Depeche Mode - Black Celebration
If in 1986 your life was dark and claustophobic, yet powerful, this would have been your soundtrack! With this release, the synth kings from Basildon were moving further from their pop beginnings, that they had with Vince Clarke, and were becoming less predicable and a more sullen.
Dave Gahan (Vocalist) sounds a lot more mature and relaxed throughout this album especially on the opener / title track 'Black Celebration'.
On the next track 'Fly On The Windscreen' the group begin to sound like the Depeche we know of now; a magical mix of vocal sampling with a keyboard grandeur that comes across as almost sexual!
Talking of sexual, 'Question Of Lust' follows - this is the first of 5 tracks that are sung by keyboardist Martin Gore. Here he shows a sense of vunrability that I feel Gahan couldn't bring to this type of song. In my opinion no one does these sort of searing ballads better than Depeche Mode.
Martin Gore again takes up the lead vocals on 'Sometimes' a tender piano ballad with sweeping vocal overlays.
'It Doesn't Matter Two' is the most original with a mix of musical tubes and sampled chanting (this was 'borrowed' to good effect for the beginning of Queen's song 'I'm Going Slightly Mad').
'A Question Of Time' is a slightly disturbing song lyrically about a older man chasing a young girl for his own sexual needs. This was released as a single in a more hi-temp disco version. However the album version is far superior with it's slight mis-timing and slow burning atmosphere. This adds to the sinister nature of the subject. A live favourite!
Another song that the band still perform to great effect, is 'Stripped'. It's an emotional and intimate song that explores yet more sexual feelings. Far from being overly explicit, again Depeche Mode excel at a ballad, making it beautiful with no bland schmutz on the horizon.
Official Video Of 'Stripped'
'Dressed In Black' is the perfect accompaniment to late night brooding, a dark and simple song. The dressing theme continues with 'New Dress'.
'New Dress' seems to have a nod towards the electro stylings of Arthur Baker (pioneer hip hop producer) added with a dash of Depeche synth. However, what does make this song fairly interesting in passing are the lyrics. For once Depeche Mode go a little policitical by studying the newspaper headlines of the day.
How times have changed in the press as here the headlines read "Sex jibe husband murders wife", "In black townships fires blaze" and "Famine horror, millions die".These would no longer make the front page now due to this country's obsession with celebrity. There is a little reference though towards the only celeb who mattered back in 1986 -
"Princes Di is wearing a new dress".
On the version of the album that I have includes a few extra tracks that weren't on the original release. Nonetheless this really does not add anything particularly to the album.
This was a great album in 1986 but Depeche Mode easily surpassed this with future releases, but 'Black Celebration' was a snap shot of where they were at the time.
A worthy purchase for any collection.
Why I ♥ This Album
March 1986 (when Black Celebration was released) was a hard time for me. My mum and step-father had moved my brother and myself to Andover form Basingstoke a little
over a year earlier. I was finding it difficult to adapt to a new school whilst trying to make new friends.
In Basingstoke I had been through infants and junior schools with pretty much the same people and formed strong bonds there. We all knew each other so well, I know the estate was a little rough but
it was the sort area where we all looked out for each other,Kicked balls around late into the evening etc. I would even go as far to say that infact I was kind of popular!!.
So there I was in a new town living a different lifestyle, that was not through my choice. There seemed to be no community, which was foreign to me. It was a place where one would know theire next door neighbour and possibly the people opposite and that was about it. Of course, having no history with anyone didn't help either.
At school I wasn't tagged with the outcasts nor with the popular kids. I was just invisible, a ghost in the corridors. Don't get me wrong I did make some friends, at the time, but nothing on the level that I had in 'stoke. It was a real knock to my confidence which in turn made me lose interest in schooling. Geography was a big subject for me back at my old school (O-Level A/B grade predicted) and despite having a great teacher at my new one (Mr. George) I just couldn't find the enthusiasm for it.
 |
| John Hanson School Andover |
When it came to taking my 'options' I just dropped the subject and I didn't really care. During my last year at John Hanson in Andover, I must have attended at least only two dozen maths lessons, opting instead to
spending time at The Gorge Cafe in the Chantry Centre.
Funnily it wasn't until I had left school that some of the friends I had made at school became even better friends. I'm looking forward to sharing stories about them through
this blog............ so watch out for tales and escapades about Des, Candy, Lorraine, Richard, Paul, Keely and Jamie Crouch.
It was also only after finishing school my confidence began to build again, but hey, you know what? I am still very shy really!!!
Even at my darkest moments, the music of Depeche Mode has always been there and helped.
No comments:
Post a Comment