Depeche Mode, Music for the Masses

reviewed by j.d. lafrance

It’s hard to believe that Music for the Masses was released almost 20 years ago. The 1980s was a great decade for Depeche Mode, and they are one of a few key bands synonymous with that era. Released in 1987, Music for the Masses was Depeche Mode’s biggest success in the United States since Some Great Reward, and would foreshadow their even greater triumph with Violator in 1990. What makes Music for the Masses such an impressive effort is the fantastic synergy of Martin Gore’s songwriting with Alan Wilder’s electronic beats.

From the insanely catchy guitar riff that begins “Never Let Me Down Again,” the first track off the album, Depeche Mode establish an epic sound for this album, but without losing the insanely catchy beats that made them so successful in the first place. It is easy to see why this song was one of the album’s singles. From there, the band segues into the quiet, seductive confessional, “The Things You Said.”

“Strangelove,” easily one of their signature songs, was another important single off of this album and features the band’s distinctive synthesized drum beat providing a firm backbone. David Gahan’s voice sounds great and absolutely soars at certain points. He had the ideal voice for Gore’s insightful lyrics.

This album has a definite pacing to it, as songs flow effortlessly into each other. Case in point: “Little 15” is a haunting track thanks to the almost choral orchestration and Gaghan’s strong vocals. This is followed by “Behind the Wheel,” another memorable song in DM’s career. Both are very similar in tone and complement each other nicely.

The folks at Rhino have re-released this album on a special two-disc edition that includes the entire album on CD with a digitally remastered version on DVD in 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS 5.1. Also included is a wealth of B-sides and bonus tracks, including the great “Route 66” track. Sadly, these extra tracks can only be heard via a DVD player, which is rather unfortunate. An additional bonus for fans is the inclusion of a 37 minute documentary, Depeche Mode: 1987-88 (Sometimes You Do Need Some New Jokes), a fairly in-depth look at the making of Music for the Masses, with interviews from the likes of Wilder, video director Anton Corbijn, and others.

{www.rhino.com}