It's one of their best sounding records. But it's the songwriting that is a bit weak. "Dream On" and "I Feel Loved" both just felt tired and predictable at the time, and "Freelove" required massive remixing.
Agreed - MLG admitted to writers block and one could argue he never quite recovered from it completely. Disagree about “Dream On” though since I really like that one.
Because DM have been on a slow downward trajectory since Alan left (despite pulling it together for a last blast with Ultra) it was inevitable that Exciter should be held in higher regard now compared to what came after. Just as it may have seemed somewhat of a disappointment at the time, we didn’t realize how much more disappointing the succeeding albums were going to be.
I'm trying to run back through DM albums over the next few months. I won't pick their best albums right now, because some I just don't go back to much even though they would be considered in their top five. So I would need to listen through their discography again. I will answer it a different way. I will state the album I have listened to the most over the last ten years. I thought at first it was probably Playing the Angel or Black Celebration, but realized, thinking back, that Ultra is the album most listened to by me for the past ten years . I give it a 5/5.
I was told recently that I was harsh about DM’s recent output. However, after watching a vintage synth pop gig from 1986 I stand by my criticisms of the current rock band version “Dave Gahan and the Depeche Mode”...
They’re definitely not the same band now and I would ageee they are currently not as compelling. But different strokes, as they say
but guitars are all over Violator and SOFAD. One of those albums featured Alan Wilder but loved the guitars...
I'm aware of that, and could live with those songs/albums actually getting a rest from the setlist. Have you seen DM live in post Alan era? MLG plays guitar on 80% of the songs. I'd love to hear him focus on using analog synths again. Fletch needs something to do, so put the guitar sound samples on one of his synth triggers.
Yeah. I've seen them on each tour apart from the Exciter tour (if they toured for that record?) Maybe what you need is one of those tours where they play an album all the way through... and you can go see the Speak and Spell tour. Personally, I may be at the other end of the spectrum. I have no interest in hearing "Just Can't Get Enough" live for a while... My favorite stuff to see them do live are actually songs like "Clean". I wish they did stuff like that more... and more rarities like "Death's Door".
They definitely toured for Exciter. Their tours aren’t the problem, it’s their producers and writing. (In my opinion)
Interesting Steven - I would love a complete album show featuring Some Great Reward or Black Celebration actually. I’m a fan of Alan era, not Vince one!
I stand by my statement that your opinion is harsh. If I'm not mistaken you enjoyed Spirit as well as the tour. Where we agree is there could be more synth usage. Either a longer part of the show with Christian taking a break or an entire drum less tour but I wouldn't like it permanently. I think if that happened people would realize they miss the live drumming. Not sure they could get rid of Gordeno because someone needs to play those parts. Would be nice if Fletch could but it may be above his abilities. I wouldn't be surprised if Dave thinks that since Fletch has to stay that he gets Christian then.
30 years ago today, DM release the album "101" recorded at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in California it documents the end of the “Music for the Masses” tour.
Black Celebration 4/5 Music For The Mases 4.5/5 Violater 5/5 Songs Of Faith and Devotion 3.5/5 Ultra 4/5 Exciter 3.5/5
Holy crap. That means it will soon be time for Disintegration’s 30th anniversary, since it came out that spring (Unless I’m misremembering, since I am apparently really old now).
The Black Celebration-Music For The Masses-Violator trio deserves all the roses everybody is throwing - it's one of the great album runs of the 1980s, with the band at its absolute peak. Having said that, I rank Some Great Reward just as highly. It's the Depeche record I play most often and it sounds fantastic, even after all these years.
SOFAD Violator MFTM ..Ultra wasn’t bad, the only thing since then I’ve been able to enjoy somewhat was Delta Machine. They have never been quite the same without Alan Wilder on board.
