Depeche Mode - Spirit

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.