Depeche Mode - Best of Depeche Mode, Vol. 1 (CD/DVD)
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Free Music Notes for Best of Depeche Mode, Vol. 1 (CD/DVD)
Free Music Review: Get This For The DVD!
Hit: 4 Stars
Since Amazon does not present the tracklisting of the DVD (and only the CD), here it is:
-DVD-
01 Just Can't Get Enough
02 Everything Counts
03 People Are People
04 Master And Servant
05 Shake The Disease
06 Stripped
07 A Question Of Time
08 Strangelove
09 Never Let Me Down Again
10 Behind The Wheel
11 Personal Jesus
12 Enjoy The Silence
13 I Feel You
14 Walking In My Shoes
15 In Your Room
16 Barrel Of A Gun
17 It's No Good
18 Only When I Lose Myself
19 Dream On
20 I Feel Loved
21 Enjoy The Silence '04
22 Precious
23 Suffer Well
Plus - The Best Of Depeche Mode [A Short Film]
So, are we really in need of another Depeche Mode compilation? We have the recent 'The Singles 81-85' and 'The Singles 86-98' releases from 1998 and 1999. So why invest in another DM compilation?
First, these tracks have been remastered by Simon Heyworth @ Super Audio Mastering, Devon. However, I must note that the remastering here on this 'Best Of' release is not as good as the remastering on the 'The Singles' releases. In fact, it's disappointing, namely on the earlier cuts. The difference is that 'The Singles' releases were remastered by Mike Marsh @ the Exchange. The mastering on those CDs is much more punchy and full, whereas the mastering here seems more restrained and flat.
I would have preferred Marsh's work on this release! I never understood the hype over Heyworth's mastering because it often ends up sounding flat and close to the original in many cases (i.e. The Human League and OMD), whereas other mastering engineers are able to bring out more depth in the music. That's not to say that I haven't heard some good mastering come from Heyworth. It just isn't here, unfortunately.
For example, do an A/B comparison between "Personal Jesus" on this 'Best Of' with the same track on 'The Singles 81-85'. The difference is obvious. It's flat on this 'Best Of' and punchy on the 'The Singles' release. The latter era tracks are recent so the mastering differences really can't be heard. Nonetheless, you will be grabbing for your 'The Singles' releases if you are picky about sound quality. I do, anyway.
Second, we have the fantastic new single, "Martyr", included here. Originally recorded for the 'Playing The Angel' album, it didn't really fit with the style of the album and finds a welcomed place here as the single to promote the release. It's a classic DM recording. Check out that U-Myx as well!
Next, and perhaps best of all, 'The Best Of Depeche Mode, Vol. 1' comes with a DVD on certain pressings -- the pink coloured rose pressing has the DVD. This DVD includes 23 promo music videos, some previously available on the DVD 'The Singles 86-98' and some previously unreleased. All music videos are presented with the Heyworth remastered audio and crisp picture. The earlier videos presented here have never looked and sounded better with the remastered audio re-synced as the soundtrack. This is a bonus since some record labels use the original underlying audio track.
Furthermore, an excellent 30-minute documentary is included, highlighting a number of the singles and videos here in chronological order, from 1981's "New Life" to 2006's "Martyr". This is an excellent documentary, which I enjoy watching often.
So what's missing? On the CD, we are missing a bunch of hits, considering the release is limited to 18 tracks. Notably missing from the CD are classics such as "Behind The Wheel", "Policy Of Truth", and "A Pain That I'm Used To", to name a few. The DVD, featuring 5 more tracks than the CD, includes a handful of videos to tracks not presented on the CD.
Music fans have to remember that the title is listed as "Volume 1", more than likely making room for a second installment. I can only imagine that these missing hits will be included on this second volume. My main problem with the DVD is that it's missing videos for a few tracks featured on the CD side. Where are the videos for "See You" and "New Life"? It's a bit odd watching the documentary, which features a highlight of the "See You" video and single, and not have the whole video included in the package. "Martyr" is excusable since it's the new single for the package. However, all the other 15 songs on the CD are featured in video format on the DVD.
So will these videos finally make a complete collection with another set of videos for volume 2? My understanding is that Depeche Mode do not like a certain selection of videos from their catalogue and therefore will never release them on DVD. Such a shame really!
In addition to the excellent companion DVD, the release is presented with nice artwork and informative liner notes. I really like the cover! The DVD is the real treat here, since it features a handful of previously unreleased videos. It's a very enjoyable package overall, despite the flaws, so I'm giving it a generous 4 stars. I'm looking forward to volume 2!
Free Music Review: Celebrating 25 Years of Mode
Hit: 4 Stars
Yes, there have been two singles collections from Mode out, and there is a single-disc version of this, without the music videos and the "short film" overview of DM. This is supposed to be a "best of," although that's what makes it a slight disapponitment: They had good enough album cuts to appear on the compilation. "One Caress," "Pimpf," "Here Is the House,": Now THAT is the best of DM of the past 25 years. The only track I really felt they could have left out was "See You." In spite showing that the band could have a hit without Vince Clarke and that they represent "A Broken Frame," I find that track bland, and it isn't the best-aged of DM's songs. It seems, in this respect, more like a "greatest hits" compilation, as none of the songs from "Black Celebration" were included, and those only got to the top 30 in the UK and did nothing in the US. Still, the other 17 make it worth it; even though I never got into "Shake the Disease," it's a fan favorite and deserves its place on here. That and the new "Martyr" are the only two tracks not to make a proper DM album ("STD" was single-only at the time). With the exception of four tracks on here (one new), everything else has been released on a Depeche Mode singles collection. It doesn't go in chronologic order like those two; it doesn't have to. Everyone needs some DM, so I don't mind this release. Warning to the new ones, though: You might get addicted & then buy everything with the band's name pretty much.
Case in point: Last year, of the studio albums, I just had "Violator" and "Playing the Angel." I liked those two so much, I've ended up picking everything up, with the exception of 1983's "Construction Time Again" (which I may come around to getting).
Free Music Review: DVD makes best of worth it
Hit: 4 Stars
This compilation may seem pretty pointless. There are two singles compilations from DM right now. It is most likely that fans already own these. But some fans maybe a little turned off by the trend of recent reissues, beatifully remastered and packed with extras, but for a price. Here is a collection of some of DMs best with the remastering and a new track. The remastering is superb, even if it is not entirely neccessary. The new track is not really noteworthy. What makes this collection worthwhile is the DVD edition. For fans of DM who have bought the prior video collection, there are 10 videos from the pre and post 86-98 period and a new short film. That alone makes it worthwhile.
For someone who was originally planning to be dissapointed with another best of collection, I was actually impressed with what into it. The cd has an interesting non chronological sequencing, making it for interesting listening. It's also a good standalone release for casual fans who want the pure absolute hits and then some without having to buy a number of collections. The hits are here: Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, Just Can't Get Enough, and a bit more. It's not complete and fans will debate it, but for the casual fan, it's plenty. While I'm not a fan of repeat compilations, this is an OK compilation, made great by the inclusion of the DVD.
Free Music Review: Great CD/DVD package, but where's Black Celebration?
Hit: 4 Stars
I bought this collection for the videos DVD, and I wasn't disappointed; it provided some music videos not previously released on DVD (though I'm waiting on the entire Some Great Videos set to come to DVD--which has about a icecube's chance in Hades of happening). However, the actual audio content of this CD is disappointing. The most glaring omission is a representative track from Black Celebration, which is the favorite DM LP of many fans. Adding either "A Question of Time" or "Stripped" would have made me believe this is a true retrospective "Best of" set, though I understand that Daniel Miller (head of Mute records, who put this set together) has said the following about Black Celebration: "The songs aren't good enough, there aren't any singles and it'll never get played on the radio." The DM fans love you, Danny Boy, but get over it.
Another note: While "See You" was a big Depeche Mode hit in the UK, I think "Leave in Silence" would have been a better representative of the transitional period of A Broken Frame, because it is a great indicator of the direction DM is beginning to take musically.
Free Music Review: Videos previously unreleased on DVD
Hit: 4 Stars
The DVD contains the following videos, many of which were
previously unreleased on DVD:
Just Can't Get Enough - NEW to DVD
Everything Counts - NEW to DVD
People Are People - NEW to DVD
Master And Servant - NEW to DVD
Shake The Disease - NEW to DVD
Stripped
A Question Of Time
Strangelove
Never Let Me Down Again
Behind The Wheel
Personal Jesus
Enjoy The Silence
I Feel You
Walking In My Shoes
Barrel Of A Gun
It's No Good
Only When I Lose Myself
Dream On - NEW to DVD
I Feel Loved - NEW to DVD
Enjoy The Silence 04 (Mike Shinoda mix) - NEW to DVD
Precious - NEW to DVD
Suffer Well - NEW to DVD
Doesn't get 5 stars because I'm a bit tired of record
companies re-releasing essentially the same thing in
slightly different versions to rip off fans. That said,
this collection is a must for any DM fan.