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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Like sands through the Hourglass, so are the Daves of our lives... , January 23, 2008
I have noticed some (I use the word some liberally) real criticism towards Dave Gahan's solo work. On Paper Monsters he got nailed for not sounding like Depeche Mode with a rock/blues/pseudo DM sound. Now on Hourglass he again is being abased (to some degree) because the album has an electronic sound that is too close to that of Depeche Mode. I suppose Dave Gahan is in a real quagmire regardless where he goes with his solo efforts.
There have also been some claims that Dave Gahan's solo material is very sullen and perhaps macabre. With respect to Hourglass, not Paper Monsters, I might have an answer on why his solo material might be so ominous, dark and melancholy. Since there was so much turmoil in his life with substance abuse, several marriages and suicide attempts. Dave Gahan was technically dead for like 3 minutes from one of these suicide attempts.
After all these elements/issues, Dave Gahan returned and recorded three more Depeche Mode albums, two best of compilations with DM, released two solo albums and went on tour four times, once as a solo act, thus far. The interviews that I have read with Dave Gahan on T.V., DM/DG releases, magazine articles or creditable websites show that David Gahan is quite happy and stable in his life.
It appears (from what I have read since I haven't spoken with the man himself) he is pleased with the Hourglass album. On his website there are clips of him working on this album, he is having a great time. Dancing, laughing and seems really positive about himself and his sophomore album. Also in an interview given on "The Touring the Angel" DVD, Mr. Gahan really seems at ease where Depeche Mode is, was and will be going.
It should also be taken into consideration that Dave Gahan is getting older and that can cause some issues. That was another jumping point for him making this album. Also just because all his turmoil with regards to substance abuse happened about 10-12 years ago doesn't mean that it still doesn't bother him. Sobriety is a life long process, so it is very believable and plausible that many of his "old demons" still vex him. Therefore, if he makes a moody or gloomy record with regards to lyrics and melodies that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Why, because it is better to express those dark feelings by making an album, than going out and using drugs, getting arrested and killing yourself/others. The entire Hourglass record seems like it was a very cathartic experience for him.
I have also seen some criticism towards the lyric in the song "Miracles", claiming the lyric is blasphemous and Dave Gahan has forgotten Jesus. For the record, the lyric is "I don't believe in Jesus but I am praying anyway". Perhaps the purpose of this lyric is dualism in itself. The duplicity in this statement screams the uncertainness towards nebulosity in life and higher power, not heresy. It is better to be honest and question things like religion than just automatically conforming and not questioning Christianity. After all Jesus will forgive you no matter what, right? Ask for forgiveness and one will receive it. So if that is the understanding, I don't think Jesus hates David Gahan. It isn't like Dave Gahan walks around with an upside down cross painted on his forehead. I think the real problem with Christianity isn't the religion or Jesus, but some of the people who practice it. They do more speaking for Jesus, than listening to him.
As for the Hourglass album, it is much more electronic when compared to Paper Monsters, which isn't a bad thing. Hourglass seems to have a bit more depth in it than Paper Monsters. When I say depth, not to be confused with lack of quality, depth in the terms that most of the songs are Hourglass are a bit more epic than on Paper Monsters. For instance Dirty Sticky Floors, featured on Paper Monsters, is rather jovial in sound despite the fact the song is about Dave Gahan's drug addiction. Now the songs on Hourglass have deep lyrics, but here the music style is much more dramatic and grandiose then its predecessor.
As for the songs they range from ballads "Saw Something" (electronic sounding), "Miracles" (also electronic sounding); dance/industrial "Kingdom" (electronic sounding), "Deeper & Deeper" (electronic sounding); there are at least two songs on Hourglass that have a Paper Monsters feel to them, "21 Days" and "Down". These descriptions are just a sample of what this album has to offer. Overall, this album has a good mix of slow and fast. A great album to be played in the evening or as another reviewer noted, during the autumn season.
My reaction to Hourglass is a positive one. The music is timeless and astonishing. I also feel comfortable to say that if Depeche Mode does call it quits (which I hope doesn't happen any time soon) Dave Gahan has definitely proved that he is able to stand on his own two feet.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great, June 25, 2008
Dave has done a wonderful job in this album...he keeps his voice and talent...the colaboration of Eigner and Philpot makes this album fantastic. You can feel Dave's personal touch in hourglass, kingdom...some of the songs resemble a little bit Martin Gore's dark style....Love Martin Gore's writing and music by the way. Hourglass is beautiful music, made by talented musicians.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Japan Edition Includes Bonus Digitalism Mix of Kingdom, April 9, 2008
It's always an interesting experience to be able to strip away the layers of what make up a successful band. To see what each member contributes individually. After slowly coming into his own as a songwriter with his first solo album, 2003's Paper Monsters, as well as contributing three tracks to Depeche Mode's excellent 2005 release, Playing the Angel, DM frontman, Dave Gahan, continues his aspiring legacy with his second solo effort, 2007's Hourglass. Focusing this time on the more electronic elements that he has always been associated with, Mr. Gahan gives listeners a very dark and edgy world, of his own creation, in which to inhabit. Gone are the more elegantly crafted pieces of music from fellow DM bandmate, Martin Gore, which are replaced by some extremely raw and aggressively edgy material.
Hourglass opens strongly with the orchestral accompanied Saw Something, a track with beautifully haunting melodies combined with Gahan's own alluring vocalizations, with just a bit of cool guitar licks to give it that classic feel. There's a longing and even slight desperation evoked from Gahan here, trying not to give into the emptiness of life ("After the storm had passed, I wondered how long the break in the clouds would last?") and instead embrace the possibilities of a much brighter future. ("I sit and I wait and I stare...Still wishing for a divine intervention to lift me from my chair") The song, which became the 2nd single from the album, is easily one of the best tracks here, and one Dave should be very proud of. A music video, which was shot in slow motion, features Dave waking up from bed, getting dressed and walking out of his hotel. A sexy brunette (dressed in black) and an elderly woman with a dog are also filmed. The video transitions from slow motion to real time once Gahan leaves the building. Strange, yet still interesting.
Next comes Kingdom, the first single from the album, with Gahan, in his element, doing what he does best. Those heavy electronic chords, fast beats and catchy harmonies, all come together perfectly, showcasing Dave's hypnotically effective and sexually aggressive vocals ("I have that desperate feeling and trouble is where I'm going to be...I know you hear me knocking, so open the door and set me free") as he ponders the meanings of life ("If there's a kingdom behind it all, is there a God who loves us all?) love, ("Do we believe in love at all?") and his own intellectual insecurities & sensibilities ("I'm still pretending I'm not a fool") at their most simplistic levels. It's another fantastic track by Mr. Gahan. A music video was also made, with Dave, getting out of his car at an indoor parking lot, highlighting his mouth, which is lit up brightly from the inside as he sings. An empty town is also photographed at dusk with the lights from houses and cars flickering in different colors. Again, strange, yet still interesting.
Now Dave's aggression is heard full throttle, with the third track and final single from Hourglass, Deeper & Deeper . The song is fuelled by a powerfully testosterone (even masochistically) laden dominance in Gahan's need to be strongly sexual and in control of the woman he desires. ("I'm gonna have you when I want to...I'm gonna take you, that's what I like...I'm going down now, deeper and deeper, under your skin...You know that it's right") This primal, animalistic nature is done to such a degree that some may wonder if Dave has possibly gone too far? ("You can't tell me that you don't want it...You know that I like it when you put up a fight...I'm gonna have you when I want to...I'm gonna take you, that's what I like") But this may be entirely the point he is making, that the need for being in complete control (by being completely out of control) will ultimately cost you dearly...losing everything in the end, and controlling nothing. A person's enjoyment of the song may have much to do with their own values and sense of worth. The music itself is also highly fast and aggressive and doesn't let up for a second.
"Use You" is a cool sounding little tune with an urgency from Gahan involving what appears to be discontentment, manipulation, maybe even claustrophobia, depending on how you look at it. ("It's killing me to be in this room, I've gotta get out, I've gotta get out soon...I'm hurting you with everything I do...It's too long, too long in this place") The song may have actually been chosen for the fourth single, but Dave had to cut things short in order to join DM in the studio to start working on their next album. There are a couple of official remixes of the song floating around that are really good and give some idea of the songs further potential.
"Insoluble" highlights Dave at one of his most vulnerable moments (just listen to the way in which he sings the line, "My Angel"), regretting his past actions, which may have ended an important relationship. ("I should have listened when you were mine...It could be too late, I've already crossed the line") What's interesting about the song is that as Dave confesses his sins, looking for forgiveness, you hear his inner voice as background vocals singing the words "Insoluble," which he then cuts off by singing "You have nothing to fear." It's sort of reminiscent of "Clean," from 1990's Violator in that respect. Saying one thing, yet thinking something completely contradictory. The song then connects to the next track, with the sound of wind blowing, as another wonderful song, "Endless," begins to play. Dave has always succeeded in drawing in his listeners with his seductive voice work, and what he does here on "Endless," with it's nicely laid beats and rhythms, is no exception. ("In the cold of the full moon, on this night...Time itself slips away, now you are mine...Slowly the hours pass all through the night...Together we can disappear...for a while") Getting a woman's attention has never been a problem for Mr. Dave Gahan.
Other songs from Hourglass include "Miracles," a slow and sombre piece with Gahan reflecting on his beliefs, hopes and fears ("I want to accept the truth, I really do...I believe...I'm just afraid of losing you"), "A Little Lie," which has a bit of an 80s electronic vibe to it, focusing on the passage of time and what really matters ("I walk alone, and you know I never felt at home...I'm so hard to please, and I have everything I need"), "21 Days," which discusses fear and being controlled ("Building a tower of fear by the river...Building it up, build it up") and "Down," which ends the album on a very dark note, settling for any kind of physical intimacy, no matter how meaningless ("Take my body and soul, I feel so old").
The Japanese CD edition of Hourglass also features a bonus eleventh track: "Kingdom (Digitalism Remix)" This is a really great remix and one of the best official mixes of the song available. It's pretty much everything you could hope to want in a remix dance track. While it's a nice bonus, it's not integral to the rest of the album the way the b-side, "Free," was to the Japan CD release of "Playing the Angel." (I would have liked to have seen the b-sides: "Tomorrow" & "Love Will Leave" added instead) So if you can't get it for a decent price, grab the Kingdom-Pt. 2 Single CD instead. Or get your hands on the official Hourglass Remixes LP/CD release, if you can find it.
This is as close to how a dépêche mode album would sound without Martin Gore behind it. The fact that Dave is also working here with unofficial DM members Christian Eigner (drums) and Andrew Philpott, who helped write and perform these songs with him, only solidifies this idea even more. Hourglass proves once again that Mr. Gahan has the talent and capability to compose some very impressive music. He has now raised the bar all by himself for the work ahead of him with Depeche Mode.
Hourglass - Gahan does it again.
Stay Devoted!
"When my life stopped, there were no white lights. I didn't see St Peter and the Pearly Gates. It was just darkness. But there was something overwhelmingly much bigger than me. It scared the @#$% out of me. There's a bigger picture. We're all just playing our parts."
- D.Gahan
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