| VARIOUS For the Masses - Depeche Mode Tribute |
Most tribute albums are cattle calls for record companies to try to create a star on the backs of an established one. The results are usually eneven at best with lots of tracks to skip. The guys from God Lives Underwater (who produced a surprise hit this year with the haunting 'From Your Mouth') brought together a diverse group of heavyweights to tell the story of another very influencial one. Depeche Mode has always cultivated a certain kind of sound, keyboard driven, and a little soft to give singer David Gahan space to move his fading baritone in. Lately this phenomena has been most detrimental to Martin Gore's generally unheralded lyrics, despite DM's ability to keep making hits. The Smashing Pumpkins initiate the procedings with an understated, and elegant version of 'Never Let Me Down Again', leading into GLU's own pumping version of 'Fly on the Windscreen' using layered 303 buildups and a pumping Hammond organ sound. Only a few of the tracks fail to take the old tracks anyplace new, but most of these tracks subtly rework the originals to outstanding effect, the vocalists free to bring out the power of the lyrics in a way that brings out their quality differently than Gahan would. It brings you closer to the songs to have them come at you from different directions. There are many highlight, Dishwalla rocks 'Policy of Truth' to express more brutality than the original, and Gus Gus tweaks out 'Shame' from Construction Time Again in a way that you can hear Marvin Gaye emerging from an electronic coal mine. Rammstien's 'Stripped' single is mind bending, and newcomer drum amd bassers Rabbit in the Moon turn 'Waiting for the Night' into a club anthem. The Cure, Moster Magnet, and Hooverphonic all shine here as well. This is something special. Last update: 21-11-2008 11:55
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