74 replies · 1,706 views
My review... 
As simple as that.
Bring Alan Wilder back please, what's with that fookin minimalist style they have in their album since Ultra?
Precious is by very far the best track on the album.
I'll give it another try, but I think I found why they put all shows on sale before the album itself was released.
First listen happening right now. A Pain That I'm Used To starts the album off with an F grade thus far.
Agreed about Alan.
I don't own any Coldplay so I can't really comment on that.
The first 4 songs on PTA are nothing more than noise. Just a lot of noise. Precious is the first real song on this album.
I really like what I've heard of the album thus far. The first 5 tracks are really good, even if they take a bit of getting used to (like John the Revelator...gospel chorus put me off at first, but I like it now). The Martin songs are pretty dire, remind me of Exciter shit, though Damaged People is okay. My favorite tracks are A Pain That I'm Used To and Nothing's Impossible (an excellent track). Thank goodness they didn't make another Exciter...that lo-fi lounge music had to go. This album is nicely dark, but it's not going to be dancy old DM and you'll just have to get over the fact that they haven't been dancy in 15 years.
C'mon David, don't tell me this album contains any song up to the level of Enjoy The Silence, Strangelove, etc...
Musically, Precious is the gem, the rest is.. pretty boring.
WFTSC is pure gold compared to this !!
I'll give it another try, can't believe I'm saying this about a Depeche Mode album though, I used to be such a fan,there were a few songs that I enjoyed on Exciter and Ultra, but it seems to discrease with time.
As I said, Depeche Mode lost its edge when Alan Wilder left the band.
BTW, I hope people notice there are 3 songs written by David Gahan on that one, that's a first!
I'll agree that they lost their edge when Wilder left, but he's not coming back. I don't think they'll ever make a song as good as some of the gems when Wilder was still in the band, but even SOFAD had its share of dodgy songs and was definitely not dancy or terribly poppy. The band has just gone into darker, more rockier (however slight) territory. Personally I liked Ultra but it took a while to get used to, a very laid back album with the exception of songs like It's No Good. But I can't imagine anyone actually preferring Exciter over Playing the Angel...one sounds like very minimalist lounge love songs but the newer one is back to a gloomy sound like various songs on Black Celebration, Ultra, and Violator. In fact, the new album sounds like a mix of those 3 albums and there are plenty of trademark DM riffs in there that should remind us of Ultra and SOFAD. Although there are a few songs that sound like Exciter holdovers, I would argue that almost any song on Playing the Angel is better than any song on Exciter. Just my opinion though.
On "Nothing's Impossible" the radar pinging sounds like something out of "Hunt for Red October". Nevertheless, that is a decent song, but nothing comes close to "Precious", IMO, and "Precious" doesn't come close to 7/9ths of Violator.
I don't neccessarily long for the dancy days. But if we're going with darker, heavier music then I'd prefer something a little more bearable like "Fly on the Windscreen", "I Want You Now", "Black Celebration", or even "Home". And two or three dancy songs isn't asking for the world - especially after what Exciter produced.
Out of Ultra, Exciter, and now Playing The Angel, the only, according to be, noticable song are:
Dream On, Precious, It's No Good, Useless, Home, I Feel Loved.
That's not much!
I could have included Freelove, but I'm not that much of a fan of that song.
I'm having a hard time loving those albums, Ultra was better, and I didn't like it when it was released... I hate when Martin Gore goes gospel, so even in SOFAD, the Bottom Line and Judas aren't my favorite at all.. but I know my wife loves Judas.
i was so disappointed with this album, Very Bland i thought after precious i totally lost interest which hasn't happened on an album since i poisoned my ears with Keith Urban,i was driving though so maybe not the best place to hear it.
i'm trying it out for a second time now......we'll see
patrick stewart appreciation society wrote: i was so disappointed with this album, Very Bland i thought after precious i totally lost interest which hasn't happened on an album since i poisoned my ears with Keith Urban,i was driving though so maybe not the best place to hear it.
i'm trying it out for a second time now......we'll see
PSAS listens to the new DM album, so that you don't have to!
BIGINOIL wrote:
patrick stewart appreciation society wrote: i was so disappointed with this album, Very Bland i thought after precious i totally lost interest which hasn't happened on an album since i poisoned my ears with Keith Urban,i was driving though so maybe not the best place to hear it.
i'm trying it out for a second time now......we'll see
PSAS listens to the new DM album, so that you don't have to!
Just trying to stop people wasting there hard earned cash, if i hadn't got mine for £3 i wouldn't have bought it
i turned off after track 6 put something else on.
I was a bit interested, then read a review in the Observer Misic paper this weekend and was less interested. Now I've read what you have to say I am completely not interested. So, as you say: money saved! 
£3 is cheap though - where did you buy it from?
Q gave it 4 stars when i listened to it i was shocked, must be behind the scenes ass kissing going on from MUTE to help push sales
i joined Repro, a sales thing for your mobile phone, so for my first order i got £5 off from CD-WOW. So i thought i'd have a dabble, so for what i paid i could whack it on Ebay and make abit of profit haha
Maybe Q think they're a bit cool because they cracked America. I couldn't believe it about 10 years ago (or whenever Personal Jesus was out) when I went to stay in Florida. They were getting slated in the UK for being not-pop-any-more and being fucked on smack. Over in USA they we getting blanket coverage on MTV and generally acting like heroes.
patrick stewart appreciation society wrote: ...for what i paid i could whack it on Ebay and make abit of profit haha
A happy ending then!
Maybe they should get back on the hard stuff, could give 'em abit of inspiration.
i was watching an interview with them, and they we're talking about the producer of the new album.How he was a risk because he wasn't a fan of there music and they weren't fans of anything he'd done.
Surely it makes sense to pick someone who is maybe not a fan but has an interest in your sound and they're interested in the things that this producer has done.
patrick stewart appreciation society wrote: Maybe they should get back on the hard stuff, could give 'em abit of inspiration.
Ever considered a career in band management, Pats?
I take it that John the Revelator is a new M. Gore composition, and not the old religious song.
I loved the album. I'm always back and fourth on DM and NO, so I don't like comparing them like that, especially since the bands sound NOTHING alike. New Order dabbles into brit-rock, pop, house, etc where as Depeche Mode is more into distorted guitars, blues, gospel, electronica, darkwave, and the like.
They're both from the same era, they both make music one is able to dance to. That's about it.
One thing that I have claimed a few times about Depeche Mode and how New Order might learn something about is DM is not afraid to play all new/newer material.
I guess I enjoy the albums equally though.
[darkgreen]Green[/darkgreen] wrote: I take it that John the Revelator is a new M. Gore composition, and not the old religious song.
Apparently it's a cover of the old religious song. And I like it. 
[darkgreen]Green[/darkgreen] wrote: I take it that John the Revelator is a new M. Gore composition, and not the old religious song.
Apparently it's a cover of the old religious song. And I like it.
d13 wrote: sounds like everyone's saying 'good download'?
Not sure... I downloaded it, didn't buy it yet... and for the first time I'm asking myself if I should buy it.
I'll put it on heavy rotation, we'll see.
The song is labelled with Precious on the wrapping "Featuring 'precious' and 'john the revelator'" so its either being downloaded a lot of it is going to be a second single...or both.
speaking of which...I wish Guilt is a Useless Emotion was a single, that had chart topper all over it 
don't mean to stray off the topic, but did ANYONE happen to catch an episode of the OC in which at the end, they played precious!!! a friend told this to me! not sure if i believe him!
I was a huge fan of DM in my youth (I was 18 when Violator was released) and I must say that I really like this album, which is certainly their best since SOFAD.
There were a few good songs on Ultra but the album was globally quite inconsistent. The single Only When I loose Myself was great, but Exciter was a complete disappointment.
The new album has a faster tempo and I really like the production work, except for the effect on Dave's voice in the last two songs (as if it were recorded from the telephone). The 5 first songs are really good. Martin's songs (I mean: the two songs sung by him) are not as good as they used too (Judas, One Carress, Home, Blue Dress, Sweetest Perfection, I want You Now, The Things You Said... were all great, but the new ones sound like left-overs from his second solo-album). The three songs written by Dave lack some inspiration. They are too linear, if you see what I mean.
But all in all it's a good album and I like it much better than NO's WFTSC which I consider as uninspired Brit pop (except Turn, which could have been on Technique).
This being said, I suppose that most of you will hate me 
His Holiness, The Pope wrote:
[darkgreen]Green[/darkgreen] wrote: I take it that John the Revelator is a new M. Gore composition, and not the old religious song.
Apparently it's a cover of the old religious song. And I like it.
No it's not, but it was inspired by it. I read it in the sleeve notes or in an interview with Martin, I can't remember exactly.
Spotnick wrote: My review...
As simple as that.
Bring Alan Wilder back please, what's with that fookin minimalist style they have in their album since Ultra?
Precious is by very far the best track on the album.
I'll give it another try, but I think I found why they put all shows on sale before the album itself was released.
Haven't heard the album yet, but it's on it way.
Come on broadband, come on.
Review tomorrow, maybe.
This being said, I suppose that most of you will hate me
Keep that avatar, Ben, and you'll be a tough one to hate regardless of your album reviews.
Apparently it's a cover of the old religious song. And I like it.
It's not actually a cover, it's "inspired" by the original song,(see the inner sleeves; it actually says that it's inspired by it) but I've heard the original song before and DM's "JTR" is not a cover. Also, in my opinion, "John the Revelator" sort of reminds me of "Blasphemous Rumours" and "Personal Jesus" at the same time...that's just my opinion, though.
d13 wrote: don't mean to stray off the topic, but did ANYONE happen to catch an episode of the OC in which at the end, they played precious!!! a friend told this to me! not sure if i believe him!
Also heard at the end of "Smallville" a couple of weeks back, not a fan of the show, but it was great background music. "Precious" is still THE best post-Violator song they have released, end of.
The album is making its way in binary, and since Adelphia's broadband is asstastic, I will take a break, watch The Simpsons, and review it at a later time.
Rian wrote: The album isn't that bad. Some songs are really ok.
Need some more listening though.
That's about where I am with it. It's fine but not stunning. Not as good as WFTSC but will probably sell more copies.
blue eyed boy to thread!
anywho, i think playing the angel is a very good album. subtle, yes, but do we really need to be clobbered over the head with big "POP HOOKS?" nah.
this is probably the best 'guitar' album from depeche, and i'm surprised beacuse i never thought that guitar and depeche mode were really that good of a match. ie : ultra. definately a grower.
Ok, after 2nd and 3rd listening...
First five tracks are good.. the rest is.. well, a little boring, especially the Martin tracks.
Second single has to be John The Revelator.
But I still thing the album is too minimalistic, it would need richer instrumentation.. more edge.
Problem is, the 2nd part of the album is a bit weak, so it gives you the impression that the album is week once you have finished listening to it, but yesterday in the car I was listening to the first half and I said "hey, that's not as bad as you thought it was"...
Will try to listen to the 2nd half a little more.
Try playing it very loud on a good hi-fi. It's great. It's true that the second half is a little weak but it gets better again with Lilian (by the way, it's the first time a name is cited in a DM song, I think).
by the way, it's the first time a name is cited in a DM song
The Lord Almighty may take issue with that.
Ben wrote: Try playing it very loud on a good hi-fi. It's great. It's true that the second half is a little weak but it gets better again with Lilian (by the way, it's the first time a name is cited in a DM song, I think).
"John the revelator", that is one too no? ;) and "Judas"...
"The Sinner In Me" is not that good, but I admit the other 4 in the top 5 are quality.
Needs more listening...
Agreed, needs time and further listening but my inital impression that it is a snoozer God how I missed out on a lot by being born in 1983 
"Precious" sounds even better than the first version I downloaded, and "Lillian" is promising as well.
As far as being harder and faster than Exciter...!? 
So has anyone noticed yet about the huge similarity with the melody of the song Lillian and the backing track of New Order's Sooner Than You Think ?
Stunning ! 
Grell wrote: blue eyed boy to thread!
.
Sorry. I haven't listened to or bought the album yet. I will, soon I hope, although it took me over a month to buy WFTSC.
formerroadie wrote: I love this disc. I have no complaints.
Really? How about a track-by-track breakdown for us.
I'm about to give it another listen and will try to do so soon.
Spotnick wrote:
Ben wrote: Try playing it very loud on a good hi-fi. It's great. It's true that the second half is a little weak but it gets better again with Lilian (by the way, it's the first time a name is cited in a DM song, I think).
"John the revelator", that is one too no? ;) and "Judas"...
"The Sinner In Me" is not that good, but I admit the other 4 in the top 5 are quality.
Needs more listening...
John is the one, then. Judas was not used as a person's name but as a common name to describe people acting like Judas (and it's used in the plural in the song: Shouting Judases, Doubting Thomases). Lilian certainly is the first song where someone is addressed to by her name, like Jolene was in Paradise.
Spotnick has often raised the point on this forum, but it's not just a large section of the Mode fans themselves who feel that the band lost more than just a band member in 1995.
The remaining members, Martin Gore in particular, clearly are not very ambitious or driven, and it does seem that the responsibility for interraction between differing roles (that are far too clearly defined in Depeche Mode) simply has been happening post-Songs Of Faith And Devotion.
I am hoping that Dave's insistance of contributing by writing songs himself will eventually persuade more challenging that Alan's presense would instantly have achieved. (I haven't actually listened to the new album yet - I only listen to albums on Saturday nights.)
Hopefully Dave though will also try and push for a more grittier guitar-rock element in the 12th album and beyond, as he quite clearly did correctly on Songs Of Faith And Devotion in 1992/93.
Spotnick wrote:
Second single has to be John The Revelator.
the next single is gonna be 'A Pain i'm used to'
Released in the UK on DEC 12
The Man Up North wrote: So has anyone noticed yet about the huge similarity with the melody of the song Lillian and the backing track of New Order's Sooner Than You Think ?
Stunning !
Good call!
Didn't notice it, but it's true!
Breakdown track to track? (BTW, I bought it yesterday, with the single, which I haven't done in quite a while!)
Beside from the start that you're going to HATE if you let your volume too high, this song is pretty enjoyable. This one could have been on Violator, but wouldn't have been a single then, but is working well with Sweetest Perfection and Waiting For The Night to Fall.
Am I the only one who thought it was Johnny Revelator for a while? ;) Despite the fact that more and more DM songs tend to talk about religion, which is not my cup of tea, this song is pretty enjoyable and will have a mega remix I'm quite sure of it. This is "Dream On" on adrenaline.
What? I'm actually LIKING a David Gahan track? that's a first. The chorus could have been better though, but the track is very interesting. Doesn't sound like DM to be honest though, but I enjoy it.
Did I tell you about Martin Gore and religion yet? :p It's not bad, but it's not the most interesting track on the album, this one has shades of "Waiting For The Night To Fall"
Even if it would have benifited by more musical "depth" in terms of music, it's indeed the best Depeche Mode song since Policy of Truth IMHO. Sasha did a pretty good remix of it too, the Spooky one, try it, you'll love it.
No, no, NO!!!!!!!!!! Macrovision and Televion, gimme a break. Martin should have given it to Dave, because his voice (which I used to like), is not fitting well at all!
Catchy chorus, but... rest is, hum, boring?
Nice song, but below DM standards.
Well, they have almost one per album of those instrumentals transitionnal song, so here it is.. not bad, not good, just... music! Bits are similar to the Peter Saville Soundtrack 
No, no and NO again, I can't stand Martin's voice on it... sorry!
Pretty good dancable track, however I can't find anything similar to this in the DM back-catalog... it's close to "Freelove" on exciter, but more edgy.
Typical post-Ultra track... maybe after a few more listenings... can't say.
I enjoy it, but Martin Gore isn't helping on this one... and to think he did gems like Blue Dress, Home and Things You Said in the past, it's trying too much on his tracks, as simple as that.
And my initial comment also stays, this album could have been a lot better with richer music, it's too minimalistic for my liking... but it seems to be a grower
Spotnick wrote:
The Man Up North wrote: So has anyone noticed yet about the huge similarity with the melody of the song Lillian and the backing track of New Order's Sooner Than You Think ?
Stunning !
Good call!
Didn't notice it, but it's true!
Not sure about that one, but has anyone noticed the similarities between "I Want It All" and The Cure's "More Than This"? Same backing beat, with guitar in the DM one instead of synths, and the same downward swooshy noises at various places. Anyone care to compare?
Suffer Well What? I'm actually LIKING a David Gahan track? that's a first. The chorus could have been better though, but the track is very interesting. Doesn't sound like DM to be honest though, but I enjoy it.
This is my favorite track on the album.
At first I thought some tracks were kinda heavy and leaden, but I love it from start to finish now for that very reason... its a grower like someone already said. Strangely therapeutic.
Spotnick wrote: Breakdown track to track? (BTW, I bought it yesterday, with the single, which I haven't done in quite a while!)
Suffer Well
What? I'm actually LIKING a David Gahan track? that's a first. The chorus could have been better though, but the track is very interesting. Doesn't sound like DM to be honest though, but I enjoy it.
This track sounds like the Notwist. does anyone agree?
Suffer Well's integrity purely as a song unfortunately sums up this album: it sounds too much like a chorus pieced together into a song with JUST TWO other chords for the verses and instrumental sections,rather than a complete song.
This, of course, is a reflection on how we have almost exhausted all the intergral possible chord phrase combinations and subject matter, but it does leave the album (as far as Depeche Mode world class standards go), at a 6 out of 10.
I would give Waiting For The Sirens' Call a better 6 out of 10, partly because it seems a more rounded album overall.
The album would have been better without "Macro", "I want it al" and "Nothing's impossible". Those three songs are really boring shit. The rest is great - maybe not as good as Violator or MFTM, but at least as good as most songs on SOFAD and much better than Exciter and even Ultra.
I agree with most of Spotnick's review. Especially on "Suffer well" being a grower (and incredibely good for a Dave's song), Martin's songs being disappointing and the music lacking globally some depth and richness. The producer made a great job (I really like the sound of old analogical synths and the way they use them) but, because of this minimalism, it seems as if he didn't finish it.
"A pain that I'm used too" will make a perfect second single.
Let's not get all complicated shall we (to quote someone)... it's not often a really sexy album like this comes out 
Times like this, I'm glad I know f*** all about music!
Actually, I think this is one of their best albums. Everyone on the Depeche Mode website message boards rate is between their 3rd and 5th fav DM album. It's mellow, but lyrically superior to Ultra and Exciter.
Sinner in Me is good. Track 4 Precious is very good. Track 5 Damaged People is awesome. Track 10 Lilian is good. Track 11
Really everything from track 4 and on is good. 1-3 is okay.
I can't wait to see them. They always put on a remarkable show, however I didn't like the stage setup on Singles Tour.
Martin needs to sing more than 2 or 3 songs also.
drugrep wrote: Actually, I think this is one of their best albums. Everyone on the Depeche Mode website message boards rate is between their 3rd and 5th fav DM album. It's mellow, but lyrically superior to Ultra and Exciter.
Sinner in Me is good. Track 4 Precious is very good. Track 5 Damaged People is awesome. Track 10 Lilian is good. Track 11
Really everything from track 4 and on is good. 1-3 is okay.
I can't wait to see them. They always put on a remarkable show, however I didn't like the stage setup on Singles Tour.
Martin needs to sing more than 2 or 3 songs also.
Well, it seems we won't agree on this one...!!
the computer does not read the disc... it works with normal audio cd player only.
what about you ?
It worked on the computer I use because I was able to put the CD in and let it rip the files to AAC(whatever that iPod format is...) and I was able to play them on the computer as well.
leather_girl wrote: It worked on the computer I use because I was able to put the CD in and let it rip the files to AAC(whatever that iPod format is...) and I was able to play them on the computer as well.
Ditto
Strange that on a New Order site nobody will tell the ressemblance between Lillian and Sooner Than You Think...
You should all be ashamed of yourselves!!! 
Jean-Philippe Ravier wrote: the computer does not read the disc... it works with normal audio cd player only.
what about you ?
Works here, no problem.
Spotnick wrote:
Jean-Philippe Ravier wrote: the computer does not read the disc... it works with normal audio cd player only.
what about you ?
Works here, no problem.
Same here using a Mac, no problems
On the bonus dvd, with Making the Angel, I can't find any Anton Corbijn interview.. is it really there? Well I dont know what he looks like so maybe one of the un-named guys in the doc in Anton for all I know. But he doesn't talk much does he 
The Man Up North wrote: Strange that on a New Order site nobody will tell the ressemblance between Lillian and Sooner Than You Think...
You should all be ashamed of yourselves!!!
I like both songs and actually, after listening to "Lilian", I have to admit that the backing track is somewhat similar sounding in both songs.
The Man Up North wrote: Thank you Mrs Graham!
I'm not married (I don't even want to get married whatsoever), so I don't really like people calling me "Mrs Graham".
