Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward [Import] (Rhino) 03/10/2006

I suppose the first question has to be, "why is this review out of sync with the rest?" Well I'll start off by answering this and unfortunately our receiving this album fell out of sync with its release, well no harm and for such a pivotal album I felt this deserved its current placing.

1984 was the year and speaking on a personal note, as I recall was a time I was searching a slightly darker side of my personality and well this album just came along. The album's predecessor had been 1983's 'Construction Time Again' and with the introduction of Alan Wilder to the fold had marked a change from the earlier Vince Clarke driven outfit. Well by the time 'Some Great Reward' had made its appearance, a year later, the four piece of Fletcher, Gahan, Gore and Wilder had suitably bedded in and were set to produce an album that would and still does, stand the test of time.

The Basildon boys were exploring something different this time, something that would mark a change in direction and along with 1986's 'Black Celebration' and 87's 'Music for the Masses' it fused electronics, pop and sampling. It was recorded in the fabled Hansa Studios in the (then) West Berlin and proved that this album would be more than just a footnote.

Musically it was richly textured and lyrically, pressed all the right buttons. Although, from the included enhanced booklet that accompanies this set, the band were undoubtedly still mere 'children' from the featured photographs (Gahan especially; can be seen cultivating his first bum-fluff facial hair). Yet the lyrical content reached a far deeper level, 'Blasphemous Rumours' especially tells of teenage self abuse and suicide and hit a mark, with both the establishment and audience alike. As I recall its a song that still possesses the ability to evoke emotion today and why when released it was doubled with 'Somebody' still eludes me. Although the band wouldn't again hit the UK top 10 singles chart for 5 years, was this punishment? Well with a highest UK albums placing for 'Some Great Reward', obviously not.

'People are People' is the track that for me marked this album, although coming close would have to be the S&M anthem 'Master and Servant', what with its playful sampling and dark lyric made a classic. Although not content with that the albums frantic opener 'Something To Do' once again delved the depths of darkness and perversion, although this time with just that hint (I'd note the song's closing lines "I'd put your leather boots on, I'd put your pretty dress on") of subtly.

So with 9 tracks that just topped 40 minutes, it produced an album that left us wanting more and could be consumed, play after play (so with the invention of CD, made this all the easier). With the near as damn it perfect album, how could this be made even better? Well easy when you put it in the hands of Rhino and their masterful ability to cram even more into the measure than was previously thought. Here we find a CD that not only features digipak packaging that even I approve of, but also includes a bonus DVD and sleeve notes by film editor and Mute Records founder Daniel Miller (I didn't know that when this album was recorded Killing Joke were also at work at the Hansa studios and what's more were affected greatly by the approach taken on 'Blasphemous Rumours').

Well what are we offered? To start off, on the DVD the album is brought up to date and presented in full Dolby digital 5.1 stereo, for those who want to experience their music in a theatre setting - I'll be honest and admit to not being able to offer any guidance here. The main attraction though is the short film "You Can Get Away With Anything As Long As You Give It A Good Tune", a 30 minute (well almost, give the guys a break) documentary of the making of this album. Interviews are seen from the band members themselves, with footage past and present (thank whoever you believe in for the Handicam®, as without which we would not be able to share in some candid footage and be party to those dreadful haircuts - anyone would think Steve Strange had run amok with the scissors again!).

However it wasn't just the band who were responsible for the making of this album and this is seen with interviews with many of whom who were involved in not only the recording and production, but also those responsible for A&R, plugging and record company executives. The producer Gareth Jones comments "It was definitely supposed to be tougher, we didn't want to be wimpy, we wanted to make powerful, strong records, with a lot of atmosphere." He speaks of the the organic growth of not only the album, but of the group's sound and some of the influences, like Phillip Glass and German "metal bash" band Einstürzende Neubauteneinstürzende; I can see a similarity, on an audible level, but one of the most minute scales and when it comes to a popular level, there's no contest.

We are made party to some of the album's inner most secrets and sees Martin Gore demonstrating just how some of the production took place and the barest level on which some of the samples were derived. But running out of time Dave, Martin and Andy left the ship to take holidays, leaving the rest of the team (which included new boy Wilder; admitting just how much the team remaining had done to make the album we hear today). The fact that later they heard by telex (no Email's here!) that Martin's baggage had itself taken an elongated break, visiting both New York and Johannesburg, may've been solace or divine intervention maybe?

Or perhaps that on hearing the final playback they realised that the snare drum on the final verse to 'Master and Servant' had been muted after a great deal of time and effort had been allowed, was God's final word on the 'edgy witty way' in which they had approached the track or maybe their recording of 'Blasphemous Rumours' had once again struck a mark. Personally it's always been my favorite Depeche Mode track, but that this album was made in Berlin certainly adds to it's quality and vibrancy.

You want more!!? After all that we've already experienced. Well alright then, live recordings of the band performing in both Liverpool and Basel back in 1984 can be heard (not seen I'm afraid) and with 3 more studio tracks; 'In Your Memory', '(Set Me Free) Remotivate Me' and 'Somebody (Remix)', this edition of a simply fantastic reissue sees it's finale and even though I never really liked the recording of 'Somebody' that graced the double A-side of 'Blasphemous Rumours', I cannot deny - 10/10.

Nick James

This release is one of 3 in Rhino's current wave of Depeche Mode re-issues, these being; 'A Broken Frame', 'Some Great Reward' and 'Songs Of Faith And Devotion' and along with UK label Mute have lined up a wealth of online features, so why not join the fun and check out those links provided below;

web site - Rhino Product Link - E-card

Littl Shyning Man - Mockery (Sonic360) 13/11/2006

N: An album that has been a long time in coming, as it is said contains content composed, performed, recorded and produced between January 2004 and March 2005, so not only created over a lengthy period of time, but one that has matured for over a year before seeing any light of day. "What the world has been waiting for"? Well certainly this has been pieced together eloquently with an obvious amount of time spent honing the sound we are now left to hear.

T: Halfway through the first track and I've got a picture of both Tunng and James Yorkston, which is a pretty damn good way to begin. Perhaps the man behind the music, Christopher Haworth, goes a little overboard with his excessive use of loops, but at the same time there is a dreamlike tranquility running through the album that is easy to embrace. 7/10

web site - myspace

Josef K - Entomology (Domino) 20/11/2006

T: I have to include these sleeve notes from Paul Morley, as he puts it so perfectly: "Nearly everyone ignored Josef K, including ultimately themselves. But they were right all along. They wrote prickly, plaintive pop songs that were the sound of depressed young men having lethargic tantrums about the mysterious inevitable everyday. They added something new to the possibility of pop". That just about sums it up. There are all manner of artists that can be heard in the sound of Josef K. At times Joy Division, sometimes Roxy Music or Devo, occasionally their peers Orange Juice. The band were clearly influenced by the likes of Television and Pere Ubu as is noted here, while less obvious refernce points like Gang of Four are utilised to great effect. It's not all a bunch of roses though, and there are several occasions where the band disappear up their own collective arses, but there's no doubt that they should have been mentioned in the same breath as all those previously mentioned, instead of slipping through the musical fishing net as they sadly seemed to do.

N: I'll have a go shall I? An artist with a timeless quality certainly not sounding "early eighties", as was the data recorded. And as we sit here in these early years of the 21st century, are ripe now for the picking. A band with a similarity to David Byrne and, as also has been mentioned, Tom Verlaine of the mighty Television. I found this anthology enthralling and with a content plenty enough to fill the largest of appetites, "art for art's sake", why not? 9/10

web site

Nigel Clark - 21st Century Man (Put Lebel Here) 13/11/2006

T: Dodgy were often harshly dismissed as also-rans in the nineties and I've heard people hark back to them as a kind of twee, ultra poppy band, but the fact of the matter is that they're overlooking some of the best tracks of the past decade. "Grassman" was always the band's epic - moody, atmospheric and uplifting at the same time, and the band's debut long player, "The 'Dodgy' Album" was littered with sweeping, majestic melodies that set them up for a career spanning several albums that included other fine gems. It's such a pity that they are principally remembered for the bubblegum pop of "Good Enough", as they were so much better than that. Clark's debut solo album could be that long lost Dodgy album, perhaps borrowing more heavily from the Motown back catalogues than anywhere else, and while it's apparent that there are no omnipresent black clouds to bring about the thunder of another "Grassman" (the beginning of "Nothing's Free" is about the closest we get), it's still ultimately an enjoyable, satisfying effort from the curly haired one.

N: Nigel Clark follows on from Dodgy's retro bent with his first solo outing in the form of "21st Century Man". On first hearing the album, I'll be honest and admit it didn't set my world on fire. But Nigel's strong songwriting ability is certainly on show here as this made his album a real grower. With much in common with other great songwriters (Lennon & McCartney, Paul Weller) and bands such as Ocean Colour Scene and The Kinks, this is obviously NOT that long lost Dodgy album, but as Tone has so deftly observed, if the band were still together, this could well have been. 8/10

web site - myspace

Brakes - The Beatific Visions (Rough Trade) 06/11/2006

N: An album whose "blink and you'll miss it" 28 minutes length is obviously deceptive and bolstered by Brakes' ability of writing quirky but strong content.

T: My CD player is terrified of Brakes. I say this because it seems to take an absolute hammering whenever a new album comes out. I was worried they might not be able to come close to matching "Give Blood" but hey, they pretty much have. And how. This time around, I've been astonished by the broad musical stylings throughout. There's the relentless pop-rock of latest single "Hold Me In The River" and "Margarita", the country jangle of "If I Should Die Tonight", the out and out party anthem that is "Spring Chicken", a remarkably touching folk song in the shape of "Isabel", the thumping punk of "Porcupine Or Pineapple", which includes the best anti-war lyric ever - "Who won the war? What the fuck was it for?" and one of the most spine tingling album finales you're ever likely to hear in "No Return". This late in the year, I didn't think anything would even come close to rivalling Being 747's "Health & Safety" as Album of the Year. This does. Absolutely stunning. 10/10

click to access album player

web site - myspace

The Third Eye Foundation - Collected Works (Domino) 06/11/2006

T: Matt Elliott was the man behind this? What, the old Leicester City defender?!!

N: I thought this was going to totally confuse you. No, it has nothing to do with football, in fact it doesn't even start with the same letter.

T: Yes it does - "fucking weird". Loud, proud and tuneless. I'd love to say it was like listening to Future Sound of London's marvellous ambient classic "Lifeforms" but honestly, this is just making me feel sick. Elephants make jumpers with ordnance survey maps. Watch out Gertrude! Here's Liverpool soup. Number elfin troubador. Beeeekkkdaaaahhh.

N: Pretty much sums up the weird factor, I'd love to put this guy in front of Simon Cowell, watch the steam come out of his head space (ears), momentarily before his whole self erupts and becomes one with the floor! Although saying this we (meaning 'joe public') might have a whole new outlook on popular music, eh?

T: Maurice sends his regards. Bostik.

N: Ok, so we're not going to get any sense from 'the Tone' today. It has been suggested that it was as a result of mental illness and certainly the songs (I use the term songs in the loosest sense) titles may bear witness to this, that The Third Eye Foundation found their impetus. The music (this term is slightly less loose) seats somewhere between drum and bass, hip-hop, dub bass, a very dark night and well the sense a vagrant might make after one too many bottles (of meths). It's going to take some getting used to, but in there you might find the calm I feel the musicaian was seeking, sometime a chaotic night, whilst others might be described at a gap year in the middle east.

T: I would personally question the sanity of anyone who listens to this on a regular basis Norman. 4/10

Competition: Win these "Collected Works" on CD - click here (Closing date 15.12.2006)

web site - myspace

Pavement - Wowee Zowee (Domino) 06/11/2006

T: An interesting re-issue, some eleven years after its first release. Apparently this album "confused critics and alienated fans" and I can totally understand that. After all, "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain" it ain't. Without any doubt, this is an album that has to grow with you, and in the cold light of day, without having heard it in more than a decade - if in fact I ever heard it in the first place - it seems that it's going to be difficult to do it justice. It's all a bit of a mish-mash to be honest, not overly inspiring on first listen and a world away from the relatively commercial college-rock sound they made their name from. Imagine Pavement half heartedly writing a few songs and then throwing the kitchen sink in with everything else. Having said that, given time, and once I've had the plumber round, I imagine this might hold something more of an appeal.

N: A band I always had identified with the grunge movement of the early nineties, but herethey display for me a whole new side I'd not previously been aware of. Certainly the crunchy guitars are present, but not in the quantity I may have assumed. Stephen Malkmus can certainly be heard, and I feel it is this side he took with him when producing his solo work. The further I progress though, taking in more of what's on offer within the 50 track content of this set, Dinosaur Jr. do at times come roaring out from the speakers. 7/10

web site - myspace

Pretenders - Pretenders - Re-issue (Rhino) 09/10/2006

N: I certainly forget just how much this band were one of the US Punk movement and whilst this original lineup of the band only released 2 albums, their legacy can still be heard today. With this album featuring the familiar 'Brass In Pocket', a song that perhaps gave people the wrong impression of exactly who they were, although was at the same time the song that perhaps will be remembered more than any other, as well as the song Grace Jones covered in 'Private Life', although she performed this so well many would feel she took ownership of the song. As with all Rhino re-issues they have once again gone better in presenting this as a double set, featuring demos, live cuts and previously unreleased tracks. If you've not heard this album, there is no better way to become accustomed.

T: Indeed. Chrissie Hynde, lest we forget, was greeted with derision by Messrs Lydon and Strummer upon her band's arrival on the scene, who looked upon her as something of a "plastic punk" with a big mouth. Perhaps they were right. After all, it wasn't too long afterwards that the former NME journalist's group abandoned whatever punk pretensions they had and went on to release a string of great pop singles that helped make the eighties bearable. Maybe some of the lyrics in "Precious" were even aimed at her two compatriots across the Atlantic. Whatever, this album is a fine reminder of how good The Pretenders were at creating a good tune and still holds up very well today. 9/10

web site - myspace

The Ordinary Boys - How To Get Everything You Ever Wanted In Ten Easy Steps (B-Unique) 23/10/2006

T: Apparently this album is "an ode to our obsession with celebrity culture and the fickleness of fame". Hang on just a minute Preston, you're a big PART of that circle, and it'd be a lot easier to stomach had that not been the case. Or perhaps that's the whole point? Maybe the gameplan was to become a "celebrity" using the lowest means possible (i.e. Big Brother), and then to shoot the whole thing down in flames and expose the industry for the shameful money grabbing monster it is. Somehow I doubt it though, and while it's impossible to deny that The Ordinary Boys have a knack of knocking out extremely commercial hit records, I doubt very much that they're pulling the wool over anybody's eyes except for a few spotty teenagers late home from detention. These are the peanuts of the pop world and they've got some way to go before they turn into cashews.

N: I feel that this album appears far more laid back from earlier outings, almost as if they'd lost their itchy feet, their edgy refrain, and become one of the establishment. Pretty much as you've already stated Tone. To tell us that "it's all a big rip-off" is not exactly news - we already KNEW that Preston. How are you going to change it? On the upside, plenty of foot tapping moments are had here, and I can hear that the earlier walking of the treadmill is becoming more needy. To anyone listening, don't even WATCH "Big Brother", let alone take part.

T: That's alienated half of England then... 6/10

web site - myspace

Charlotte Gainsbourg - 5.55 (Because Music/Atlantic) 04/09/2006

N: Charlotte Gainsbourg, actress, singer and chanteuse is an artist who not only being one of French cinema's brightest stars and of course daughter of the great Serge, is one who has worked with such luminaries as French duo Air, Jarvis Cocker and the Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon among only a few. This album, a product of these relationships sees Charlotte project her message with a breathy refrain that will have you thinking of Black Box Recorder's Sarah Nixey, although here these are at first so lost, it's not entirely clear that this is intended. The musical composition is a richly layered sheet where classical meets instruments that fit so well, the songs come alive. I have found myself enchanted by this album, musically wonderful and lyrically highly personal, with each breath Charlotte takes, she is suducing the listener.

T: It's undoubtedly a good, strong album, if not exactly an astonishing one. I think what the ginger one says is pretty much spot on. Charlotte is well worth the money you pay for her...not that I've ever paid for women, you understand... 8/10

web site - myspace