Depeche Mode - Spirit

And we have our regular once-every-four-years new album and tour:

Depeche Mode, one of modern music’s most influential artists, announced today at a special event in Milan that they will be embarking on a world tour in May 2017 to support their new studio album, Spirit, due to be released in early 2017. Following the release of the album, the Global Spirit Tour will provide lifelong fans and new fans alike with an opportunity to see the band’s ground-breaking and intensely emotive shows.

The first leg of the Global Spirit Tour will see Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher play to more than 1.5 million fans in 32 cities in 21 countries across Europe. The tour starts at Stockholm’s Friends Arena on May 5th 2017, and the band will play fan-favourite venues including Paris’ Stade de France, San Siro in Milan, and Berlin’s Olympiastadion. Additional tour stops include new stadiums for the band such as London Stadium on June 3rd 2017, Otkritie Arena in Moscow, and Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The European leg ends on July 23rd with a final stadium show in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

American dates to follow etc. etc. London date goes on sale this Friday.

I didn't watch the event, but apparently a reporter in the pool asked if Alan would be rejoining the band.

oh don't play Manchester/ The North then, see if i care.

James Ford producing!?

Spirit, eh? Undoubtedly looking forward to hearing how the album sounds from a production standpoint, and probably looking more forward to what Dave will bring to the table songwriting-wise than what Martin will. Dave's songs have often been legit highlights of recent Mode albums. Weirdly, I'm beginning to find that the songs that Martin is choosing to sing often seem to be some of the worst on recent Mode albums, too.

What I'm not expecting, based on that title, is any kind of radical change-up lyrically... I guess we know the drill by now: 'angel', 'devil', 'wings', 'world', 'knees', 'sin (or sinner)', 'broken (or break)', 'lost', references to Biblical names.

...and I guess there'll be at least one shuffle on this LP, too, where they attempt to remake 'Personal Jesus' again.

If Dave comes up with anything of the same quality as 'Nothing's Imposssible' or 'Secret To The End' or some of the better moments of Hourglass, I'll be one happy camper.

I didn't watch the event, but apparently a reporter in the pool asked if Alan would be rejoining the band.

― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever),

Is that all you can say about that? No answer from the band?

so new single next week? Pretty dodgy cover art for this campaign it seems

..by Corbijn, right? It's ok I guess. New single out tomorrow.

consistent then xp

you're right - Ultra was probably their last decent visuals/cover art. The Corbijn stuff is boring and repetitive

I even thought the sleeve to Ultra was terrible at first.

And we got single

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpuaPfOuxB0

Hmm. Yet another waltz-time kinda track.

Pointed lyrics, though.

I like it. On one hand, the lyrics seems very pointed indeed, very timely. On the other hand, they could probably fit over the ending credits to any of The Hunger Games movies.

This is better than "Heaven", at least. Not my favorite, not their worst.

The 6/8 obsession is getting a little comical by this point.

The thing is, after three Ben Hillier-produced records, I was secretly hoping for something different in the production department. Granted, it's only one song but it's making me think that it's not going to be too far off the last couple of releases production-wise.

I dunno, I guess I'm just hoping they'll make a record as layered as Ultra again.

I listened to Ultra on my commute in today. I had taken gigantic pieces of that album for granted (for example, "Insight" is incredible)

I have said this before -- hell, I've said it to Martin Gore directly -- that "Insight" is one of my all-time keepers from the band. Hell of an album closer but just an astonishing song and performance.

The thing is, after three Ben Hillier-produced records, I was secretly hoping for something different in the production department.

Yeah this was crossing my mind as well. Guess we'll have to wait on the album.

Yeah, I'm partly hoping that this is some kind of "red herring" first single and there'll be some surprises on the new record. I'm not expecting anything radically different in the lyrics department (particularly based on that title) but I'm hoping for something that doesn't sound like a continuation of their last three records.

Ultra's grown into one of my favourite Depeche albums in recent years, for the way that it sounds more than anything, but the songwriting was still strong in hindsight.

Ok this single is terrible. Maybe their worst first single ever. Gahan's singing style has changed so much by now that I feel like I'm listening to a wholly different band

1. "Going Backwards"
2. "Where's the Revolution"
3. "The Worst Crime"
4. "Scum"
5. "You Move"
6. "Cover Me"
7. "Eternal"
8. "Poison Heart"
9. "So Much Love"
10. "Poorman"
11. "No More (This Is The Last Time)"
12. "Fail"

The tracklisting, apparently!

I agree with pretty much everything said here. It sounds more like a b-side from the last album rather their once every four years "comeback" single.

Yes, "Ultra" is amazing (but a bit too long) and "Insight" is an all-timer.

If that's the actual tracklisting this is already shaping up to be the most dour album they've released since Black Celebration.

I think it's legit, tbh... there's pictures of the album art doing the rounds on FB (one of the pictures in the inlay is a picture of the band wielding hammers a la Construction Time Again) and you can just about make out a few of the titles ... several of the titles crop up in this Rolling Stone piece:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/depeche-modes-dave-gahan-on-urgent-new-lp-bowie-influence-w462560

It'd seem like even though the title suggests the usual angel/devil/sin/knees angle, that this is going to be more of a "state of the world" record.

Argh, lemme try that again..

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/depeche-modes-dave-gahan-on-urgent-new-lp-bowie-influence-w462560

The image of Dave screaming into the microphone perfectly illustrates what has killed my enjoyment of their music.

Well to be fair, that's pretty much how he's been doing things live for decades now.

Since I quit buying their music after SOFAD, that lines up with my purchases.

Just put on Playing the Angel this morning, which still remains up there with Violator. Puzzling to see them squander it all ever since.

I wish Playing The Angel wasn't mastered so loudly, and I still can't get on board with 'I Want It All', but I think the songwriting is mostly strong on it even if the production could have been better.

Yikes, pretty bad lead single, and similar production to the last three albums. Like Turrican, miss the days when every album had a different sound from the last - I could get excited about a new album as long as it went in a new direction.

I wish they would just go full-on dad-dance and record vocals over the VCMG album

Single is almost entirely devoid of redeeming features as far as I can hear.

An at-times hairy video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsCR05oKROA

On a second listen, song's working much better for me.

On a second listen, song's working much better for me.

Same.

I wish they would just go full-on dad-dance and record vocals over the VCMG album

― ornate orchestral arrangements (DJP), Monday, February 6, 2017 10:58 AM (four days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yessss

also I listened to some live stuff the other day and Martin's vocals are really good?

I still think parts of this are really awkward musically, although really nothing is as awkward as the "dance break" during the "train is coming" bridge in the video.

should I... watch the video? thinking after that comment, maybe not

At least when The Cure did the video for "Why Can't I Be You???" I'm pretty sure they were all high/drunk.

It's the first time Corbijn's done the lead video (as opposed to second or third ones) for a DM album in twenty years. (Still don't know why they ever bothered to use other people after he became their standby.)

That said, the SOTU video run was pretty inspired. Exception that proves the rule.

The videos for Wrong and Hole To Feed are flat-out incredible IMO

And don't knock "Peace" either. That's pretty inspired but doesn't get as much attention.

Wrong video a+

wasn't it one of the dudes from Liars in the video?

I don't think I ever saw the video for "Peace"

um okay WOW

Told ya.

wasn't it one of the dudes from Liars in the video?

Yup, their drummer.

IIRC it had exactly the same vibe as the video for "No.1 Against the Rush"

Every time a new Depeche Mode album is on its way, I always find myself going on a huge DM listening spree. Last night it was Songs of Faith and Devotion, which at one point was my favourite DM record. I was struck by how much I prefer the second half of the LP to the first, and I can hear the flaws in the production these days. Still a great record, though.

American pre-presale, as it were:

https://presale.depechemode.com/

for trivia fans: at 49 mins, this is their shortest album since SOFAD.

not liking "Where's the Revolution" but have a bit of hope for the album.

loving the video.
the flatcaps : a reference to peaky blinders ?
i love how in the beardy/train part they are all totally out of sync with each other.
you just know they were taking the piss out of each other while doing that part.

Meanwhile, the biggest 'UH' in a while w/r/t Depeche

https://twitter.com/Olivianuzzi/status/834799915058470917

someone tell him about Martin

it took me a minute, there are just so many things about Martin that would make him hate Spencer, but... yeah

there's maybe a 20% chance fuckface has only heard/seen the video for "Where's the Revolution" and found it squared with his vague conception of depeche mode as an "edgy" band

http://gothamist.com/2017/02/23/depeche_mode_richard_spencer.php

part of me is giggling that this statement happened but a larger part of me is just despairing at 2016-17

On top of everything else, that photo makes Dave look worryingly like Bono.

Track-by-track impression on the Quietus

re:

I wish they would just go full-on dad-dance and record vocals over the VCMG album

― ornate orchestral arrangements (DJP), Monday, February 6, 2017 10:58 AM (four days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

there's this:

’Scum’

Could it be that Martin Gore’s collaboration with former colleague Vince Clarke under the banner of the criminally under-rated VCMG has some bearing on the Depeche Mode of 2017? The evidence contained here would suggest that it does but those expecting an out-and-out banger are going to be disappointed. The BPMs are still well within the mid-tempo range but this does sound like house music on steroids. The percussion is driven by the kind of handclaps and claves that’ll have you pining for the Roland TR-808 while vintage synths swoop in and out of the track like scavenging birds.

Overall, it comes across as a mid-tempo (dare I say plodding) affair, with "So Much Love" being the (upbeat) exception. Hmm.

If they've changed producers to essentially produce Delta Machine Pt. II then hm indeed.

Delta Machine had more uptempo numbers than what's being described here.

True, but it feels slower in the memory.

A dab-worthy track and no mistake!

What does this mean in British English?

That isn't British English, that is "White Person Who Just Learned About Dabbing" English

I'm still in disbelief so I'm going to assume it's a confused reference to smoking dabs and listening to music

Remix single out Friday:

https://www.discogs.com/Depeche-Mode-Wheres-The-Revolution-Remixes/release/9902627

Including Algiers! Could be good.

okay THAT is something I'm interested in

IIRC Dave's the big Algiers fan in the band.

Christ, that Quietus preview makes the record sound like a bit of a slog.

I guess Ultra is a mid-paced record too, but that record that was made when the band were (arguably) still in their prime period and had Tim Simenon and co. chipping in with worthwhile ideas and production know-how.

Just thinking of the idea of a more consistently mid-paced version of Delta Machine makes me feel exhausted before I've even heard the thing.

a super-grim, political midtempo Delta Machine

I mean, sign me up, how can you NOT be excited by that

You phrase it that way and that IS interesting.

we should do a post-peak poll. post-Ultra or maybe just the last 3 albums. the only amazing thing i've heard by them this last 10 years is Come Back.

I think there's already been a couple of polls in that vein? Seems everyone has different ideas of what their best post-peak stuff is, anyway... I can't stand 'Come Back', for example!

(love 'Nothing's Impossible' and 'Secret To The End', though, if we're talking Davesongs!)

For me, their best post-Ultra IMO would include:

Shine
Freelove
The Sinner In Me
Precious
Nothing's Impossible
Wrong
In Chains
Hole To Feed
Secret to the End
Should Be Higher

^ Love all of those. I didn't think much to 'Hole To Feed', but it got its claws in me eventually. 'Shine' and 'Goodnight Lovers' are my favourite things on Exciter by miles. Album 'Freelove' > single 'Freelove' too.

Basically my thought is that post-Ultra, they really got into the idea of releasing their stronger songs as singles

also yeah, "Goodnight Lovers" is also great

Completely missed we have tour dates now:

http://depechemode.com/article/depeche-mode-announce-north-american-leg-of-the-global-spirit-tour

Fan presales start on the 6th.

--

Depeche Mode Global Spirit Tour - Fall 2017 North American Tour

August 23 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre
August 25 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
August 27 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
August 30 Chicago, IL Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

September 1 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
September 3 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
September 5 Montreal, QC Centre Bell
September 7 Washington, DC Verizon Center
September 9 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
September 11 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
September 13 Tampa, FL MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
September 15 Miami, FL AmericanAirlines Arena
September 18 Nashville, TN Ascend Amphitheater
September 20 Austin, TX Austin360 Amphitheatre
September 22 Dallas, TX Starplex Pavilion
September 24 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented
by Huntsman
September 27 Phoenix, AZ AK-Chin Pavilion
September 30 Las Vegas, NV T-Mobile Arena

October 2 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara County Bowl
October 6 San Diego, CA Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
October 8 San Jose, CA SAP Center
October 10 Oakland, CA Oracle Arena
October 12 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
October 14 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
October 21 Seattle, WA KeyArena
October 23 Portland, OR Moda Center
October 25 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
October 27 Edmonton, AB Rogers Place

No Boston dates? They hate DJP, clearly.

I think they might add more? That site where you could register for the presale listed other cities, but maybe they were gauging interest

I mean it's not like I expect that I could go

Your kids should be the avant-noise openers.

never mind, I got the email offering me chicago

From the Quietus review, I'm imagining one seriously fucking heavy listen, punctuated by headache-inducing bass. The concerts might be a bit of a downer though.

I will buy this but man does it does it sound like a drag from that review.

Really hoping (since I think a new album's due from them too) that Algiers are the opener over here.

I'm imagining one seriously fucking heavy listen, punctuated by headache-inducing bass.

If it's mastered as loudly as Playing the Angel then the headache'll be guaranteed, at least.

xp thanks for reminding me I was going to check out Algiers and never did!

oh DUDE Algiers rules

well I know that NOW

discovered Algiers through the ILM poll, they're the shit

Anyway, got my tickets through the fan presale -- twelfth row from the stage. After years of essentially seeing them high up and away it'll be nice to finally get a close-up view.

are these tickets transferable in case I can't make it and want to give them to a friend?

It pretty much was a fancy way to do a hyperadvanced Ticketmaster sale, and you can sell the tickets along to someone else right in their system. (Or presumably transfer it, but I'd assume they'd let you sell them to a friend for, say, a buck each or something. Never have used this feature, it appears to be fairly new.)

I, too, purchased tickets

Here's that Algiers remix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzJ3oGRykI0

forgot about this, but did manage tickets, and not in a terrible section. they were more than I wanted to pay ($150) but still, I've for some reason never seen DM live, so may as well

Wisdom. We're probably going to the same show -- what section did you get?

oh oops, forgot about the ticket sales

also I am kind of into this Algiers remix

I wanted to like it but the original is a slog and doubling down on the goth doesn't save it

Reading some of the chatter on the official FB page is...interesting. Not the band's posts, the comments from people in the direct fan presale. Basically: I bought my copy of the album in advance (as I was going to do anyway), broke social media silence a couple of times around my birthday to share the personalized link and ended up 54th in line for Oakland, in for the first group of tickets going on sale and got twelfth row seats as mentioned. So zero complaints on my end, and very little effort, though I pretty much dropped the Strobe app as soon as I secured said tickets.

But I figured given the whole gaming nature of the enterprise -- share out your own link, buy as many copies of the album as you like to improve your place, etc. -- I was thinking to myself "There are going to be a lot of crazy fans out there whose friends will be HATING them by the time this is all over." And there's plenty of gnashing and wailing of teeth going on, I half suspect from people who...don't go to big shows much or understand how the whole ticket breakdown/presale/VIP/reserved seating thing works? But also just plain crazy -- saw one comment from someone who was aiming for the number 1 spot somewhere (ended up number 3 in Portland) who said she bought...45 copies of the album. You read that right. And she said she spoke with others who bought over a hundred. What on god's green earth.

I hope she goes to the show wearing a suit made out of physical copies of the album

"I DID THIS FOR YOOOOOOU! DAVE! LOOK AT ME!"

fwiw I was somewhere near 800th in line for Chicago, and when I loaded the page it offered me some spots in the first ten rows but I wasn't going to pay $600 for tickets. The entire center front section was $400- $600 so I decided I was fine with the second section back.

"Wisdom. We're probably going to the same show -- what section did you get?

― Ned Raggett, "

110!

I guess what I'm getting at is that I bought one copy and could have had four seats in the first ten rows pretty easily!

xpost -- same side as us, then! We're section A.

I guess what I'm getting at is that I bought one copy and could have had four seats in the first ten rows pretty easily!

I have to assume the hyperpurchasers and the like were after the 'meet the band' option. (Which, if they got, say, spot number 2 would probably...hurt.)

dare I ask how much the row 4 tickets were in LA?

this is Depeche Mode we're talking about here? wow

Yep. The electronic Rolling Stones.

In terms of career, DM's Rolling Stones equivalent right now is halfway between Bridges to Babylon and A Bigger Bang.

I mean, okay, the hardcore obsessives are always going to try to go the extra mile with an intensity and passion that makes 'em look like they're just a tad unhinged, and I understand that this affects various bands both big and small but... it just feels to me that the music they've been making in recent years hasn't quite warranted it.

If this was off the back of Violator or Songs... I wouldn't have batted an eyelid, but... Playing The Angel is 12 years old at this point. Ultra is fucking 20!

Think it's less the album, more the fact that they can still kill live. (I mean, apply that argument across the board for a LOT of acts, obv.)

I guess what I'm trying to say, is that it really does feel to me that Depeche at this stage are living off the brand name now, rather than on the strength of new material - as the Stones did before 'em. They don't really need to release new material now. They can still cut it live, of course, but I'd be very surprised if they played anything from Delta Machine or Sounds of the Universe on this tour. Of the Ben Hillier era, pretty much only 'Precious' is guaranteed, but expect the greatest hits of the 1986-1998 period!

"Shut up and play 'Enjoy The Silence'" is the new "Shut up and play 'Satisfaction'"

Granted but nothing about what you're saying is surprising at all. I mean, in terms of creative development (dare I say), I look much more to Dave and Martin's solo work and collaborations now. We're not really seeing that feed back into the main band per se. As such, Depeche-as-brand really is how to view it; it's long been clear that it's turned into a careful alliance more than anything else, with the members spread out over two hemispheres etc. etc.

I think you're quite correct what will/won't surface on the setlist -- last time out they did absolutely nothing from SOTU, which honestly surprised me, and I'm sure Delta Machine will likely not be acknowledged. They do occasional still do a random deep album cut or two as a full band thing, but it's Martin's solo turns during shows where he tends to pull a lot of rabbits out of hats -- not that he's changing everything night to night, but it seems like they figure that the full band performances kinda have to focus on the big numbers/current songs while Martin can go deep with the nerdery on his own. It's not a bad solution.

We're not really seeing that feed back into the main band per se.

I should elaborate -- I think for a time it was clear this was happening (Dave's growth as a songwriter in the previous decade being the key example). But that heavy lifting having been done, the band's work itself seems to be in a relative stasis. We'll just have to see exactly how dramatically dour this new album is, at least -- they can't redo Black Celebration as the quantum leap forward in terms of arrangements/production/lyrical themes, but if this is their adult equivalent of that, who knows?

Among bands that have reached institutional status, those that insist on playing newer material for the majority of the show and only throwing in a few hits are a minority. There are probably a few die-hard fans who have seen every album tour and would love a concert showcasing new work, but that's not really the way arena shows work.

I feel like The Cure excels at this balancing act; I've seen multiple tours that had emphasis on new material, that were greatest hits workouts, and one special one that was basically "these are our favorite album cuts"

I'm going to be disappointed if they don't play Satisfaction

wait

Well, Depeche traditionally play a lot of material from the album they're currently touring as well as "the other stuff", but at this stage "the other stuff" seems to cover the same period it has done for goodness knows how long.

I'd certainly expect a lot of Spirit at the shows, just don't expect much else from the last 20 years. 'Precious' definitely, 'It's No Good' and 'Home' maybe. Martin might do a solo 'Heaven' with Gordeno on the keys at a push, but...

You'd have more chance of hearing 'People Are People' and 'Love, In Itself' than 'Shine' or 'Secret To The End', it seems!

Martin might do a solo 'Heaven' with Gordeno on the keys at a push, but...

I'd be quite fine with that!

And the Cure is a good comparison point here in that everything feels just loose enough to go with Robert's whims; the endlessly rotating setlists and random deep cuts that kept surfacing as last year's tour went on made it much more of a 'whoa, okay, maybe anything can happen here' feeling, at least for the first few weeks. And it's not like they didn't have their own song films as well which were played as necessary; Depeche in contrast (and like a lot of other bands at that level) is much more structured live, and tends to stick to a couple of swapped out setlists per tour with Martin's solo spots, as noted, being the more randomish factor.

(One other thing that's interesting to consider: if they do stick to "Precious" and nothing else from the last three albums, that means Dave's now growing collection of his own Depeche songs gets completely shut out. Maybe he's always just happy enough doing his new ones and/or knows that the inevitable big hits are prior to his songwriting days, but you have to wonder if he doesn't get a little ticked off. Personally I'd love to see "Should Be Higher" again at least.)

I feel like The Cure excels at this balancing act; I've seen multiple tours that had emphasis on new material, that were greatest hits workouts, and one special one that was basically "these are our favorite album cuts"

― Rachel Luther Queen (DJP), Tuesday, March 7, 2017 8:39 PM (thirteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I agree! On one hand, it's kinda frustrating that 4:14 Scream still hasn't made an appearance, but on the other it's quite admirable how Robert has just turned The Cure into a touring-only entity for the last near-decade or so. No pressure delivering new material - even though I liked the material from the last record - just playing themed shows from their extensive back catalogue.

I think it helped here in the States that there had been no full tour in eight years too. Just random festival appearances and one-offs and maybe a couple of dates in a row here and there. To then have a full-on coast to coast go-everywhere tour after all that was good timing.

Imagine Depeche's stage show being loose enough that they could throw in stuff like 'Lie To Me' or 'Pipeline' or 'Rush' or 'Shine' or 'Dangerous' or 'People Are People' or 'The Sun & The Rainfall' ...

Or imagine 'em being brave enough to do a show without playing 'Enjoy The Silence', 'Personal Jesus', 'Never Let Me Down Again' ... Depeche have such a rabid fanbase that they probably could, but I think they'd be scared to.

listening to a 2014 live album now and they threw in "Just Can't Get Enough" :D

"Threw in." They've made that one a standard part of their set (after a mostly nineties break) for years now.

Keep in mind as well that they may well have their reasons just not to look back. "People Are People" I fully understand why they're not playing again -- for all the song's absolute sonic brilliance, Martin in particular says he really hates the lyric now (not the sentiment, but the execution). But beyond that, they or maybe more specifically he might well just think "Yeah, sorry, I think we got better."

fair

I would be happy if they just played the outtro for 5 minutes

But beyond that, they or maybe more specifically he might well just think "Yeah, sorry, I think we got better."

no way, all downhill after Speak & Spell

Why Mr. Clarke, good to see you here.

Just chiming in on the Cure comparison. You won't hear them play much of their last 3 albums either. I think the main difference with DM is that by now Robert Smith is playing largely for the zealots and thus throwing in a handful of B-sides and deep cuts. Not sure that would be the case if they had a new album to peddle.
DM otoh still sees itself as a mainstream arena band for, err, the "masses".

"People Are People" I fully understand why they're not playing again -- for all the song's absolute sonic brilliance, Martin in particular says he really hates the lyric now (not the sentiment, but the execution).

It would be great if they played this with completely new lyrics

They should get the phone-in guy from 101 to re-write 'em.

BTW if you have an hour to kill, Depeche talking with Jon Pareles the other day:

https://www.facebook.com/depechemode/posts/10155826356100329

Just reading the comments there and trying to figure out which type of comment gives me the biggest migraine, the "bring back Alan Wilder" type or the "they're still as good as ever" type or the "you're not a proper fan because you don't like what the band have turned into" type...

i tried to buy tickets in Los Angeles. people didn't let me know they wanted to go until after they went on sale. now it's all Ticketmaster saying it's aftermarket tickets, bullshit and they want over $100 for the worst seats. i might end up going if they add more dates. i have seen Depeche Mode more than any other band and don't really feel the need to see them again, unlike the Cure.

more than any local band?

Just finished watching that video with Pareles and it's a REALLY good discussion. (Pareles trips himself up a couple of times but it's all good and the audience questions are astonishingly all kinda great, a rarity. AND there's even plenty of discussion about subjects we've raised on this thread -- there's even a Cure/Depeche live comparison courtesy Fletch!)

Their comments on how they feel about tribute acts seem to have rubbed a few people up the wrong way. On one hand, I completely understand where Martin comes from when he says he finds it weird... it must be odd to watch footage of tribute acts while actually being the person that's being imitated. On the other, when Dave said he found it "a bit sad" I was like "eh?" considering he was talking about pretending to be Bowie in the mirror in his room when he was a teenager. A tribute act is exactly that, a way for fans to express how much they love the music. Gahan seems to have these occasional moments of acting a bit big headed.

I enjoyed Martin talking about the inspiration behind 'Home' amongst the well-worn anecdotes about leaving the snare off 'Master and Servant' etc.

Well, there IS a world of difference between just trying to be Bowie (or whoever) in your bedroom as a teen and being a member of a tribute band as your main actual musical endeavor, say. (That said I'm not trying to outright trash anyone in such a path -- the turn of the century documentary _Tribute_ is essential watching in this regard.)

Hmm, not really... it still boils down to the same thing for me, which is just fans expressing love for their favourite artists' music and I really don't see anything wrong with that. Just one is done in private, and the other is done in front of people that feel the same way.

Then again, there are more than a few fans that are still upset with their post-Violator live setup of acoustic drums and Martin playing more guitar onstage than keyboards, and some of the tribute bands play not only with the old school all-keyboards setup but they also tend to play songs that Depeche Mode seldom touch live anymore. Maybe this also rubs the band up the wrong way, especially when some fans make comment that the band themselves should be doing what the tribute acts are doing.

The core impulse may be the same but I think you're handwaving the private/public difference quite a bit! (Especially since tribute bands in general aren't just performing for charity or shits and giggles.) And yeah, if it's a case where a band is out to play a 'real' Depeche set in some eyes -- four members, a manque Alan, no drums -- then I think the actual band might be a bit 'uh, well, we are here rather than there, y'know.'

Yeah, they must get seriously fucked off at this stage, 22 years down the line, being asked whether or not Alan is coming back when it's clear he isn't. For better or for worse, the band they have evolved into since his departure are the band they are now and it's what they want to do, which is fair enough.

For a certain group of people, though, it seems that they view the acoustic drums, the increased use of guitar live, the focus on "bluesy" elements etc. etc. as some sort of betrayal.

Clearly Alan Wilder was the final filter and magic sauce for this group. Ever since his departure they've occasionally showed flickers of their original greatness but not really.

Err Ultra and Playing the Angel are as good if not better than anything they released with Wilder

For a certain group of people, though, it seems that they view the acoustic drums, the increased use of guitar live, the focus on "bluesy" elements etc. etc. as some sort of betrayal.

I admit I find this mindset (which I agree you can easily see around) pretty funny because this was well on the way when Alan was still in the band, as SOFAD clearly shows. Hell, *he* was the drummer on that tour. I will say I'm glad I got to see what turned out to be the last no-drums tour in 1990, not that they or anyone knew it at the time -- the point was, they had gotten that far, ie world conqueringly huge, without such a setup. (And I think it's interesting still that there's almost no mention of the fact that thirty-five plus years in even if they have a touring drummer, they have never had a bassist live -- that element, in whatever form, has always been electronic.)

And separately I agree with Baaderonix obv.

Anyway supposedly the album has leaked, which given it's four days from release isn't surprising. But I figure a formal stream has to turn up...somewhere?

I think the number one reason they have a drummer is for the visual, to take up space, since obviously they don't "need" a drummer. And of course there is still tons of programmed percussion.

Hilariously, when I saw Dolly Parton last year she had everything *but* a drummer. She jokingly (maybe?) claimed there was some last minute conflict and they couldn't get a new guy in time, which was of course bullshit. Last year the Pet Shop Boys toured with I think three band members, two playing drums, but obviously they didn't need them; the tour before that was just the Boys and two dancers, and it was just as good. One of the best shows I've ever seen was Saint Etienne with a full band. I saw them on some subsequent tour, with a lot of canned music, and it was nowhere near as good, imo.

Gahan's often said that having a live drummer behind him helps him to perform better as he can feel some kind of energy coming off the live kit, and I can completely understand that.

And yeah, the whole live drumming thing started at the end of Alan's stint with the band, and I think there was a lot about the Songs of Faith and Devotion period that was a shock to fans and critics alike.

I think what it is, is that some electronic music/synthpop fans have an anti-rock stance and they're disappointed that one of the bigger bands that has emerged in the genre don't share this viewpoint. They're mystified as to why the band needed to incorporate such "rock" elements into their sound when they managed to become so successful just by performing as 3 keyboards, drum machines (+ backing) and Dave.

Of course, it was a creative decision that led to those elements appearing in the first place, so that the band could avoid stagnating. They seem to have managed stagnating in other ways, though.

Both Ultra and Playing the Angel are good records, IMO... Ultra in particular is easily as good as anything with Wilder in the band. What finally put the Alan thing to rest for me is when I heard his mix of 'In Chains' and didn't think he'd made that much of a difference to the overall quality of the song.

I feel like the "no drums, no guitars" synth-only Depeche Mode fans are few and far between, especially in the US? I'm sure they're vocal about it, but that's an ahistorical view of when and how the band's been most successful.

To be fair, a lot of it REALLY had to do with the (obviously still lingering) snobbism about 'not real instruments, not a real band, fuck you' from unreconstructed rockism or whatever you want to call it. I'm not saying an equivalent bias is any better, but the arc from 'four guys in a pub with their synths under their arms' to Violator heights over the course of a decade is a pretty compelling narrative, and nostalgia has a lot to factor into it.

Yeah, that's precisely where I think the whole attitude comes from... this whole thing about Depeche Mode becoming successful on their own terms with a type of music that was deemed by rockists to be not "real" or "authentic" - particularly in the US ... it's not hard to see why hardcore/obsessive fans of electronic music would see this as some sort of victory, then be confounded when they increase the amount of "rock" elements into their sound/look. Depeche Mode adopted most of their "rock" tropes after they became successful. Gore played a little bit of guitar live during the Masses tour, but nowhere near the amount as he plays live these days.

Imagine Depeche's stage show being loose enough that they could throw in stuff like 'Lie To Me' or 'Pipeline' or 'Rush' or 'Shine' or 'Dangerous' or 'People Are People' or 'The Sun & The Rainfall' ...

At this point I might prefer this to the "new album once every four years, tour stadiums" formula they've stuck to for the past decade and a half. But on the last tour they did find ways to put new twists on older songs (remixed versions of "Pain That I'm Used To" and "Halo", looser intros to "Personal Jesus") and the new songs were featured prominently ("Goodbye" was the set closer when I saw them) so I don't think they're running in place and in need of a major creative shake-up (yet).

At this point I might prefer this to the "new album once every four years, tour stadiums" formula they've stuck to for the past decade and a half.

Ha, that was the first thing I asked Gore two years back:

This is something I've just noticed as a listener: it seems to be a pattern of about four years or so between Depeche albums, and then the solo projects emerge in the time between. So I was almost not surprised when I heard word of MG coming out. Is there any sort of actual plan at work, or to things just happen as they do?

Martin Gore: Boy, it's true that were are on a kind of four-year cycle, and it's been happening like that for a while now. You know, we finish a tour, usually, and then there's either a break period or a time when we start thinking about doing something in a solo context, and then there's getting back to writing for the band, and then there's the recording for the band, and then after the release, we go on a tour, and that usually takes up the four years. That's just the way it is these days. It's difficult — I don't think we particularly want to speed that process up, because we all have families, and I think you need that kind of break anyway, if you're going to keep up any kind of quality control.

Compare that with The Cure where there doesn't even seem to be any solo creative impulse in between the 4-8 year album cycle.

Well now it's 9! Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if there's no new Cure album ever again.

Yeah, this 4:14 Scream album seems like it's never gonna get released.

Or any of the remaining remasters.

Also, how much longer could Depeche Mode possibly carry on for? At the rate of one LP/tour every four years, maybe one or two more records at a push?

Also, not even Corbijn's skills with a camera can disguise that the band members are beginning to look ancient. Particularly Fletch.

Yeah seems likely. I think RS has realized that the well has run dry and there's no point in forcing it. Admirable in a way but pretty sad considering the gift he used to have

Oops that was xxpost

Also, not even Corbijn's skills with a camera can disguise that the band members are beginning to look ancient. Particularly Fletch.

Less ancient in Fletch's case and more comfortable grand-dad. Which I believe he is by now.

Anyway as long as the Rolling Stones are continuing on, who knows what the limit will be. In four years' time both Gore and Gahan will still be in their fifties.

xxpost:

Yeah, it seems like RS has found a setup that works for him - he's able to play gigs and not have to even worry about or have the pressure of recording and putting out new material. He can play whatever he pleases and he knows he's got an audience. What a position to be in.

I feel like anti-rockism is almost as dumb as rockism re:Turrican's "real synth band" mentions

I was watching that modular synth documentary "I Dream of Wires" (which has Vince Clarke!) and at one point there was a strain of conversation/editing that set up this dichotomy between modular synths and the integrated/keyboard-based synthesizers that were more affordable ones the Casios of the world started manufacturing. While it didn't overwhelm it (and would have been crazy considering the range of artists interviewed) there was very nearly a pro-modular rockist (modularism?) thread. As if drawing a line between the expensive, tetchy modular gear and the affordable gear with more-traditional keyboards is a rhetorical stance.

If you're going to fault DM for using some guitars, why not go whole hog and say their entire brand was always culturally bankrupt because they never played buchla gear

You could look at that way, but then I'd have to point out that there's an ARP 2600 on Speak & Spell.

There seems to be a preference amongst newer bands these days for analogue synthesisers over digital synthesisers and even softsynths, in the same ways as guitarists love vintage guitars. However, the original crop of synthpop artists from the late '70s were always moving onto the next thing, equipment-wise. Midge Ure from Ultravox was describing the Minimoog as antique by '84. Gary Numan made his name with analogue synthesisers but would rather not use them. OMD and even Vince Clarke are using softsynths now.

*it

I think you're making points in the vein that I was using as an example of people being pedantic and asinine

xpost -- It can depend on the veteran artist, though -- Steve Roach, per my interview the other week:

http://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2017/03/steve-roach-interview?linkId=35319969

...was very, very vocal throughout about preferring analog synths and why.

DM, like NO, had access to some pretty $$$ equipment pretty early, iirc, once they moved beyond the DIY kit years. Anyway, I think the synths were almost always used in a pretty punk rock way, as a means for people of limited ability to get maximum results. Though it might have been in that aforementioned doc where Andy McCluskey somewhat defensibly notes that songwriting takes skill and work, even with synths and machines, and that if there was a button on his keyboard that simply said "hit" he'd be pressing it all the time.

xxpost:

The points still remain though, which are: the original crop of synth bands were always updating their equipment with the most up to date technology they could afford, which is why pop music went from being made with Minimoogs and CR-78's to Fairlights and Synclaviers within the space of a few years. The focus was always predominantly on the new - and secondly, that early in their career Depeche Mode were indeed using modulars.

Overall, though, the main reason is by the time The Human League and Depeche Mode arrived using all synthetics, guitar-oriented music was already decades old. Hence why synth music was initially deemed by rockists to be "inauthentic" ...

Personally, I don't really give a fuck what sort of equipment an electronic pop record was made on, as long as the sound design serves the material - I think the idea that an ARP 2500 is more "the real deal" than an Arturia softsynth is pretty silly, given that electronic music in general gets tagged as being inauthentic, even now amongst some.

they added some gear and made an electronic pop album with some guitar and drums

Yes, as a creative decision to keep things fresh (for them) and to prevent themselves from stagnating. Sadly, not everyone sees it that way.

[...] there's an ARP 2600 on Speak & Spell.

In fact, per Daniel Miller, S&S is almost entirely his ARP 2600, right down to the kick drums. I think he pushed them (by which I mean, Vince) into using it exclusively because it sounded so much nicer than the entry-level machines they'd been playing in pubs with. It's easy to overstate the 'synthpunk' aspect to this record - there's some lovely, painstaking sound design to be found throughout, in particular on 'Any Second Now'.
Neat factoid: Miller bought his 2600 second-hand from from an auction of equipment that had previously belonged to Elton John.

I agree, something like 'New Life' isn't really the sound of a bunch of people just turning their synths on and going for it... it sounds like every sound on there has been carefully thought out and it's superbly produced and full sounding. It's nowhere near as "synthpunk" like as Fad Gadget or even Miller's own The Normal single.

Meantime, if you remember this

http://www.avclub.com/article/depeche-mode-singer-calls-richard-spencer-cunt-252075

Full interview that's from:

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7723868/depeche-mode-dave-gahan-spirit-politics-interview

Hahahaha! Gahan OTM. Excellent and apt choice of word, too.

Although, it has to be said, the word "cunt" is still quite an offensive term in the UK. Maybe the writer is confusing the UK with Australia.

This is great

Also something I only recently realized -- Martin's family history is well known now, but I hadn't realized that Dave is part Malaysian via his father.

(Which makes Spencer's claim even more of a 'uh...right, dude' situation.)

I didn't realise or even know that either!

Per Wikipedia -- and beyond that, this whole story is kinda fucked up:

Gahan was born as David Callcott into a working-class family, to parents Len Callcott (a bus driver) of Malaysian descent and his wife Sylvia (a conductress or "clippy" on London buses), Dave was only six months old when his father left the family. Sylvia and Len divorced two years later and his mother moved Dave and sister Sue (born 1960) to Basildon, Essex, after Sylvia met and married her second husband Jack Gahan (an administrator with Shell Oil). The Gahan family continued to grow with the birth of two more half-brothers Peter (born 1966) and Phil (born 1968). Dave and Sue were raised under the impression that their mother's second husband, Jack, was their natural father.

In 1972, when Gahan was 10 years old, his stepfather died. Gahan recalled how he "came home one day and found this bloke [his biological father] at home". Of the incident, he has said: "I'll never forget that day. When I came home from school, there was this stranger in my mum's house. My mother introduced him to me as my real dad. I remember I said, that was impossible because my father was dead. How was I supposed to know who that man was? From that day on, Len often visited the house, until one year later he disappeared again. Forever this time. Since then he had no contact with us. By growing older, I thought about him more and more. The only thing my mother would say, was that he moved out to Jersey to open a hotel." "Mum had kept it back from me 'til there was a need to tell me about my birth father, it's a different generation and you can understand I guess she thought she was doing the right thing"

So, has anyone actually heard this yet? It's been leaked for days, apparently.

C'mon people, yer letting me down etc.

Yeah I know, I'm mildly surprised there isn't a promo stream somewhere by now. Two days out!

Okay, album just went live on Amazon Music (am listening now) so I'm guessing it's out on the other streaming services too.

First song "Going Backwards" is pretty damn gorgeous as well as darkly compelling. If it's the scene setter for the rest that's a good sign.

yeah the song is not bad at all. it doesn't break the mold of the last few albums, but the drive is there and the trading vocals at the end are nice

Almost done with the full listen -- pretty good overall and I think it'll be a strong grower. "Poorman" might be a sleeper for me in particular, but I think relistens will help make everything even more distinct. Dave's songs this time out are definite winners.

I listened to half of it and Dave's "Cover Me" stood out as a highlight, but nothing really grabbed me so far. I think overall it's about as good as SOTU and better than Delta Machine, which is to say, fine

urgh, way to sell it, guys

Haha but better to underplay expectations, surely? I will say that the whole lyrical theme throughout is definitely indicated by "Where's the Revolution?" -- expressions of regression, exhaustion, frustration, holding on to where/when one can. So credit them for committing to the full.

first song is kind of great and "Where's the Revolution?" works better in context, much like "Heaven" did on Delta Machine (neither was a good single choice IMO)

Yeah I was thinking very much the same -- having "Going Backwards" set up "Where's the Revolution?" is an excellent one-two.

Listening now, and "Cover Me" is lovely. I hope there is more like this and less of the distorto-blues thing.

You mean there isn't a song on this where Gahan goes "*croak*aaaaaaaaiiiiiinnnnnggggeeeehhhllll" like he's constipated!?

Ha, yeah, this album is pretty turgid. I listen to albums on shuffle, generally, and the second this one ended a Julianna Barwick track popped on, and before I realized it was her I thought the album had suddenly taken a turn for the interesting.

I haven't heard it yet, but I guess it's not hard to guess what the album sounds like!

Eh, I wouldn't go that far. 6 songs in and it's a good deal more energetic than that "everything is mid-tempo" listenthrough description would lead you to believe. The lyrics are thematically monochromatic with varying levels of success ("Going Backwards" and "Cover Me" are very good at delivering their message; "Where's the Revelution" and "Scum" are... not as good).

If you hate nu-Dave singing, nothing I've heard so far will change your mind.

Slap a "thematically monochromatic" sticker on the cover, because that about sums it up. Can't imagine coming back to this album, sounds like the band could really use a fresh approach, assuming they have it in them.

On the other hand, the subject matter they're tackling in the times we are currently experiencing is worth the attempt. Not sure it's 100% successful but I think it's overstating things to call this album an unbearable slog if you listen to it in order.

It definitely wasn't unbearable, no.

Are there any surprises in the production department?

It sounds a lot more like Playing the Angel than "Where's the Revolution?" would lead you to believe.

You Move is disorienting as hell, btw; whose idea was it to drop a 16th note from third measure of every group of four in the verse?

btw: https://twitter.com/i/live/839261822683226112

currently Martin is singing "Little Soul"

and now "Where's the Revolution?"

it seems he's toned down the use of vocal fry to initiate his vocal lines in live performance, anyway; it's still there but not on every single line like it was circa SOTU

Had to miss that performance, work meetings etc. But I'm sure it'll be around.

On the other hand, the subject matter they're tackling in the times we are currently experiencing is worth the attempt. Not sure it's 100% successful but I think it's overstating things to call this album an unbearable slog if you listen to it in order.

Agreed. Thus my comments which others apparently took the wrong way! And yeah, definitely worth the attempt. It's classic 'broad stroke' social commentary from Depeche, but the thing is, it can work or at least flow at its best. Sonically it ain't Black Celebration but lyrically definitely the closest they've been in a while.

I liked a lot of Sounds of the Universe but found Delta Machine a snooze and so far this one is no better. Major props to Gahan for his Spencer statement, though.

I am very much in favor of "Fail"

Was disappointed with this initially but gets better in the second half I think. Some lyrics are making me cringe, but that's always been the case with this band.

I very much like this album, more than the last three (although i really like parts of Delta Machine). It's succinct, for one thing; like a normal album length. It's more of a mood album. I'm very pleased.

where's the revolution?

I am beginning to warm to "Scum"

lol @ this RYM review "both the opener and closer describe this album perfectly"

Scum starts awful but turns into something great

now I'm imagining a Depeche Mode/LCD Soundsystem mashup

(North American) Scum

I still haven't heard this yet (I know, I know!) but I have been working my way up to it by listening to all the albums from Ultra onwards and... y'know, I think both Sounds of the Universe and Delta Machine have some good stuff on 'em, just that both albums are too long. Exciter still mostly bores the tits off me, though.

Listened to this all the way through tonight, while proofreading. I remember how exactly none of the songs went. They really seem to have lost any ability they had to write memorable melodies and choruses. These songs were all about a particular kind of soporific, morose mood, and I feel like all the other post-Violator albums I've heard have been like that, too. I mean, I'm not a fan - I like Masses a lot, Violator slightly less, and don't really care about anything else, but I feel like if the songs were better on the other albums I could care. But they're not, so I don't.

To contrast this (understandable enough) take: I'm on my third listen or so and as I figured, it's both sinking in further and feeling a little more individual and distinct song for song the more I listen. If the exchange has been less immediate out of the gate singalongs in favor of something that seeps into the memory, then weirdly enough I'm not minding at all.

So, I'm halfway through my first listen to this and I'm enjoying this way, way more on the first listen than the previous two. Yes, it's a slow-paced record in places, but I'm enjoying how this record sounds.

You Move is disorienting as hell, btw; whose idea was it to drop a 16th note from third measure of every group of four in the verse?

― Rachel Luther Queen (DJP), Friday, March 17, 2017 7:01 PM (four days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Ha, yes! That one's a Gore/Gahan co-write, I think. I love the feeling of that one!

Basically, I think this album sounds great and both Martin and Dave are performing well, but I think the big difference for me is that lyrically it moves away from themes that were starting to feel like a bit of a crutch by this point and instead explores themes which are far less trodden in DM's discography. It's great to be able to listen to a DM record without thinking "I've heard this before"

Songwriting wise, I've suspected all along that this album is going to be moody and not full of pop bangers, so I'm not disappointed that it's not 12 re-writes of 'Enjoy The Silence', but I am delighted that it's not the consistently mid-paced slog that some reviews/previews painted it as, and there are some uptempo moments. I suspect this record will grow on me further.

Third listen now, and ready to call this their best LP since Playing the Angel...

I still like Sounds of the Universe a lot but it's very uneven in comparison; The beginning rules, the end rules, the middle is enjoyable enough if I make myself listen to it but I almost never want to.

Some interesting technical detail buried in this story (perhaps already linked)

http://consequenceofsound.net/2017/03/depeche-modes-martin-gore-and-andy-fletcher-explain-how-to-save-the-world/

so, there is a special edition with a disc of 'jungle spirit' remixes - '

i am assuming these aren't jungle remixes ?

are they worthy of the extra ££ for the album ?

eh

They aren't bad but I wouldn't call any of them essential.

ahh.
checked the credits via discogs expecting some current remixer names involved with them, but they are all done by the band and someone under the alias matrixxman.

just in case some folks aren't aware.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p04wv8vb/the-6-music-festival-depeche-mode

a couple of songs are available globally here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e368gw/acts/ajbxp6#p04wv8vb

matrixxman (us techno producer / dj) was the programmer on the album.

i must have seen 100 gigs at glasgow barrowlands over the years. the atmosphere there is always famously electric but last night at depeche mode was probably in the top 3 ever. great, great crowd!

Yeah I was duly jealous of friends who attended. And now that includes you!

Nice new interview with Gore here

http://thequietus.com/articles/22177-martin-gore-depeche-mode-interview-2

And I'm rather envious of the people attending these European shows given the opener:

http://matablog.matadorrecords.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Algiers_DMTour_IG-537x537.jpg

Not really getting the love here for these guys but I totally see why Dave would pick them as openers

Listening to this again after a bit of a break from it and was half-expecting to listen to a couple of tracks and then switch off from it - but no, Spirit has turned out to be a record that I didn't think they had in 'em at this stage of their career: an album that is engaging from start to finish. The relatively trimmed-down length, the change in producer and the change of lyrical approach has worked wonders. It helps that this album feels as though it's about something, and not just an excuse to wheel out the angel/devil/knees/sin/chains etc. cliches again.

And for all my early reservations about the production circa the release of 'Where's The Revolution', headphone listens to Spirit have revealed a production which is far more deeper and layered than it first appears, and a much richer sonic experience than the three Ben Hillier albums.

Extensive new interview with Fletch, worth a read

http://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/interviews/in-mind-body-and-spirit-depeche-mode-fletch-interviewed

Listening to this again after not hearing it for a couple of months and it's still holding up, definitely theiy best album since Playing the Angel, maybe even Ultra ... it's easy to see this one becoming a cult favourite.

it's definitely a subtle album that requires a few listens.
my first impressions was that it was a bit too low key, but after a few listens i now really like that aspect.
oh, and as expected, i love the extra disc remixes.

hope he is OK:

http://micetimes.asia/front-man-depeche-mode-was-hospitalized-on-the-eve-of-concert-in-kiev/

i was going to try and see this upcoming show, but i really couldn't be bothered. don't like the new stuff.

Holy shit! Yeah, hope he's ok...

he is OK (food poisoning):

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-40643423

That's two of the last three tours he's been hospitalised on... it makes me wonder just how long Depeche would be willing to go on as a touring unit.

Anyway, the replayability of this record seems to be quite high for me, I burned out on the two records before far quicker.

OK, weeks down the line, at the right volume, in the right mood, this is hitting the spot.

Yay! This has become one of my favourite Depeche Mode albums. For real.

US tour kicking in too. Seems well timed all around.

Was mostly not feeling the show last night. I know they've been in this, er, mode for a while now, but it's just too over the top rock, not helped at all by the fucking drummer, who played like he was being paid by the fill and/or trying out for Tool.

Yeah, that's been a common complaint re: Eigner for years now. There's still folks who'd love them to return to the three keyboards + vocals set-up and get rid of the live drums and guitar, but I don't think they will.

Heard a lot of positive feedback on the US tour so far myself; honestly if anything it sounds like...what they've been generally doing. So, we'll see.

Eigner is there to stay. Dave's been vocal about the fact that he really likes having a live drummer to work with. (If they ever got in a bassist, THEN I'd worry.)

I was at the same show and enjoyed it, but it was my first time seeing live DM in person so I might be biased. I kind of take it for granted that anyone playing large arenas is going to end up with some arena rock conventions.

All credit to the lady behind me who very emotionally sung along to all of Martin’s solo vocal moments

(If they ever got in a bassist, THEN I'd worry.)

Peter did play bass for two or three songs!

I know Dave likes Eigner, and I know why they do it, and I know this is how it's been, but having seen a bazillion shows (including DM before) I also know there are different ways to approach arenas or the equivalent and DM has basically taken the laziest route. Bigger. Louder. Less dynamic. As if they're afraid to ever bring things down too much, like they think the fans need all the aggro stuff or they'll turn on them or something. Like, I've seen Sade absolutely kick ass in an arena, if you trust your fans and program a good show, the fans will dig it.

Also, and I say this with love, Martin and Dave could not have given less of a shit about playing "Everything Counts," so why do it at all? If you're going to sleepwalk through a song, that seems an ironic choice.

Peter did play bass for two or three songs!

Ha, well, that much I'll allow -- no more, though.

Hadn't realized "Everything Counts" is back! That's been some years -- though it is...appropriate to the times.

The transformation from a Einsturzende Neubauten and Fad Gadget-loving European electronic band to a Mumford & Sons-loving American blues band has been quite something.

This thread revival has got me listening to Spirit again and it's continuing to hit the spot... I fucking love 'Scum' and 'You Move' ...

get this mumford shit off the thread

martin's blues interests have expanded but there are more industrial/techno bits he's skimmed off his side projects and listening interests in there too

Gahan's the one that likes Mumford & Sons.

Depeche Mode did a track 34 years ago called 'Pipeline' which I would describe as "none more industrial" in the "old skool" sense. They also did a track 25 years ago called 'Rush' which could have fit snugly on Pretty Hate Machine. Both are more exciting than anything on Delta Machine.

Scum is a late-career highlight

it reminds me of Wrong, these one word themes

I was going to post this earlier because it really stuck in my head: the video clips for a couple new songs, which I believe are new for this tour, are really good! especially the one for In Your Room

I think I read it's all new work with Anton Corbijn

Scum is a late-career highlight

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Thursday, August 31, 2017 8:46 PM (ten minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I completely agree!

New video's nice!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8t5M9_Tvzk

I like the video - it's a bit of a strange choice of single, though.

hey, they showed part of that on the tour visuals!

The more I listen to this album, the angrier I get at that track-by-track listen published on The Quietus.

So, I'm finding myself listening to Spirit again, and... this has got to me the most I've spun a new Depeche Mode album for 12 years, possibly even 20 years. While the change in producer wasn't immediately apparent, it's definitely had an impact and it's amazing how much more fresh this sounds due to the change in producer, the change in subject matter and also the fact that it's their shortest album in a long time.

'Going Backwards', 'Where's the Revolution?', 'The Worst Crime', 'Scum', 'You Move', 'Cover Me', 'So Much Love' and 'Fail' are all some of my favourite things this band have done post-Ultra and 'No More (This Is The Last Time)' is a grower. 'Poorman' is the one song I'm not so keen on in comparison to the others, partly because it retains some of the "bluesy" ingredients that I'm fucking sick of hearing from Depeche Mode at this stage.

On the whole, it's my favourite new Depeche Mode record for a very long time and an unexpected surprise - I was all prepared to hear a tired record by a band going through the motions, but they've actually made a bit of effort this time around to change things up and maybe address some of the "problems" (for want of a better word) of the previous couple of albums. They've made one of my favourite synth albums this year - quite something for a band I'd assumed to be, while not completely creatively spent, then in serious danger of getting there.

I agree, except I also like "Poorman".

Spirit is easily their best since Playing the Angel, if not Songs of Faith and Devotion.

Wow. Well, I think it's better than the last two, I'll give it that.

Yeah, definitely their best since Playing the Angel for me, too... maybe even since Ultra. Maybe they secretly knew they'd have to try and freshen things up a bit.

I'd love to hear more stuff from them in the vein of 'You Move' ...

Fuck, 'Cover Me' is so beautiful... when the pedal steel kicks back in during the outro section it gives me proper goosebumps.

A week from tonight! This'll be fun.

I love 'Corrupt', but 'Fail' just ends this album so perfectly and is, for me, up there with 'Insight' and 'Clean' ...

Okay, last night! Some thoughts:

* A good show for sure, and unique for me because after nine previous times dating back to 1990, this was the first time I'd seen them outside of SoCal. Also the closest to the stage I'd ever been, which provided a nice to way to really look at the band up close and see how they play off each other. Arguably all the broad gestures are just that, but even so there's sometimes some odd, fun little subtleties that happen between all five of them.

* The slight downside to being so close was being among a number of people who mmmmaybe were more there for a perceived cachet/'going out for a show' than the band in question. It was unclear -- it's not that there weren't fans but there was a little less buzz or excitement in comparison to some batshit level reactions with a surrounding audience in the past. Easily part of this is age and nostalgia and distance (on everyone's part!) but maybe it really is that difference between up here and down south.

* Basically it's the well-seasoned unit now -- no lineup change in 20 years -- doing its thing. Only five Spirit songs but by kicking off with "Going Backwards" and "So Much Love" they made a strong start of it -- really good versions live, maybe even stronger than on record. So that was good.

* Some of the setlist had been spoiled for me but not all so there were some interesting surprises. The biggest for me -- no "Precious"! I honestly thought this had become pretty much *the* new anthem for them over the past decade -- it remains one of their strongest songs -- so it not being there was almost a head-scratcher. Other real absence was "Just Can't Get Enough," if only because they had seemed to make that a pretty regular thing since 20 years back as well.

* In terms of what they did play, it was nice to see them start to work Sounds of the Universe back in after mostly ignoring it in 2013 -- "Wrong" and "Corrupt" took a bow -- as well as the remix/revamp version of "A Pain That I'm Used To" they've done before. They pulled some interesting headfakes too -- the intro to "World In My Eyes" was new (and very good) and similarly I didn't recognize "Everything Counts" at all from its intro until the familiar horn/scrape rhythm that starts it off hit the mix.

* The Big Five standards were all there -- "Never Let Me Down Again," "I Feel You," "Walking In My Shoes," "Enjoy the Silence" and "Personal Jesus" -- while Martin did a one-two with his solo spots doing "A Question of Lust" and "Somebody" among others. Sometimes it's all about the usual.

* I really did like the version of "Heroes"! I know some don't but I'd avoided listening to it until last night, and while it's nowhere near as 'huge' as the original, its sweeter feeling and lower-key impact is quite lovely.

* As I mentioned last night, Dave constantly seems ready to shed all his clothes and when he took his jacket off after the first song I figured the vest would soon follow -- but nope, kept in on the whole time, another mild surprise. But he and Martin are in fine voice still (Martin actually sounding a little better than last time -- I wonder if he's figured out how to adjust for time/age more now).

* Fletch is Fletch. God bless him. Raising his hands to get the audience going here and there and otherwise just Fletch.

* Some good Corbijn films this time out, whether animation or actual films -- I remember thinking as "Enjoy the Silence" was building up that there had to be another strange film for that one and behold, we got just that with the various animal shots (thus my alternate title for it, "Enjoy the Bunnies").

* And finally a confession and realization. So during one of the intros of all the band members, Pete and Christian were both mentioned of course, and Pete I think is just ageless and will stay that way. But they showed Christian and...well here's the thing. I've been a fan for so long now that I pretty am still in the "Oh yeah, Christian, the young drummer they added in 1997 or so" mode whenever I think about him. And he's very clearly middle aged now, and I went "FUUUUUCK it's that long too." I mean, Depeche being in their late fifties, yeah, I get that, but when your later members are starting to show the years...yeah, time has passed.

Anyway. We had a great time. I am still very very tired though.

I liked the version of "Heroes" because it was actually kind of spare and chill and gave my ears a break. Nice surprise for such an anthem.

sorry I missed you! I did run into Chaki in the hallway though.

I liked the show. I was in the 100s sections, so back of the floor on the risers; tix were expensive as fuck, and the only downside to the night to me was the cost. 2 tix plus parking plus babysitting pushed this well over $400 total for the evening which I don't really like to think about as it wasn't a $400 experience for me. I was next to a really annoying superfan who bellowed the words to every song while filming the whole thing on his phone and passing his beer back and forth to his wife who was spilling over her seat into mine and held a smelly plate of nachos on her lap all night. So it was hard to get into the show. That said: this was the first time I'd seen DM ever, and they were pretty good. I could have done with fewer of the newer tracks and a few more older tracks (would have liked 'behind the wheel', 'policy of truth', 'precious'....I guess they never do blasphemous rumors anymore sadly) but that is probably just telling my age.

I still don't really accept these new guys in the band.

but I'll also say: IMO the OMD show earlier this summer was way better.

But oh, the Corbjin videos were wonderful; the dance to In Your Room; the animals; the drag queen. they should reissue those as official videos.

glad to see other people saw the show and came to a lot of the same conclusions!

sorry I missed you! I did run into Chaki in the hallway though.

Yeah we ran into a couple of friends of Kate's along the way -- big venue, can't see everything!

2 tix plus parking plus babysitting pushed this well over $400 total for the evening which I don't really like to think about as it wasn't a $400 experience for me. I was next to a really annoying superfan who bellowed the words to every song while filming the whole thing on his phone and passing his beer back and forth to his wife who was spilling over her seat into mine and held a smelly plate of nachos on her lap all night.

Oh Jesus Christ. Yeah I'll take our slightly more sedate part of the crowd over that nightmare. (We were at around...I want to say $340 or something for our tickets. I suppose it's a perverse advantage we have no kids and we just took BART in.)

That said: this was the first time I'd seen DM ever, and they were pretty good. I could have done with fewer of the newer tracks and a few more older tracks (would have liked 'behind the wheel', 'policy of truth', 'precious'....I guess they never do blasphemous rumors anymore sadly) but that is probably just telling my age.

Ah well, better late than never! But yeah I count myself lucky to have seen the one last tour before they started bringing drumkits out in 1993. Inevitable dynamics change. They've done "Policy of Truth" a few times in recent tours but I can't recall the last time I saw them do "Behind the Wheel"...maybe the 98 Singles tour? Not sure! Yeah, "Blasphemous Rumours" and "People Are People" are long since put to bed.

I still don't really accept these new guys in the band.

Eh, it's like Darryl Jones with the Stones. You want to see the show, they're part of the package deal. Even if Fletch were more on Alan Wilder's level I have a feeling they'd have a second keyboardist since Martin plays guitar much more now, and Dave's said that when Christian joined on drums it really helped inspire him and give him a better feeling of performance, so hey. They're the band, they make the calls they do. It's still mostly a self-contained unit in studio but Dave regularly has Pete and Christian be his songwriting collaborators on his tracks, which gives them some royalty money along the way. (They played both of their Spirit collaborations last night too, "Cover Me" and "Poison Heart.")

I'll also say: IMO the OMD show earlier this summer was way better.

Different scope and audiences but: having never seen them myself until now, and getting a set from them that hit ALL the big hits so brilliantly top to bottom plus a good clutch of newer tracks, that was pretty damn awesome, no lie. Between that and the Poptone show it was a great early summer.

But oh, the Corbjin videos were wonderful; the dance to In Your Room; the animals; the drag queen. they should reissue those as official videos.

Yeah they've had so many concert exclusive films from Corbijn that it's a pity they haven't yet put together a full collection of those -- a ton of them have never surfaced properly, though some are tucked away on the live DVDs that have emerged. I always find it intriguing whenever he goes back and finds a new way to revisit a song's general theme or even just an idea that it suggests -- each of the various "Enjoy the Silence"s over the past twenty years has brought something new.

I revisited Delta Machine last night because I wanted to hear it with fresh ears after getting into Spirit so heavily and I wanted to see if Spirit was really that good or I'd become more attuned to late period Depeche...

...Spirit is really that good.

I like all four of the last albums pretty evenly.

Spirit/Playing > the good half of Sounds of the Universe > Delta Machine > the bad half of Sounds of the Universe

^ Yup, I'd agree with that!

As much as I like Playing the Angel, they really should have switched producers sooner... 'Cover Me' is just pure ear candy.

but so is Precious

Ultimately I tend to see the last four albums as of a piece -- there are subtle differences certainly, and Playing and Spirit have some of their most affecting moments lyrically thanks to, for lack of a better term, real world concerns, whether personal or much broader. But compared to how all the previous albums pretty clearly worked on a stake-out-its-own-aesthetics level time for time -- yes, even including Exciter -- then while Playing worked as an excellent recapitulation/reset towards certain strengths with room to move around within said scope, as well as introducing Dave as a songwriter, it's hard for me to hear that great a difference between it and the following three, even with a change in producer for this one. I don't really mind this, and individual songs stand out along the way, easy, so I tend to hear them all through that lens now. (It would make an interesting playlist.)

(I should add this is all separate from ranking. If I had to rank, probably Playing, Spirit, SOTU then Delta but that's arguably more on execution of said aesthetic each time combined with notable strength of songs. I think I still like the SOTU singles more than Spirit's.)

And the strongest Delta single to my mind is "Should Be Higher," which combined with a really dramatic Corbijn concert film made for a standout during the 2013 tour.

“Should Be Higher” and “Secret to the End” are the best songs on Delta Machine

Spirit is not - as I was expecting - a change in sound as obvious as the one between Violator and Songs of Faith and Devotion or Ultra and Exciter, but what multiple headphone listens have pretty much confirmed to me (even more so since revisiting Delta Machine) is that this is way more fuller and richer sounding, with a far more exciting mix. On the surface, it seems like more of the same, but for me this is the nu-Depeche sound perfected and done as it should have been done in the first place.

Nice little bonus for the year -- Null + Void is Kurt Uenala, who cowrote Dave's songs on Delta Machine like "Should Be Higher." New track of his featuring Mr. Gahan, who also appears in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUSJ4XK2UXg

I wanna hear 'em mess around more with time signatures/meter changes like on 'You Move' ... apparently the story behind it was Gore sent Gahan the music as he didn't know what to do with it and Gahan saw it as a challenge to come up with a topline and lyric. It paid off!

I knew it was extreme, but, um, holy shit, have y’all seen Martin Gore’s home studio? pic.twitter.com/wFL21vCLI6

— Bruce Levenstein (@BruceLevenstein) January 26, 2018

I was bracing myself knowing it was going to be good, but holy shit... that's way good

My first thought was that it was all just cool wallpaper, but ... no. It's like one of every module.

I heard 'You Move' on shuffle today and had to listen to the whole album. This is still one of their very best late-period records, IMO.

Finally played this on my proper grown-up sound system and boy does it sound massive. I was initially put off by the first single and the reviews describing the album as a constant mid-tempo dirge, but it is unusually consistent and relentless. Generally DM likes to switch up between bangers and Gore confessionals, but this one is super cohesive. Love it