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After a longer than usual gap, Playing the Angel was finally released and unlike previous albums, has tracks written by both Gore and Gahan and seems to benefit from it. Whilst not every track is a cracker, the album as a whole has shown a return to form almost matching their best work ... Read review
A review by ilaskey on Playing The Angel - Depeche Mode March 7th, 2007
Author's product rating:
Originality
Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics
Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks
A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Outstanding
Value for Money
Excellent
Advantages:
Depeche Mode back on form, dark evocative songs tinged with sadness
Disadvantages:
Lyrics still need a bit of work in places
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Depeche Mode have a small problem in the UK, 99% of the public think they disappeared years ago. To most, they were that teeny boppy happy synth band from the early 80's yet apparantly on the quiet they have matured year on year to become one of the world's biggest bands, able to fill stadiums in most countries and continuing to produce albums and perform 100+ date tours around the world. With 11 studio albums, 44 singles and various best of's and live albums - they must be doing something right.
They went from strength to strength, producing dark brooding albums full of anthemic stadium fillers balanced with slower more thoughtful songs. Their trademark, if any, would be songs wiith a dark underbelly, frustrations, sexuality laced with S&M themes, raw emotions yet with a fragility that can move the listener to tears.
Things came to a head during their epic Devotional tour in the 90's when key figure and architect of their sound, Alan Wilder left citing an impossible working environment. The fact that other members were drink and drug addicts, suffering breakdowns and in the case of the singer, Dave Gahan, dying only to be reviced by paramedics, indicated how out of control things were. That tour became a legend for its excesses but the loss of Wilder also left fans wondering what would be next for their favourite band.
To everyone's surprise, things lurched on but the next few albums suffered badly from the loss of Wilder's production and arrangment skills and songwriter Martin Gore appeared to be on automatic, often writing almost schoolboy poetry quality lyrics.
After a longer than usual gap, Playing the Angel was finally released and unlike previous albums, has tracks written by both Gore and Gahan and seems to benefit from it. Whilst not every track is a cracker, the album as a whole has shown a return to form almost matching their best work to date in my opinion, Songs of Faith and Devotion.
The vocal duties are also more balanced. Traditionally each album has one track sung by Gore but this time there are two and more prominant backing vocal duties.
The songs provided by Gore have been heavily influenced and informed by his marriage breakdown and indicate a man in turmoil, wracked with guilt, especially regarding the damage being done to his young daughter. This provided the inspiration for the first single, Precious whose lyrics almost inevitably leave me less that dry eyed as he described wanting to take the pain and suffering from the innocent child caught up in the crossfire.
The album starts with 'A pain that I'm used to' which instantly sets the scene and show cases the sound that has come out of their work with a new producer, Ben Hillier (known for his work on Blur's Think Tank, Elbow's debut etc) - rough, edgy and far more grungy and guitar tinged. Mode have actually been using guitars for years now (as well as synths) but on this album they are more prominant.
Other track titles like 'Damaged People', 'I want it all', 'John the revelator' all set the scene. For me, the strongest tracks are 'A Pain that I'm used to', 'Lillian', Precious', Nothings Impossible' and 'Macrovision'.
There are clear influences from Gahan's solo album Paper Monsters both in terms of his song writing style and the overall sound but it still has the special something that makes Depeche Mode one of my favourite bands.
I did feel that there was the odd dodgy line or two in the lyrics and at least one track could have been left out without too much of a loss but then how many albums can sport a full line up of perfect songs?
On balance though, this is a great album that only gets better and better with repeated listenings. For those unfamiliar with their recent work it makes a great introduction. It manages to leave you uplifted and melencholy in turns but by the end, you'll be ready to go back to the start and go through it all over again.
Full Listing: 1.: Pain That I'm Used To 2.: John The Revelator 3.: Suffer Well 4.: Sinner In Me 5.: Precious 6.: Macro 7.: I Want It All 8.: Nothing's Impossible 9.: Introspectre (short instrumental) 10.: Damaged People 11.: Lilian 12.: Darkest Star
Advantages: Excellent return to form Disadvantages: Some songs take a while to get into
...The first time I heard Playing The Angel, it sounded like nothing I had been expecting and came as a total shock compared to the scaled down production evident on their previous two albums, Exciter and Ultra. Sticking with it, I listened to the album all the way through 2 or 3 times and slowly came round to it's heavy, more industrial sound, and it's distorted beats and dark lyrics. I now consider this album to be up there with previous highlights ... ...This album benefits from the alleged competition between Martin Gore and Dave Gahan, what with Dave taking some of the songwriting duties for the first time on a Depeche Mode album, and his 3 tracks (Suffer Well, I Want It All and Nothing's Impossible) are up there with the better Martin Gore tracks (Precious, John the Revelator, The Darkest Star).
Album opens with Gore penned "A Pain That I'm Used To" containing probably the loudest introduction ...
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Lyrics
Quality and consistency...
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Value for Money
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26.04.2007
A return to form Review ofPlaying The Angel - Depeche Modeby
weaveab
Advantages: More memorable songs than any other Depeche Mode album since Violator Disadvantages: Would have been improved by dropping one or two weaker tracks
...however pleased to say that Playing the Angel is for the most part a strong album and is probably the most consistent Depeche Mode album since Violator.
The album starts strongly with the semi-industrial sounding single A Pain That I'm Used To and in fact the first 5 tracks are almost flawless, with a decent variation in pace too. Given their strength it's not surprising that 4 of these first 5 songs were released as singles, although if I had to ... ...single, released before the album came out) sounds a little bit "Depeche Mode by numbers" to me.
This is the first time Dave Gahan has contributed to the songwriting on a DM album and his 3 songs are amongst the best on the disc (Suffer Well, Nothing's Impossible and I Want it All). By contrast I found the 2 tracks featuring Martin Gore on lead vocals a huge disappointment, on both Macro and Damaged People he sounds like he is simply trying too ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: The best DM album for the last 12 years Disadvantages: It's had to see how they can improve on this!
...throughout their 25-year career. Playing the Angel successfull combines the band's synth-pop roots with guitar/drum rock beats to produce the strongest Depeche Mode album since 1994's Songs of Faith and Devotion and many of the tracks seem reassuringly familiar on first hearing. The opening grinding screech of A Pain That I'm Used To immediately makes you sit up and take notice; John The Revelator is a rocked-up gospel number reminiscent of Personal ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: It's mature, dark and unique with pleantly of clever lyrics and catchy songs Disadvantages: A few of the songs sound similar
...the first time i heard Playing the Angel I loved it! Its packed full of dark electric sounds and excellent guitar playing. John the revelator is a particularly good catchy song as well as lilian and the newly released single precious. Towards the end of the album some songs start to sound similar and perhaps this is due to some of the electric sounds used. Apart from that the album is great.
Its definately one of their more mature albums and I would ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
...dance band aswell.
Playing the angel shows they are so much more! It`s diverse, dark but not depressing, kind of bittersweet, futuristic but in a good way, melodic, profound, raw on one side, soft on the other, overall it rocks!
In my opinion this is one of their best cd`s. For me it`s peaks are A pain that I`m used to and Nothing`s impossible (Dave Gahan`s masterpiece if you ask me) but I could actually write down all the titles as I love them ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: Familar Depeche stylings, good production, respectable DVD extras Disadvantages: Not breaking new ground, some songs over familiar and borderline good
...Fast forward to 1986 from 1980 and DepecheMode have begun the transformation from acceptable synth pop act to something much more darker, grittier and unique.
The intervening years until the mid 90's saw Depeche turn into a stadium fillers with a line of much praised albums and singles that continue to enthrall and influence today, and then it all fell apart - part Spinal Tap, part tragedy. But they trudged on.
This is DM's third album since the departure of Alan Wilder in '95, and while this may in itself may indicate the well's lost most of it's water, the quality of the water's still good when filtered in a correct manner.
For Playing The Angel, the Mode enlisted Ben Hillier's (who's produced Doves and Blur) help for production. After the too feathery sound of 2001's Exciter, the mostly beefy sounds here made the fans smiles...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Album Notes: Arguably the only credible surviving stars of synthpop, the Mode return with their eleventh album and follow-up to 2001's 'Exciter'. Recorded with producer Ben Hillier (Doves, Blur) and marking a return to form with a fresh, revitalized update of the band's classic sound, this is being hailed as their best work in years. Includes the single 'Precious'.
Titles on disc 1
1.: Pain That I'm Used To
2.: John The Revelator
3.: Suffer Well
4.: Sinner In Me
5.: Precious
6.: Macro
7.: I Want It All
8.: Nothing's Impossible
9.: Introspectre
10.: Damaged People
11.: Lilian
12.: Darkest Star
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Listed on Ciao since : 19/10/2005
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