Depeche Mode - Spirit

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' ...