Customer Reviews

Depeche Mode: Some Great Reward

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've seen Thompson's name on several rock bios (RHCP, Perry Ferrel of Janes Addiction) so perhaps this is the man's calling. He writes in servicable prose but he has no aspiration to be anything like a Griel Marcus or Johnny Rogan (author of the great Morrissey and Marr Smith's bio). The details are often thin and surface-skiming. The lack of insight bespeaks an overall ambivalence towards the band. Is there any real passion here? The author seems content to regurgitate print interviews and excerpts from the '80s era DM bio put out by his namesake (a must have for those looking to complete their collection of bad hair style archives - Flock of Seagulls had nothing on Martin and company back in the day).

To this extent the book is a fairly good abstract of already published materials. There have been questions raised about accuracy on some fan websites but overall I think Thompson does a good job of digesting the limited material that's out there. It is clear that DM has always attempted to fly below the radar and while there is no dearth of embarssing photos out there of the lads it seems clear that they have wanted to remain textually anonymous. Fine. And its the challenge that befalls any journalist, especially when setting off to write a comprehensive band bio, to uncover information in unconventional means. A few more phone calls, a airplane trip or two, would have filled in this text and provided for a more interesting read.

There is also an utter lack of muscial and lyrical exploration. The band makes music. Martin Gore writes lyrics for a reason. There is a surface to be breached.

I am, since 1984, a big fan of Depeche Mode, and have through the years gained a certain level of knowledge on the subject. After just finishing the book, I cannot see any other reason to buy this book other than the sheer lack of other publications covering their carreer.

This book is full of factual errors, but that could be overlooked if Mr Thompson was'nt so extremely shallow in dealing with the drama that always is omnipresent in a bands career. The author, who has done well on other occasions, often swerves out in the forests of fiction to make things more interesting than they really are, or at least according to information he's granted access to... .

This, and the sometimes hillarious defending of the bands crown as a World-leading act, is too much. I actually was cringing from time to time; I mean: Dave Gahan (singer of the band, former drug addict now gone clean) is in the book to "never had a drug problem". No, I guess he just had some kind of metbolistic disorder.

Lost in the Antipodes, we hardly ever get to hear anything about the great Depeche Mode (save some magazine comments about David Gahan's misfortunes). Given this, it was great to read about the bands beginnings and harrowing to hear of the occasionally tenuous link they have with one another. I have supreme pride that the band I love the most has grown and developed their sound in a way that others can only dream about (and sample!). The age of the book then is a challenge - I want to know what's happening now - and one is also left with the impression that Thompson's contact with DM was limited. I stopped the book rather than finished it (so much more needed to be said!) so I would love to see Thompson follow up with a more detailed (ie: more band input) tome. I'm not surprised all DM fans love the book - this band can do no wrong!

I have not actually bought this book, but one of my friends let me borrow hers. I got through most and enjoyed it. The author didn't actually say much about Dave's drug problems, but it's very interesting to learn about your favorite music group. I hear that Steve Marlins has made a book about DM in May '99. I hope that there's a new DM book every few years that stay in print. Most of the other DM books are out of print, but all I really care about is the music. I hope they release an album soon! Anyway, you'll enjoy this book greatly!!! :)

depeche mode has had to go through so much torment and has struggled so much to get where they are today. this book tells you so much about them and gives you a closer view into their lives and you get a better understanding of why they have touched so many people with their music. you get the stories from the band members themselves and you can laugh along at how cute they are! they are truely a hugh inspiration to me.

i thought this book gave some of the best info on my fav band. you find out so much about dm and laugh at how funny and down to earth this little english band really is! especially martin and skirts-that's all i have to say about that-don't get me wrong i love the man and all!

Having been into Depeche Mode for more than 25 years,
I guess I've acquired some knowledge of the bands' history. And I can say with confidence this is one of the most inaccurate biographies I've ever come across. Fortunately, I got it for a few quid, so it's no big problem; but if you really want to know Depeche Mode a little better, you'd better turn to some more accurate books (see Malins' and Miller's biographies)

It's a book right about the time of dramatic change for the boys...1993. It's good if you're a fan and i just so happen to be. 25 years to be exact. Peace, Kris

I have been a Depeche Mode for almost seventeen years now and I must confess that I am the biggest fan (that I know of). I have all their albums, countless videos/DVDS, have seen them in concert and will so again this year and have several books. This is the first Depeche Mode biography that I have read and my feelings towards this box are a bit mixed. When I say mixed I am referring to pros and cons.
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The cons:

The book is dated by today's terms. This book was written in 1994 and since then a whole lot has happened in the world of Depeche Mode. This is no fault of the author, but events and people change over time.

The distribution of information doesn't appear to be very balanced. For instance one album might receive more face time that another. (Get the Balance Right!)

Many of the band's songs are really discussed in lyrical tones.

The book is rather short. I realize that this book wasn't going to be a thousand pages, but this book is under three hundred pages.

The pros:

There is a lot of personal and/or historical information about each band member (some that I have never heard of before). This information by no means displays any band member in a manner of slander.

The bands struggles in the music industry are respectfully noted.

Some of the band's work and/or albums were compared to the era they were recorded. For instance, the album "Construction Time Again" was viewed by some as an allegory for Socialism.

The productions of many of their albums were explained in good detail.
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The title of this book comes from the name of Depeche Mode's 1984 album. I think it is a cool title for a book, yet I am puzzled how it was relevant to this book. Again, I am not slamming this book or Dave Thompson. I feel that Thompson did a good job pulling facts together, yet I feel that some areas were lacking. I feel the strong points of this book are explaining the band's earlier days than its later days (the later days being events that transpired around 1992-1994).

As previously noted, many things have happened to the band/members since this book was published in 1994.

David Gahan did struggle with controlled substances, attempted suicide twice, is now in recovery, and has released two solo albums and shares writing music with Martin Gore.

Alan Wilder left Depeche Mode in 1995 and continued making albums under the name of "Recoil".

Martin Gore released his second solo album called "Counterfeit 2" and has written some of his best songs since.

Andrew Fletcher began his own record label named Toast Hawaii. I believe however this label isn't producing anything currently.

As for the band, they have released four albums and two "Best of" completions since this book was written and show no signs of stopping any time soon.

This title certainly provides a rich history of the lasting and influential British band Depeche Mode. I found the early history fascinating, but as the book wore on, it grew monotonous. The information is solid throughout, but Thompson fails to seriously address the darker side of this band (ie. Gahan's drug troubles and personality conflicts within the band), which eventually leads a skeptical reader to wonder if Thompson is documenting their history or painting a tribute. On the whole, though, it is full of information and provides a history of the early 80's pop scene in general as well as detailing DM's rise. If you can put aside your skepticism, it is an easy and enlightening read.