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Rating:
After this review of “A Broken Frame” on Depeche Mode, nothing is missing anymore. Or rather, many things would be missing, like the historic “101”, “One Night in Paris”, the various collections, and the singles, but I'll refrain for now from this because reviewing a “101” requires a fan who truly knows everything about the lives and exploits of Depeche Mode, in short, the brother of producer Daniel Miller or him in person….
Nothing prevents anyone from trying.
But let's proceed in order. Among the albums, we have “A Broken Frame” left. Masterpiece of Electro-Pop, it was released during a period when this genre was at its peak (1982), and it had to compete with the not easy New-Romantic competition. However, those in the know choose DM.
Abundant Synthbass, pure electronics, spot-on sampling from the genius of Alan Wilder, the London keyboardist recruited into the band precisely in '82, lyrics by Martin Gore, who replaced Vince Clarke in writing lyrics, great knowledge of Synths make this album one of the best Electro-pop albums of the '80s and ever.
The cover, which represents a wheat field and a figure representing a digger, wins the award for best cover of '82 (forget Hipgnosis and its little crap!). What matters for the career of the four from Basildon is that this is the album of distinction. If “Speak & Spell” could be grouped with other new-wave works of the period like the production of Soft Cell and Human League (I never tire of mentioning “Dare”), here the music becomes an identity for the band, illuminated by a Gore fan of German electronics (Kraftwerk first and foremost). As I already said, metropolitan music, youthful lyrics (consider that “See You” Gore wrote it at 12 years old!), pieces that seem like soundtracks of Dario Argento films (see the start of “See You” with Dave Gahan who seems like Dracula when he pronounces “All I wanna do is…. )
Everything is very beautiful, accompanied by suggestive effects, provided by the Synthbass and the replication of brass horns on the synthesizer, to create pseudo-gothic reminiscences (pseudo because we can't talk about dark yet, it's still pop, but a pop tinged with gloom and a lot of suggestion). The voice of Dave Gahan in this period is almost perfect. Adolescent, baritone and at the same time suave and gothic, not a comma out of place, not even in the live performances of the period, among which the Hammersmith Odeon concert in London (1982) must be mentioned.
“Leave in Silence” is the opening track, a proto-techno gem with Depeche Mode very inspired both in keyboards and vocals, particularly Gahan who hisses certain words in a superb way. The Longer Version is the most interesting and really makes you enjoy (6:32). “My Secret Garden” is another piece where Dave's voice says it all, those brass horns replicated from the Synth do the rest, very catchy. “Monument” is a small Electro-pop piece with ad hoc sampling and very metropolitan sounds. Just as very metropolitan is the instrumental electronic suite “Nothing to Fear” which catapults you into a nocturnal and unsettling London (at least I’ve always interpreted it that way). Then comes the highlight “See You”, a successful single in Great Britain, with the dominant Synthbass, and a perfect voice, playing Dracula, as I've already said, almost horror-oriental music, and a very cute yet romantic text.
“Satellite” is another electronic pearl, certainly overshadowed by other successful singles, like “The Meaning of Love”, graceful, but which I personally prefer less because I find it a bit childish, not in the lyrics for goodness’ sake, but in the music. Just as they are a bit underwhelming because they don't engrave the Synth into your blood “Further Excerpts from: My Secret Garden” and “A Photograph of You”.
With “Shouldn't Have Done That” we return to a very refined gothic electro-pop, alternating a cappella voices and brass. Sure, those who don't love the genre will disdain it. The icing on the cake is “The Sun & the Rainfall”, one of the best songs of the Electro-pop period, before Industrial invaded the band's work. Very refined in its electronic sounds, you have to listen to it to understand, but it's very beautiful and also light, because it lacks the obsessive Synthbass that dominates in other pieces. In live performances, all these songs might have made more history than on the original record, and Depeche Mode’s live shows between '82 and '84 were perfect both in terms of instruments (great Gore, Fletcher, and the impeccable Wilder) and the young Dave, one of the most beautiful baritone voices in the history of music.
You see, The Punisher accused me of being too biased in my reviews, maybe it's true, but I assure you that I strive not to be, but comparing Depeche Mode to other bands playing in the years of hedonism, I can tell you the quality is there. Rating 3.
Now you'll say: But why, after speaking so well about it?
- because the tracklist eventually becomes a bit tiresome…. after all, the pattern is always the same, except for “Leave in Silence”, “Monument”, and “The Sun & the Rainfall” which must be considered separately because masterpieces.
- secondly, because Depeche Mode in their career have done far superior things compared to this album, which remains, however, one of the best works of the ‘80s.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 My Secret Garden (04:47)
My secret garden's not so secret anymore
Run from the house holding my head in my hands
Feeling dejected, feeling like a child might feel
It all seems so absurd that this should have occurred
My very only secret and I had to go and leak it
My secret garden's not so secret anymore
No, my secret garden's not so secret anymore
Run through the fields down to the edge of the water
Can't stay long, here comes the reason why
She'll catch me if she can, take me by the hand
I'll have to keep on running and I just can't see the fun in
My secret garden not being secret anymore
It used to be so easy on days such as these she'd
Search and search for hours, in among the flowers
I loved it, I loved her
Play the fool, act so cruel (I loved it)
Read her book, take a look (I loved her)
Play the fool, act so cruel (I loved it)
Read her book, take a look (I loved her)
It all seems so absurd that this should have occurred
My very only secret and I had to go and leak it
My secret garden's not so secret anymore
03 Monument (03:16)
When the site was found
We laid the foundations down
It didn't take long before
They came back tumbling down
Don't build at night
You need a little light
How else are you going to see
What it is going to be like
So we picked up our tools
And we worked in the morning light
With the last stone placed
Wasn't it a wonderful site
But it fell back down
And scattered all around
Anything passes
When you need glasses
My monument
It fell down
My monument
It fell down
Work all of my days for this kind of praise
It fell down
Work all of my days
It fell down
06 Satellite (04:44)
Now here this my friends,
I'll never be the same again,
Going to lock myself in a cold black room,
Going to shadow myself in a well of gloom,
I will find a function, operate,
I will be a satellite of hate.
Driving to this point by a chain of events,
Each one pushed me nearer the edge.
Going to send my message through you,
You'll recieve the signal to.
I will function, operate,
I will be a satellite of hate.
Higher, Higher
Dissillusioned - I was disenchanted,
Forgot the love that had been implanted,
Heard the lies and felt the cold,
It broke my heart and I lost control -
Now I'm a satellite of a free state,
I'm a satellite of hate.
07 The Meaning of Love (03:07)
I've read more than a hundred books
Seeing love mentioned many thousand times
But despite all the places I've looked
It's still no clearer
It's just not enough
I'm still no nearer
The meaning of love
The meaning of love
The meaning of love
NOTED DOWN ALL MY OBSERVATIONS
SPENT AN EVENING WATCHING TELEVISION
STILL I COULDN'T SAY WITH PRECISION
KNOW IT'S A FEELING AND IT COMES FROM ABOVE
BUT WHAT'S THE MEANING
The meaning of love
The meaning of love
Tell me
The meaning of love
FROM THE NOTES THAT I'VE MADE SO FAR
LOVE SEEMS SOMETHING LIKE WANTING A SCAR
WELL I COULD BE WRONG
I'M JUST NOT SURE YOU SEE
I'VE NEVER BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE
NEVER BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE
NEVER BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE
NEXT I ASKED SEVERAL FRIENDS OF MINE
IF THEY COULD SPARE A FEW MINUTES OF THEIR TIME
THEIR LOOKS SUGGESTED THAT I'VE LOST MY MIND
TELL ME THE ANSWER
MY LORD HIGH ABOVE
The meaning of love
The meaning of love
The meaning of love
Tell me...
FROM THE NOTES THAT I'VE MADE SO FAR
LOVE SEEMS SOMETHING LIKE WANTING A SCAR
WELL I COULD BE WRONG
I'M JUST NOT SURE YOU SEE
I'VE NEVER BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE
NEVER BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE
NEVER BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE
The meaning of love
Tell me
The meaning of love
Tell me...
09 A Photograph of You (03:05)
What is a photograph of you?
Everytime I look at it,
It makes me feel blue!
What use is a souvenir
Of something we once had
Make me feel bad!
I wish I could tear it up,
But then again I heavn't the guts!
I wish I could throw it on the fire.
I wish I could
But to say I would,
I'd be a liar!
What good is a colour print
Of a little baby doll?
When just one little galance
Is enough to make me feel dull!
I hoped I would missplace it,
But then I take such a good care of it.
I wish I could disappear,
I say I wish,
But then I relish
It being here!
What good is a photograph of you?
Everytime I look at it,
It makes me feel blue.
Everytime I look at it,
It makes me feel blue.
Feel blue.
11 The Sun & the Rainfall (04:54)
Someone will call
Something will fall
And smash on the floor
Without reading the text
Know what comes next
Seen it before
And it's painful
Things must change
We must rearrange them
Or we'll have to estrange them
All that I'm saying
The game's not worth playing
Over and over again
You're the one I like best
You retain my interest
You're the only one
If it wasn't for you
Don't know what I'd do
Unpredictable like the sun
And the rainfall
Things must change
We must rearrange them
Or we'll have to estrange them
All that I'm saying
The game's not worth playing
Over and over again
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