NOT NEEDED
There was a time when new Depeche Mode singles were something of an event.
Not necessarily chart-wise, as between 1985 and 1993 the majority of them rose
no higher than the mid-teens at best, but for those seeking a challenging
alternative to the era's dominant chart fodder. Eventually, the band's loyal
fanbase earned them regular Top 10 debuts during the 90s, but as with peers New
Order they produced their most effective work in the previous decade. For years,
nobody else sounded like Depeche Mode; the pop scene would embrace the charms
of Culture Club, Wham!, Bros and the Stock Aitken Waterman hit machine, but
Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher, Alan Wilder and Dave Gahan continued in the pursuit
of an increasingly dark and rhythmically dense approach. The results -
underrated gems including Shake The Disease, Stripped, Strangelove and Never Let Me
Down Again - were always fascinating, and it seemed as though the band could do
no wrong.
Having seen U2 appropriate some of their sonic ballast, Depeche Mode upped
the ante with 1993's Songs Of Faith And Devotion, an album borne amid some
serious hedonism and followed by an equally lively, and well-documented tour that
almost destroyed them. Wilder departed, Gore and Fletcher recuperated, Gahan
underwent rehabilitation from a chronic drug addiction. Ever since then,
something has been missing from the various releases connected to the band. Ultra,
the 1997 album, boasted a brace of fine singles (It's No Good, Home) but little
else. Its lacklustre, subdued feel also blighted the even less consistent
Exciter in 2001, creating the suspicion that Alan Wilder's input was more crucial
than anyone had realised.
Neither the recent Martin L.Gore covers project Counterfeit 2 nor Dave Gahan's
Paper Monsters deviate from the Ultra template. High on atmosphere,
worryingly light on melody and real dynamics. Paper Monsters, in particular, has
received glowing reviews in some quarters of the music press, but it's hard to see
why. The album's first single Dirty Sticky Floors was Barrel Of A Gun
revisited, a fairly pleasing dirge and identifiably of Depeche vintage, but the other
9 tracks reveal Gahan's songwriting cupboard to be disappointingly barren. So
closely do they resemble his band's latterday efforts, both in musical and
lyrical style, one almost wonders what the point of it actually might be.
I Need You, which was released last week and duly gave Gahan another minor
solo hit, takes the softer route already showcased on Exciter's Freelove and
Goodnight. Yes, it's competent and eminently listenable, granted, but given his
pedigree there's an avoidable sense of underachievement in this
extra-curricular venture.
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