Let's Talk: Depeche Mode

[Edre Depeche Head]

I wanna make a thread or series of threads where we just talk about a band. Depeche Mode is my favorite band and I admit I am a fanboy. I like all 14 albums and love their progression as a band. I know many people lose track of them in their late career because their sound changed, but I enjoy that stuff and would love to debate. I guess I can ask a few questions

1. Favorite few Albums?
2. Favorite Songs?
3. What's their most underrated album?
4. Any other tidbits you wanna share.

[Rocky Raccoon]

Not sure I'm the right person to talk about Depeche Mode, since I'm not the biggest fan, and that's probably apparent because my favorites of theirs are the obvious ones, such as the Violator album and all the big hits from that album. I'm old enough to remember when the video for "Enjoy the Silence" was in heavy rotation on MTV, and it was always a sit-down-and-watch moment.

[Myself]

LOVE Depeche Mode!

Albums:
1. Music for the Masses
2. Violator
3. A Broken Frame
4. Delta Machine
5. Songs of Faith and Devotion

Songs:
1. Shake the Disease
2. Enjoy the Silence
3. The Things You Said
4. Everything Counts
5. Never Let Me Down Again
6. Behind the Wheel
7. It's No Good
8. The Sun and the Rainfall
9. World in My Eyes
10. Lie to Me

*Also, Martin Gore's remake of "In a Manner of Speaking" would be #1 on my songs list if I was counting solo efforts.

[Edre Depeche Head]

LOVE Depeche Mode!

Albums:
1. Music for the Masses
2. Violator
3. A Broken Frame
4. Delta Machine
5. Songs of Faith and Devotion

Songs:
1. Shake the Disease
2. Enjoy the Silence
3. The Things You Said
4. Everything Counts
5. Never Let Me Down Again
6. Behind the Wheel
7. It's No Good
8. The Sun and the Rainfall
9. World in My Eyes
10. Lie to Me

*Also, Martin Gore's remake of "In a Manner of Speaking" would be #1 on my songs list if I was counting solo efforts.

I agree that I love his remake of In A Manner of Speaking. That whole EP is great! I also love the love you are giving to Delta Machine. In my opinion Depeche Mode is still making some killer music and Delta Machine and Spirit are two really solid albums! Its hard for me to rank their material.

I am glad you like The Sun and the Rainfall as well! A Broken Frame always has lived in the shadow of the albums that came after.

I guess some key newer songs that I would love for more people to check out from their last three would be the following. So many people stop listening after the 90s because their sound shifted but I still think that they are a really solid group even if they are not as dark as they used too be.

- Cover Me
- Where's The Revolution
- Going Backwards
- Fail
- Should Be Higher
- Broken
- The Child Inside
- Heaven
- Little Soul
- Jezebel
- In Chains

[FrankLotion]

Depeche Mode is great, I haven’t listened to a lot of their discography but luckily there were two of their albums in our MAA tournament this year (sorry Rob) that I got to discover.

I don’t know if I have a favorite song or album by them but I do think Some Great Reward is one of the most underrated albums out there.

[Madzong]

I first got into them after hearing the singles from Ultra and then going out and buying the album back in '97. I know that this wasn't their most popular period (it came after their biggest albums and also after the departure of Alan Wilder) but loved "Barrel of a Gun", "It's No Good", "Home", and "Useless".

Apart from that, I only knew of the massive radio hits 'Personal Jesus', 'Walking In Silence', and 'Just Can't Get Enough' which oddly featured on the 'Wedding Singer' soundtrack but not in the actual movie!

Years passed and apart from Exciter, I didn't really listen to any more Depeche Mode until I got a job in a record store and my boss recommended I listened to or bought The Singles 81-85 and The Singles 86–98 (which I did and I definitely found myself preferring the latter collection). I started delving a bit more into there back cat after that. I also remembered watching a doco about the Band which helped renew my interest as well.

[Live in Phoenix]

There is a spot or two in my top 100 artists' list that is up for grabs. Depeche Mode would fill that spot as well as anybody; this is primarily due to the albums from their '86-'90 era. The singles from their earlier years were typically unimpressive to me, but everything changed when they moved to a kind of gothic synth-pop.

An acquaintance of mine once offered me a ticket to a Depeche Mode concert that he somehow got from the Navy. I didn't take him up on it, and now long after the fact, I wish I had gone. Hell, I'd love to sit through most any concert. (My complaint in recent years of a concert was something like it was enjoyable, but not really transcendent. A real boo-freaking-hoo complaint nowadays.)

[Rdwdbob]

Albums (in order of preference):

1. Violator
2. Songs Of Faith And Devotion
3. Music For The Masses
4. Ultra
5. Black Celebration

[Edre Depeche Head]

I recomend everyone check out their new live album released today called LiVE SPiRiTS. They still have it in them and put on a wonderful performance. I saw them twice on the most recent tour and had the time of my life.