Pain and suffering in various tempos... (Playing The Angel - Depeche Mode)

Member Name: jeffjen

Product:	Playing The Angel - Depeche Mode
Date:	10/08/09 (122 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great tracks

Disadvantages: None for me

Depeche Mode are a band I have liked since the 80's. I do feel they have gone from strength to strength, and produced a much better sound and songs since Vince Clarke left the band and went on to form Yazoo and then Erasure.

The band :-

Dave Gahan - vocals & newly established songwriter
Martin Gore - player of many instruments, songwriter, and vocals
Andrew Fletcher - player of many instruments and backing vocals

Martin Gore took over the song-writing with the single 'See You' back in 1982, and proved the critics wrong who said Depeche Mode would fall apart without Vince!

Without Vince Clarke, the band went on to explore their darker side, writing more meaningful songs with often deep and dark lyrics, and I have to say after seeing them live on three occasions, they are a really good live act.
They have produced some classic albums such as Violator, Ultra, Black Celebration,and Songs of Faith and Devotion. So when the band produced their 10th studio album 'Exciter' in 2001, I rushed out to buy it without hesitation, but was left quite disappointed when for the very first time I had to admit I did not like a Depeche Mode album!
No matter how many times I listened to it, trying to see if it grew on me, my opinion did not change.

Therefore when the band released their 11th album 'Playing The Angel' in 2005, I was very hesitant about buying it, after the let-down which was 'Exciter'.
After hearing a couple of tracks from the album, however, I found myself buying it, as it sounded promising based on the couple of tracks I heard.

I played the album and was not disappointed this time! Depeche Mode were back with their best sounding album since 'Ultra' .
Inscribed on the back are the words 'Pain and suffering in various tempos' which sums this album up perfectly. Not many bands can write about pain and suffering quite like these guys!
It has some faster paced, harder sounding tracks on here, with Martin Gore taking over lead vocals on a couple of the tracks also.

'Playing The Angel' was named after a lyric from one of the tracks on the album 'The Darkest Star' and is the fourth Depeche Mode album to take its name from a lyric in its album.

The tracks :-
1. A Pain That I'm Used To
2. John The Revelator
3. Suffer Well
4. The Sinner In Me
5. Precious
6. Macro
7. I Want It All
8. Nothing's Impossible
9. Introspectre
10. Damaged People
11. Lilian
12. The Darkest Star

From the opening track 'A Pain That I'm Used To' which was the second single released from the album, to the last, 'The Darkest Star' this album does not falter, and in my opinion is Depeche Mode back at their best.
It reminds me in many ways of their albums when Alan Wilder was a member of the band. I was sad to see him leave the band in the mid-nineties, but there was a lot of tension within the band back then, and also Dave Gahan taking a near fatal overdose. So it is good to see the guys have been able to move on, get their lives back on track and produce a great album again.

'Suffer Well', the third single release from the album, is one of my favourite tracks, and is the first single that features Dave Gahan writing the lyrics :-
"Where were you when I fell from grace
Frozen heart, an empty space
Something's changing, it's in your eyes
Please, don't speak, you'll only lie"
It is a fast-paced classic Depeche Mode track, reminding me slightly of 'The Meaning of Love' released way back in the 80's, in regards to its tempo, but with a much deeper sound.
It entered the UK charts at No.12 despite the BBC not including it on any of their playlists!

Another favourite of mine is 'Lilian', a really catchy song, which is quite uplifting and I can guarantee you will be singing along to this one. Not since 'Just Can't Get Enough' back in 1981, have the band produced such a catchy song, but this track has the deep bass sound they have perfected over the years, and was missing from their very early tracks.
This was also released as a single - a double A-sided single, along with 'John The Revelator' in 2006, but again failed to receive much air play, only making it to the BBC's 'B' playlists. It did still chart at No. 18 however.

'Precious' was the first single to be taken from the album, and is just a classic Depeche Mode track in my opinion. It is one of my favourites, and it was hearing this track that prompted me to think I would indeed like the album. It reached No. 4 in the charts, and did receive air play, so the BBC must have liked this one!
Martin Gore made a break with tradition of not revealing what his songs are about ( he prefers people to find their own meaning) with this track, he stated he had written it about his children, and what they must have been feeling when he was getting divorced from their mother.
"Precious and fragile things
Need special handling
My God, what have we done to you?"

'A Pain That I Am Used To' and 'Nothing's Impossible' are also favourites of mine on this album, and there are some excellent slower and darker tracks here too - 'I Want It All' and 'Damaged People' are the ones that stand out.

Overall, this is the album that sees Depeche Mode back to their winning formula. I have now been a fan for 28 years - where has the time gone!

Playing The Angel is available from Amazon priced at £4.98 new and from £1.99 used.
Label - Mute
ASIN - B000B9VDME

Summary: Another classic album from Depeche Mode.