Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #749 in Digital Music Album
• Published on: 2009-04-21
• Released on: 2009-04-20
• Running time: 3478 seconds

Customer Reviews

pricey but worth it for extra discs
I received this box from an independent record store yesterday 16 April - nice to get this before release date. The album is a welcome return to form after the slightly wayward Exciter and Playing the Angel. This is classic DM; strong musically and the usual topics covered by Gore's lyrics.
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Now to the box - it's larger than I thought it would be from the images, everything fits neatly inside. To be honest, most of the contents will remain untouched inside the box; I've flicked through the 2 books, ignored the badges and poster - what I'm really after here are the discs! I'm not a fan of 5.1 surround music; I've found it gimmicky rather than immersive. I have a couple of the DM reissues on 5.1 and have listened to them no more than once.
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Disc 3
What really interests me with this box is the 3rd disc of demos and this does not disappoint. It's very interesting to hear how the demo songs differ from the final recorded releases. [edited to add] I was surprised that the demos aren't guitar and voice based, which is what I was expecting - these are synth + drum machine + voice; some are close to the final recordings in character and arrangement. I Feel You is slightly more edgy / dark.
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[edited to add]Disc 2 - extra songs. Light, Gahan vocal, great song. The Sun and the Moon and the Stars, Gore vocal. Ghost, Gahan vocal, my favourite of these extra tracks, more vintage DM. Esque, short noodly intermission. Oh Well, Gahan vocal. Remixes - have listened to 6. Corrupt (Efdemin remix), 7. In Chains (Minilogue's Earth mix), 8. Little Soul (Thomas Fehlman ambient mix), 9. Jezebel (SixToes remix). tracks 6 to 8 are largely forgettable, slow trance syncopated reggae beat is how I would describe them. Jezebel gets a string section + clarinet makeover which is an interesting reinterpretation. But for me gone are the days when a DM 12" was a must-buy; I'm thinking back to the old DM and classic 12" mixes such as Master & Servant. So personally I'll listen to the extra tracks and skip the remixes.
*
Disc 4 / DVD - "Usual Thing, Try And Get The Question In The Answer" only watched 10 / 12 mins of this hour long segment of DM in the studio. Quite interesting, introduces a very large collection of analog synths!
The studio session are DM playing songs live, Stories of Old is one of my favourite classic Mode tracks, great to hear with a matured vocal from Gahan. He has really mastered his voice, great vocalist, probably doesn't get the universal credit he deserves.
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Summary:
This deluxe box set is probably one for the fans only, who would be interested in hearing more from their favourite band. The album itself is a strong one. The extra money over the "vanilla" album for the "goodies" in the deluxe box is excessive - so definitely one for collectors / obsessives (I've been a fan since 1984 so I guess I'm in that category)

Right
Well SOTU is finally here and it's mighty fine you'll be relieved to hear. Although, as usual, an instant winner it ain't. Be assured that the time you'll invest in it will be rewarded tho.

Sixty quid ain't half a lot of moolah for someone likes me who just wants the music and doesn't really want postcards, badges, toothbrush holders etc - and the music is all I'll talk about here.

The first CD is the album proper and it calls to mind Depeche Mode's pre-Exciter albums in that it holds together really well. (Playing The Angel was a fine piece of work for the most part but ran out of steam a bit after Precious and never really recovered. Exciter didn't have a lot of steam to start with (although "I am You" still sends shivers down the spine for me) and any it did have got a bit lost in that-chap-from-LFO's indulgent production. And honestly Mr Gore - "We're in the zombie room"?)

Martin's songs are very much back hitting the spot. Young Dave gets three and they bed in quite nicely - though only Come Back can live with Martin's compositions - I'd still prefer him to save his work for his perfectly satisfactory solo albums - since for me, Mr M L Gore's songs are the core of DM.

The mood is akin to (the massively underrated and my personal favourite) Ultra but with simpler arrangements thanks to the unfussy analogue synths that give the album it's title. Hillier's production again allows the songs to breathe (are you listening Mark Bell?) and does reveal some beauts.

The DVD interviews show that Wrong was deliberately chosen as the first single not for any commerciality (straight in at 24 in the UK, then straight back out again) but more as a statement of intent. It should be a bit of a stormer live (and the maxi single version has some great mixes).

Stars of the show are undoubtedly SOFAD-like "In Chains", Violator-ish "Perfect" and the alarmingly upbeat "Peace" - and in a sane world those would be the standard further 3 singles - although I have a feeling Mr Gahan will push for "Come Back" being put out (or he'll take his toys home).

What's still good here though my friends is the extra material - CD2 has five extra tracks that could have graced the main set quite easily, although the remixes are yet to excite me much.

What's even better however is the third CD of demos dating back as far as Little 15 - mostly sung by Martin with a variety of backings that are well worth the entrance fee alone.

So why not get it for the 3CDs, say the magic words "Home Taping Is Killing Music" (showing my age now), gasp as copies of the discs appear in front of your very eyes, watch the DVD, put it all back in the box, reseal it with cling film and judicious use of a very hot radiator, wait for the price to creep up in a few weeks and then resell it on Marketplace. But of course, you'll be visited in the small hours by EMI Piracy Police who'll put a bat up your pyjamas...or even worse, force you to listen to Recoil's "Subhuman" - the aural equivalent of sawing your leg off with a rusty hacksaw...

A deluxicious treat for the fans only
Firstly, this is a big box so make sure you're in when the postie comes. It's a beautiful item but this will be more of a treat for the fans I feel and even more of one if you love the album. The DVD is the most enlightening you'll see of the band compared to previous DVDs the have accompanied their other albums - a really comprehensive insight into the making of the album. The additional tracks are stunning, especially "Ghost" and "The Sun and the Moon and the Stars" which in my opinion should have replaced a couple of the dud tracks on the official release such as the bland "In Sympathy" and misfiring "Hole to Feed". The demos that are included will be a joy to fans as Martin Gore's own production are naively beautiful and they go back as far as Music For The Masses. Sadly, they remind us of their former glory a little too much and certainly there was a part of me wondering "what happened?" when you hear the demos of "I feel you" and "Little 15". The over-the-top, dated and cheesy lyrics lets down the album in a big way, which is a shame and further cements the idea that this would be a stronger release if the bonus tracks had made the album instead of others. The box itself is a lovely, bombastic statement and the lyrics are given to you in a massive hardback book with some great photos of the band. There's also another book of photos from the Sounds of the Universe sessions which really makes the DM boys come across as happy and enjoying music still. Martin's new synths are on full display in the photos and could have been a collection of photos from the 80s. The only slightly useless additions is a "Smash Hits" affair of providing a couple of badges and a poster aswell, only for the true collectors. To top it off there are a collection of art cards (in a sealed pouch, again for the collectors) which are interpretations of the Sounds Of The Universe artwork by other artists.
I can't see non DM fans shelling out for this, however for the fans, it's a must because you get alot for your money. I just wish they'd done all this for an album that's worth it, however for this DM fan the extras warrant the 4 stars.