“Puppets” however, while written by Clarke, has more of the dark, dystopian feel that Depeche Mode would come to be known for once Martin Gore took over songwriting duties full time and its pulsing groove is one of the album highlights of Speak & Spell. “Puppets” – From the album Speak & SpellĪll but two of the songs on Depeche Mode’s debut album Speak & Spell were written by Vince Clarke, who would soon leave Depeche Mode to form Yaz and then Erasure, and Clarke’s pop-oriented synthpop dominates the album.“Lie To Me” is a bleak encapsulation of many of the themes explored on Some Great Reward, but it sounds great in its misery. That the pleasures and meaning of those moments are fleeting too, but he wants his lover to tell them they have meaning anyway. Thematically, “Lie To Me” deals with the lack of meaning in life and the protagonist of the song seeks to find that meaning through an intimate relationship, even though he knows ultimately he won’t find it there.
In fact, with different production, “Lie To Me” would fit in perfectly on Depeche Mode’s Black Celebration album. “Lie To Me”, more than any other song on Some Great Reward, points to way forward to the sound and themes of the second phase of Depeche Mode’s career. “Lie To Me” – From the album Some Great Reward.It’s a great track and an excellent way to kick off the Some Great Reward album, the peak of Depeche Mode’s early sound. Dealing with the dead end mood and modern ennui of urban decay and suburban sprawl, “Something To Do” attempts to find meaning in life through brief passions and secret pleasures and finds them wanting. “Something To Do”– From the album Some Great Rewardįew songs better capture an anxious and urgent sense of restless boredom and desperation than Depeche Mode’s grimy and industrial, yet surprisingly danceable, “Something To Do”.So, if the Depeche Mode you know best from the first part of their career are songs like “Everything Counts”, “People Are People”, “Somebody” and “Just Can’t Get Enough”, here are ten to hear again: For many early fans of the band this is Depeche Mode’s golden era (although I would personally not agree with that). All of this would be done under the guidance of their mentor Daniel Miller, who would also produce these first four albums, helping to give this part of their career a certain sonic fingerprint that separates it from their later work. This early, first period of the band, comprising the years 1981-1985, would see the band rise from British synthpop teen idols to dark, semi-industrial experimentalists over the course of four albums and various singles. Gore moved Depeche Mode toward darker and more mature themes and into more experimental musical territory (a trend that would be furthered with the eventual addition of Alan Wilder and his production skills). This turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Depeche Mode however because it forced Martin Gore to become the group’s primary songwriter. Things seemed like they may fall apart as quickly as success had found the young band however when Vince Clarke, band leader and primary songwriter for their debut album Speak & Spell, chose to exit the group following that album. However, what Depeche Mode did have going for them was an ability to fuse pop-oriented song writing with the synth-driven music and a teen idol image that helped them cross over into the mainstream. Initially, Depeche Mode were not as pioneering as Gary Numan, as experimental as OMD, or as interesting as Human League. While Depeche Mode were a part of the synthesizer driven “New Romantic” movement that rose up from the punk rock underground in early 1980’s Britain, anyone who would have predicted their ultimate rise to become alternative rock titans and international hit makers would have been ridiculed and ultimately lost all credibility. If the Depeche Mode you know best from the first part of their career are songs like “Everything Counts”, “People Are People”, “Somebody” and “Just Can’t Get Enough”, here are ten to hear again (or for the first time): Listen To The List: Depeche Mode, 1981-1985 – Ten To Hear Again Ten To Hear Again: Depeche Mode, 1981-1985
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