Reviews (page 10 of 14)
Definitely a unique sound. This one could only be classified as an experience. Fuck it, I’m a fan.
A lot of synthesizer...It became background noise by the 5 song. Very maudlin. Eh...
#245. In theory I could just copy/paste my review for Violator here. There's some highlights, but most of it is a bit uninteresting. If you like sad boy new wave, then this is surely the one for you. If not, well maybe tomorrow will be better? 3/5: it'll do, I guess. Song added to playlist: Never Let Me Down Again I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Great to listen to. Good music to have on in the background. Not too distracting but interesting and sounds good. I would listen through this album again, but I'd skip I Want You Now if I do. You can leave those odd heavy breathing noises for someone else
One of my favorite voices from the 80's-90's the rest of the band is no slouch either.
A mix of "pop" and experimental. Overall just good.
Unusual but very good music.
Not a fan. Wasn't completely ear-bleedingly awful, so it doesn't constitute a 1.
Great
So disappointed. I was bored from start to finish. Nothing original and from a band I like. Just flat.
pretty solid album but i think it's a little too serious and pretentious for me. i do enjoy this era of synth-driven music, and i greatly enjoyed the sounds on this one, as well as the production, but i found the sounds themselves a bit lacking. still was enjoyable, but not really my favorite.
Neo gothy synth. It’s ok. Never really was my jam.
One of the best
Я вижу дикий шмот, я ловлю хайпуки. Просто обложки я уже знаю что это будет балдёжно И это балдёжно!
Die reinen Instrumentalstücke sind novh immer nichts für mich. An den Rest gewöhnt man sich im Alter.
Incredible album... first 9 tracks are all memorable. The whole album is dark and sad except for Strangelove. The most memorable tracks are: Never Let Me Down Again Strangelove Little 15 (featuring timpani)(last track of side 1) Behind The Wheel Bonus tracks are mostly instrumental remixes, except for the last song, Pleasure, Little Treasure was released as the B single single to Never Let Me Down Again.
Depeche Mode are one of those bands that I just find a little samey. I like their sound but find they’re constantly circling the same few ideas and that gets a bit boring over the course of an album
Fine but very 80s.
This really does sound like the 80s, and that's mostly a good thing. I was at times, however, flip-flopping between really grooving with the songs and then being kind of underwhelmed.
Will have to listen to again. An album I’ve just not got around to listening to even though I’ve always liked the things you said. The tracks pimpf and agent orange really caught my attention towards the end.
The vocals on this are so bad and stereotypically 80's that it borders on parody.
Depeche
Sounds like the future…from the 80s
"I'm taking a ride with my best friend", what could he possibly mean by that....
Well, it’s pretty amazing
I guess I'm a mass, I really enjoyed it. Chill, monotonous, almost meditative. I disliked I Want You Now, but the intro in To Have and to Hold is (almost) the only Russian phrase I've heard in 1001 so I'll give this album some nepotism points
started out decent but it just becomes noise the first song is amazing and was a really good fit for the TLoU series
Brilliant album. Highlights are Strangelove, Behind The Wheel and the classic that is Never Let Me Down Again 4/5
7/10 muy bueno al principio el final un poco aburridor
The electronic sample and sequence melodies are groundbreaking. Musically it’s very enjoyable. Lyrically… well, it’s good that the gay kids have cool music that’s just for them. It’s pretty bold for 1987.
Good album.
Too tropey for me I think. I like some Depeche Mode songs, but these don't make the cut.
Always a great pleasure to listen to this album. Viva the 101 tour !!!
I own 2 Depeche Mode albums and like both. The are not masterpieces by any-one's standard but still OK. This is like those, pretty good but not great.
I liked it even if I’m not a Mode fan. 3 stars
It's alright but it's no Violator.
It's Depeche Mode. Interesting, but not something I'd choose to listen to.
It’s no Violator, but still a very good album
I struggle too describe exactly the sound and feeling Depeche Mode invokes. Authoritarian exhaustion? Fatalistic depression? It's an interesting niche and a cool sound.
Kinda a drag.
Not my thing. Boring and sad. Sorry.
Background
It's alright stuff. I kinda forget it now but it was good. Will I listen to again: 25%
It all blurred together, nothing special. A couple songs were ok but it was overall disappointing and some of it made me feel anxious.
Wasn't sure how I felt about this one for most of the album, but the heavy breathing really sealed the deal for me Most of the album sounded like one long song, with the monotone voice on top Very bland. Starting to wonder who came up with this list of 1001 albums and if we should be trusting their choices 2 ⭐️
If I ever get stuck in purgatory then this will be the soundtrack
Possibly even a 3.5? Enjoyed this more than I expected to
Much as I love the 80s, this one is pretty average
An interesting exploration of moods and drama.
I adore Depeche Mode. I thought I did. The music is a mood all of itself. I feel somber and disquieted. Tentative and unsettled. Its not necessarily nice feelings. As other reviews have said, there is a tonality that sounds same-ish. There is good variety but there is also same-ish-ness. I feel satisfied with the album, but not blown away which is what I would give for a 5/5. Its not an album that I return to easily, but when a mood is upon me. A mood for late 80's new romantic British sombre dissonance. When do I have such a mood ... not often, but I know where to go now. 3 stars. Not 4, the depth within the album or vocals does not seem to be there.
This was some good Depeche Mode action, but I greatly preferred Violator to this album. There weren't any songs here that really grabbed me, but it was consistently good overall 3/5
That's not my taste in musik. But ok
Enjoyed this. Hadn't heard before.
Can't explain why but it is a 4 to my ears.
This is a Depeche Mode record. Less poppy than they would become. It's what they call the sort of thing you'd probably enjoy if you enjoy that sort of thing. Maybe more than most of this sort of thing. This is a Depeche Mode album.
Articulate and intricate electronic music. Big sounds. Bit samey.
6.5/10 Great sound, but not enough great songs. Highlights: Never Let me Down Again Behind the Wheel Strangelove
A pretty good album, I enjoyed Never Let Me Down Again and Strangelove the most.
A few gens; Strange Love is a cult classic
I was kinda vibing but I Want You Now fully killed the mood lol 3/5
4.5
The music has potential, but then the lyrics and vocals are just not that great. Sacred is kind of catchy, but I don't exactly love it. If Depeche Mode can be famous, so can Ginamark.
Depeche Mode, yeah ok
Heck yeah! I could listen to this all day. Love me some Depeche Mode, even if I still no zero words after all this time I still sing along to the synth lines every time.
Depeche Mode will always have a spot in my heart to live. Listening to this record I was instantly transported to my angsty teens and early twenties.
I have slightly less affection for the songs on this album than I do for Violator, but my comments are pretty much the same. Super solid electronic music. 4.0
The dark electro reminds me a lot of NIN (which debuted only two years later). It’s pretty good. Covers a lot of ground for ostensibly being a pop album. Sounds like this was one album in a string of big hits for them. 3.8
dark and hypnotic. when i am in the mood for dark music but not necessarily metal, nothing scratches that itch like depeche mode. solid album through and through. highlights: “strangelove” “little 15” “behind the wheel”
little weird
At their best Depeche Mode are an overly serious version of Kraftwerk with a monotonous cabaret singer. At their worst a soulless New Romantic band of goth posers. PICK A LANE Depressed Mood! I will give the list a pass on one Depeche Mode album, but why two? At least I got them out ogf the way early. This has been a very below-average week. Hopefully next week isn't all Tom Waits and Rod Stewart 🫣 .
I like DM, but violator is their best work. This one was good though.
Amazing synths as always truly one if the best of the late 80's.
nicht mein pers. highlight von DM
Muy buen disco que arranca a pleno y después se pincha un poco. Es más tranqui que el que tenía yo.
Love Depeche Mode
So good. Dark and grand and sonically gorgeous.
2.5
I was not a fan growing up but do like them better these days. This has some O recognize even so.
Heard this album within days of it being released…if it weren’t for the last 2 tracks, this might be a perfect album. I love this album and it deserves accolades.
Another classic album from my high school days! Another band closely tied to the junior high and high school years in my life!
Pretty solid new wave. There were plenty of cool, groovy parts, but also a lot of boring sections that got annoying before an actual song kicked back in
This started out so good and then kinda fell off and became such a standard moody 80s album. Good but not great.
I love depeche mode, they were my introduction to post-punk and goth related music. Go to album to ponder on your life while it's raining outside.
sounds like 1990
I like me some Depeche Mode, and this is some good Depeche mode. He really has a great voice and a great sense of melody. A lot of catchy moments and good synth tones. This is probably my 2nd favorite Depeche Mode album behind Violator.
Churning; brooding; punchy. Pretty great.
I know it's cool to like Depeche Mode, but I don't get it. I do quite like the moodiness that sits underneath a lot of this, and the almost gothic, dramatic instrumentation on some of the songs, but it's an issue when everything else is kind of droney and flat and boring.
Pretty good Depeche Mode album that I have never heard before. It's pretty chilled out in some places but also mechanical upbeat in others, very nice.
Not my sort of thing this one.
Solid singles, but several of the other tracks really drag.
I guess I’m part of the masses, because I quite liked this. Favorite track: Strangelove 3.5 rounded up
Wonderful
I don’t think anyone does gothy-synth-pop better than Depeche Mode. The flow of the album is great, and I love how simple everything is. I do prefer Violator to this album, but it’s still a great one. 4.0
Another Depech offering pretty good also
Have I said how much I love this band!!!
Another album that just makes me mad at the creators of this list.
Big DM fan, its not my favourite of theirs but was a good sign of where they where heading sound wise.
Fine for what it is. Not as catchy as the best synthpop should.
The Depeche mode sound is like salt on fries. I don't want a whole bowl of salt, I just want a little salt on my fries.
Ok
decent
Приятно слушать. Представляет моё детство.
Stellar DM! Stellar tour!
These guys are definitely a cut above most of their peers in this style of music. There was a lot of creative ideas on this album and a darker tone than some of their other work.
Lots of the New Wave classics are pretty cool eh? Liked this better than Violator, which I previously (and for no reason) assumed would be the only Depeche Mode I sort of liked. Side note: it sure makes a guy nervous to see a song called Little 15. I sighed with relief when they quickly revealed that the guy in the song is also 15.
Surprisingly good
I've been meaning to listen to Depeche Mode for at least two centuries now and it was this list that finally got me there. Wow. This feels important. I can trace paths back to this band and this album from everywhere. But not only is it important (which ultimately doesn't guarantee a great listening experience) it is good. This album sounds sinister, with a depth to the lyrics that might not be profound, but at least there are attempts. The rhyme of 'houses' with 'trousers' actually hit for me. I'm definitely going to add tracks from this to playlists and listen to it more and more while looking into their catalogue. A resounding success.
Not my favourite Depeche Mode album. Well crafted and most of what I'd expect from the band, but just doesn't really get all the way for me.
Full of classic 80's dance tracks. This album is still enjoyable to listen to today.
Obvious here is the high level musicality, smooth, soothing vocals/harmonies and melody sense. If you’re good with all synth arrangements then this might be one for your favorites. Personally I need me some real instruments. For that reason, Personal Jesus is my favorite DM song.
The soundtrack to something absolutely terrible happening in a nightclub back room.
Ooh, perfect weekend album. Something to really slip into. Sorry to see all the negative reviews, but perhaps you needed to grow up with Depeche Mode. I'll grant that it perhaps drags a bit in the middle, but overall I love the sound of 80s synth.
Strangelove is the highlight of the album by far, but I still like the whole vibe.
Of all the DM albums, you saying THIS one is what I should hear before I die? Huh?
Brit-Pop goes Synthie
An enjoyable listen
This is the second Depeche Mode album I've been recommended. I gave "Music for the Masses" three songs. I can't take any more. I'll never be a Depeche Mode fan. This shit sucks. 👎👎
Eh, it was okay. Nothing really grabbed me, but I get that it's influential.
I like Depeche Mode but didn’t really like this album. Not liking the instrumental stuff.
Ok album
This is another good one and I'm so happy it's here. I loved these songs when they were new and I still do. I didn't buy this album then, but I did buy the 45 single for "Behind the Wheel" because "Route 66" was on the B side. I had many of the other songs on tapes, but today I was so glad to hear it as an album (including the bonus tracks such as "Route 66").
I suppose this did not stray from what I would expect to hear from Depeche Mode…and that isn’t a bad thing. It’s quite good.
How did I like this more than Violator? Eh, I probably didn’t. Can I get a do-over? I like this one! A lot!
I fell in love with Depeche Mode’s Violator album around the time of its release, and that inspired me to start going backwards through the catalog. This is likely my second favorite album from Depeche Mode. Terrific!
cool
Rating: 7.5/10 Very good album overall. Really enjoyed the dark tone of the album and ambience created by the band. The band achieves a lot with a more minimalistic approach on this album, it gives the songs room to breathe and develop while focusing more on the atmosphere. There were plenty of catchy instrumental and vocal melodies throughout, the album was quite catchy for also being dark. Some songs were pretty lackluster in comparison to the others but still very enjoyable overall. Favorite songs: Never Let Me Down Again, The Things You Said, Strangelove, Sacred, Nothing, Pimpf. Worst song: I Want You Now.
On paper I like all the elements of Depeche Mode - the dark and brooding synths, the deep booming vocals, the goth electro-new wave beats, massive reverby drums, the lush arrangements, the whole miserable gloomy post-pop vibe - and yet somehow they've never really connected with me beyond the really big anthemic songs, none of which are on this album. It's very frustrating, knowing I ought to like it, respecting the craft and performances, wanting to enjoy it and delve in deeply, but just remaining kind of unmoved.
Always gonna love some moody 80s synth pop. Some strong tracks like Never Let Me Down & interesting arrangements like agent orange but also some others that feel almost clunky and simplistic?! V atmospheric though
At first I was like…This is a bit more like it!! Would have absolutely blown my head off in 1987. Then after the first track it’s just a bit boring. One song sounds like soundtrack to GoldenEye for N64. Otherwise… nah.
Love some Depeche Mode
Moi qui attendait une occasion de découvrir Depeche Mode... Je ne sais pas si c'est un album représentatif, mais l'ambiance était aussi unique que je me l'imaginais : une espèce d'ésotérisme rock/électro. J'ai moins accroché à la fin de l'album, plus expérimentale et ambient qu'autre chose... Ceci dit, je note un véritable projet artistique.
Embrace the darkness.
Not really my cup of tea. There were some nice songs, though.
The first few songs were alright but then it took a weird turn.
ehhhhhh
Not being familiar with Depeche Mode, nor the genre, this album took a couple of listens to really get. I could hear the influence they had on Paradise Lost during their One Second/Host-era and AFI post Art of Drowning, but without the infectious melodies and hooks. Moreover, the slow pace of the songs made it hard to really focus on what was going on. The different layers of instrumentation, etc. It didn't hit me as hard as I hoped, but there were a couple of decent songs. So instead of a new One Second/Sing the Sorrow, I got a Believe in Nothing/Burials instead. Best song: Little 15 Weird sequencing: Pimpf would be much better off opening the album
G O T H
A haiku: Ooh, titillating! No, too sexy, too sexy! See you in boudoir
Typical music from Depeche Mode. Generally I find them ok, some songs are really great, some not.
Mood.
Yeah this was pretty good. Not sure it really hit me that hard. Track 5 was my favourite.
Amazing synth pop album. Really moody and quite gothic. 8/10
Ok pop music. Nothing I’ll go back for
Well, Depeche Mode has a nice sound, but maybe a lot of their songs sound the same, so I’m not sure what to do with this. I enjoy plenty of their songs that sound like these, but that aren’t these, so what am I really rating here?
# Playlist track - Never Let Me Down Again # Notes - Dark and brooding in an interesting way, at least at first. - After tracks 4-5 it loses some of the shine and become repetitive. Might need to listen a few more times to get into it.
I had heard of Depeche Mode before, but I wasn't really sure what their deal was. This is a late '80s synth-pop / new wave album that's a bit more on the electronic side. As we know by now, synth-heavy is not my favorite music style at all. While I didn't love this, I did think this was better than a lot of the other music that's similar to this. It's still super synth-heavy, but it's a bit less pop, a bit darker and moodier. I liked this way less than Disintegration, but I get a bit of The Cure vibes here and there on this. I think this approaches that type of sound at its very best, but falls into electronic synth-overdrive at its worst. I just took a look at Depeche Mode's "fans also like" section on Spotify and the 4th band is The Cure (like) and the 5th is Duran Duran (meh), which pretty much describes exactly how I'm feeling (somewhere in the middle of the two, though probably a bit closer to meh overall). This is probably another 3.5 to me, but I think I'm more out than in so rounding down. Favorite song: Never Let Me Down Again Other: The Things You Said, Strangelove, Behind The Wheel, To Have And To Hold 3/18/24
This sounds so DATED, but I actually love it? Like it’s almost so cringe that it’s great. Screams 80’s and stuck in the chase Not very familiar with the artist, but I’ve heard some of these songs a TON. No idea why or where. The beginning of the album suffers from some sameish tendencies, but then it breaks loose and goes all over the place in the back half. Not something I’d listen to a ton, but was a fun listen
A very scary album. Like genuinely a great satirical title. I love the Cure and the Smiths and this right up that same alley. I will listening to and relistening to this one often. An album tht strikes such an emotion and leaving us with moonlight sonata at the end of the dread is beautiful. Little 15 is a standout to me and I want you now is one of the most unnerving starts to a song ever. I am a child and I laughed at Sonta 14 in cum LOL
I am so so on Depeche Mode, all of it sounds the same, broody halloween tones. This one was below par.
Super sick album, Depeche mode is one of my mums favourite artists and it was nice to listen to an album. Nice grooves.
Not my thing. I get the groove and this is clearly a new 80s sound. It's just derivative and dated at this point. The haunting synth behind a drum machine bash and emo vocals.
Synthpop/darkwave is niks voor mij. Vind het saai, vocals trekken mij totaal niet. Sorry Depeche Mode.
Depeche Mode's brooding, dramatic version of pop synth music fit particularly well with the 80s aesthetic. They make dance music with synthesizers and drum machines. The songs are catchy and danceable, but it is hard to notice any particular difference between the songs. The band was quite commercially successful at the time, and have been able to sustain a successful career since. Music for the Masses may have had mass appeal at the time, but for the very dated sound of these songs, that appeal has certainly waned.
What can I say? It's Depeche Mode. Formative but there's other things nowadays I'd rather listen to.
Music for the Masses, by Despeche Mode, is genuinely the most bland thing I have ever heard. There is non substance, the synths sound stupid, the snares dont work, the lyrics are awful, and it fails utterly at feeling like some grandiose package, and is rather some dude making annoying sounds with alarms in the background. The highlights are Never Let Me Dow Again and I Want You Now, which are honestly not too shabby. Besides these though, the album has no substance. All in all, Music for the Masses is a horrible album. Best Song: I Want You Now Worst Song: Nothing
Like
Music for the Masses? I know one person that likes them
Not bad
Wat een lekkere binnenkomer is Never Let You Down Again.. Een van mijn favorieten. Ik ben sowieso een beetje een sucker voor alles waar goeie synths in zitten. En de atmosferische stemmen van Depeche Mode, zingend over verlangen, gevoelens en duisternis sluiten daar heerlijk bij aan. Zo ook te horen bij Strangelove. Geheel in de stijl van New Order, maar de gitaren hebben plaatsgemaakt voor synths en 80s drumsounds. Behind the Wheel is ook een soort Blue Monday, maar duister (en iets saaier, oké). Een nummer dat je ontsnappingsgevoelens doet opwekken. Dan naar Nothing. Wat minder duister, wat upbeat, een verfrissinkje, zo ongeveer aan het eind van het album. Depeche Mode heeft absoluut een dikke duim in de pap gehad als het gaat om de ontwikkeling van de synthpop en alternatieve elektronische muziek. Al kijk je alleen al naar alle heerlijke technoremixjes die gemaakt zijn van de nummers van DM. Hun invloeden zijn nogsteeds terug te horen, en het album luistert tegenwoordig nog gemakkelijk weg (los van het bizarre Pimpf, een soort marcheernummer voor wanneer Duitsland met robots de 3e wereldoorlog aangaat). Rating: 7/10 Highlights: Never Let Me Down Again, Strangelove, Nothing
De titel doet vermoeden dat het album vol staat met radiovriendelijke synthpop nummertjes, maar niets is minder waar. Ik begrijp dat het waarschijnlijk een cynische kop is, maar het album wordt overwegend gekenmerkt door een stemmige sfeer. An sich kan ik de dark wave van de band wel wat beter hebben dan de typische synthpop, maar dit album voelt ondanks de zware atmosfeer toch een beetje leeg aan. Ik vind de mysterieuze soundscape van nummers als 'Little 15' en van 'To Have and to Hold' echt sterk, maar het zijn ook direct de nummers die belichamen dat het album weigert om tot een echte climax te komen. Merendeel van de plaat is een onheilspellende opbouw naar niks, een leeg omhulsel. Wel een leeg omhulsel met een hoop potentie. Het album opent met 'Never Let Me Down Again', die geheel tegen alle statements ingaat die ik net op tafel heb gegooid. De sfeer is direct geheimzinnig, maar leidt ook echt tot een orgastische explosie in de hook, iets wat de rest van het album laakt. Het is een nummer die denk ik perfect tentoonstelt waar Depeche Mode toe in staat is, moody maar toch ook echt aanstekelijke én dansbare synthpop. Een fabuleuze song, en één van de beste in het genre. Wat minder uptempo is het volgende nummer. 'The Things You Said' bevat prachtige synths, en de kalmte zorgt voor een aangename come down na de powerhouse die de plaat opende. 'Behind the Wheel' is een ander voorbeeld waarin een duister geluidenpallet wordt gecombineerd met een opzwepend house ritme. Maar zoals vaak het geval bij Depeche Mode, zijn de vocalen van Dave Gahan een doorn in het oog. Zijn stem wordt vaak bejubeld als perfecte sensuele tegenhanger van de stemmige atmosfeer in de nummers van de band, maar ik vind de vocalen vaak weerzinwekkend. Vooral als 'ie het in nummers als deze heeft over 'sweet little girls', de pedo meter slaat dan naar 10. En daarna het walgelijke gehijg in 'I Want You Now'. De AIVD stond hier nog net niet op de stoep. De tweede helft van het album heeft naast 'Nothing' niet veel te bieden, en ook die song voelt gewoon niet helemaal af. Een klassiek Depeche Mode potjes- en pannetjesritme, die vervolgens niet echt ergens heengaat. Het is het verhaal van dit album. Ik vind de vibe die neergezet wordt completer en overweldigender dan op het album die we recent gerecenseerd hebben, maar hij mist wel echt een punchline zoals de hooks in 'Violator' die wel brachten. Het resultaat is dat de plaat zich schuilhoudt in een dikke pak atmosferische mist, met maar één bergtop die daar ferm bovenuit steekt in 'Never Let Me Down Again'. 6,5/10 Ondanks mijn analogie over één bergtop, heb ik toch twee highlights: Never Let Me Down Again The Things You Said
Ondanks mijn veronderstelling dat we het beste werk van Depeche Mode reeds hebben mogen beluisteren ben ik open-minded dit album ingegaan. En het moet gezegd: het openingsduo is fantastisch. Never Let Me Down Again en zeker ook The Things You Said zijn erg sterk. De rest vind ik lastig. Eigenlijk een stuk saaier. Synths werken voor mij eigenlijk goed om twee manieren: atmosferisch of dansbaar. In de jaren 80 was er natuurlijk veel dansbare synth, in de jaren 90 werd het dromiger. Beiden kan ik zeer goed waarderen. Wat Depeche Mode doet op Music for the Masses is zwaarder, donkerder. Het gaat goed tot Sacred, maar daarna ga ik me storen aan de galm en de echoende drums. Dit album slaat niet bij me aan. 6/10 Highlights Never Let Me Down Again The Things You Said
Bit dreary
Yahoo did/does it better 2
Rick roll like. 80s pop
Not bad.
The music is better than I expected but I've never liked the way that Depeche Mode decided to prove they were all grown up by writing about sin, sado-masochism and drugs. I find the lyrics really off-putting. Strangely I don't mind when the Velvet Underground do the same thing.
Pretty good overall. Seemed a little more inventive than I usually go for.
Back in the day - really good.
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤👌🏻🔥🤘🏻🍺
Not really my thing but should listen again
It’s fine
Pretty meh, nothing really stood out, although it was pleasant enough as background music. I hadn't heard a single song off this album before, even the ones that were released as singles. Either that, or they were just so forgettable that I don't remember hearing them before? I kind of enjoyed "Sacred" a bit more than the rest of the album, but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to any of this material ever again.
I own the vinyl, overall a brilliant record, accessible in a way that Black Celebration was not, and yet, mature themes abound. I have a hard time giving it five stars because it's more of a culmination of a direction this band was going in, and less a giant inspiration from unknown sources, but if I could give it a nine, I would.
I hate this album
I like new wave more than I am willing to admit more often than not, but a lot of songs sound too similar if you’re not well versed in the genre.
It was good, I wasn’t expecting the ambient-y stuff.
Depeche Mode is one of those bands that is iconic and has a cult following, but their music has never really been my style. I appreciated listening to this album but it simply confirmed I'm not interested lol
Really enjoyed this. Perfect album to kick off my Monday workday. Moody but also energetic.
just not into new wave/synth pop rock but i know that is a me issue
I don’t like this at all. I was optimistic at first but this album is annoying and unpleasant in my opinion. Honestly, how did this one even make the list?
Depressing a bit
This was a good album, I enjoyed listening to it. However I would likely never choose to listen to it.
I am the masses.
Violator and Songs of Faith and Devotion are when Depeche Mode reached their peak. There are a couple of good songs on this album but most of them are nothing special.
As I've gained wisdom with age, I realize I may have been closed-minded -- even wrong -- about certain convictions I harbored in my younger years. One of those was that 80's music for any reasonable fellow must be screaming hair metal - (Master of Puppets '86; Appetite for Destruction '87; Hysteria '87; Dr. Feelgood '89 and so forth - you get the idea). Well I was dead-on-balls accurate. No 'music for the masses' on that list. Also Moonlight Sonata without the 3rd movement is like Stairway minus the guitar solo.
If one is being forced to listen to electronic synth-pop, I suppose this is better than many options out there.
I was surely listening to Duran Duran and Simple Minds and Def Leppard at this time. But also a lot of Beastie Boys and Easy E. Depeche Mode just wasn’t part of my rotation. At first I thought maybe that was a miss, but this album is just boring.
This is a big bag of poop.
Listening to this alerted me to the fact that Depeche Mode is not Duran Duran and vice versa. In my mind its all the same, but when you listen, its different. Also appreciated the no-tricks Beethoven at the end.
Meh, too rock pop basic, did only listen to 3 songs or something
besser als erwartet
This is music for somebody. But not me. It just about put me to sleep.
I can’t tell if this is pop music made by goth people, or goth music made by popular people. It might be both. Either way, not for me. My reaction to most of this album was, “oh, I respect that as a decision,” not, “oh, I would listen to this again in public” because an idea isn’t a song, it’s just an idea, even if it came first and is a good idea. “Strangelove” is the sole exception; hard to deny that song slaps. Maybe this deserves a revisit later when I’m more depressed, hornier, or both.
Sound exactly like Depeche Mode
Dieses Album gehört zu den prägendsten der 80er. 5/5
Classic depeche mode, not their best but travel away from the greatest hits and enjoy their back catalogue.
good all around album. you know some hits.. really nice. Sonata at end was a special treat
4/1001 Boring, it had an interesting start but then it became very boring and quite dated. Pretty mid.
it started really slow, got better as the album continued. feels stereotypical for the 80s, but still nice
This is my first Depeche Mode album. I was wary of yet another 80s record (my third in a row), especially one over an hour long. Thankfully, it hooked me right away. The mix is bottom-heavy in a way that gives these songs some weight and magnitude, there are vocal performances I can actually discern, and all the 1980s signifiers like the drum machines and squirming base lack the cornball "sheen" of their contemporaries. Thank goodness, it's good music. I'll be revisiting, especially the highlights. (It still could be maybe 10 minutes shorter.) Highlights: Never Let Me Down Again, The Things You Said, Behind the Wheel, Nothing, Pleasure Little Treasure, Route 66 (a cover I never thought I'd hear nor enjoy so much)
I loved my cassette of the Singles 81 – 85, but by 1987 Depeche Mode had dropped off my radar completely. I don’t think I missed much with this ponderously gloomy goth album. It’s interesting that it really took off in the US. Maybe there were fewer bands that sounded similar.
This band is fantastic and this album reflects that. I hadn't listened to them or this album for a mighty long time, so I was curious about how it would sound all these years later, and even though quite a few of the tracks have that 80s industrial-synth sound, it's held up quite well. They are clever songwriters and superb performers.
The music here is dang near perfect. This is a great, moody, dark electronic-esque album with a lot going for it. Lots of neat effects and synth beats. Where this suffers is in the length and repetition. There are so many repeated lyric lines and the songs just can't seem to cut off at a reasonable point to combat that. It puts a damper on my desire to listen to this again, even if the music is pretty sweet. Fav tracks: Strangelove, Pleasure, Little Treasure, Never Let Me Down Again
First time listening to a Depeche Mode album all the way through, and they really hooked me with the first few songs. The spooky, broody vibes earned it a solid 4 initially but I really lost interest in the back half of the album. Still an enjoyable hour! Standout new to me song: Sacred
Not normally a fan of this sort of music, but this was quite good. No songs that I hated, happy to listen to them all.
Not my jam.
Boring
Not their best
This is hitting better than when I listened to it a few years ago. I wonder if this project is opening my ears a bit?
Very 80s
Meh, veel reverb op de drums en matige synth rock. Niet echt mij style, een modderige mix is nooit echt mijn fave
Incredible album. You could feel the change in musical direction that would lead to Violator (their magnum opus in my eyes). I will revisit this one again, and frequently.
It was fine? It took me like 2 hours to listen to the 1 hour long album because of work stuff and it dragged a bit
3.5, would have been a 4 if it was only the second half of the album
80s electronic pop. Kinda broody but also some upbeat songs mixed in. Less than half of the album had lyrics, so it was easy to vibe.
This album, without question, has some good songs. It’s classically 80s with its synth and rhythm and yet it has some really unique elements with its pace and dynamics. Quite liked it, got a bit bored.
I like Depeche Mode. Their sound is clearly 80's but somehow isn't dated. That said, I only got into a couple of the tracks here, the better knowns ones: Never Let Me Down Again (which I knew) and Behind The Wheel (which I didn't). So, as a whole it's not as good as their other albums.
Some amazing songs (Never Let Me Down Again, Strangelove, Behind the Wheel), mixed with some middling efforts (Sacred, I Want You Now) and very few misses (The Things You Said). Feel like they were really the trailblazers for nailing dark, synthy *and* poppy (maybe the Cure were the first two, but not often the last one, and *many* others were poppy & synthy but not often dark.) Makes me want to listen to Violator next.
the aesthetics of this music are just awesome.. got a little boring for me in stretches because it's a bit repetitive but honestly i can't dock it for that. fav tracks: nothing, never let me down again, behind the wheel
First song was good, but after that it started sounding like art rock from an 80's British band - oh wait - that's what it is! Not my cup of tea.
Samplework is excellent and the production/mix is great! There's an underlying tension throughout most of the album, and it gives the songs a certain darker/sinister vibe. The songs have good driving drumbeats and the different vocals work great! Standout tracks: Never Let Me Down Again, Strangelove, Little 15, Behind The Wheel, To Have And To Hold, Nothing, 8,5 out of 10
Kinda boring
full of hits, if that was released in my time, I would be a lifetime die hard fan
Sorry. Got distracted. All of a sudden I was near the end of the album where all these generic 80s songs blurred into each other. Definitely not a game changer.
Cool English new wave ish. Really good voice. One of the bands have heard mentioned so many times, but not listened to before now.
Dark, brooding, synthy, 80s. Loved it.
Muy buenos siempre
Lots of teenage hours spent listening to this
ugh it's sooo 80s i didnt feel forced to skip any though
You don't have to persuade me that Depeche Mode is great
Good sound. 80th sinth and a little futuristic. Definitely worth another listen!
WTF DID I JUST LISTEN TO
Starts off strong but becomes a bit more hit and miss afterward.
nais
Surprisingly enjoyable. beep boop
This one falls into the weird Depeche Mode era for me, post- the more bouncy Vince Clarke “Just Can’t Get Enough” era and pre- the more evolved 90’s “Enjoy the Silence” era. As different as those were, I think I prefer both to this one. I either want to be up and dancing or brooding alone in the corner, and this one straddled that line, making me do neither.
Always loved Depeche Mode. Many memories of blasting those synth beats in my friends car with the mega sub woofer. Many nights chilling to this band. Even more recently my son reintroduced me to the band and I’ve really enjoyed listening with him…to many songs I hadn’t even heard. This album was no different, was so great to listen to the entire album. From the first song, one of my favorites to the last. And Strangelove is absolutely great! Love the title, “Music for the Masses” which they knew they were not reaching the masses, and the album cover depicts the speaker in the middle of nowhere where the masses are not listening but maybe someone is. My favorite album cover of theirs. I’m hoping Violator & Black Celebration will be on this list.
Great album! I think what Depeche Mode does well where other electronic bands struggle is in the songwriting. DM songs have good structure and (usually) great lyrics!
'Goedemorgen meneer, wij zijn van de jaren tachtig en we komen wat muziek brengen. Er zit veel keyboard in, lijzige zang, het zet een tijdsbeeld neer en klinkt allemaal hetzelfde. Kan ik het hier neerzetten? Veel plezier ermee en twee keer per week water geven.'
Een album wat mij niet zoveel doet. 3 sterren. Op zich knap, want het baseert zich wel op twee van mijn allergieën. Jaren '80 en zeurende zang.
Ik kan hier weinig interessante verhalen verder bij vinden, maar aangezien Dave Gahan een heroine junk is geweest, zal er ongetwijfeld een prima biografie of documentaire over gemaakt zijn. En dat wil ik dan toch wel weer lezen of zien. Qua muziek is het duistere synthpop met industriele computerbeats en de bezwerende stem van Dave Gahan (of de Talk Talk stem van Martin Gore af en toe). Vrij bombastisch, zoals Depeche Mode wel vaker is, maar wel sfeervol. Het is niet mijn muziek, maar de beklemmende sfeer die neergezet wordt, met name in het eerste deel, is wel goed gedaan. Het album bevat voor mij geen bekende hitjes en toch staat het in deze snoblijst. Als het hele album vol met die sfeervolle nummers had gestaan, dan was het als album nog wel een meerwaarde geweest, maar de intermezzo's van rustige nummers en/of het gebrek aan een of twee bekende hits, doen wat mij betreft toch wel afbreuk aan de albumervaring in dit geval. Hoger dan een 3 kan ik niet komen.
Pretty cool album. Some of the songs are kind of spooky.
The first 4 tracks are a great stretch of classic DM songs--Never Let Me Down, The Things You Said, Strangelove, Sacred is a near perfect run. But after that, this lost me a bit. With the exception of Behind the Wheel, the rest of the album is a SLOG to get through, I was sick of it by the end. I guess it kinda balances out to a 7/10, but a light 7.
Damn near perfect, holds up even today.
funky. will not revisit
Always luhh double penetration mode productie en somgwriting, dit is geen uitzondering
wel oke
Meh. Never really 'got' their music. Gave this an honest listen, and I still don't get it. It's not terrible, but, I don't get the hype. It's also worth mentioning that I'm generally not a fan of 80s music.
I'm not a huge fan of "80s music" but this album was pretty good.
Great at creating a dark brooding atmospheric mood, not so good at writing good songs
It was fine.
Meh
Solid product, but Depeche Mode has never really been my favorite band. I don't hate it, but nothing really stands out, either, other than the sometimes over-dramatic tone in Dave Gahan's voice and the over-the-top \"Pimpf\".
Beautiful. Relentless in its bleakness.
Really enjoyed this one. It is clear that they have had a heavy influence on modern music
Music for the Masses was one of my first CDs and absolutely fantastic. This was the first album I had that was without any gaps between the single tracks. "To Have and to Hold", "Never Let Me Down Again", "Behind the Wheel", "I Want You Now", and "Little 15" are still my favorites—one of the best DM albums.
As a being with mass, I appreciate this band making music for me and my ilk. When I have further need of feeling robotic and disconnected, I shall request my musical device to summon said music.
Moody atmospheric self loathing 80s synth music. Sounds like an electronic church service. Painfully repetitive. Wish zero rating was an option
Leur 6ème album. C'est pas ma semaine, j'ai pas tant trippé sur lui. Des lamentations.
I obviously know Depeche mode, also have seen this album cover, but have never listened to it, must be a good one. First song, I love the start, it's giving factory working. Obviously the voice is nice and Depeche moded. I like that piano rock notes. The metal clanking noise(sounds like it) is on beatt. It's interesting, but too monotonous. This is the most listened song on Spotify. Epicore vibes came in. The choir is great. It's getting progressive I think. Two sounds are colliding now. So many things have happened. I hope others are better than this though. Outro is sea breathing sound. WOW great transition to the second song. This one's slower, his voice is softer too. Background vocals came in while he's still singing. I like the production. Amazing devil vibes low key. The beat in my left hear, weird onking sound, and then some trombone like instrument in my left ear, production is great again I mean. Long outro. I loved the melancholy they brought with this song. Third song, weird beat came in. wow Michael Jackson beat now, it's faster too. Idk what instrument is this, I've heard it before tho, and I like it. I like the rhyme, and the way words are said by him. Even if the song is almost same all the way, it's full of stuff. The echoed singing is the best here(when he sings the talking to pain part). There was a slight appearance of a weird instrument, happened again. Long outro again. 4th song, I think there was a transition. There is echoed background singing. Aand the beat came in. It's fun to listen to, not boring. The guitar is also very good during the chorus. The best parts in every song are the instrumentals. Long outro as always. This one didn't stand out. 5th song, fuck I don't know that instrument, but it's giving. Violin presence is detected. The piano is the best part. This one is annoyingly long and monotonous though. Sad vibe, which I love. Orchestral finish. 6th song, fast beat and it's changing. Right ear has some instrument going on. Guitar chords came in, right to left. Vocals is soft and satisfying. Beat is as fast as in the start. I can't even, so much production. Clapping sound-right ear. He barely skips, but as I said instruments are the best here. Nothing different happened, but it sounded like and intro tbh, the whole song. Just read that first song was about gay sex? Cool if that's true. 7th song, starts with breathing, and moan in the right ear. Song is sexual just because of the name. The instrumental break sounds like an electric piano(if that exists, not familiar with the instrument names). The moan/breathing is all through the song. Laughing came in and went. Long ass outro, oh nvm it ends with that moan, it's okay then(I'm kinda hard), men talking in the radio in russian in my left ear aaant into the 8th song, what a transition. There is animal like sound in my right ear. This one's short, weird. Apparently the russian speaking was because this album was during cold war(knew that) and people were scared of nuclear threat so that man says something connected to it. Not so long outro, it's a little progressive. Oh wow another transition to the 9th song. There is water dropping sound, right ear is with that Depeche mode instrument. The chorus is catchy. Amazing production again. I feel like 3 minutes is fully enough for these songs. He vocals a little. There is background "ooh ooh" sounds like a choir. Long outro aas alwayss. 10th song, love the piano already(might be a sample, apparently not). It's fully instrumental I think, I like that. There is banging sounds in between. Fuck left ear came in hard with that bang. It's epiccore again low-key. It's progressive. I love instrumental songs and this is very good. The operatic man voices while organ(?) came in woow, it's giving action mystery movie's last scene. Oh the bell ringing now. WOOW left ear has a new instrument now. Everything stopped, but the song didn't. Suddenly it is on again, but fully different sounds, violin in the right ear and some destructed piano in the middle. 11th song, starting spooky, even more than before songs. Piano came in. This is instrumental too, I'll use these songs when studying ughh. What is that sound coming in my left ear. So many noises I can't keep up. My tinnitus hit me. I am loving this. It's so chill yet scary. My brain is having a MASSAGE. Phonecall failed sound on loop at the end. Next three songs are mixes. 12th song is a mix of the first song. Beat is nice, left ear has another instrument, same with the right ear. Long intro it is. I skipped a little and the whole song is this, it's not bad it's just not as special as the last two songs. Epicness came in, oh the lyrics too. Not bad, but with lyrics is better. 13th song is a mix of 8th song(russian man voice). Starting with claps. Quite short. I like the vibe(the beat especially). Lyrics are badly said, so not to tell what he is saying. 14th song, it's a glitter mix of a song I haven't listened to on this album. It's interesting. His voice isn't soft, autotuned it might be. There is main beat in the middle, but another travels through ears. The rocky guitar wasn't here before, now it is. Wasn't bad, but not unique either. The outro is long, but might be processive. There is reversed talking included. There is soft voice of him singing in the background at the end of the song. That is it. What a journey. Because of the fact that it's Depeche mode, there was magnificent instrumentals, and the fully instrumental songs devoured, I give this 4 stars. It's not my favourite genre(might become), but it was really not boring and had a spark in it. Also a very chill vibes, which is what I need sometimes.
5/5, ❤️ (300+ scrobbles) personal favorites: • never let me down again • strangelove • behind the wheel • to have and to hold • agent orange
This is not the best Depeche Mode album, but it is certainly close. I think Violator is the best DM album to start off with, then if you like that one then purchase this album. I have come to really enjoy DM's music and it's hard to argue with the first 7 songs on this album. This album walked so Violator could run.
Once again I'm not one of the masses.
osea de una pero medio like we care. 7/10
Depeche Mode is one of those bands that I’d consider myself a casual fan of. I really like their radio hits, but before going through this list, I don’t think I’d listened to one of their whole albums. Like Violator, which I reviewed a few months ago, Music for the Masses has some great songs on it. Right as the album opens, “Never Let Me Down Again” is like an earthquake. The synthesizers, drums and vocals all blend to create that mythic Depeche Mode sound, and that line of “I’m taking a ride…” is perfectly symbolic of the journey into the unknown that this album goes on. The melody of the chorus is perfect, with the tone of the bell sounds somehow darkening the sound even further. “Strangelove” is great too; the ambient pulsing that starts the song, punctuated by percussive tinkling sounds gives way to one of Depeche Mode’s most infamous synth lines. The rhythm of the lyrics during the verse do a great job of keeping the listener off balance, and hanging on for the next line. The other songs are really good too, but in my opinion, few of them come close to matching the greatness “Never Let Me Down Again” or “Strangelove.” “Sacred,” “Little 15,” and “I Want You Now” do the heavy lifting after “Strangelove,” each one contributing managing to contribute something unique to the album (shoutout to those awesome backing vocals/grunts on “I Want You Now”). To me, this album’s legacy and influence comes from the overall sound that Depeche Mode creates. There’s a mood that manages to permeate the whole album, almost like a fog or a mist. Hidden within that fog, there are so many little details that help make the overall sound richer and deeper, making you want to hang on to every note so that you don’t miss anything. It’s a heck of a feat that Depeche Mode was able to take this dark, moody album, and attract a wide audience. When they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020, I really enjoyed watching other musicians rave about them. Depeche Mode has influenced some of my favorite bands (Chvrches and Crystal Castles come to mind first), and for that, I’ll always be grateful. This is a great album, and its importance in the history of rock music solidifies its place on this list.
This was so darn 80s it hurt. Not really my thing but I did like a couple songs. I get the popularity as I'm sure a lot of the sounds were novel at the time!
Interesting parts, but mostly simplistic mood music. Better than Violator - maybe.
Love the intro, the rest of the album is kind of meh
I thought it was cool and very “transcending” if you get what I mean. Felt like I was on another planet. BETTER THAN PEARL JAM
Reminds me of my first internet gf who was into 80s pop. Aside from the nostalgia, it's a little meh. Very "just discovered MIDI" vibes.
Classic Depeche Mode is always good. First time listening to the entire album. Solid, but not my fave from DM, Violator probably holds that spot for me. This one felt more stripped down, maybe less dark?
I did like this quite a bit. But 3 seems fair.
Not a fan, didn’t hate it, but not for me
More sonically consistent perhaps compared to the other one, but goes much bigger and stranger in some places. Harder to identify highlights.
ну хороший альбом, что тут сказать
вкусно
Great album
An absolute masterpiece of synthetic pop
Sounds like Morrissey but interesting set of soundscaped arranged to fit the late 80's electric
A classic
not my style
If I’m in the mood for 80s synth I’d go to New Order than this but they’re definitely doing their own thing compared to New Order. I didn’t connect with a decent bit of the songs here but it still managed to keep my attention the whole way through as you really don’t know which way the album is going to go next. Rating: 3.4
Really didn't like this one much at all.
First half awesome. Second half terrible. Lol
Solid album with creative writing. Don’t usually like the 80s super compressed drums with a ton of reverb, but this one was okay.
Very much 80's synth...meh
I haven't listened to much Depeche Mode in the last 20 years and listening to this makes me wish I had. It doesn't fit my mood or activities for the day and I'm still thoroughly enjoying it. Will be listening to more Depeche Mode in the future because of this.
pornography by the cure but with more synths and less depression. it's a pretty good goth/dark effort but it often falls a bit short and feels shallow. still a really nice listen tho!
depeche mode are part of a category of music i just can't fully get into that i like to call "my dad's band". thankfully, the 80s synths still sound good (im gen z and gen z loves 80s synths)
Depeche Mode was never one of my favorites growing up in the 80's, but no one can deny, that they have that iconic 80's sound that defined that decade's music. I tended to 70's music and the goth rock bands of the 80's (The Damned, Bauhaus, and The Sisters of Mercy). While a little too synthpop to me, I did enjoy some of this record, notably the lyricism and the song "To Have and to Hold".
This stinks.
I dig the new way vibes!
Never really my thing but pleasant enough.
Interesting, not sure I’ll ever go back to it but worth listening to it once.
Ik word niet heel warm van dit album
Lush but dreary. Production is great. Nothing really stands out though
Not my sort of stuff.
I love Depeche Mode but would probably reach for their greatest hits or something rather than this album. Besides the hit faves "Never Let Me Down Again" and "Strangelove" I liked the song "Little 15".
"Deluxe Edition" - makes me want to cry. I like Depeche Mode, but I've never really *loved* their stuff. I was enjoying listening to the album instead of just the hits. But then I hit the "Deluxe Edition" junk. When exactly? I don't know. I'm just listening to a good album, and the next thing I know I'm listening to not a good album. Way to kill a good vibe.
Not my style but I enjoyed learning about it!