Depeche Mode

New album is a marked improvement over their last (hardly difficult, I know), and the Depeche DNA is there on this album, but the lyrics are again just the same old stuff, meaning for me that Delta Machine is, like other recent DM albums, only really decent when a really good melody or approach can offset those tired lyrical tropes. There's still a good band here, but I fear that this will only be proven once they move on from preaching to the converted.

This track I quite like...

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I'd rather listen to New Order.

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I recently bought a 3cd boxed set of Depeche Mode containing a wealth of their material from 1981-1998. Violator is my favourite studio album, with Policy of Truth being my favourite single. What's even more good was the price for the boxed set...$8.50...brand new, thank you eBay.

New Order's Blue Monday is quite good too...

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Heaven is about the only song that sticks with me from Delta Machine, But, yes, an improvement over Sounds.

I wrote:

I'd rather listen to New Order.

Erica Ambler wrote:

Maybe, but New Order have always been shit live. DM for all their faults are an outstanding live act, at least they were when Alan Wilder was with them.

What I meant was Depeche Mode today, post-Wilder, and was referring to their studio albums. I've never seen either band live, so I can't make a judgement there.

What are everyone's favourite DM albums here? Mine's MTFTM, probably followed by SOFAD and VIOLATOR.

Some Great Reward for me, although I'm starting to enjoy Black Celebration much more than I used to.

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Erica Ambler wrote:

Don't know if DM ever made a great album. They were a bit too one-note for that. Black Celebration defined them, but Behind the Wheel and Never Let Me Down Again are probably their best tracks so maybe I'll plump for Music for the Masses.

I think I'd rank my favourite singles in this order-

Policy of Truth
A question of time
Never let me down again
Barrel of a gun
I feel you
Stripped

Whole lot more but those get the most repeat spins...

Interesting to see Martin play the very rare Cavagnolo Exagone. Apparently there's only 25 in the world!

My fave DM album (at least from a consistent and thematic POV) would be SOFAD. Rounding out their best 3 for me would be Violator and MFTM.

Do I have time for DM without Wilder? Yes, of course, and the proof for that answer is there in the songs. ULTRA and PLAYING THE ANGEL are only 2, 3, at worst 4 tracks away from being bloody good albums IMO, whilst EXCITER and DELTA MACHINE are halfway acceptable. SOTU is their only complete car-crash album IMO, sounding like both Martin AND Dave are just deliberately trying to make a bad Dave solo album. There are enough good post-Wilder DM tracks to show that their lack of great albums since his departure is as much due to them just not putting an extra 30% of effort into some of their post-Wilder albums.

Mrs Aural Sects wrote:

Erica Ambler wrote:

Don't know if DM ever made a great album. They were a bit too one-note for that. Black Celebration defined them, but Behind the Wheel and Never Let Me Down Again are probably their best tracks so maybe I'll plump for Music for the Masses.

I think I'd rank my favourite singles in this order-

Policy of Truth
A question of time
Never let me down again
Barrel of a gun
I feel you
Stripped

Whole lot more but those get the most repeat spins...

I'd easily rank WALKING IN MY SHOES, HOME and IT'S NO GOOD up there with or above some of that lot, the latter two being fine examples of post-Wilder excellence.

Which question for Ambler - what's the synth gear on Never Let Me Down Again?

This is what they used on their Concert for the Masses Tour:

Quote :

Alan: EmaxHD & DX7II triggering EmaxHD Rack for Spare
Mart: Same
Fletch: EmaxHD & DW800 trigering EmaxHD for spare
Percussion pads behind them played the Spare Emax Tascam 48 Tape (Main) Tascam 38 (Spare)

I'm guessing the Emax was just for triggering samples of the synths they recorded in the studio.

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The filter mod on the opening sound (is that side-chain gating?) could be the 2600, though as you say, the source is probably from an Emulator library.

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I've heard dozens of Emulator and Proteus users on YT claim that they all sound horrible out of the box, but with a decent outboard reverb unit they'll sound fabulous.

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Erica Ambler wrote:

And is the blues on synthesisers a good idea anyway?

The blues is the blues, whether you put it to a 16 step sequencer or not.

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I picked up this useful compilation, even though I have a 3CD Boxed Set that has everything...this one is useful for the car. It's Russian, factory produced with neat looking cds and sound quality is okay.

At first glance they left out Barrel of a Gun which is fucking unforgivable...but I got it for a grand total of $6.50 so....

Been a DM fan ever since they started, and seen them live twice in the 80s, plus in 2001. I am contemplating seeing them again next year, even though they are just down to Gahan and Gore now, and the ticket prices are outrageous.

I like this one from just a few years back.