Depeche Mode - Rate and Discuss Your Favorite Albums

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by George P, Oct 6, 2016.

  1. Neonbeam

    Neonbeam All Art Was Once Contemporary

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    Now you fueled my ambition:

    Speak & Spell 5/5 has aged supremely well. Exists within a space where it's always 1981 and the future's looking bright.

    A Broken Frame 4/5 the boys matured quickly, almost as good, great atmosphere and terrific artwork.

    Construction Time Again 3,5/5 More ambitious (and an EN sample!!!) but with the advent of digital technology electronic albums from the mid-80s haven't always aged especially well.

    Some Great Reward 4/5 Great songs, less "static" electronics.

    Black Celebration 4/5 At the time it seemed like treading water, now it sounds partially dated but thoroughly wonderful.

    Music For The Masses 5/5 Wow! The production still roots this firmly in the 80s but... you could say the same about Hendrix and the 60's.

    Violator 5/5 The crowning achievement, DMs "Avalon". And finally the cold digital grip starts loosening.

    Songs Of Faith And Devotion 4/5 Where do you go when you're at your peak? You descend into the maelstrom of course.

    Ultra 4/5 What made this sound so good and contemporary back in 1997 now locks it firmly in the 90's. The atmosphere remains intact. Not bad for a band predominantly associated with the 80s

    Exciter 3,5/5 So relaxed and flowing it makes you almost feel uneasy.

    Playing The Angel 4/5 The first half is 5/5 but it drags a bit at the end. Could lose "Lilian". At least.

    Spirit 4,5/5 Great return to form, beautiful, intense, haunting.

    Need to revisit "Sounds Of The Universe" and "Delta Machine". They sound like ONE album to me. A 2/5 album. But I need to revisit.
     
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  2. gohill

    gohill Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow, UK
    Good to see Neonbeam give a high mark for 'Speak And Spell' (a good 4/5 for me). Completely disagree with StevenC in saying it didn't age well. Of course it sounds of its' time, but it is a great debut synthpop album with a bunch of timeless songs. Just great tunes that will never go out of fashion. I still like it best of their first four albums. A Broken Frame despite some clear highlights; still sounds uneven to me and in places a little weak but it gave the band a future without their original main songwriter. I would give it a 3/5. CTA is an improvement on that in consistency and Some Great Reward a further advance again toward the 5/5 excellence of Black Celebration. There really are no bad albums, just degrees of good. I think SOTU is the only one that fails to interest me although listening to it on vinyl has helped. 'Wrong' is so good it really makes the rest sound quite weak. I do quite like Delta Machine despite no standout tracks, but the new album's excellence has done it no favours looking back. It now looks a little mediocre in retrospect.
     
  3. How on earth can I rate these? :doh:

    Is it acceptable to write that Music for the Masses is one of the greatest albums written?
     
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  4. Neonbeam

    Neonbeam All Art Was Once Contemporary

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    Round here everything counts is acceptable. Thank God, music didn't stop with The Beatles:righton:
     
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  5. libertycaps

    libertycaps Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    Some Great Reward (1984) only CD/LP i go back too often. I also have the Catching Up with GH CD.
     
  6. Gems-A-Bems

    Gems-A-Bems Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Duke City
    But essential for the Kiss-a-mix edit
     
  7. 7MusicFan6

    7MusicFan6 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maine
    Can someone recommend whether I should order the 1990 Violator CD or the remaster that just came out? There's only a two dollar price difference.
     
  8. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    The original US CD is one of the best sounding CDs in my collection.
     
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  9. 7MusicFan6

    7MusicFan6 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maine
    Perfect, thanks!
     
  10. dobyblue

    dobyblue Forum Resident

    I love Violator but don't know the preceding two albums...based on the votes and comments here I need to check them out. Wish I had bought more titles when the Hybrid SACDs were still available, only picked up Violator and Songs/Faith.
     
  11. Man at C&A

    Man at C&A Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    Marks out of 5:

    Speak and Spell - 4
    A Broken Frame - 3.5
    Construction Time Again - 3
    Some Great Reward - 4.5
    Black Celebration - 4
    Music For The Masses - 4
    Violator - 5
    Songs of Faith and Devotion - 3

    after that I'm not familiar with their stuff and my interest fades. I love all the above, even the ones I've given the lowest marks. They're just the ones I play the least.
     
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  12. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    I suggest giving Ultra a try. It is one of my favorite DM albums.
     
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  13. Man at C&A

    Man at C&A Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    I do have Ultra but haven't had it long or played it much. I will soon.
     
  14. Fortysomething

    Fortysomething Forum Resident

    Location:
    Californ-i-a
    I was about to say the same. I liked the earlier albums, too, but I thought these three really perfected their sound.
     
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  15. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Cool. I find it gets better every time I play it.
     
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  16. Neonbeam

    Neonbeam All Art Was Once Contemporary

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    Yes, you do! Both are fantastic. "Music For The Masses"'s "accompanying" live album "101" is also very good.
     
  17. paradox55

    paradox55 Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
  18. AndyH

    AndyH Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    That was fun!

    Need to remember to look for the results..
     
  19. RTW

    RTW Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago
    I started to do it but came to the conclusion that the results are all going to be what the results always are, and I don't need to see another poll where the top 9 songs are all from Violator and all the other great stuff they've done falls off dramatically from there.
     
  20. andrewskyDE

    andrewskyDE Island Owner

    Location:
    Europe
    My collection of their albums is still incomplete, though I voted Speak & Spell, Construction Time Again and Black Celebration.

    Generally I love debut albums, and Speak & Spell is great. Wish 'Ice Machine' was on the original tracklist.
    I like Construction Time Again because some of my fave DM tracks are on it.
    And I like Black Celebration because it's some sort-of concept album, it sounds best by listening to it from start to end without interruptions.
     
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  21. JeffMo

    JeffMo Format Agnostic

    Location:
    New England
    Just pulled into Mohegan Sun casino - catching DM for third time overall but first since '98 Singles Tour.

    Violator is not only my favorite album by them, it is arguably my favorite all time by any artist. Certainly Top 5!
     
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  22. slop101

    slop101 Guitar Geek

    Location:
    So. Cal.
    I'm an early/OG DP fan - I like/love everything from their very first album, up to and including Black Celebration, and all the various non-album singles, B-sides and remixes there in. After BC (which I consider their masterwork; the version including "But Not Tonight"), I kinda lost interest in the band. I found their subsequent albums less and less interesting.
     
  23. mwheelerk

    mwheelerk Sorry, I can't talk now, I'm listening to music...

    Location:
    Gilbert Arizona
    The only thing I own is the EP Personal Jesus but I do like that very much
     
  24. TooLoudASolitude

    TooLoudASolitude Forum Resident

    Some Great Reward
    Music for the Masses
    Violator
     
  25. canavalpo

    canavalpo Forum Resident

    Black Celebration
    Music for the Masses
    Violator

    I'm going to the concert in Toronto tonight!!!:goodie::pineapple:
     
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