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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pain and Misery Always Hit the Spot, November 13, 2005
You'd never imagine in 1984 that the band who brought "People Are People" to American shores would still be putting out addictive, amazing music twenty-one years later. Depeche Mode surely seemed to be a flash in the pan in a Bruce Springsteen world; why should anyone take them seriously?
Indeed. Playing the Angel is a better album than any band DM's age has a right to put together. These three Basildon boys have tossed F. Scott Fitzgerald's observation that "There are no second acts" right out the proverbial window, leaving ardent fans in an extended state of elation, and thickheaded detractors of "synth-pop" scratching their heads yet again.
So, just how good is it? Good enough that, if you ever liked Depeche Mode, you must own this CD. It will bowl you over. And if you're a deep DM fan, like yours truly, then you need the limited edition with attendant DVD as well.
On to the substance of these two discs:
THE CD:
Playing the Angel opens up with a vacillating shriek reminiscent of the intro to "I Feel You," making quite clear that we are not about to hear another sleepy album. Now I am not about to hop on the bandwagon and decry Ultra and Exciter as utter crap. Both albums are actually quite good, but they have personalities distinct from earlier sin-binges such as Violator and Songs of Faith and Devotion. They are mood pieces. But this album works for pretty much any mood familiar to a Mode junkie.
One of the controversial (among longtime DM fans) aspects of PTA is the bigger role lead singer Dave Gahan is taking in the band. Three songs on this album are written by Gahan, and they stand up quite well compared to Gore's work. "Nothing's Impossible" is a dirge on the one hand, repeatedly striking the same deathly chord, and the verse lyrics confirm the mood. Yet the chorus strangely reveals either a perversely optimistic bent, or the desire for it. The song leaves an indelible impression and demands repeated play.
"Suffer Well" is even better, a fast-paced tale of woe that reminds me of "Walking in My Shoes." Gnarly guitar roots around in the synth beats until the chorus blooms like a rose, redeeming the suffering speaker. The effect is almost transcendental.
But Gahan's writing isn't the only noteworthy item here. Gore's songs are in no way complacent, tugging at the boundaries of the Depeche Mode ouevre. "Precious" is of course the first single of the album, and rightly so. When I first heard this song, I thought, "this sounds like Erasure," which is another way of saying it sounds like early Depeche Mode. Here, Gahan sings Gore's apologetic lyric, mourning a divorce and its effects on children. It's an opulent, dark, moving piece not quite like anything else DM has ever done, yet entirely at home in Playing the Angel.
"Sinner in Me" is thematically more familiar, but no DM song has ever sounded so at home in a strip club. This one oozes sex, sin, and a yearning for something purer while we behave in a very dirty fashion, all against a seductively slow beat.
Following tradition, Gore saved two songs for himself to sing: "Macro" and "Damaged People." "Macro" is probably the better of the two, using backing strings in the chorus to good effect. "Damaged People," as the title suggests, is about a relationship between two frail individuals who can't really stand to be alone. In its own way, it is the descendant of "It Doesn't Matter," "It Doesn't Matter Two," and "A Question of Lust."
The closer for Playing the Angel is also probably one of its best songs: "The Darkest Star." This is a slow, hypnotizing, dark blast of electronic music, alternately menacing and brooding.
The only track that can reasonably be called filler is "Lilian," and even DM filler is better than most bands can muster on a good day. It's not bad, but it's a little more throwaway than the rest of the album.
These twelve songs have a cohesive, star-lit, distorted feel to them, and unquestionably constitute the best DM album since Violator. In many ways it seems that making another Violator is an elusive holy grail for DM, but if they keep putting out albums like PTA while on this quixotic quest, I certainly will not object. Five stars are easy to give to this phenomenally good album from a band that deserves recognition for its enduring, unique sound.
THE DVD:
This is a real treat for die-hard fans, or for anyone who really appreciates the songs on Playing the Angel. The album itself is playable on your DVD player in 5.1 (DTS or Dolby Digital Surround) and stereo. Making the Angel is a brief documentary with interviews from the usual suspects, including Daniel Miller. The photo gallery is nice if forgettable, and the video for "Precious" is very slick and atmospheric; check it out if you have not already.
But the biggest surprise is "Clean (bare)." It's shot like a very casual music video, in Corbijnesque black and white, while Gore strums a guitar and Gahan delivers a heartfelt, sensitive rendition of the lyrics. It's an acoustic, melancholy, achingly beautiful surprise, and the guitar riff is just faintly reminiscent of the moldy oldie "House of the Rising Sun." It may be the best version of "Clean" I have ever heard.
IN CLOSING:
If you like Depeche Mode, Playing the Angel is a must-buy. It will be in your head for weeks or months to come. And the extras on the DVD are worth just a bit more cash for all but the stingiest of music lovers.
Pick this one up. There will be no disappointments.
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Almost Shocking, November 1, 2005
The terms "classic" and "return to form" are being handed out so readily that it's hard to take them at face value, especially considering they are usuallly used by fans and critics alike to describe the latest offering from their favorite artist who has suffered from commercial decline or audience alienation due to extreme experimentation. I would love to be able to describe Depeche Mode's eleventh studio album as such but I cannot, simply because they have never released anything like "Playing the Angel". It is almost shocking in its simplicity of arrangement and its rude loudness . Whereas DM's last album "Exciter" was so pristine in its digital finery as to be antiseptic and practically untouchable ( and indeed, anything but exciting ), "Playing the Angel" has an urgency, and an immediacy to its sound that is undeniably refreshing. It has a sensual, very sexy throb to it that I have never heard in a DM album, and it doesn't give the listener the impression that it was fussed over to the point of reaching someone's idea of perfection. That is not to say DM have turned into a garage band. Listen to "Playing the Angel" through a good set of headphones, or better yet, listen to the 5.1 mix through a home
stereo system, and you will find they have made an album that is well thought out but not labored or forced. There is also a very welcome return of 4/4 beats that are dance floor ready without having to resort to the trickery of the DJ/remixer du jour. And, I am happy to say, there is a wealth of really great material here, something sadly missing from the last few DM albums. I was admittedly sceptical when I read that vocalist Dave Gahan would be contributing songs to this release, considering his solo album was intriguing but not exactly rewarding. But his songs stand up very well, and fit in nicely with Martin Gore's latest. From the opening blasts of air raid siren that signal "A Pain That I'm Used To" to the slow, grinding dirge of "Darkest Star" this album has a dirty, raunchy feel to it, probably due to the faint layer of distortion that seems to envelope every sound, from the synths and drums, to the vocals and guitars. The bottome line for me, as a long time fan and follower, "Playing the Angel" represents a new begining for Depeche Mode, and renews my faith in this band as a creative force. Almost twenty five years after their debut, it's almost unbelievable that they could make an album like this and pull it off. Very well done, and Highly Recommended.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Healthy Compromise., October 19, 2005
A Kid's Review
I am tired of the harsh reviews of this current album as well as the previous two. First and foremost, we all know that one large constituent is missing and will be missing forever, Alan Wilder. The album is a compromise between the three remaining members (albeit a very good one), implementing vintage instrumentals with new technology as well, which ultimately creates a nice balance.
Perhaps I think one of the biggest hang-ups for some Depeche Mode fans is the lack of innovation as they see fit. However, how many times can you sample fireworks going off or perhaps other sounds such as sticks sliding across corrugated tin? You have to keep the music fresh and that is what Playing The Angel has accomplished. Dare I say and much to some people's chagrin, each track has an inadvertent cross reference to a past album.
For instance, "I Want It All" has a relaxed poise reminiscent of Exciter, "Suffer Well" contains a driving drum and bass line from Music For The Masses, "Darkest Star" has elements from Songs Of Faith and Devotion and Violator. All songs balancing a nice healthy dose of "Depressed Mode."
Finally, what is the problem with having one instrumental track on the album? We all know that after Black Celebration, Depeche Mode had started incorporating instrumentals into each bit of their tracks, for instance, the instrumental between "Blue Dress" and "Clean" and had provided even more to their b-side catalogues. Any true die hard Depeche Mode fan has to accept these as nice "classically" based tidbits from Martin.
The album in my humble opinion is worth a five star rating considering what Depeche had to work with. Yes, there are portions of the album in which some static (though intentional) may interfere with some of the listeners; however, I think the album is a heathly homage to Moog and other synths which people at this time have now relegated to the dumpster. Good job Depeche!
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