this magical night, nothing is gonna bother me---on this magical night, the weight has been lifted from my shoulders. On most nights, he’d admit to being lost and beat---“But Not Tonight”. And the song so clearly ends on this point: “When my eyes have been so red, I've been mistaken for dead, But not tonight”. An amazing album that made DM fans feels like they knew a secret.  The secret was slowly getting out, and Black Celebration fueled the stir and solidified their cult status.

Buy (A Question of Lust, But Not Tonight)

Burn (New Dress)

 

3. Songs of Faith and Devotion  (1993) 7.75

SOFAD had a lot of reasons why it might have been a failed release. It came out as Nirvana was changing the sound of music, Gahan was a drug addict, they had the pressure of following up Violator and the band was so dysfunctional that a tour psychiatrist traveled with them. The musical direction and internal strife also made this the last album with Alan Wilder, as he departed in 1995. Instead of sitting at a computer and drum machine, the band recorded in a more traditional sense, with each on instruments and using live drums; this caused dissention as things didn’t come together as easily for them as it had in the past. Simply, it was a new way for them to work, and it messed with their formula and minds.  With all that being said, it was a musical success and a great album, one of their best.  The album didn’t fare as well as Violator, but the band held onto many of their new fans and the cult following.  The rocking “I Feel You” became a modest hit.  “Walking in My Shoes” is DM at their best; great keyboard melody, a dark production and a great tune.  It’s one of those songs that has a lot of depth; listen upon listen, you hear things in it you never heard before.  “In Your Room” is definitely one of the best DM tunes ever written. A fan favorite and a hidden gem that deserves many listens to grasp its subtleties and nuance. A moody piece, with interesting lyrics (I’m hanging on your words, living on your breath, Feeling with your skin, Will I always be here?) and a strong Gahan vocal. A great song and production that shows how far they have came musically, from their earlier days. “Condemnation” also showcases great songwriting. A gospel-esque song about religion that truly showcases a very strong Gahan vocal (Gahan feels it’s his best vocal). Non DM fans would probably be surprised that the band has a song like this in them.  It focuses more on songwriting than on studio excess. Because it’s stripped down, it feels raw and vulnerable, and it would probably work well at any church on a Sunday. “Higher Love” ends the album, with a strong, sparse and moody tune that seems to compare religious and romantic love. The band speaks about how extremely difficult this period was for the band; the grueling studio sessions and the massive tour (150 + dates spanning two years) that took everything out of the band to complete (including many hospital visits and therapy sessions). Andrew Fletcher didn’t even finish the tour as he had a nervous breakdown . However, the fans didn’t know about any of these problems and SOFAD continued their huge success after Violator. 

Buy (Walking In My Shoes, Condemnation, Higher Love, In Your Room)

Burn (One Caress)

 

2. Ultra  (1997) 7.86

There were times where this album could have easily not happened. Gahan was struggling with heroin addiction, Gore with alcohol abuse and Alan Wilder left the band. Wilder decided that the communication with Gore had become strained and the stress of recording Songs Of Faith and Devotion and the subsequent tour had officially taken its toll on him. He announced his departure in June of 1995.  For a moment there were thoughts of a break up.  However, Gahan began the long journey towards getting his life together, and the band filled Wilder’s void with session musicians and many musical collaborators. The first single, a decent rock song in “Barrel of a Gun”, pretty much musically takes over where “I feel you” left off. The song was about Gahan’s near death experience, as he overdosed and was technically dead for a moment.  Ultra features one of the best songs in their vast catalog in “It’s No Good”.  “It’s No Good” features one of the last great DM keyboard lines, a simple warm/moody instantly catchy hook that works well with the driving verses.  The lyric gets you every time: “I'm going to take my time, I have all the time in the world, to make you mine, it is written in the stars above’. It’s a fate driven prose that Gahan delivers with a heartfelt certain intent, and you just know he’s gonna get the object of his desire. “Useless” has a strong guitar hook and brilliant chorus; DM officially knows how to use guitars in the way that works best for them.  “The Love Thieves” and “Insight” are so crafted, and feel they’ve been written by someone in the zone, at the top of their game. Not obvious hooks, but strong songwriting, and when you finally hear the hooks (it takes a few listens on some of the tunes), they last and you appreciate them that much more for not hitting you over the head to begin with. In some ways, the writing is the best it’s ever been on Ultra. The band chose not to tour behind the album, because they were in a fragile state, so it may have hurt the sales.  However, it had solid sales, and to date, their last Top 40 hit with “It’s No Good”. Also, as of today, their last great album.

Buy (It’s No Good, Useless, Insight).

Burn (Home)

 

 

 

1. Violator  (1990) 7.94

The stats speak for themselves: It stayed for over a year on the Billboard 200 charts (reaching #7). Violator has sold more than 8 million records worldwide. It had four radio hits in America, and their highest charting single to this date in “Enjoy the Silence” (#8) .In 2003, the album was ranked #342 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. They played stadiums in America and Europe and officially became one of the biggest bands in the world. What’s great about Violator is, it was commercially huge, but still held DM’s values and trademark sounds, so the core fan was as happy as the casual fan.  “Enjoy The Silence” is still one of those songs that is captivating even after a thousand listens; it simply doesn’t get old. It features one of their best keyboard melodies, and the perfect amount of guitar under it. Also, Gahan is vocally at his best on the track it’s a great lyric, a slight twist on a love song that anyone can relate to. And most importantly, it features a huge sing-a- long chorus. Radio embraced it, and so did fans. It’s not often  a bands  biggest chart hit is also one of their best songs--- often it’s an album cut or a track that doesn’t quite fair as well as others, but “Enjoy The Silence” is definitely that song.  Still a staple a radio all over the world and at live shows. “Blue Dress”, a Gore vocal, is a simple lyric and quiet vocal about desiring your girl in a particular outfit; again, another twist on a love song.  Violator also has the moody, ethereal “Waiting for the Night to fall”; a dreamy, brilliant landscape of melody all culminating into a great tune that really is the type of song Gore would usually sing, but Gahan gets handed the duties and does a tremendous job with it.

Buy Violator

 

Thanks for taking this trip down memory lane. I didn’t know how the albums would rank until I started doing the exercise.  I’m curious to see how your list compares to mine; let me know.  I also look forward to catching the guys on tour this year; it’s gonna be a good one.

Jon Bergen - guest blogger

Comments

[misfit]

Great article! As a Depeche Mode fan, all of your recomendations look pretty on par to me. : )

[I'm Behind The Wheel]

You really know your DM..

For myself I would change Black Celebration for Ultra and Playing The Angel for Some Great Reward and it fits.

Although I have to say back when Ultra came out it was highly criticized, ncie to see someone give it some respect.

[murph]

reading this was a pleasure and a nice trip down memory lane. i discovered DM through "catching up with..." (appropriately omitted from your list as it was only a singles compilation)but "music for the masses" had just come out so that was my next stop before delving into the rest of the catalog.

i agreed with the point about the great keyboard lines. i also appreciated seeing violator as the #1 because i think there is a sense out there that DM peaked as a band with SOFAD, but i never felt it surpassed the relentlessly restrained brillance of violator (which imho began a tradition of surprising lead singles...i can still rememember first playing the personal jesus CD5 in my car and having to pull off the road). the b-sides of this era, e.g. sea of sin, dangerous, are also great.

beyond that, your top 5 rankings were very tight, so this is less a critique than a slightly different - and subjective - reordering, but mine would be: violator, 101 [if it counted - this was a huuuge record for me], black celebration, SOFAD, MFTM (though swap "nothing" for the 101 version and it moves up a slot), and Ultra (some great stuff but the first record in a long time to contain some unmitigated crap - i'm looking at you uselink, jazz theives and bottom line - and love thieves didn't really do it for me either).

finally, say what you will about speak & spell but i'd rate "excreter" as the worst DM release of all time. basically, that was when i began to think of DM as a different band altogether - alan wilder would never have let that come out - and made my peace with the end of the band i most adored in my teens and twenties.

[Brook]

things that boggled my mind as I read this:
you talk about Exciter without mentioning the one and only classic song on there - Free Love! the rest of that CD sucks eggs, but that song is classic DM.
you put Ultra at #2?!!? I'm just stunned. I like it quite a bit, but there's no way it beats out Music for the Masses or Black Celebration, or even Playing the Angel for that matter (which, I think, should have been a bit higher with more buy tracks)!
you "burn" Nothing and Sacred??? again, just wow. I can maybe see Sacred (though I wouldn't agree), but Nothing is classic.
so there's my 2 cents.

[lynne]

Great article that made me a bit nostalgic. The reviews were so full of great info, they will most definitely be of help to the DM-challenged.

[Norman]

Jon sure knows his stuff - great info.

[Margaret]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Margaret

http://guitarlearntoplay.net

[susan]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Susan

http://disturbialyrics.net

[Susan]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Susan

http://disturbialyrics.net