Customer Reviews

Precious Pt 2

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Obviously, this version of Depeche Mode's "Precious" single is lacking the album or radio version, and in it's place we get two extended club remixes and oddly, a rare Depeche treat, and that is a real b-side vocal song, which hasn't been done since the "Only When I Lose Myself" single in 1998.

The two Depeche Mode remixes here are standard stuff, the sort of material Depeche fans are accustom to. This is shown on the seven minute plus remix featuring pumping club beats (sharing little resemblance to the original song), known as "Sasha's Gargantuan Vocal Mix Edit". It's a good remix, but as said before, only if you are looking to be dancing. The "Misc. Full Vocal Mix" is arguably better in my opinion, with some interesting sonic additions to the original.

The main attraction here though, is b-side "Free". This one sits alongside "My Joy", "Dangerous", and "Surrender" on the great Depeche Mode b-side list. It is definitely worth the price of this single. It is very reminiscent of the Violator era, with distorted analogue synths, a crunchy beat, and a smooth delivery from Gahan.

Overall, Depeche fans will need this for "Free", and get a couple decent club mixes out of it, but look to the other version of the single for the extraordinary radio mix of "Precious".

The first single off of Playing the Angel, "Precious," lends itself well to the remix treatment.

On this disc are two pretty dramatic reworkings of the single. Sasha's Gargantuan Vocal Mix heavily reengineers the song into something like a Daft Punk track, replete with vocal distortion and huge beats. This one definitely feels at home either in a club or in the car.

The Misc. Full Vocal Mix is a more sinister version, full of little noises and dark detours. I like how it sounds, but the creepy atmosphere doesn't quite match up well with the lyrics. Still, this remix has its moments, and if you're looking for a cool variation on the song, this one works.

Lastly, the B-side of "Precious" is "Free," an angry synth rocker with a heart. Its two personalities never quite mesh, however, leaving this one just shy of DM's best B-sides.

These three tracks are worth buying if you really enjoyed Playing the Angel, and are interested in exploring variations on its sound. But it does seem that we should be getting more than three tracks on one disc; remember the epic singles for "Walking in My Shoes" and "World in My Eyes"? They were almost like entirely separate albums. Hopefully, DM will one day return to those longer singles. Their fans will appreciate the extra effort, and pay up for the music.

OK, let's talk about the music itself. I don't think I have heard a more moving melody in a long time--maybe Sarah Brightman's "The Journey Home" from her Harem album. The various remixes are haunting renditions of some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard in the piece "Precious." Now the lyrics. OK, ya, I bought this single at about the time I saw Brokeback Mountain in the theatre, sometime in late January '06. The lyrics could have been written for the movie. Images of the Brokeback story are conjured up each time I listen to Precious, and each time I have been so intensely moved I have had to shut the music off on a couple of occasions to compose myself. So, buy this music. It will touch you on all levels.