New Order and Depeche Mode

Both bands are awesome in my opinion. I have a hard time deciding which of these two bands is better. Both have kept me highly entertained for many years. Being that this is the official New Order website my guess is that most people on this website would say that NO rules over DM. They both rule equally to me. Both are new wave, British, electronic music that I just can't get enough of. I really hope to hear some viewpoints on Depeche Mode in comparison with New Order!

They are both equally awesome, equally innovative, and equally important.

I agree that both bands are awesome - for both similar and different reasons.

Similarities: Their use of technology in creating dark but danceable pop music, particularly with sequencers. They seem to try to be innovative and still relevant with the sounds on each album (although it occasionally doesn't work for either). Their use of melody in an instrument that is usually considered secondary to guitar and vocals (keyboard for DM and bass for NO.)

Differences: Although the singers of DM have much stronger voices, lyrically, NO's are stronger but more ambiguous. NO has success in creating guitar-based songs, while that seems to be DM's weakness. DM's live shows are amazing.

Enough said.

Probably not for the last time, but the only time these two bands are ever mentioned in the same breath, or comparisons brought, is by Americans who for some reason feel this need to compartmentalise everything. I fookin' hate the way my iPod always insists on a genre. Fook genres. New Order are New Order. DM are nowt to do with them and are irrelevant on this site. Period.

Sorry Al seems i've started something i couldn't finish. Oops,I did it again.

Me, Johnny Giles and Paul (forget his board name) had another half an hour discussion about this last week in Covent Garden...part three is coming up...

To the original poster: I personally would never, ever call New Order and Depeche Mode "new wave". I love both bands, but New Order are New Order, and Depeche Mode are Depeche Mode. Both bands may have elements of different genres of music within their songs or albums, but calling them "new wave" is despicable.

leather_girl wrote: To the original poster: I personally would never, ever call New Order and Depeche Mode "new wave". I love both bands, but New Order are New Order, and Depeche Mode are Depeche Mode. Both bands may have elements of different genres of music within their songs or albums, but calling them "new wave" is despicable.

'New Wave' A US term describing a new wave on british bands making an impact stateside in the early eighties. Also see Human League,Duran Duran,Heaven 17...

I'm sick of New Order being mentioned in the same breath as those sperm drinkers, they hav nothing in common end of story

Big B wrote: Both bands are awesome in my opinion. I have a hard time deciding which of these two bands is better. Both have kept me highly entertained for many years. Being that this is the official New Order website my guess is that most people on this website would say that NO rules over DM. They both rule equally to me. Both are new wave, British, electronic music that I just can't get enough of. I really hope to hear some viewpoints on Depeche Mode in comparison with New Order!

When I was a teenager, I preferred Depeche Mode over New Order. For the latter, I only knew some of their greatest hits like "True Faith", "Bizarre Love Triangle", "Round and Round" and "World in Motion". The rest of the songs I hardly gave them a chance. I only started to appreciate "Temptation" when the "Trainspotting" soundtrack came out. On the other hand, I liked quite a few of Depeche Mode songs, even their less popular ones. My interest stopped in the mid '90s though and I lost touch with both bands.

Today, I am rediscovering New Order's music and am discovering Joy Division's music at the same time. I am now a big fan of New Order. Songs that I barely listened to then, I now find extremely good and original. Every few weeks, I am discovering old songs that I have never heard before. Right now, I'm very much into "Love Vigilantes". Thanks to YouTube, I can see some live performances and it's quite exciting.

Because of my new and heighten interest in New Order, I wanted to try Depeche Mode and see if I can duplicate the effect. Unfortunately, I don't like Depeche Mode as much anymore. I still find some of their songs good, but I just don't find them as interesting and special. I like alternative sound and Bernard Sumner detached voice is so much more unique to my ears than David Gahan's even when the latter is a better singer. I also find that New Oder hands down have a better guitar and bass sound than Depeche Mode. DM also have some guitar now but it's mainly soft and subtle and I prefer the edgier sound of NO.

I've never seen neither bands live but from what I've seen on YouTube, Depeche Mode performances are more consistent and the stages are more operatic. That's fine and dandy for many but I prefer the simpler approach of New Order which seems more intimate. Some gigs are bad while others are very good and when it's good, it's amazingly good... at least that's how it seems. If you want a big spectacle, go see DM but if you want something more personal, NO is the thing IMO.

I've noticed that Depeche Mode members have aged pretty well while New Order's Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook have gained weight but really, I prefer Barny, Hooky and Steven ordinary looks over DM weird appearance; there's something not quite natural about them.

Finally New Order has an extremely interesting history with its Joy Division past. Their sound have changed much through the years from punk to dance and sometime flirts with catchy pop but still retains this alternative aura. Depeche Mode's sound have had some changes from the Vince Clarke era to Martin Gore's, from fluffy synthesizer to darker and more complex sound but the difference is not that wide IMO. I truly believe that New Order is more influential and more respected than Depeche Mode in the music industry because of their innovative sound from their different era.

To me, New Order is superior musically and more innovative. Are they still as creative? Not really, but their contribution have surpassed the vast majority of other groups, including Depeche Mode. Asking them to yet again change the sound of music is asking the almost impossible.

El Jarvo wrote: I'd hope that anyone on this site who says that "NO rules over DM" would get lynched.

Unless they're a 12 year old schoolgirl, then they could be excused.

NO rules over DM.

Have you even read some of the comments from Depeche Mode fans about their idols? They sound exactly like 12 year-old schoolgirls. I don't know how many time have I read things like "Dave is way hot" and "Martin is so sexy".

Why on earth are New Order talked about in the same breath as Depeche Turd?

Digi Mike Binoche wrote: I'm sick of New Order being mentioned in the same breath as those sperm drinkers, they hav nothing in common end of story

Denial.

oldmonkey wrote: Probably not for the last time, but the only time these two bands are ever mentioned in the same breath, or comparisons brought, is by Americans who for some reason feel this need to compartmentalise everything. I fookin' hate the way my iPod always insists on a genre. Fook genres. New Order are New Order. DM are nowt to do with them and are irrelevant on this site. Period.

Ooooh, the delicious irony of the use of the term "Period" in that posting!!!!

:D :D :D :D

Blunderer wrote:

oldmonkey wrote: Probably not for the last time, but the only time these two bands are ever mentioned in the same breath, or comparisons brought, is by Americans who for some reason feel this need to compartmentalise everything. I fookin' hate the way my iPod always insists on a genre. Fook genres. New Order are New Order. DM are nowt to do with them and are irrelevant on this site. Period.

Ooooh, the delicious irony of the use of the term "Period" in that posting!!!!

:D :D :D :D

Glad somebody got it!

Love both bands....but I think the only reason they are ever compared is because their careers happen to run parallel with each other, and they were by a mile the two most successful bands to emerge from the new wave scene from the early-mid 80's. Musically I've never thought they were particularly similar. Could Depeche so a Sunrise? No. Could New Order do an In Your Room? No. Even their instrumentals are worlds apart. Compare Elegia and Pimpf. The good thing is that they were so different from each other that they never quite invaded each other's teritory, meaning both could keep their success going for 25 years in spite of each other. And both have been on the verge of splitting up for the last 15 years! Depeche edge it live though, superb shows. Both also suffered an early loss from which it was thought they might not recover (Curtis and Clarke), and both were formed in 1980 I believe. But in spite of his self-abusing past, Gahan continues to bely his age. NO could take note!

New Order is way cooler, even if they are dorky... way deeper even if ambigious and often meaningless, and have a sense of humour while Depeche Mode has none. New Order never was a hair band, in fact often had bad hair. New order was Factory while Depeche Mode was a product. Fat chicks prefer Depeche Mode.

This blue-eyed boy that wants to be wrote: I agree that both bands are awesome - for both similar and different reasons.

Similarities: Their use of technology in creating dark but danceable pop music, particularly with sequencers. They seem to try to be innovative and still relevant with the sounds on each album (although it occasionally doesn't work for either). Their use of melody in an instrument that is usually considered secondary to guitar and vocals (keyboard for DM and bass for NO.)

Differences: Although the singers of DM have much stronger voices, lyrically, NO's are stronger but more ambiguous. NO has success in creating guitar-based songs, while that seems to be DM's weakness. DM's live shows are amazing.

Enough said.

Totally agree!!

pumped full of drugs wrote: New Order is way cooler, even if they are dorky... way deeper even if ambigious and often meaningless, and have a sense of humour while Depeche Mode has none. New Order never was a hair band, in fact often had bad hair. New order was Factory while Depeche Mode was a product. Fat chicks prefer Depeche Mode.

Indeed New Order is cooler. People don't really make fun of me when I say that I like New Order but my colleagues tease me when I listen to Depeche Mode.

By the way...about live performance!!

i've just been in one gig of both bands, Depeche Mode in Salt lake City 2001 and New Order in Rio last year...i've got to say i enjoyed more the NO gig!!

Chris owen wrote: Both also suffered an early loss from which it was thought they might not recover (Curtis and Clarke), and both were formed in 1980 I believe. But in spite of his self-abusing past, Gahan continues to bely his age. NO could take note!

I don't know but it seems that it's much worse losing Ian Curtis than losing Vince Clarke. Also, I honestly rather see a fat Barney dancing like a monkey than David Gahan dancing like this:

Canuck21 wrote:

Chris owen wrote: Both also suffered an early loss from which it was thought they might not recover (Curtis and Clarke), and both were formed in 1980 I believe. But in spite of his self-abusing past, Gahan continues to bely his age. NO could take note!

I don't know but it seems that it's much worse losing Ian Curtis than losing Vince Clarke. Also, I honestly rather see a fat Barney dancing like a monkey than David Gahan dancing like this:

I swear David Gahan reminds me of Ozzy Ozbourne in that video, if Ozzy had grown up in a different class.

pumped full of drugs wrote: New Order is way cooler, even if they are dorky... way deeper even if ambigious and often meaningless,

That's called "free association", and while it is Barney's preferred method of writing, it makes Gore's writing no less deep. They both have their respective styles, both of which I find enjoyable.

and have a sense of humour while Depeche Mode has none.

Not true at all. (I mean about DM not having a sense of humour.) There's a lot of irony and humour buried within their music.

Take "A Question of Lust", which on the surface is a tender ballad, but on closer examination is actually a biting parody of such a song with lines like:

"I need to drink more than you seem to think before I'm anyones" (implying that he is still promiscuous when drunk, it just takes a little more alcohol for him to get to that point than you think).

or "Be gentle with me I'd never willingly do you harm"

And of course there's the fact that "love" is substituted with "lust" in the title as a play on the fact that that's all the type of song he's parodying really boils down to.

Or look at "Sacred", which on the surface is a song about religious devotion (a frequent Gore topic), but actually has innuendo buried in it like:

"I'm a missionary...I'm a firm believer and a warm receiver."

Or just watch 101...Dave in particular has a wicked sense of humour (that was unfortunately lost for some time in the later years when he succumbed to his heroin addiction).

New Order never was a hair band, in fact often had bad hair.

Depeche always had bad hair...I'm not sure what you're talking about.

New order was Factory while Depeche Mode was a product.

New Order and Depeche Mode were both very subversive and experimental bands in their own right. To their credit, Depeche Mode went down avenues with sampling and found sounds that New Order never really explored themselves (they actually started experimenting with sampling in parallel to Einsturzende Neubauten, whom they hadn't even heard of yet!!)

On the other hand, I admire New Order's incredible influence on modern dance music and their consistently good writing (Depeche Mode unfortunately weren't as consistent, especially in the earlier years). "Blue Monday" and "Perfect Kiss" are classic songs. But then again, so are "Everything Counts" and "Blasphemous Rumours".

Fat chicks prefer Depeche Mode.

I don't think that's true, and I don't see what that has to do with anything.

As for New Order being "cooler" than Depeche Mode, that's the one thing that I've never liked about New Order: that they're perceived as "cool". "Coolness" implies a safe acceptance that goes against subversiveness. But it's not their fault they're perceived that way.

I prefer NO to DM. I like DM, but they don't have that unique combination of elements - especially Hooky's bass and Barney's wonderfully honest/can't-quite-sing vocals (that I, not being able to sing relate to).

And NO's sleeves are much cooler than DM's.

I also can't stand DM's image; the way they dress and all. NO look like regular Joe's, no makeup and no dress up. DM has a lot to do with image and I cringe when I see them, their look is simply embarrassing. Gahan's mannerism is also very gay and I don't like that.

Who's Joe?

Going back to 1980-84, NO were MILES cooler, more mysterious, ambiguous and distant (a natural extension of JD?). DM were seen as happy, smiling teenagers with big hair, tapping annoying one-fingered melodies on monosynths. They had to go to USA and become massive there circa 1987-88 before they became truly accepted in the UK and Europe. Violator confirmed this, with great song-writing and strong production. Many still think it their best album.

I've often thought both bands had a similar visual aesthetic; preferring to employ seemingly meaningless symbols and graphics (NO's leaf, DM's flower) than show the band themselves. I think each band have only ever appeared once on an album sleeve (NO's Low Life, DM's Songs Of Faith And Devotion). It's no wonder both have links to Anton Corbijn.

Digi Mike Binoche wrote: I'm sick of New Order being mentioned in the same breath as those sperm drinkers, they hav nothing in common end of story

Couldn't have put it better myself!

Chris owen wrote: I've often thought both bands had a similar visual aesthetic; preferring to employ seemingly meaningless symbols and graphics (NO's leaf, DM's flower) than show the band themselves. I think each band have only ever appeared once on an album sleeve (NO's Low Life, DM's Songs Of Faith And Devotion). It's no wonder both have links to Anton Corbijn.

Depeche Mode have appeared numerous times on various sleeves namely "101", "People Are People" and "Catching Up with Depeche Mode". You could also see them in every music videos. Except for "Perfect Kiss" which I only saw once on Musique Plus (MTV equivalent in Québec), you could only see glimpses of New Order in the '80s. Until the '90s, I had no idea what the whole band looked like.