Reminding Me Of So Many Other Nights...

So thanks to my big mouth and a persistent girlfriend, I spent WAY too much on tickets to Depeche mode! I'm not exactly complaining because God knows they had a HUGE influence on me, but that influence about ended with "Music For The Masses"... since then they have evolved into something that I've not quite connected with as I did "Black Celebration" or "Speak & Spell." People laugh at "Speak & Spell" now, and yet it remains near the top of my favorite Depeche Mode albums. Perhaps i'm old. Memories of driving around San Diego on a Friday night in the mid 80's looking for chicks whilst blasting "New Life" out of a cassette player in a beat-up old Silver Honda with a purple door. Yeah I was cool. And life was cool back then too.

So as November 18 (date of show) draws near, I have gotten into Depeche Mode mode (!) and have compiled a "Best of," choosing my favourite tracks off each album (even the later albums I've barely listened to!)... This isn't a Best of "For The Masses!" You won't find "Personal Jesus," "Enjoy The Silence," or even "Just Can't Enough." No, this is a selfish compilation. One that will soon be blasting "New Life" out of a cassette player in a beat-up old Hyundai Accent in the mid 2000's on a Friday afternoon as I drive to work. And yes... I will feel cool again.

Tracklisting:

1. New Life (Speak & Spell)
2. Boys Say Go (Speak & Spell)
3. Puppets (Speak & Spell)
4. See You (A Broken Frame)
5. Two Minute Warning (Construction Time Again)
6. It Doesn't Matter (Some Great Reward)
7. Get The Balance Right (People Are People)
8. Shake The Disease (Catching Up With Depeche Mode)
9. A Question Of Lust (Black Celebration)
10. Sometimes (Black Celebration)
11. Here Is The House (Black Celebration)
12. World Full Of Nothing (Black Celebration)
13. But Not Tonight (Black Celebration)
14. The Things You Said (Music For The Masses)
15. Blue Dress (Violator)
16. One Caress (Songs Of Faith And Devotion)
17. Home (Ultra)
18. Freelove (Exciter)
19. Nothing's Impossible (Playing The Angel)

Anyone want a copy?

Here Come The Tears...

Here's my unbiased review of The Tears new album...



Once upon a time when most of the world was listening to Grunge, along came a band called Suede. They burst onto the scene oozing style and sex that hadn’t been seen since the Glam years and paved the way for the Britpop movement that was soon to follow. Unfortunately, Suede had too many Chiefs and not enough squaws as singer Brett Anderson and guitarist Bernard Butler both had ego’s far too large for one band. Ultimately Bernard walked away and although both went on to have successful careers, they never captured the initial success they had together.

The Tears may change all that.

Here Come The Tears is the first album from the newly reunited Brett and Bernard. Gone are the grit and androgyny of the Suede we once knew and loved, replaced instead by an older and more melodic musical landscape from a couple of Britpop geezers!

The triumphant Refugees seems to pick up right where Suede left off, followed by a Smithesque riff ala “What Difference Does It Make” on Autograph. Co-Star is reminiscent of Pulp’s “Underwear,” and Imperfection features a wall of sound that Phil Spector would be proud of. The Ghost of You brings to mind Blur’s “Yuko and Hiro,” Two Creatures could have been in Rocky Horror (the guitar riff sounds like “I Can Make You A Man!”), and the celebrated Lovers is by far the best track on the album. Fallen Idol sounds like a Noel-sung Oasis song- one that Liam refuses to sing, Brave New Century sounds like Filmstar without the nasty guitar and attitude, and Beautiful Pain’s soaring chorus makes you completely forgive the less than memorable verses. The Asylum starts out sounding like "Champagne Supernova” but goes nowhere, Apollo 13 sounds eerily similar to Rialto’s “Deep Space,” and the album ends with A Love As Strong As Death which could be on the soundtrack for the next far too intelligent novel turned indie flick of the week.

Here Come The Tears may not be for the "New Generation" of Popsceners, but for those of us who were there in the beginning, the gradual transition from Glam to MOR is a welcome one.