One record at a time: 79. Depeche Mode - Spirit

After what seems like an eternity, we reach the last Depeche Mode vinyl in my collection. "Spirit" was released in 2017 and I will be playing the European double vinyl.

As a fan of Simian Mobile Disco, I was excited to hear what James Ford would deliver on this record. I was hoping for something a little purer and possibly less 'rock' than recent albums. Alas nothing substantial changed and, as good as the production is, it isn't a million miles away from what Ben Hillier delivered on the three previous albums.

Opening track "Going Backwards" is a promising introduction that manages to skirt on the right side of the distorted guitar versus melodic synthesizer battle. I have about 12 remixes of this song on my hard drive and none of them quite hit the mark.

As the album progresses, everything is run-of-the-mill until we hit "You Move" which is a rare Gore/Gahan co-write. This song shines out like a synthpop beacon in a sea of mediocrity. "Cover Me" is another quality track that drips with atmosphere until half way through when a glorious synth arpeggio and kick drum take it into the stratosphere. 

I'm not impressed by the mournful "Eternal" which seems to conform to the blueprint of meandering blues tracks that Martin churns out recently. "So Much Love" has a pulse but doesn't inspire. The remaining three tracks are instantly forgettable and they come and go to my complete apathy. As much as I have enjoyed the music of Depeche Mode over the years, I didn't buy "Spirits In The Forest" and after this outing, I will debate purchasing a new studio album should one emerge. 2/5

One of our records is missing.....

So. I don't have the biggest record collection in the world, but it is sufficiently large for me to find them difficult to keep track of. As a consequence of my disorganisation/confusion, I now realise that I have missed out a record that should have constituted entry number 6. 

You see, I tend to keep my box sets and special editions separately from my 'standard' records and I have inadvertently missed AIR "Twentyyears" as I worked my way though the shelves of vinyl.

I knew this day would come, but now it is here, I am not sure how to remedy it. I might just have to renumber the vast majority of entries and add a 'retrospective' review for "Twentyears" out of sequence.

One record at a time: 78. Depeche Mode - Delta Machine

I'll be honest, I can't find much to like in this album. I don't even like the artwork. I own the 2016 repress of the 180g double vinyl and it has never been played.

Once opening track "Welcome to my World" gets going it sounds great and develops into a stirring composition - but things go downhill fast from here. "Angel" sounds like a blues song executed on distorted synthesisers and single "Heaven" leaves me scratching my head.

The first trace of innovation is heard on "My Little Universe" which threatens to build into an acid tinged wig out before suddenly collapsing. We are subjected to more blues guitar on the awful "Slow" and I am beginning to lose the resolve to finish listening to this album.

"Broken" has a nice melody and repairs some of the damage but the lacklustre "The Child inside" kills off any hope of a turn around for the album. "Should Be Higher" is a good song that demonstrates how good a songwriter Dave becoming at this time. In fact, you could argue that Dave's contributions were more consistent than Martin's on this album. Things peter out with seventies rock pastiche "Soothe My Soul", the disappointing "Alone" and the rather cliched blues nonsense of "Goodbye". Not my favourite album. 1/5

One record at a time: 77. Depeche Mode - Sound of the Universe

"Sounds of the Universe" brings us to the end of the second shelf of vinyl in my collection and another step closer to ending the marathon of Depeche Mode releases. This album was released in 2009 and here I am playing the double 180g vinyl version. I also have a box set containing extra CDs, a poster, books, badges etc. somewhere.

Once the incredibly annoying into for "In Chains" passes a rather nice and surprisingly catchy song begins to emerge. I once heard this track used during a private demonstration for some very expensive amplifiers at a high end hi-fi shop. When the track finished another one of the potential clients said, "Yeah I like that eighties type stuff". This comment mystified me as the song doesn't sound very eighties to me. Yes, it has a CR-78 beat and some analogue synths, but that hardly makes it "Just Can't Get Enough".

The next track "Hole To Feed" is a mix of electronics, acoustic toms and guitar that doesn't hold together too well for me. The first single for the album "Wrong" follows and is surprisingly electronic in execution. I remember there being a good video for this song and some of the remixes were excellent. There's something about "Fragile Tension" that I can't warm to despite its relatively frugal use of guitar, but the next track "Little Soul" is much better.

It has taken me over ten years to realise just how electronic this album is. A prime example "In Sympathy" which features a prominent analogue beat and some nice synth programming. The Roland CR-78 is resurrected for single "Peace" which is a bit of an odd track as the verses are sublime but the chorus is a bit of a disappointment. 

"Come Back" is a great song but clearly someone got itchy fingers and turned the distortion up on almost everything associated with the backing track and ruined it. There is another version of this song floating about on the internet that is often labelled as an "early version" or "alternative take" which is superior to the released mix by some distance. Judging by comments on YouTube, I'm not the only one with this opinion. 

There's short instrumental track called "Spacewalker" before we hear my favourite track on the album "Perfect". I love the melody on this track and the pulsating synths give it an energy that I find irresistible. Like the rest of this album this song employs analogue synthesisers but I'm sure I can here a JV-1080 preset in there somewhere. This song made the biggest impression on me but I think I must have neglected it recently as hearing it now has instantly transported me back to 2009. 

"Miles Away" is a bit of a guitar driven dirge that gives way to "Jezebel" which sounds like it was transported to us from seventies LA. The last track is "Corrupt" which is an uptempo and catchy number that makes you want to go back and start the album again. Surprisingly the 'hidden track' "Interlude #5" is also included on the vinyl after 3 minutes silence. This album gains lots of points for "In Chains" and "Perfect" but loses almost as many for the wasted opportunity of "Come Back". Still, this is miles better than what is about to come. 3/5

One record at a time: 76. Depehce Mode - Playing the Angel

This is Depeche Mode's eleventh album which was released in 2005. Here I am playing the reissued double vinyl from 2017 as I only bought the CD/DVD when it was originally released.

Whilst I like a lot of songs on this album, I am not too keen on the production. Depeche Mode seem determined to turn their backs on any element of synth-pop and use distortion as an enabler for credibility. It drives me to distraction.

The album starts with "A Pain That I'm Used To" which has a really annoying intro but develops into an an amazing song with some great electronic instrumentation. Whilst there is plenty of Martin's guitar present, I don't believe that Andy Fletcher played the bass on the song for one second (no matter what Wikipedia might say). I know the next track "John the Revelator" has its fans but I am not one of them: it's just too noisy for me. "Suffer Well" is another obvious single with its infectious groove with a great chorus but could do with some of the guitar removing.

This album was the first in many years where the lead single had been spectacular. "Precious" is a heartbreaking pop song that has a slight whiff of the "Violator" era about it. For my money this is probably the best song the band have produced since 1993; I can't think of much else that would top it. Things get a bit soggy in the middle with "Macro" and Dave's composition, "I Want It All". Dave's other joint writing credit is for "Nothing's Impossible" which is slightly monotone and doesn't really develop enough for me. Martin takes over vocal duties for the disappointing "Damaged People" before Dave returns for another good track "Lilian".

When I first heard the album I dismissed "The Darkest Hour" as it leans towards the more soulful side of Martin's writing that I don't always warm to. As the years have gone by I appreciate the song more and it makes more sense when heard in the intended running order that vinyl enforces upon us. "Free" seems to resurrect some of the more "industrial" elements of the bands early sound but there are enough contemporary touches to ensure it isn't as good as anything from "Black Celebration". 4/5

One record at a time: 75. Depeche Mode - Exciter

Having been only mildly impressed lead single "Dream On", I wasn't expecting much from parent album "Exciter". The album was released in 2001 but here will be playing the re-issued double vinyl from 2007. 

Despite some initial misgivings, I have grown to appreciate this album over the years. After twenty years of listening, I can now hear that this record is much more electronic than I initially thought and in some respects, it isn't a million miles away from the sound of the band at their commercial peak ten years before.

Producer Mark Bell does a good job in realising Martin's compositions with original arrangements that avoid the more avant-garde techniques he employed with Bjork. The drums on the second track "Shine" are pretty conventional and I can almost hear the beat trying to break free of its restraints and descend into a crazed distorted breakbeat. Even the electronic percussion and discordant guitar of "The Sweetest Condition" aren't allowed to dominate the mix and are constrained in a way that signals a concession to commerciality. Unfortunately guitars do begin to dominate on "When The Body Speaks" and the disappointment continues with "The Dead of Night".

Like many Depeche Mode albums of the era, this album moves between highs and lows. "Freelove" is a superb track that sounds much better here than the muddled single version. This peak contrasts with the dubious "Comatose" which sounds like it was found at the bottom of the songwriting barrel. The amazing "I Feel Loved" comes next which really found legs with the Danny Tenaglia "Labour of Love" mixes. I remember sitting listening to the radio when those mixes first hit and was blown away. Whilst the album version lacks the pumping rhythm of the Tenaglia mixes, it remains a brilliant track. 

"Breathe" is one of those uplifting songs that Martin sings with such conviction that you can't help be carried along by it. Shame it has loads of guitar on it. "I am You" is a bit nondescript and repetitive but the shimmering beauty of "Goodnight Lovers" leaves us with a warm feeling inside as the album ends. This is a much better album than I remember. 4/5

One record at a time: 74. Depeche Mode - Ultra

Having survived losing a member of the band once, Depeche Mode decided to try it again. Alan Wilder had become increasingly significant in shaping the sound of the band and his production skills were seemingly the perfect match for Martin's songs.

However, Alan was never given much credit for his contribution, and considering Andy Fletcher was getting paid the same amount for simply being Martin's mate, it's no wonder he decided to leave.

So 1997's "Ultra" sees Depeche Mode emerging from a hiatus as a trio with producer (and self confessed fan) Tim Simenon attempting to steer the band through the fog.

As with the previous album, I wasn't impressed by the lead single. "Barrel of a Gun" is a stuttering and confused track that barely registers a melody. There are three or four sections but none of them are identifiable as a chorus and the whole things is bathed in light distortion. 

Second track "The Love Thieves" is another strange one that sounds like it is building to a climax that never arrives. Just as you begin to think you are sinking into a sea of mediocrity, the epic single "Home" comes along to make you think again. This song is so good it can even survive a guitar solo. 

The turn around continues with "It's No Good" which, despite a good groove and melody, still suffers slightly from the same, "distortion equals atmosphere" philosophy that has ruined several of Depeche Mode's more recent records. The only other track of note is "Useless" which soars through highs and lows much like this album does. 3/5