Depeche Mode - Playing the Angel (W/Dvd)
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Free Music Notes for Playing the Angel (W/Dvd)
Free Music Review: macrovision angel
Hit: 5 Stars
This is the dark angel we have anticipated for some time. I don't want to knock the past few albums, as I believe that Depeche has never released a bad album. They are all profound works of art that capture in their unique ways snapshots from the skilled brain of Martin Gore followed by the haunting, soothing baritone of Dave Gahan. Ultra and Exciter are lush, polished epics that allowed the boys to spread their wings and fly freely without their musical wunderkind anchor, Alan Wilder. For instance, "Angel of Night" is one of the most gorgeous and enduring songs ever written. "Dream On" is pure lyrical genius. However, this new work, in total, captures the brilliant edginess and completeness of Black Celebration; and then transcends it in so many ways.
Introspectre is a soothing Christmas Island. John The Revelator: pure exhilarated biblical/mythic rock. Precious: a haunting ode to the preservation of innocence. Lilian: a sumptuous romantic swing through ecstasy. Macro: a modernized Alan Watts' joyous cosmology. Each song carries a world unto itself that opens up new vistas with every listen.
I have read that Martin Gore's recent divorce has colored these songs with imprints of pain, and concern for his children. Fame and fortune are no safeguards against the harshness of life; though there is a real sense of hopefulness that emerges, despite the pain. Depeche Mode has always been a band of "electronic Bodhisattvas" mining their own psyches and dabbling in the darker realms of consciousness to reveal universal truths; and ultimately, celebrate the good and the joy that is in the world. This work of "pain and suffering in various tempos" proves to be another masterpiece from a band that chose to go to the core of what they were about since the beginning: making machines into tools of the human nervous system while fleshing out the nuances of the human condition in beautiful melodies...to accompany the voice in humanizing us. How lovely an album they have created after all these years. The black celebration has never really ended, while blasphemous rumors can now be squelched.
Depeche Mode has returned in all their harmonic glory with new spiritual offerings to move us deeply. Their eternal appeal is shining on and on.
Free Music Review: Back on track
Hit: 5 Stars
If the theme to Exciter is love, then the overall theme to Playing the Angel is pain (and in this case, I will take pain over love any day!). But at times, it is really painfull to listen to...quite physically speaking. I'm sure, for some reason unbeknownst to the general public, that this is intentional. Really, the bulk of the album is a bit over-saturated with distortion - that kind of distortion that you would hear on analog tape when recording a very hot signal. I'm sure if Alan were with the band, he wouldn't have allowed this..but there I go with my opinion.
If you can get over the distortion bit, we're looking at classic Depeche Mode songwriting! Each song has some hook that grabs your attention and then sucks you in. When I first heard SOFAD, it was the same way...I didn't really like it at first...but the more I listened to it, the more I loved it. The same is true with Playing the Angel...unlike Ultra (which I immediately fell in love with), you need to give it a few listens. And I think you can experience something wonderful to allow a really good album to slowly grow on you.
The entire album is pretty dark with an occasional ray of light here and there: Like the quote says on the back, it's "pain and suffering in various tempos"....but it's an optimistic pain. True to Depeche Mode nature, Playing the Angel sounds completely different from any previous album and has a common groove from song #1 to the finale. I haven't listened to Free yet (off the Precious single), but I hear it should've been included on the album too.
I really don't want to get too far in depth and spoil things for any DM fan that hasn't listened to it yet, but I can assure you that it's worth picking up. The special DVD version has some extra goodies, including a Behind the scenes, and 5.1 mix, which is very cool and worth buying for it alone. Some of my favs so far are: Suffer Well, I Want it All, Lilian and The Sinner in Me.
Enjoy!
Free Music Review: A Healthy Compromise.
Hit: 5 Stars
I am tired of the harsh reviews of this current album as well as the previous two. First and foremost, we all know that one large constituent is missing and will be missing forever, Alan Wilder. The album is a compromise between the three remaining members (albeit a very good one), implementing vintage instrumentals with new technology as well, which ultimately creates a nice balance.
Perhaps I think one of the biggest hang-ups for some Depeche Mode fans is the lack of innovation as they see fit. However, how many times can you sample fireworks going off or perhaps other sounds such as sticks sliding across corrugated tin? You have to keep the music fresh and that is what Playing The Angel has accomplished. Dare I say and much to some people's chagrin, each track has an inadvertent cross reference to a past album.
For instance, "I Want It All" has a relaxed poise reminiscent of Exciter, "Suffer Well" contains a driving drum and bass line from Music For The Masses, "Darkest Star" has elements from Songs Of Faith and Devotion and Violator. All songs balancing a nice healthy dose of "Depressed Mode."
Finally, what is the problem with having one instrumental track on the album? We all know that after Black Celebration, Depeche Mode had started incorporating instrumentals into each bit of their tracks, for instance, the instrumental between "Blue Dress" and "Clean" and had provided even more to their b-side catalogues. Any true die hard Depeche Mode fan has to accept these as nice "classically" based tidbits from Martin.
The album in my humble opinion is worth a five star rating considering what Depeche had to work with. Yes, there are portions of the album in which some static (though intentional) may interfere with some of the listeners; however, I think the album is a heathly homage to Moog and other synths which people at this time have now relegated to the dumpster. Good job Depeche!
Free Music Review: My, does this sound sexy!
Hit: 5 Stars
Okay, just stating the credentials here, I was in early elementary school when "Just Can't Get Enough" came out and have been a fan of DM ever since, moreso when I hit adolescence and saw all of absolute goddesses who were into DM as well. Translation: Anything this band so much as sneezes on, I'm on it like meth addict taking advantage of a sale on Sudafed.
You've seen the film _The Christmas That Almost Wasn't_, right? This is _The Depeche Mode Album That Almost Wasn't_. After Exciter, Dave Gahan went solo on _Paper Monsters_, which sounded pretty much like a Depeche Mode album. Unless Martin Gore allowed him to contribute some material, he was going to continue on that trajectory. Either way would have been fine with me as Dave is now and ever shall be the voice/heart/soul of the band.
On with the review...
I really can't say what others have not said and said better when praising this album. It seems like people are criticizing the work for sounding too much like the Depeche Mode we know and love, much like their fellow 1980s mope masters the Church were for Priest = Aura. When one considers how close this album came to not happening, it would not be regarded as out of line to tell the detractors to SHUT UP AND ENJOY THE CD. I'd enjoy the silence (BOO! BAD PUN!). The lads mix concerns of humanity with electronics and the result sounds like aural sex (BOO! ANOTHER BAD PUN!). It's the same as what you've heard before from DM, but why fix what isn't broken?
Picks: If I have to go with one, I like their adaptation of "John the Revelator," especially given the political climate here in the states.
Signed,
epsteinsmutha
Free Music Review: If Violator fornicated with SOFAD and Black Celebration...
Hit: 5 Stars
Playing the Angel is Depeche Mode's strongest offering since the all-mighty Songs of Faith and Devotion in 1993 and features pin-point songwriting reminiscent of their cold, yet loving epic Black Celebration... and yet it's just as catchy as their most popular offering, Violator.
The only fault I could see others finding with the ablum is that it contains only a few lyrical emotions, yet the band had the sense of humor to mock this in the packaging themselves "PAIN AND SUFFERING IN VARIOUS TEMOPOS" and anyone expecting 'Mode to come out with an album about magical faeries or Strawberry Fields fails to understand that "PAIN AND SUFFERING" would qualify as (in Martin Gore's own words) "their M.O." The songwriting however, cannot be faulted.
Each song is melodic, memorable and moving. From the slap-back and open guitar that grew on us with Violator to the analogue synthesis that was vacant from "Exciter" and the production served up by Harper, it's a complete package that almost rivals "Black Celebration" (though not quite, as the production on B.C. is damn near impeccable with each song musically flowing into each other, literally).
The end result is a lenghty, dark, dancable and highly memorable album that could very well be the single best comeback album since David Bowie's "Reality".