As I've said before, the only concert I've every walked out of was by Depeche Mode. The primary reason was musical: just too much, uh...sameness.....slamming beats, bland vocals and what seemed like music being "delivered" via tape and/or sequencer. The other factor was David Gahan. To me he came across as a pompous twit. As it turns out, that should have been drug-addled pompous twit.
Of course, I was probably wrong about both the pompous and the twit parts of this. I mean, what the hell do I know about the guy except that he sings for Depeche Mode and that he had substance abuse issues?
Not much. I take it all back. The more I think about it, I was probably just annoyed that evening because I had driven all that way (to Mansfield, MA) only to get a mailed-in performance....it also didn't help that the singer from the opening act (Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark) berated us for not dancing (sorry dude, but your band was fricken boring). The ironic thing about all of this is that even though the show disappointed, I still went out and bought Music For The Masses and Black Celebration. There were definitely some tunes at the show that stood out among the gothy synth pulp (Pimpf, Behind The Wheel, Strangelove, Black Celebration, Stripped).
So it doesn't surprise me that I'm enjoying Paper Monsters so much. While this kind of pop isn't generally high on my list, there's a certain moody & atmospheric quality (I wanted to use the word ambient here, but that's been so overused recently) that I heard in the fore-mentioned Depeche Mode songs.
There are some great touches on this record: a little glockenspiel, vibraphone, some twangy guitar, cello, and viola...all suspended in not too much reverb.
Lyrically it seems a little more direct and personal than Depeche Mode (maybe Martin Gore should listen to Gahan and allow him a larger role in the songwriting process...it wouldn't be a bad move). There are several relationship/love/breakup songs (this is a pop record, after all) as well as some pretty introspective "confessionals" dealing with the whole addiction issue. In the folk world reviewers tend to dump on material like this by trotting out the "navelgazer" cliche...which I think is crap. If you've got a thought bottled up in you, you gotta let it out! In this case, Gahan almost died. That's gotta spawn a few demons in a guy's head. Anyway...I thought the songs were pretty damned powerful.
All in all, a pretty good record. And maybe for more than just Depeche Mode fans.
(First posted on Mark Is Cranky)
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Article comments
1 - ANNA GAHAN
Dave!
Do you want to talk with your destiny at last? Email me now- I have been waiting for you since 1987. I still love you.
2 - ANNA GAHAN
Do you want to talk with your destiny at last? You'll have a chance.I still love you. Email me now.
3 - alexsandra
hey dave you will always be my favorite singer
4 - Alex
Dave! Hello from Ukraine! U're always in our hearts. Write some words for my gf (Julia). We adore you!
Aleksei
5 - fulya
anna, did you get email from dave?
6 - ohlord
people leaving messages for The Man Himself
this is a little pentecostal methinks
7 - tonya
dave, if this reachs you and not some webmaster i would truely like you to know that i was not actually introduced to the full fledged depeche mode until 1999. Unfotunatley I didn't realize what an empidomy of a rockstar you actually are ...not to metnion a full blown artist... i can only hope i hit the lottery and move to england to i can by chace meet you. you've grown to be an incredibly impecble man and i hope i have the pleasre of meeting you one day.
yours truely, tonya hollen. PA usa
8 - tommyd
The latest Depeche Mode record "Playing The Angel" is friggin' awesome. Best one in a decade.
Going to see them this coming May. Last time I saw them in 1990 they were friggin' fantastic.
9 - Anna
Re: Almost
10 - Girlvanian
Had singles album since '94 only recently got into later stuff, put off by Dave's long hair. Back to the johnny suede look great, awesome my loss sorry i missed out on so many years, but having a ball catching up with the back catalogue. Playing the angel amazing as were live wembley shows. x x x
11 - Linda
I can not believe Dave's voice. Its
so powerful jammed packed with emotion.
I will never forget the first time I
heard him, Depechemode on the radio.
I was awe struck really. At the risk of
sounding like a nitwit, I was entranced,
and very inspired to write poems... Odd
because I never was into to poetry...lol
Great voice!
12 - Depe$ar
Thank you, DM!
Thank you for making 50.000 romanians so happy, even delirant, on 23th of June, 2006, at the live concert in Bucharest.
Anyone who thinks they have ears and mind over here?
Listen Depeche!
13 - Andreea Dobrin
HY,
I'm from Bucharest, Romania and i just have been to DM concert and sometyhing strange happend. I never thought that a man can be so alive at 44 years old. He was..... super cool. David you're the best, and i think yo'll be the best in the next 100 years.
Love,
Andreea
14 - Andreea Dobrin
Hy,
Sorry, it's me again. I just wanna say one more think:
Dave I really love STAY melody.
Andreea
15 - Corinne
A voice and a talent like yours is a gift for us, the human. thanks a lot for the pleasure that you give me. My little son is 6 years old and listen DM or you for to sleep. Sorry I don't speak very well english
I'm 34 years old and your voice's still here. I'd listen dm since 1984.
16 - Corinne
I FORGET TO SAY TO YOU THAT YOUR SOLO ALBUM IS BEAUTYFULL,REALY CONGRATULATION. PLEASE ONE MORE AND MORE
17 - Corinne
A voice and a talent like yours is a gift for us, the human. thanks a lot for the pleasure that you give me. My little son is 6 years old and listen DM or you for to sleep. Sorry I don't speak very well english
I'm 34 years old and your voice's still here. I'd listen dm since 1984. a BONJOUR FROM FRANCE