Since my post, I've gotten all the deluxe reissues of their albums.

Songs Of Faith And Devotion is now tied for my fave album next to Violator.

Except for maybe the second album which is meh at worst, these guys never put out a shitty album.

Yes, Depeche Mode is definitely not for the homophobic. If you think of music with synths as being 'gay', this would not be the band for you. But macho bullshit aside, David Gahan has an amazing voice. Martin Gore writes amazing songs. If the music isn't tough enough for you, may I recommend some good ol' American rock like Guns n' Roses. Now it occurs to me that Axl Rose was an outspoken fan of Depeche Mode.

mackro wrote:Since my post, I've gotten all the deluxe reissues of their albums.

I have done likewise for my girlfriend (although I didn't think Mute were ever going to mail out 'Ultra' and 'Exciter' - was there a manufacturing plant meltdown or something?)

Anyhow - in the meantime, I am now getting schooled on all the stuff of theirs that I had never heard before, and I am quite liking almost all of it.

The most recent one 'Playing The Angel' is damn good, and we went to see the concert film 'Touring The Angel' and it was VERY DAMN ENTERTAINING.

So 'NOT CRAP' here.

Violator is still great in yearly doses. There was one song off the record after that which was really good too. That's all I can vouch for.

Hold up. We’re talking about Depeche Mode, are we not?

THIS BAND.


This is the band that first sent me barreling top speed towards the independent record store for DC hardcore sweet relief. The. Very. One.

And Violator? If I remember correctly, the hits on that album were “Personal Jesus,” “World In My Eyes”, “Policy of Truth”, and “Enjoy the Silence”. Dopey, dopey, humorless lyrics forever fused in my brain with images of Cindy, Christy, Naomi, and Linda walking the catwalk in “House of Style” clips. It took me YEARS of listening to No Trend at maximum volume to blot out the memory of those songs.

Seriously. What am I missing?

tocharian wrote:Hold up. We’re talking about Depeche Mode, are we not?

This is the band that first sent me barreling top speed towards the independent record store for DC hardcore sweet relief. The. Very. One.

Seriously. What am I missing?

music without prominent and loud guitars has to be really fucking cool for me to like it.

Depeche Mode is not really fucking cool.

Thank god I was not young enough to need to use them to trick the gullible high school girls in the library parking lot at night. I used Bob Marley and Marvin Gaye and Prince instead. Then I dropped them off and listened to the sex pistols and minor threat in my car on the way home.

CRAP.

what's next, a forum referendum on Justin Timberlake or Madonna?

not crap for violator and music for the masses.

also martin gore, who can indeed write a good pop tune, is a very nice guy and a pretty good fullback.

tocharian wrote:Seriously. What am I missing?

Nothing. You don't have to like the band.