Construction Time Again

Depeche Mode | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1983
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Reprise / Wea
• ASIN: B000002KZA
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #128,426 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Limited edition 2007 digitally remastered heavy vinyl LP pressing in gatefold heavy card board sleeve of the Electronic band's 1983 album. Features the hits 'Love In Itself', 'Everything Counts' and more. Mute. --This text refers to the Vinyl edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Forgotten Classic! No, I'm not joking..., May 9, 2000

By 

Joel Kathrens (Spokane, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Construction Time Again (Audio CD)

After an album of rather varied quality in "A Broken Frame", Depeche Mode really comes together for "Construction Time Again". Maybe it's the arrival of Alan Wilder, or the marked improvement in both Martin's songwriting and David Gahan's vocals. I believe that it's a combination of all three. Whereas "A Broken Frame" saw Martin trying to fill the void that Vince Clarke left by attempting to fill his shoes in the songwriting department, "Construction Time Again" saw Martin Gore trying to write songs like Martin Gore instead of like Vince Clarke.

As for the songs themselves, Martin has his first truly great song in "Everything Counts", one that seems to get better with each listen. Over 12 minutes of this CD are devoted to two versions and a reprise of "Everything Counts" and I never tire of it for a minute. Other highlights of this album come from Martin's "Love, In Itself" and "And Then..." and underrated songwriter Wilder's "Two Minute Warning" and "The Landscape is Changing". I often wonder why Wilder stopped writing Depeche Mode songs after the "Some Great Reward" album as his tunes are among my favorite early DM tunes.

There are only a couple downsides on the album (and they aren't that significant). One is the song "Pipeline" which honestly is pretty stupid but is almost saved by vocals from Martin Gore. The other is the whistle-like bit of the song, "Shame". What was that? Random notes on a toy recorder? It's a pity that's in there because I like the song other than that, and I still listen to this album all the way through.

Although I'm a big Vince Clarke fan, I'd have to call "Construction Time Again" the best pre-"Black Celebration" Depeche Mode, just beating out "Speak & Spell". This is truly an underrated and too often overlooked album that every fan of Depeche Mode should own.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Martin Gore Truimphs., January 30, 2005

By 

Paul J. Overgaag "sjaak" (Monterey, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Construction Time Again (Audio CD)

Construction time again is a testament to Martin Gore's talent as a musician. To review this album properly we should consider first it's two predecessors Speak and Spell (1981) and A Broken Frame (1982.)

Speak and Spell was largely written by Vince Clarke resulting in a collection of masterful pop melodies inlcuding the classic 'Just Can't Get Enough.' Continuing on that trajectory Clarke has written catchy dance tunes since, but never became the talent that Gore is.

A Broken Frame (1982)was ultimately a transition album for Depeche Mode. The songwriting was muddled and Dave Gahan's singing was second rate. In all fairness this must have been a difficult album to make for Depeche Mode. Without the flair cute pop tunes, the band had to re-establish what they did, and this album proves that. It is certainly an album to own if you are a real fan, otherwise, I would skip it.

Construction Time Again truly showcases the band's talent and provides a foundation for all that has come after it. In my opinion this album is to Depeche Mode what Dark Side of the Moon was for Pink Floyd. Construction time was that point where it all came together. The songwriting takes on a more serious form. There is plenty of social criticism: 'Pipeline' and 'Everything Counts' criticizes greedy multi-nationals; 'The Landscape is Changing' calls attention to environmental degradation. The moody and serious music style is also evident on this album.

One of their best and definitely worth buying if you are familiar with their 80's albums and want to witness its genesis.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A strong yet sadly forgotten gem, December 31, 2002

By 

Distant Voyageur "Nicholas Computer" (Io) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Construction Time Again (Audio CD)

DM's previous two albums are quite poppy and somewhat sugary in sound. Nothing like this 1983 LP and the following albums that DM would become famous for, the previous two albums are both great in their own way. Released in 1983, "Construction Time Again" is from my perspective, where the foundation for Depeche Mode's darker, much gloomier music, was built.

This record, has a quirky industrial sound that ,while much darker than the glitzy-glamour pop of "Speak & Spell" may not greatly appeal to "Some Great Reward" forwards, but nonetheless, I think that this is a wonderful and unfortunately forgotten classic in Depeche Mode's early catalog. While there isn't anything that is very disturbing or frightening like "Master & Servant", "If You Want", or "Strangelove", "Construction Time Again" is a dark album and marks the doorway between the sugar-pop of pre-1983 Mode, and the industrial gloom rock of "Some Great Reward", "Black Celebration" and everything since then.

"Pipeline" and "Told You So" to me, are the weakest tracks on the LP and among DM's most uninspired and the former being quite annoying with the sound effects which sound like a malfunctioning construction crane or tractor. However, occasionally when one is in the right mood, even these can be enjoyable songs.

However, that is all made up for with strong and awesome songs like "Everything Counts:, "Love In Itself", and "The Landscape Is Changing". "Everything Counts" to me is the best song on the entire album, both the original and the 7+ minute 12 inch version with the calliope and the dark yet joyous atmosphere all mixed in one to create one of what I consider, one of the best songs ever made in Depeche Mode's early days and ends their joy-pop with a bang. "Shame" while not sunny daylight in mood, is dark yet has a sense of joy buried within its dark atmosphere. The same holds true with "Landscape Is Changing" and most of the rest of the album. I love the hazy ending of "Love In Itself" with the bizarre breezy sounds and the synthesizer dabblings before blasting into the upbeat, quirky, yet eerie "More Than A Party".

While there isn't anything that is very disturbing or frightening like "Master & Servant", "Fly On The Windscreen" or "Judas", "Construction Time Again" is a dark album and marks the doorway between the sugar-pop of pre-1983 Mode, and the industrial gloom rock of "Some Great Reward", "Black Celebration" and everything since then. "And Then" to me, is like the precursor to the much darker, and greyer feel of the next album "Some Great Reward" and would've fit well next to "Nothing" from the Music From The Masses LP although "And Then" is just plain fun in a campy way where as "Nothing" is nihilistic in mood. "And Then" is one of my favorite songs on the CD with it's odd style and acoustic guitars.

I don't care what detractors say, I think "Construction Time Again" as a whole, is a great album and definitely worth checking out. After this, Depeche Mode would become a completely different band. There is a compilation called "People Are People" that was released as a promo album that contains the long version of "Everything Counts" but instead of getting that album, get this one instead as "Everything Counts" is available here but if you're a die-hard fan like I am, go for the compilation I mentioned as "Now This Is Fun" and "Work Hard" do warrant having that album too. I find it impossible to deny that I actually love this album, in my own campy sort of way and it makes a nice break occasionally from the darker grounds of post-1985 DM.

And so begins a string of great albums that DM have created since then and continued with their most recent release "Exciter". Go and buy this CD. It's worth trying out. :-)