The Best of Depeche Mode, Volume 1

Depeche Mode celebrates the 25th anniversary

Depeche Mode were formed in 1976 by Vince Clarke and Andrew Fletcher as No Romance in China. By 1980, they had settled into the name they're best remembered for and the basic lineup of Clark, Fletcher, Martin Gore, and Dave Gahan on vocals. By the end of the 1980s Depeche Mode were a legit teen phenomenon. They went on to become the quintessential electro-pop band of the 1980s. One of the first acts to establish a musical identity based completely around the use of synthesizers. Depeche Mode began their existence as a bouncy dance-pop outfit but gradually developed a darker, more dramatic sound that ultimately positioned them as one of the most successful alternative bands of their era. This year Depeche Mode celebrate the 25th anniversary. And after the 11th album Playing The Angel the band decided to release The Best of, Volume 1. Not including singles boxes and remix compilations, this is the fifth compilation of Depeche Mode material released in the States, and it is by far the most comprehensive and top-shelf of the bunch. Mostly every album in the band’s catalog is represented here.

Depeche Mode selected the best

The album The Best of, Volume 1 contains 18 tracks. Besides such megahits as Master and Servant, Enjoy the Silence, Personal Jesus, the just-released single Martyr and other great Depeche Mode’s works the album makes room for lesser-known gems. For example the contributions from the band’s debut album Speak & Spell represented by two songs. They are Just Can’t Get it Enough and New Life. These uncharacteristically happy-go-lucky synths can be attributed to Vince Clarke, a founding member who soon left to form Yazoo with Alison Moyet and is now half of Erasure. New Life can make you want to frizz your hair and hang out with Devo. The song Everything Counts was taken from Construction Time Again. If ever there were a song made for a huge stadium sing-along, this is it. Everything Counts has a chest-thumping beat, industrial-sounding keys, and a refrain. In fact, no album is represented by more than two songs but they can tell you a lot about this or that period of Depeche Mode’s creation.

The Best of, Volume 1 spans 25 years

Actually the album The Best of, Volume 1 shows all the moments in Depeche Mode’s development, from electro-pop, through electro-cool to a more guitar-based sound. Perhaps the album’s biggest surprise is the sequencing. Most bands that lean on technology for their sound tend to benefit from a chronological track listing, but The Best of Depeche Mode is literally all over the place, with two mid-period classics (1989’s Personal Jesus and 1987’s Never Let Me Down Again) serving as the bookends. All other points in the band’s 25-year career fall in between. Despite the number of hits on this album, which spans 25 years (!) it looks like there’s still space for Volume 2 to include: Leave in Silence, World in my Eyes, Higher Love, Halo, Behind the Wheel, Nothing, A Question of Time, Black Celebration amongst others – so something else to look forward to!