An Album That Will Never Let a "Devotee" Down Again

A band that is not afraid to experiment with new sounds, the new wave alternative, electronica band Depeche Mode has evolved vastly with their music style. You can hear evidence of this change in this compilation album I'm going to review. For instance, the tone of “Just Can’t Get Enough” is noticeably different from “Enjoy the Silence”.

Personal Jesus

This album kicks off with a Depeche Mode song that revolves around friendship. We all want the kind of friendship or any relationship for that matter that is genuinely faithful and devoted. The kind of friendship that’s always there for you. This song is a reflection of that ideal friendship many of us strive for or even try to be.

The beginning of the song holds you in for just a brief moment of suspense.

Just Can’t Get Enough

This is Depeche Mode’s debut song. It’s such a fun dance tune, love song right from the start! While Depeche Mode claiming that they “Just Can’t Get Enough”, is a bit repetitive, it honestly isn’t the kind of repetitiveness that grows tiring as the song goes on. Maybe they have a reason to tell the world. Listening to this song, it’s about someone who can’t get enough of another (a crush or lover).

Everything Counts

“The handshake seals the contract

From the contract, there’s no turning back..”

— written by Martin Gore

While this song has a fun dance tune, the lyrics, alone, are more serious. Having a socio-political theme to it, this song is about greed, or more specifically, corporate greed and the competition that we face in this world. The grabbing hands mentioned in this song are a vivid reflection of this greed. It really is a competitive world out there and this song emphasizes that fact.

“Everything Counts” is a great example of why Depeche Mode is one of my favorite bands. The themes of their songs are both diverse and complex. This and many of their other songs are about society and the world around us.

This is one Depeche Mode song I’ve never really paid attention to at first. Now, it’s easily one of my top favorites. It’s one of those songs that no matter how many times I hear it, it never grows old. It’s just as moving and thought provoking to me now as it was the first time I’ve really started listening to it.

Enjoy the Silence

This is easily one of the songs that Depeche Mode is most known for and one of my top favorite songs in general. It’s about finding that at times fleeting moment of silence.

While I’ll always see it as a song about finding that moment of solitude, — a place where you can be alone and reflect, I can also see it as a love song. Imagine you’re with someone. Just you and them. Sometimes words are not needed. Their presence alone is all you need.

Shake the Disease

Depeche Mode had a few emotional songs including this one. This is a song where it is a must to slow down and just listen to the lyrics. This is another Depeche Mode song I’ve never paid attention to. Until now. It’s a love song that’s soothing and moving. I’m glad I am taking the time to listen to it.

Depeche Mode fans are called “Devotees”

See You

This feel good song is a little different coming from Depeche Mode. The song is light hearted and the chorus, to me, has a 60’s vibe to it. It becomes fast paced in no time leading into some seriously catchy “feel good” vibes.

It’s No Good

The tone of this song is soothing then soon changes tone as it becomes slightly heavier. It’s about someone seeing through the denial of another person as they claim they don’t need them and are happier without them. This is emphasized in the chorus.

Strangelove

I can’t put into words how this song makes me feel. I will tell you listening to it never fails to make me smile.

It’s a love song that has a uniqueness to it both in tone and through it’s lyrics. This song is rather complex so listening to it more than once is a requirement.

“But when you think I’ve had enough

From your sea of love

I’ll take more than another river full

Yes, and I’ll make it all worthwhile

I’ll make your heart smile.”

— Written by Martin Gore

“Strangelove” highlights the complex highs and lows of love and its at times addictive qualities. We keep coming back for more. As the title suggest, love really can be quite strange!

It has quickly become one of my top favorite Depeche Mode songs.

Suffer Well

We move from a complex love song to one that has a little more of an edge to it. This song is a perfect example of how much Depeche Mode has changed over time. Electronic music notably fills the background to this song giving it a more modern feel.

Dream On

Dave Gahan’s vocals and the whole rhythm of the song are soothing. It’s mellow and slow paced yet nonetheless moving as it grasps your attention until the very end.

People Are People

This is such a fun song and if my recollection is correct, was the first Depeche Mode I’ve ever heard.

However, it’s so much more than just a catchy dance tune. Just like the song, “Everything Counts”, this is another great example of how Depeche Mode talks about society and the complexities of life in their music.

In “People Are People”, Depeche Mode questions the unnecessary hatred and prejudice that exists in this world. As humans, we have more in common with each other than we think.

“I can’t understand what makes a man hate another man

Help me understand.”

— Written by Martin Gore

The lyrics are so relatable now just as they were when this song was first released. This, alone, is both eye opening and sad at the same time. Sometimes, I wonder the same thing.

Martyr

Another song that has more of an edgier rock vibe to it. This is one of Depeche Mode’s lesser known and under rated songs. Before doing this album review, I would skip over this track. As I take the time to listen to it, it is catchy with some edgier vibes to it.

Walking In My Shoes

This is such an eye opening song and a little emotional too if you take the time to really listen to it. I had to give this song a second listen to fully understand the lyrics. The song is emotional because it’s relatable and very relevant. It’s cautions about judging other people and considers trying to put yourself in their situation.

I Feel You

You can definitely notice the hard alternative rock in this song. If I heard this song outside of this album, I honestly don’t think I would guess that its by Depeche Mode. It’s quite different from what they usually do.

This song is a good example of how its kind of hard to really classify Depeche Mode into a certain genre. Sure, they can be classified into alternative, new wave, and electronica, but as their music evolves, they’ve branched out into a genre that fits somewhere in between.

Precious

This song starts out calm and peaceful drawing you in immediately. It’s a song in which it is much needed to just slow down and pay attention to the lyrics. As I listen to it, I feel its about emotional pain or just going through hard times in general. It’s about a person wishing they could erase the pain that someone else is going through.

Master and Servant

We go from an emotional song to one that has an 80’s techno sound to it yet almost has a futuristic like sound to it. The opening lyrics of the song grasp your attention. It’s a fun song and the lyrics are rather quirky and kinky.

New Life

With the synthesizers at the intro and throughout, this song has a definite 80’s vibe to it. The melody and over all lyrics — notably the main chorus — are catchy and nonetheless fun to sing along to.

Never Let Me Don’t Again

I loved this song the very first time I heard it. I’m pretty sure I dropped whatever I was doing and thought, “What is this masterpiece?!”

This song has such a unique feel to it. I know I might say this about a lot of songs in general, but I have rarely if ever heard a song that sounded as unique as this one. The melody has a good range of highs and lows and keeps me interested until the very end. What an amazing song! It’s yet another Depeche Mode song that I’ll never get tired of. What a phenomenal way to conclude this album!

Depeche Mode is very diverse with their music and the lyrics to their songs are so authentic, deep, and so often relatable.

Listening to this compilation album really made me even more of a "Devotee".