Music for the Masses

This felt so dated, and not in a good way. It wasn't an easy experience trying to finish it

The synths are out in full force with this one. A few songs were nice, but ultimately I just thought this was mostly forgettable.

Never got into them. Too repetitive.

Dreary, uninspiring, not something I will ever listen to again!

J'avoue j'ai pas été hyper attentif, mais n'ayant jamais écouté d'album de Depeche Mode en entier je m'attendais à un truc plus accrocheur. 2/5

I did not like this and I really did not like the song Little 15… it kind of made me sick. Have no idea what it’s about but just like allergic to the sounds and the key change.

Oh no, this was not for me at all. So dramatic! So much synth!

This album is not really interesting. Why is this revered in any way today ? The music is simple to say the least, very much like others of the time, and bands like New Order have made much more interesting music than this. To me the only track worth anything are the opener which is a good pop song but not that special, and I want you now, that is a bit weird and at least trying something. It has no ambition which is crazy given the title given to that album. But especially it is the writing that is driving me bananas. The words are really dumb. I'll let them speak for themselves : "Nothing, Nothing What am I trying to do ? What am I trying to say ? Nothing, Nothing, oh no". Yeah there is very little worth keeping here, really.

2 feels too low, but this just wasn't for me. I really liked Strangelove and Sacred, but the rest was just alright.

Pretty forgettable, first track was cool though. They've got much better in their discography.

The kind of music goths would have listened to in the 80s. It's like darker 80s pop. Sure. Why not, I guess?

Don't get me wrong, I love the 80s. And I love a bunch of the new wave synth dance pop bands, but giving this a good listen reminds me that I find Depeche Mode super tedious. This one strives for conceptuality and symphonic and their usual shady morose kink, but never hits for me. Even the poppy ones. Monotonous drudgery.

Tried to listen to this one. Just could not make my way through it.

kinda boring.

Each tune sounds remarkably similar to the last one.

Depeche Mode fandom is a mental illness.

Not for me.

Total meh. Very dated. Boring.

Boring

I am starting to think that it’s me. This is a fine album but got old at the end. Some really enjoyable songs but not something I would say I need to investigate further. I was trying to decide how somebody would dance to this?

Very ordinary, nothing really stands out

The singles really shine, the rest didn't stick.

hmm.don't love this album, I do love DM - but it's always been a couple of great tracks and the rest blah on each album-Just Can't Get Enough (1981), Everything Counts (1983) are still huge favorites, + Shake the Disease - I was too busy devouring anything by the Smiths. Violator is the DM album (1990) where they start kicking ass, most of that record is KILLER! But Music for the Masses... no

I was excited going into this one because I've been meaning to check this band out. Ended up finding it monotonous and uninteresting for the most part. A couple decent tracks in the first half but no sense of momentum after that. On paper, I should like this band but they don't do much for me outside of the singles.

decent

i wanted to like it but i just couldn't get into it, it was too brooding for me

I can see how it would make this list but just a bit too moody for my taste(and yes, I get that's what they're supposed to be known for). It feels like something you'd hear as the soundtrack of a Resident Evil game or some horror franchise. Not my cup of tea.

Depeche Mode doing Depeche Mode music. It's fine, having gwon up in the 80s and 90s, this both childhood radio memories and Goth Dance Club vibes for me.

Slow electronic music is still electronic. Not g[d but not terrible.

Having a general idea of this list by now (album #389), I feel like Depeche Mode must be on of the author's favorites. This is the first inclusion on the list but seems right up their alley. And I hate it. It has that late 80s British sound with awful vocals. 3.75/10 (1.875/5)

Music for the masses, but it sounds like music from the asses.

meeeehhhhhhhh!

Not bad at all. Not really moving the needle though. 2.5

Didn't really love this at the time and still don't

2/5

Very, very 80s, and that is not a positive from me. It's fine to have on, but nothing is particularly appealing to me. Please, Little Treasure is okay.

Some cool sounds and synths but the songwriting is pretty drab and uninspired. Minimalist in a way that leaves a lot to be desired. Melodramatic in a way that does not land at all. Weird in a way that’s cringy. “Nothing” was great but otherwise not a fan

Depressed Load just as depressing as ever.

Nostalgic - not necessarily in a good way. Didn't like them much back then, still don't. The song making is good and all...the style just grates me

Started out pretty good, then became so bland and repetitive

Sad boy rock. It's good. Better Depeche Mode songs and albums.

I like some Depeche Mode, but this is a big miss for me. If you take all the interesting stuff out of Kraftwerk, you end up with this album. I get they're trying for a concept album, but when your concept is bland and doesn't matter.... Give me a Pink Floyd any day. 2 stars since it's still music.

Pretty much what I expected from Depeche Mode. Decent 80's alternative album but definitely nothing to write home about and in my opinion both the songs and the album itself are a little longer than they need to be. I didn't get through the whole album, I got to Pimpf and decided I'd had enough.

Did not listed to fully - weird tho

Started out ok...got kind of annoying by the end

Not their best work.

I don’t think it’s really bad, I just don’t like it

Kinda dated and basic

A little bit slow for me. But the synths were nice tho

This is definitely a Depeche Mode album from the mid-80s. Like/remember opening track Never Let Me Down Again. Seems like a transitional album between their early electro-pop stuff and the next album Violator, which made them international sensations.

Solid, not my taste

Not a massive fan of depeche mode. It was ok. Was glad it was over though some catchy songs so 2 stars. Sorry DM fans

Love Depeche mode but like warm on this album

2

2.5

2.5

Depeche Mode has always eluded my interest. They ain't bad and they have some big hits that are fine but I just don't get the diehard following. Music for the Masses is an easily digestible collection of emo-lectro pop. "Strangelove" is best song but a lot of the others are too slow and faith-based. Not sure why this album makes the list when their are others from the group that most certainly will. Not too impressed with this one...1.78 stars. P.S. Wish we could get a DePesci Mode album with Joe doing covers. "What, am I your own personal Jesus...here to amuse you?"

Correct

Very dour, would have to be in a very specific mood for this

I don't understand how these bands made it into a top albums list maybe if you have nostalgia for the 80's but they just don't hold up.

Nothing

I can get why people like this. It's decent background music and very viby, but I'm not sure I love it.

A mood, to be sure. Kind of boring.

As a non-Depeche Mode fan, enjoyed Violater much more outside maybe a couple of songs.

gros synths/pads, très efficace pour créer une atmosphère enveloppante. Mention spéciale à I want you now, qui doit être très difficile à interpréter au karaoke. Pimpf est une belle intrusion de musique minimaliste/répétitive dans la pop (cf tubular bells) Les paroles me semblent un peu whiny... des généralités sur les amours et les amitiés déçus, la trahison, mais sans réelle substance quant à moi, qui aime les narratifs bien ficelés. Je comprends l'attrait, c'est catchy, ça sonne, mais c'est quoi la différence avec The Cure déjà ?

Had a couple of solid songs at the end but overall did not like

I respect the album, has some great hits, but overall it’s just not for me.

How many Depeche Mode albums do these cunts think I need to hear before I die? One was plenty 😒

Really don't see the appeal. A couple of pleasant songs but quite dull overall. This genre has been done so much better by so many other artists.

There’s snatches of solid 80s beats and I found myself finding it a “what if” album. Almost good but ultimately boring. Doesn’t compare well to its peers.

Complete

Eerie vibes. ‘I Want You Now’ is straight up creepy. Some cool synths but all sounds a bit samey. Monotone vocals. Too long, got a bit bored.

Depeche Mode is erop of eronder imo. En deze voel ik toch niet. Violator, sure, maar deze niet. 2.2

Boring

Good variety, but I honestly don't remember any songs that stood out as bangers

The name of this album is really ironic since this is obviously not music for the masses. :) But it’s definitely different and unique.

Difficult to review a lot of these albums without knowledge of the greater historical context. I assume this is early Depeche Mode, before "Hungry Like the Wolf" and greater pop success. This is darker, more moody, and very, VERY gay. The songs are mostly just "fine" again. Kind of boring to me, but inoffensive as background music. I appreciated the two remixes at the end of the album but I suspect those didn't exist on the original release.

I've never really enjoyed Depeche Mode. I found the vocals to be kind of annoying and the production to be too cliche. Even though they are pioneers of the synthpop genre I just never could get into them. "Music for the Masses" is no different, I really haven't found myself coming back to this album at all and there's just nothing telling me to here 5/10 Favourite: None Least Favourite: Pimpf

no

I am not as familiar with songs from this album. It is fine for background music.

Didn’t like a single song. Drab. All songs sound the same.

2/5

Just alright. It's about a 5/10 for me. Had an interesting sound.

I knew going in that this band is not for me, but even so I found this fairly boring. 1.7

Außer Song eins leider nicht mein Geschmack.

Boring 80s album

If I heard this playing in a public setting I wouldn’t be that upset.

That's 4 80s records in a row. I hope when I hit the button I get something from a better decade. This was alright... For the 80s.

Bad

This album should be locked in a time capsule only to be released for study and not enjoyment.

Basic 80s music, fine ig Uninspired, new wave

Violator is one of my favorite albums. This is a lot like listening to violator but in the next apartment.

I was very excited for this album to end.

This doesn’t quite do it for me. Jeff is a fan of their greatest hits album. The songs aren’t that great, and several sound pretty similar to each other.

2.5/5 the dark and moody vibes were interesting but not really my style.

not really my style never let me down again was kinda good

This is a very weak Depeche Mode album. I like DM, but after the first song it this album's not that exciting. Liked Songs Added: Never Let Me Down Again

Dull as dish water. Why is this here? Even the synopsis can’t explain why this album is interesting or included.

Odiously dull. I simply do not give a shit.

First ever critical listen of any Depeche Mode. This album felt like an uninteresting slog with a cool 80's vibe. I found the music dull and vocals contrived and pretentious. At its best moments I was reminded of Morrissey but without the humour or the brilliance. Generally found the album very boring and I doubt there will be a repeat listen.

I usually enjoy Depeche Mode, but this was not great. First half was good, the second half was not.

some good, some random, very disoriented album imo, too much random stuff going on

Not awful, but I didn't like it and I didn't engage with it. It gets an "all right if you like that sort of thing, I don't" 2/5.

This whole album gives me creepy groomer vibes and an unsettling sound throughout “ There'll be times When my crimes Will seem almost unforgivable I give in to sin” “Will you give it to me Will you take the pain I will give to you Again and again” All of Behind the Wheel onwards. Ick.

it was okay, i'm not quite deep with depeche mode but I am aware of how new wave and synthpop during the 80s

I found this album surprisingly annoying. The flat vocals and the goofy electronic music created a combination that was decidedly not for me.

Maybe it is just me, but I find this terribly boring. 2 stars or D.

Cool but absolutely not my speed

Perhaps in the right mood, this might click for me. I don’t hate the sound but it didn’t blow me away, either. 2 stars, I think; on a different day, though, maybe 3?

I really wanted to like this more than I did. I enjoyed some of it but a lot of it really droned on.

Best Song: Behind The Wheel. I liked the driving energy of the track, aligning with the lyrical themes. Worst Song: Little 15. Call me puritanical, but I immediately balk at any pop/rock songs sung by middle aged men about under-aged girls. Whatchu singing about them girls for? Overall: Music from this era of synth-pop must have the greatest gulf between how sexy it is desperately trying to be and how sexy is actually is. Combine that with how Super-Serious everything is presented, it's hard not to find the whole album unintentionally goofy.

A ono, šta ja znam. Ima dobrih stvari na ovom albumu, ali ima i nekih koje su mi wtf. Općenito nisam njihov preveliki fan, ali imaju par kultnih pjesama koje rado poslušam. Ne znam kako bih rejtala ovo, ali vuče me više na 2 nego 3 nekako, pa eto, moram slijediti filing. 2/5, 4/10.

i do not like 80s music, this was a very hard listen

It's okay I guess. Never been a big Depeche Mode fan, so it was kind of a bland listen for me.

Okay, didnt really get through it as much as i wanted.

1. douun - 1.5 2. thingz - 2 3. ztrange - 2.5 4. zacred - 1.5 5. little - 1 6. uuheel - 1.5 7. nouu - 1.5 8. hold - 1 9. nothing - 1 10. pimpf - 0 11. orange - 1.5 12. again - 1.5 13. have - 1 14. treazure - 1.5

3/10 La canzone che mi è piaciuta di più è Pimpf, una delle due instrumental Il principale pregio del gruppo è l'iconicità, appena senti una canzone sai che è la loro, ma per i miei gusti spesso non è una bellissima notizia Li trovo noiosi, sia musicalmente che nel cantato

Electronic music, droning vocals, not much appeal for me at all....

More 1980s stuff.

The singles are solid but most of the album sounds like a bad soundtrack to a mid movie

Not my favorite flavor of new wave

Didn't make me want to fall asleep, or tear my ears out. But still, boring.

A couple great songs here. Production is wild, some of it feels ahead of its time, experimental. Very horny, religious undertones.

Didn’t like it. Got about 3/4 of the way through and gave up.

I have never been able to get into Depeche Mode. I don’t know if it’s too much synth or if it’s the vocals or the overall style, but they just don’t do much to move me. I like some of their songs okay when I’ve heard them covered by others, but that is not much of an endorsement.

Un peu mieux que le sketch des Inconnus sur Indochine, mais pas de beaucoup.

A bit repetitive

Not a fan, This music isn't very bearable for long amounts of time.

Meh not great. I like Depeche mode in general but this was a bit too much for me.

i liked. all the songs kinda started to morph together tho

Album was alright. Had a few highs. Kinda dissociated for most of it - feels like an album to so sleep to.

Annoying 80s pop

As someone who isn't already a fan, this was hard to get through. I like a lot of the soundscapes but there isn't enough meat to sink my teeth into. And the back chunk gets really drone like in a way that grated my nerves. The last track was kind of a fun track in the sense that it felt like the closing credits to a film. But by then, I was a little meh about the whole thing.

No thank you, dark night of the musical soul.

A spooky vibe that I can dig for a while, but ultimately this got pretty boring

Low 3 or high 2, doesn't really matter as I'm not com8ng back. Odd band. In Britain they had one mega hit, were a consistent chart presence in the 80s (but no more than that) and had a very mini revival in 1990. In Central Europe and the US, the seemed to be defined by that revival and more appreciated than in the UK. I'm in the British camp and this album seems to be a bridge to the 90s offerings. Singles are okay but no better than that. The rest I don't really get. The album title is clearly some sort of joke that doesn't land

Even if keep all their material in rotation, there always a handful of Depeche Mode songs every album I most definitely will

Pretty boring!

Jesus this album goes on

Pretty "meh" for a Depeche Mode album

Mmmm, it’s ok

I have a very strange relationship with the music of Depeche Mode, I find their earlier material a little tinny and very familiar of 80's dare I call it modern romantic commercial syth pop. As they have matured and certainly "lived" a bit their music has evolved, gained a lot of depth and many of their tracks from the 90's and onwards has been a part of my musical "go to" particularly some of their stuff that has been remixed. Music for the Masses certainly is from that early era where commercially they were smashin it....staggered to read that this was already their 6th album and it was only 1987! But sadly I'm never going to invest the time to listen in its entirety, Very sad to hear of the death of Fletch at only 60 in 22' RIP

A perfect 2.5

I thought that a list of 1001 albums to hear before I die would be more than pop albums, especially Brit Pop. I certainly have nothing against Brit Po and feel it should be represented, but not this one.

Je connaissais seulement quelques tubes de DM, dont "Behind the Wheel" (dans cet album) très intéressant (ambiance/harmonie essentiellement). L'album commence bien, mais je trouve la plupart des morceaux, en particulier les derniers moins intéressants (après Behind the Wheel et avant le morceau final Pimpf très original). =>2/5

Thought I’d like this a lot more

Much ado about synthesizers, and some samples in the songs that had me almost looking around to see if there were people very close all of a sudden. Interesting, if nothing else.

Never got to like the sound of Depeche Mode. It's just not speaking to me.

Enjoyed the opening track, rest was pretty meh

"Not bad so far as it goes – very strong vocals, above average hooks – but it dulls after a time. Pretty awful lyrics (""Promises me I'm as safe as houses / As long as I remember who's wearing the trousers"") don't help. In the stripped down sound, it’s easy to see how they were pivoting toward a bigger, rockier impact and more mainstream appeal. Synths sound dated, as they always do (and maybe most dance music does, too), no matter the vintage. Personally, one hears not very much to get excited about. In the end, this lot are only slightly better than the Pet Shop Boys and nowhere near as good as The Cure.

i recognize that there's a lot of artistic merit here but DM is and always has been astoundingly unappealing to me

I was born in the decade this was made and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have liked this even then. Saying that, it’s a very evocative record that I’m sure makes sense for the soundtrack of a period drama about the 80s. Not for me, but I get why people dig it.

run of the mill 80s music. poppy disco stuff. not my thing

never let me down 100/10 [why the album is two starts not 1] too much moaning car sounds and religious imagery

Quite enjoyed it on the first listen but less so the second time around. A little bit samey at times and not too sure if they aren’t taking themselves a bit too seriously. Clearly they were popular at the time and the formulas used on this album don’t seem much different to those used on their big hits.

Distinctive but dull. The vocals are not for me.

Very much of its time, I wasn't gripped.

I got quite excited that this would be a gothy moody album taking me back to my days in the Cookie Club in my first year of uni, however i was disappointed. The quality in the tracks just wasn't there.

I really thought I'd enjoy this - innovative electronica has always been interesting to me. But the songwriting is subpar, and I found myself annoyed more than excited. Oh well.

In theory I should like Depeche Mode, i like a lot of other stuff in the same genres. But, i really just don't like them. A bit too clean, kind of boring?

tem umas músicas que dão pra aproveitar? tem no geral, o álbum é bom? tenho minhas dúvidas musicalmente pra mim ele é um grande estereótipo do que a década de 80 tinha pra oferecer com os sintetizadores, a sonoridade da batera e um tom meio dramático pras músicas. assim como todo bom estereótipo, esse álbum é bem medíocre das ideia.

As remarkable as cream cheese.

So the two big singles are dope AF but the rest of it is kinda the pre-Violator DM that I always associated with them (and the genre as a whole) before I'd ever heard Violator. It's a nice preview of what they had coming but this isn't one I'm gonna be coming back to.

A darker sound for a new wavey/synth pop kinda thing. It’s decent crafted and can set a mood, but overall was a bit dull and little stood out to me.

I couldn't get into this to save my life. I found one song I could vibe to. How were they so popular??

I am usually a depeche mode enjoyer but this really did not hit for me today

Too much

Really not remarkable

Just ok

Nope. Sixth album from an above average but nothing special band. And there’s nothing special here. 1.5

I’ve been noted as a big fan of new wave/vaguely goth synthpop, but I really struggled with this album. I like the heavy use of big reverby drum samples and the spooky synth, but that’s about all the good things I can say about it. The vocals feel cheesy throughout most of the record, and I found it to be lyrically unoriginal and uninspiring. It’s not objectively bad, it’s just a concept that’s been done so much better by so many other artists. This one is best left in 1987. 2 stars.

Being that I generally like new wave and the handful of Depeche Mode songs I know, I expected to enjoy this album. I did not. It has the ambiance of a haunted house with none of the fun. I think Depeche Mode needs a higher tempo to work for me and this album is full of songs that just trudge towards their very welcome end. I found this tedious and tiresome. The lyrics throughout this album are simplistic and frankly kind of dumb. Lyrics don’t need to be complex or deep or clever to be good, but these come across like a writing assignment done by a moody teenager with no particular inspiration. Overall, I am glad this album was short and short though it was, I was counting down the songs until it was over. 3/10

Don't know what I would have done without the "Glitter Mix". 2.4.

Not my favorite Depeche Mode album. Sounds droning and repetitive after a couple songs.

The 80s really had the worst pop music of any decade.

Really not sure about the empty instrumentals that end this

There's a reason I've never listened to the second side of a Depeche Mode album. This is a "greatest hits" band. Just don't love most of their stuff.

This doesn't do much for me except reinforce why I think of Depeche Mode as a singles band,

Didn't offer much surprise or development on what I already knew of the band. Happy to hear the occasional song, don't need to hear an album.

New wave/synthpop is very hit or miss for me. This one misses. Not my thing

I listened to this on Depeche Mode. And by that I mean I sped through all the bits I didn’t like (because depeche is French for hurry the fuck up)

The hits were good. The rest was hit or miss.

Depeche Mode is what I think of when I think of 80s music. I feel like I should like this more and might upon more listens. Never Let Down Again is a strong opener but then it fades for me. I like I Want You Now 2nd most probably. It’s decent. 5.7/10

This was supposedly the album that marked the transition from fay electro pop dweebs to stadium friendly behemoths, but it’s not quite there for me. There’s nothing that grabs me in quite the same way as Enjoy the Silence or Personal Jesus on their later album Violater. The best track is probably the opener “Never Let Me Down” but the rest of the album doesn’t quite live up to this.

Dissonant and brooding, clearly the title is tongue in cheek. The beginning is pretty good, but it loses me at Little 15. This is like the soundtrack for a dark alleyway behind a church. Nothing is probably the best track, but nothing else is that enjoyable.

2.5

If this is for the masses, consider me the individual. It isn't the worst 80s album I've ever heard, which really isn't that hard. Who knew all you had to do to make a good 80s album was try a little bit! It is definitely way too long though. Favorites were Strangelove and Nothing

It definitely didn’t age very well, but there are still some awesome and creative soundscapes in this

mid

nie podoba mi się za bardzo 4/10

Thoughts before listening: Outside of the hits, I have pretty big blindspot for Depeche Mode. I know they were immensely popular in the 80s and get a lot of press with modern music sites as well. It just always seemed like it wouldn't be for me. This isn't one of their albums I recognize, and I know I have never listened before. Review: This just isn't a sound that I am ever going to enjoy. With a few exceptions (i.e. the Cure) dark, moody synth driven new wave just isn't for me. The hits from this era of music can be fun, but best I can tell, this album doesn't have any of Depeche Mode's hits. At least not ones that I recognize. Ultimately this is pretty boring to me. 2-stars

Not for me, I don't mind some Depeche Mode but found this boring and instantly forgettable.

Pretty boring - songs are rather redundant within themselves, very similar sound across all songs, lacks depth and variety. "I want you now" is super creepy. "Little 15" was the only interesting song.

Less like music for the masses and more like music for a bad Netflix show.

Pretty boring

The 80s produced some terrible music. This is a part of that. I get that some might find it enjoyable, but it was very much a time and a place kind of music. That time is not now.

Adoro Despeche Mode, mas achei esse álbum tão fraquinho...

SIN INTERÉS.

It was a bit boring and ironically felt like soulless mass-produced tunes.

Dug the 80s drums and the general feel of the album. None of the songs really stood out however and it all kind of just blended into a slog. Strong 2 star.

I am at the point now where I can recognise new wave albums by the fact they are shitting in my ear, HOWEVER, this album just took a little piss instead, thank you 1001 albums list, keep it up!

- Mein Schwiegervater in Spe würde mich für diese Aussage wahrscheinlich umbringen, aber ich finde viele Tracks von Depeche Mode eher langweilig und oft eintönig - An diesem Empfinden hat auch dieses Album nicht wirklich etwas geändert

It's a good album and I absolutely understand why it is on this list, but I do not personally feel it has aged as well as some of their other music unfortunately.

eh, not my bag

I don't really like 80's synth-pop, but I listened to the whole album, anyway. I found it dull ... not a single song that I could get into.

Not bad...but dated

Listenable but nothing special

Not bad, but kind of repetitive at times. Kept waiting for it to end by the end of the album. I've still heard much worse. 2/5

Depeche mode is a band a think I like and then I try to listen to a whole album and i realize I don't like depeche mode that much.

Can’t say I paid it much attention today. It just felt like music that was getting in the way while I was listening to it. Can Depeche Mode really be held responsible for that? As the person rating the album I say yes.

Just made me want to listen to Power Corruption Lies which should have actually been on this list instead of these boomer synths.

all the fruitiness of violator without the hits.

A lot of synthesizer...It became background noise by the 5 song. Very maudlin. Eh...

Not a fan. Wasn't completely ear-bleedingly awful, so it doesn't constitute a 1.

So disappointed. I was bored from start to finish. Nothing original and from a band I like. Just flat.

Neo gothy synth. It’s ok. Never really was my jam.

started out decent but it just becomes noise the first song is amazing and was a really good fit for the TLoU series

Too tropey for me I think. I like some Depeche Mode songs, but these don't make the cut.

Kinda a drag.

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 ⭐️

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.

nicht mein pers. highlight von DM

2.5

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.

Not my sort of thing this one.

Of all the DM albums, you saying THIS one is what I should hear before I die? Huh?

Eh, it was okay. Nothing really grabbed me, but I get that it's influential.

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.

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

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?

I am so so on Depeche Mode, all of it sounds the same, broody halloween tones. This one was below par.

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.

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

Yahoo did/does it better 2

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 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.

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

just not into new wave/synth pop rock but i know that is a me issue

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.

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 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.

4/1001 Boring, it had an interesting start but then it became very boring and quite dated. Pretty mid.

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.

Boring

Meh, veel reverb op de drums en matige synth rock. Niet echt mij style, een modderige mix is nooit echt mijn fave

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.

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.

ugh it's sooo 80s i didnt feel forced to skip any though

WTF DID I JUST LISTEN TO

Starts off strong but becomes a bit more hit and miss afterward.

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.

Meh

Leur 6ème album. C'est pas ma semaine, j'ai pas tant trippé sur lui. Des lamentations.

Once again I'm not one of the masses.

Love the intro, the rest of the album is kind of meh

Not a fan, didn’t hate it, but not for me

Sounds like Morrissey but interesting set of soundscaped arranged to fit the late 80's electric

Not my sort of stuff.

Surprised I didn’t like it

I'm not crazy about Depeche Mode but I see how they were such a big influence for synth pop; the beats are really good.

Business proposal: Let's make a pop album, but without hits or any catchy songs. Are you in? The sequencer work is really rough, is that on purpose? Is this technology disguised as art? 2.3

I once had a boss called Dipesh, and although he never made this joke, he was exactly the kind of Apprentice wannabe that would have said he was entering ‘Dipesh Mode’. So that’s all I can really think about when Depeche play their tunes. Anyway, that’s by the by, this fellas getting a 2, not offensive enough for a 1, but it didn’t have much going for it.

Endured this one better than the last Depeche Mode album.

It all kinda sounds the same.

Very flat and unemotional to me. Some nice rythems and melodies but never get "over the hill" to get me coving. Maybe I'll try again in a couple years.

Quintessential 80s sound. A little too brooding and sterile in production for my taste. I can’t say I loved it, glad I heard it though.

Ok

It's a Depeche Mode album, his slow droning baritone over electronic music. Some songs were interesting, otherwise it was more of the same from this band. Nothing really stood out to me. It was ok to listen to

Stop trying to make depeche modè happen.

Last song wtf

I'm normally the biggest synth pop and new wave defender. There's some catchy songs here but on the first listen through this one felt kinda...bland? Songs are kinda repetitive and the album as a whole just goes on for a little too long.

Okayish, not impressive. Maybe it was the case at 1987

Just not the Depeche Mode that I enjoy. Some good tracks, a lot of ones I cared nothing for.

Probably my least favorite so far. Found it boring, couldn't finish the album. Maybe in another headspace I'd be into it so 2/5

oh god, i don’t wanna listen to this but i’m hoping i’m wrong and it’s good. there’s been only a few albums i’ve been happy to listen to you know. it was a bit depressing and i didn’t really care for it.

very 80s, much interesting. only in small doses. kids seemed to really like it

A couple of good songs, but easy to get bored of quickly

Well that was pretty boring and unremarkable

The first few songs had me thinking, “Huh, I wonder why I never really got into Depeche Mode…” but the rest of the album answered that. This is the kind of album I would -maybe- put on as background music for a creative session of writing or drawing….only if I already had a lot of sentences or scenes in my head and didn’t want to get distracted by the soundtrack. None of the songs made me feel any kind of way except Moonlight Sonata, and they didn’t write that.

I've decided I don't like this style of English 80s synth-heavy pop very much.

Not for me. DNF’d

Not a bad album, I just didn't really like it. Nothing was probably my favorite. Pimpf is boss music. Listening to the last couple songs while driving alone at night in the rain seemed appropriate.

My dad quite likes them so I'm kind of desensitised to it, not an era I'm particularly fond of and a bit repetitive but some nice ideas.

очень даже ничего, томно, романтично, пока не было неописуемых красот, но все на неплохом троечном уровне.крайне средне вообщем. как демонстрация будущего саунда и свежесть еще пойдет, сейчас скушновато, но пару песен взяли

Not really into this album. It became quite repetitive.

Quintessential 80s electro pop. Not much soul. Lyrics sung without much emotion. Feels like a formula for 80s movie background soundtrack. I don't feel anything listening to this.

Felt like they discovered the synthesizer and just started pressing buttons. also I really didn't need Dave gahan moaning in my ear, could've lived without that.

Maybe this album was more ground-breaking or influential when it came out, but at least here in 2023 it was a very forgettable hour of 80's synth-pop

Very generic 80s.

ffs, why is this generator so full of 80's music.

it was just ok

2.5/5 - Classic 80s album for 9 songs, it dropped off significantly for the last 3. I Want You Now is my standout on this one.