Martin Gore

[Numanoid]

I just love that they've never been afraid to experiment. I remember seeing some very old video clip on YouTube with Martin explaining that they were about to throw a small pebble against the bottom edge of a sliding glass door, and use that sound as the basis for the rhythm track for a song.

When they reissued their albums in the mid-00's each came with a DVD which holds a documentary about that period.

Watched back to back it's like 6 hour all in all!

Construction Time Again was when they started using samplers, and found sound in their tracks. Garteh Jones who had earlier worked with John Foxx was instrumental in that.

[pmczar]

Ah, I thought it was a promo for their news albums.

Ok, serously. I'm fine with that somone lprefer their new stuff to their old. HKowever it was indeed a bit unusual

Yeah, I know, it unusual but I've always preferred their new music. I think people like their old tunes because it reminds them the time when they were young. When DM started, I wasn't even born so it doesn't make sense to me. I've discovered DM with their Ultra album that I liked a lot at the time. I still think there is some very good tune in this album.

You've got a point there. DM fans in my generation do have a soft spot for that particular period.

I think there is more to liking older DM stuff than just nostalgia. I would argue that earlier in their career, they were at the cutting edge of technology; they were stylistically inventive and produced albums that were cohesive in their songcraft. Their more recent work comes across at times as an attempt to recreate their previous sound, rather than push the envelope... Delta Machine is an example of another concern I have, where a couple of very good songs with strong melodies and solid arrangements are followed by numbers that are not at the same level when it comes to the songcraft... To be fair, when a band has been around for such a long time, it's tough to be both inventive and maintain a certain style that is expected by the fans. That's why we see the individual band members doing their solo projects that can be more stylistically adventurous. Can't wait to listen to Martin's record that came out today!

[sfd]

You've got a point there. DM fans in my generation do have a soft spot for that particular period.

I got into DM at the time of Some Great Reward.

But later I have found A Broken Frame to be my favourite. So it was nothing I like because I grew up with it

Violator I find to be their masterpiece as craftsmen.

SOFAD was a big disappointment for me, and I haven't really gelled with their releases after that. There are many nice tracks, but their albums as a whole post 1991 contains too much filler.

I too started to listen on DM around the time of Some Great Reward. I think it was the single People Are People being played on the radio al day that hooked me up.

I bought Construction time again while waiting for the next LP. I wasnt aware of the two first albums at that time.

To some extent the 101 video was my first disappointment. Not the songs but the whole setup...somehow. I can't put the finger on the spot.

For me SOFAD was a dissapointment too at frist. But with Walking I started to like it aand today it's one of my absolute favorite DM albums.


My, subjective, opinion is that DM after Alan Wilder is less well produced. There are many great songs. But I feel they could have doen better with a better producer. Someone wh could push them a little further.

IMO a good example is the track Precious from Playing The Angel. This track is obvousl ywell produced and as such sticks out quite a bit from the other songs on that album.

Another thing I mis with the albums from the 80s is that they, apart from the two first ones, are very sample based. I loved the era when they created their own unique sounds. Today they are to much into analog synths. I think Vince do that better. Althougt Martin is a better songwriter. Well at least for my musical taste.

[pmczar]

My, subjective, opinion is that DM after Alan Wilder is less well produced.

Absolutely agree... He seemed to be responsible for the polished and consistent sound of the band. His departure left a big void and started DM's search for that sonic consistency and a new sonic identity with a variety of producers...

[Numanoid]

DM was/is the perfect band in that the members play distinct important roles

Dave: The front figure
Mart: The songwriter
Alan: The producer/engineer
Fletch: The manager/deal fixer

That's pretty good division of labour

[SampleScience]

My, subjective, opinion is that DM after Alan Wilder is less well produced.

Absolutely agree... He seemed to be responsible for the polished and consistent sound of the band. His departure left a big void and started DM's search for that sonic consistency and a new sonic identity with a variety of producers...

+1. Depending on the producer they chosen, it either sound alright (Exciter), pretty good (Ultra) or just plainly rough (Delta Machine, Sounds of the Universe). But it never sounded as polish and superbly mixed as when Alan was there.

[sfd]

I agree !

There's an interesting example to this in Playing The Angel. The track Precious is obviously better produced then the other tracks, One cna clearly hear that they have put some more effort to this track. It sound much more polished then any of the others on the album.

IMO, Precious is of a fair Ultra standard in the sound, mix and production.

Surprisingly it's produced by Ben Hiller.

Speaking of PTA, I guess most of you guys have noted that they used some sounds from the 12" version of Behind The Wheel in Suffer Well.

[Numanoid]

Speaking of PTA, I guess most of you guys have noted that they used some sounds from the 12" version of Behind The Wheel in Suffer Well.

Recurring themes, an indication of greatness

[Kriminal]

DM was/is the perfect band in that the members play distinct important roles

Dave: The front figure
Mart: The songwriter
Alan: The producer/engineer
Fletch: The manager/deal fixer

That's pretty good division of labour

Seem to missing musicians....

[Kriminal]

Speaking of PTA, I guess most of you guys have noted that they used some sounds from the 12" version of Behind The Wheel in Suffer Well.

Recurring themes, an indication of greatness

Or an indication of lack of new ideas...

[Numanoid]

Seem to missing musicians....

Not to worry, Fletch's finger knows a good riff when it plays one

[andrew71]

SOFAD was a big disappointment for me, and I haven't really gelled with their releases after that. There are many nice tracks, but their albums as a whole post 1991 contains too much filler.

SOFAD was a massive shock for me, but I still listen to it very frequently. I like most of the albums that have come since, with Playing the Angel probably being my favourite post-SOFAD.

I bought MG on Monday and have listened through it quite a few times. It's definitely worth a listen in my opinion.

[Kriminal]

For me, VCMG was a huge disappointment. Delta Machine was a huge disappointment. (For that matter, so have been recent Erasure releases.)

But what I've been hearing from the new MG sounds really good, and I'm feeling optimistic again. Fingers crossed!

VCMG stuff is fantastic. Delta Machine has a couple of good tracks, but it overall dull after a few listens.

I remember buying Counterfeit when it came out.... havent heard anything else by him tho.

[Numanoid]

Or an indication of lack of new ideas...

...all art is but variations of the same theme

[Numanoid]

I remember buying Counterfeit when it came out....

I remember buying it on holiday in Oslo during the summer of '89

At that time I had no clue who the Durutti Column were, but now among my favourite bands