For the Masses: Depeche Mode Tribute

Editorial Reviews
Entertainment Weekly
Like most such albums, this tribute to Depeche Mode is deeply uneven. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

People
...[M]any tribute albums come off as cheesy and passionless--but not this surprisingly energetic tribute to Depeche Mode by mostly younger bands. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Album Details
Depeche Mode Tribute Album. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

For the Masses: Depeche Mode Tribute

Tracks:

Never Let Me Down Again - Smashing Pumpkins
Fly On A Windshield - God Lives Underwater
Enjoy The Silence - Failure
World In My Eyes - The Cure
Policy Of Truth - Dishwalla
Somebody - Veruca Salt
Everything Counts - Meat Beat Manifesto
Shake The Disease - Hooverphonic
Master And Servant - Locust
Shame - Self
Black Celebration - Monster Magnet
Waiting For The Night - Rabbit In The Moon
I Feel For You - Apollo Four Forty
Monument - Gus Gus
To Have And To Hold - Deftones
Stripped - Rammstein

Album Details

Depeche Mode Tribute Album.

Customer Reviews:

Primarily for "hardcore-fans".......2007-02-06

You would typically not buy this album if you were going to buy one single album to learn more about either Depeche Mode or any of the participating bands. This album is more of something you buy when you know "your" band and just want to know how their songs would sound when other established band play them or how "your" band would interpret Depeche Mode.

Good tribute album........2007-01-20

You know, tribute albums are things I rarely ever care for. In fact, one CD that I would sell if I get the oppurtunity is this one of boring U2 covers that I accidentally bought. But this album not only has some artists who already had a name, but some of the less obvious DM influences. This is part of why I appreciate this CD. Some of the covers were kind of surprising, like "Monument" from "A Broken Frame," and also "Shame" (covered by Self, the only artist I had never heard of prior to this compilation) which I wasn't aware of before I got this. While it's clear how heavily influenced a group like God Lives Underwater is by the group, I wouldn't have known that Monster Magnet and Dishwalla were groups who got influenced by DM.

It's a pretty good tribute, as well. It's really interesting to hear Locust's (not to be confused with the noisecore group) interpretation of "Master and Servant." I never have thought of an S&M-themed song being played so mellow and playful. I really liked Failure's take on "Enjoy the Silence" and the one track I had always been familiar with was the Pumpkins' take on "Never Let Me Down Again." It's surprising that they play that one clean, especially being a B-side of the distortion-happy "Siamese Dream" era. Basically, the first five tracks are my favorites. It is more hit than miss.

There are a couple points that don't really do it for me. "Monument" was never really a favorite of mine to begin with, and I don't care for the remake, either. I wish Monster Magnet would've embraced their style a little bit more on "Black Celebration" as well.

Overall, if you like '90s electronic and alternative music, I recommend this. You'll respect it even if you don't enjoy it. Totally worth getting.

For The Masses.......2006-10-25

I'm not really a fan of the band Depeche Mode, and as a general rule tribute albums are a pretty hit and miss affair (the yawn inducing tribute album to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours featuring Jewel, Tonic, and Elton John at their most boring a prime example). So why do I not only own but thoroughly enjoy this tribute album, featuring artists such as Smashing Pumpkins, God Lives Underwater, Locust, and Rammstein?
It's the lyrics that sell it. These are solid songs, but the fact is the covers are quite simply better than the originals.
The songs that stand out first are the Rammstein cover Stripped, which originally appeared as a bonus track on the album Sehnsucht, and the band Failure whose cover of Enjoy The Silence was a hit on Top 40 during the summer of 1998, but these are not the only good songs on this album.
Others I highly recommend to any potential purchaser of this album include the song Shake The Disease, covered by the band Hooverphonic. Geike Arnaert's delivery on the chorus of the song is way more powerful, to my ears, than the delivery of DM's lead singer Dave Gahan..

Here is a plea
From my heart to you
Nobody knows me
As well as you do
You know how hard it is for me
To shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue
In situations like these

The melody is not changed much from the 80s techno the original band is known for, but the Belgian band with it's young female lead singer packs the song with more emotion.
Another selling point is the cover of the song Policy of Truth done here by the band Dishwalla, best known for the line from their one hit Counting Blue Cars, "Tell me all your thoughts on God / Cause I'm on my to see Her." Again, the lyrics are better served by another style of music, in this case rock, as opposed to 80s style techno.

Its just time to pay the price
For not listening to advice
And deciding in your youth
On the policy of truth

This album is truly a must have for people who like diamonds in that rough known as the pop music section.
Other Good Tribute Albums: Songs From A Material World (George Harrison tribute), Kindred Sprits (Johnny Cash tribute) and Killer Queen (Queen tribute).

MINDLESS MUSIC FOR THE MINDLESS MASSES.......2006-08-24

If you are a self-loathing manic depressive who wears pointy shoes and black fingernail polish then you probably own this already, the 80's were a horrible decade for music and trying to revive it with newer bands is equally bad.

Various Artists (And The Smashing Pumpkins) For The Masses.......2006-07-16

Various Artists For The Masses

I just bought this album in San Francisco (July 2006) some 8 years after it first came out.
As a long time fan of Depeche Mode who has admittedly not paid them very much attention in recent years I can honestly say that I have been reminded why I used to love them so much. Depeche Mode are bl**dy fantastic and this collection of tributes while not being universally wonderful is well worth a listen. As many people will not have heard this release I really wanted to review it. There are some turkeys and some Xmas crackers and be warned that I get a bit cross about the turkeys. Afterall, this is Depeche Mode we are talking about!

The album kicks off with Never Let Me Down Again by the Smashing Pumpkins. If you asked most fans what their 3 favourite DM tunes were, chances are that this is one of them. It's a defining anthem and it truly rocks. The fans know how good it is. We've all been to the concerts and we've all sung our hearts out. Well.... Wait till you hear what the `Smashing F**kwits' have done to it. It is hard to find the words to describe how wide of the mark they are in trying to capture the essence of NLMDA. I mean if you were going to try and do it any justice at all you might have a stab at keeping some of the power, emotional intensity and sheer b*ll**ks of the original. But no.... I don't know anything about the Smashing Turnips or their own music but it is my best guess from this effort that they basically get stoned, jam for a bit in an ineffectual way, put some p**s weak whiny vocals down, pop to the all night garage for some more skins, finish off the Stellas, and call it a day. I now know why I have never noticed anything the Smashing Numpties have ever done. (0 out of 10) Lets move on, as it gets a lot better from here.

Next up, Fly on the Windscreen cruises into town with laid back funky beats and some interesting vocal harmonies which present the tension in the song in a new way. You can nod your head to this more than the original and the dark undercurrents are maintined behind the slick groove. The vocals are more musical than DGs and they really work. It's cool and different. A big thumbs up to God Lives Underwater. There's nothing wrong with taking a song in a different direction, as long as you have one. (Smashing Wasters take note) (8 out of 10)

Enjoy The Silence by Failure doesn't deviate too much from DMs' first version apart from in the obvious, in that the guitars are in and the synths are largely out. The intro is delicate, the chorus thumps and the voice of Failures' singer (whose name I am shamefully ignorant of) resonates nicely while lacking DGs power. They've messed a bit with some of the melody in an acceptably pleasing way and it is quite ... well, enjoyable, without capturing the heartfelt passion of the original. So.. a modest success. (7 out of 10)

Now the Cure have got their work cut out here, as World In My Eyes is a bit of a personal favourite. The consumate Kraftwerk feel is gone but Robert Smith maintains the angst and delivers a very listenable performance. They've been a bit lazy on the drum programming, just using one loop with no real variation but the guitar riffs and howls are good which I guess is their forte. It's quite catchy and if anything a bit more accessible than the original. Rather lost its edge but overall not a bad effort. (7 out of 10)

Enter Dishwalla, who grind out a full throttle take on Policy Of Truth with a certain amount of welly and lots of guitar. It builds nicely throughout and ends with all guns blazing. The vocals are great and the finale sees a very musical deviation that powers it's way up to a blistering climax. How cool?.... Very. For me this is way better than the original, which I always used to find a bit dull. Can't wait to put this on in the car. Go Dishwalla!
(10 out of 10)

Somebody is presented by Veruca Salt and it gets a passionate workout here. The rhodes piano and cello really work, vocals are very genuine and you can get lost in this version the same way you get lost when Martin sings it. A beautifully constructed copy of one of DMs best ballads. (8 out of 10)

Everything Counts by Meat Beat Manifesto is a bit of let down. It's a little hard to see where the creativity went. It didn't go into the drum programming which while being marginally better than the Cures' is a bit pedestrian. Aside from trotting out the main melody, they don't really offer anything on the melodic front either which kind of just leaves noises. I didn't like their noises. Oh yes .. the vocals. A bit pants as well. (1 out of 10)

Shake The Disease has a really sparse electronic feel to it with silky vocals, both courtesy of Hooverphonic. It's a very simple cover but astoundingly beautiful and totally captures the repetitive hypnotic drive of DMs version. Go Hooverphonic! (9 out of 10)

Locust's Master And Servant has a surreal The Devine Comedy meets light jazz feel to it which puts it just above elevator muzak. This makes it slightly interesting. (2 out of 10)

I guess Shame is a surprise choice for a cover but hey why not. Selfs' version is quite catchy, in yer face and fun. Not worthy of great praise but neither was the original. (5 out of 10)

With Black Celebration we are back in anthem territory. Monster Magnet throw a lot of energy into this and I really wish they hadn't. If you are going to mess with people's melody you better do it good. i.e Compliment the original. Draw it out and reframe it. Add something. Bring something to the party goddamnit! Or as MM see it... crash the party, nick the beer, p**s all over the place and do a runner. (0 out of 10)

Waiting For The Night To Fall by Rabbit In The Moon starts with sparse beats that pick up into light drum and bass (without the bass). The vocal is a bit karaoke and the whole thing goes on for way too long. (7 minutes 34 seconds too long) (1 out of 10)

Appollo 440 take on I Feel You and the result appears to be a draw. The vocals don't really stand up to DGs but there is an energentic feel to the proceedings with some lively samples thrown in to the mix. It's OK (5 out of 10)

Gus Gus cover Monument which is an interesting choice. It's been given a far more up to date feel here while maintaining the sparse simplicity and brooding atmosphere of the original. The production is nice but the vocals are a little bit too bronski beat for my liking. Not a turkey and not a craker. (6 out of 10)

Deftones crank it up for To Have And To Hold and make a reasonable fist of it. The vocals don't quite reach the same sharp edged menace that DG gives it but the rest is all there. Screaching guitar solos and smash it all up finale. Pretty good (7 out of 10)

Finally we have Rammstein's Stripped which is completely awful. But let let's leave that to one side for a moment and deal with something else. It's funny as f**k. The vocal comes across as Rocky Horror Show meets Lordi (of recent EuroVision fame). This is all backed up by wannabe death metal come eurobeat. Whether they approached this cover seriously or not I don't know. I am confused and amused by it. Which is a shame as I'd really like to hear somebody have a proper crack at it. (no idea what mark out of 10 this gets ... probably about 4 for being weird)

For fans who want to hear a different take on their favourite band I thoroughly recommend this collection. Half of it is indeed rubbish but that's what CD rippers and MP3 players are for. If you haven't listened to your old DM albums in a while, this will ensure that you rediscover them. While you're at it get the remastered CDs in 5.1 surround sound. They're great.

Chris Danson. Ashford. Middlesex

Just Can't Get Enough [Tribute to Depeche Mode]

Average customer rating:

Nice Tribute!

Just Can't Get Enough [Tribute to Depeche Mode]

Manufacturer: Four Rock
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0001BVI2W
Release Date: 2003-12-12

Tracks:

I feel loved
Enjoy the silence
Policy of truth
People are people
A question of time
Everything counts
Walking in my shoes
Personal Jesus
Stripped
Never let me down again
Master and servant
Just can't get enough
Photographic
Puppets
Barrel of a gun
New life
Shake the disease (Instr.)

Customer Reviews:

Nice Tribute!.......2004-07-31

The independent record store I usually order from sent out an email concerning this so I eventually picked it up (the description made the album sound that good). The music sounds very much like Apoptygma Berzerk or VNV Nation meet Dead Or Alive. Because one band has done all the music you might think this could get old in short order. Not so, the music was all performed by one band but there are different vocalists on the tracks. It sounds like they had a handful so you hear the same vocalists a couple of times over the life of the album but it is still a good tribute, especially since no one here is trying to be the next Depeche Mode by auditioning with sound alikes, and that includes the sound of the vocalists; no one attempts to sound like Dave Gahan. Worth checking out.

Music:

Music

music

Music

Live & Rare [Live] [Import]

Tchaikovksy: Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique"; Romeo & Juliet

Pieces De Luth: Lute Works

Still Life [Import]

Sonic Youth Tribute: Confuse Your Idols

Survivor [CD-single] [Import]

Sing Me to Sleep, Mommy

Spirito gentil: Arias by Gaetano Donizetti

Sensational Country Hits

Rancherisimo, Vol. 2

Six of One, Half a Dozen of the Other, 1986-2002

Rumba Gitana

Sacred Songs, Vol. 2: Gregorian Chants [Import]

Pawns in the Game

When You Were Young