Depeche Mode Remix's 81 -04 Ltd Edition 3 CD - NSFTM

Depeche Mode have been a band that I vowed I would never like, way back in 1989 when I clawed my way into my copy of Pretty Hate Machine, when I first played my brother told me I would like Depeche Mode.Of course being Kevin the angry teen I scoffed at the idea.

Fifteen Years later here I am sitting staring at an almost complete Depeche Mode collection I'm only missing live albums, because I have very strong views on live albums and refuse to buy them(hence the lack of live bootleg albums in my collection

The Joy I experienced when the limited edition three cd Depeche Mode box fell through my door was nearly equally to the fateful day when britannia delivered me PHM.But things have moved on this very limited edition took two months to get here from music non stop because thanks to a number of useful emails from them, it was deleted the day it was released and was sold out on pre order, so i would imagine they found this stuck down some boxes somewhere in a ware house.

What's so special about this box, apparently it has every Depeche Mode remix ever done.the first two disks (the standard release) have al manner of gems on it, the third disk has the really rare stuff tracks.

So i chucked it in my player and pumped it up, what can i say? My initial thoughts where surprise. by how well produced the majority of the tracks sounded(some of them do have a bit of hiss but some of the remixes are from donkeys old releases.)

After a couple of listens, it is easy to point out the stand out tracks Freelove DJ Muggs remix, has a distinctly rock edge to and it works really really well, in fact it made wonder what a Depeche Mode 'Rock' album would sound like, the heavy guitars with Gahans haunting vocals work extremely well.

Nothing [Headcleaner Rock Mix] is another stand out track for the same as above, it has a really nice feel to it, sounds like a dodgy cover version by some rock band struggling out of a pub, but it works extremely well. Again Gahans distorted lyrics and over the top heavy guitar, are a refreshing change from the normal dancy remix you come to expect from Depeche Mode

Enjoy the Silence [Reinterpreted Mike Shinoda] again showing my death to false metal roots, is an exceptional track(and by far my favorite) has an extremely modern goth rock edge to and shows just with just a tiny bit of thought can be achieved when re inventing a track. It also throws Mr Manson's 'cover version of personal Jesus' into stark contrast, the later being a lackluster cover of a song you would expect him to doa hack job on (how terribly inventive and risque of you)

Breathing in Fumes [Depeche Mode, Daniel Miller & Gareth Jones], is another exceptional track, but i already have it on one of the albums as a bonus track when they where re issued. and that is where the problem lies with this complication, a great deal of the DM fans are completists and they will probably not encounter anything unheard of(in saying that by their very nature they will go out and buy it anyway)

Another problem i have with some of the remixes, is something that they can teeters on falling in to monotony, 15 minutes of the same sample looped over does not in my opinion make a good remix, by the same degree a remix that does not add anything to the song or does not(to my untrained ear anyway) sound significantly different from the original. Thankful for a compilation that runs to just over four hours this does not happen too often.

Another small gripe i have with the compilation, is the packaging, which is of extremely high quality but the liner notes, Become a chore to read, because of the method in which they are written ,presented and the very tone of the booklet (which believe to be one of simpering pretentiousness) Personally i would like to find out from reading the notes why the tracks where arranged in such a manner and not have to wallow through non descript how smart am i mutterings of 'someone' in the know.

Apart from the minor shortcomings it is an exceptional box set and for twelve quid you can't really go wrong..all you need to do now is find a copy of the album.

 

you can listen to

Breathing in Fumes [Depeche Mode, Daniel Miller & Gareth Jones]

Nothing [Headcleaner Rock Mix]

Enjoy the Silence [Reinterpreted Mike Shinoda}

On Leaving Hope Radio