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Depeche Mode - Sound Of The Universe
After the timid announcement on their site 16 months ago, and the entertaining Berlin press conference in October, where the World Tour was also presented, with a preview of “Wrong” and “Peace”, the first and presumably second single, the twelfth Studio Album by Depeche Mode is released, “Sound of the Universe.“ DM, along with U2, is the sole surviving band from one of the most charismatic and intriguing decades music has ever had—the legendary '80s. It is precisely from here that this work originates, from the '80s, a child of analog synthesizers made in the '80s and beyond. Some of Martin's synth collection even belongs to the prior decade, almost all purchased from the world's largest virtual store, “Ebay.” Beyond statistics and numbers, I would say it is time to talk about the content of this CD.
13 tracks plus 5 more unreleased ones accessible only for those fortunate enough to possess the Deluxe version (like myself); all with excellent depth both sonically and compositionally where “Wrong” finds its compositional apex, a kind of nursery rhyme/chant where everything blends into an extended verse without a precise chorus. I think commercially it's difficult to find hit songs without true song form like this one; here, DM has once again found the right key. All the songs are by Martin Gore, except for 3 tracks: “Hole To Feed”, the best of the three, without taking anything away from the beautiful “Come back” and the Delta Blues “Miles Away” which are written by the now experienced David Gahan, who sings divinely in all the pieces, except in “Jezabel” sighed by Gore.
An album very meticulously crafted, both in sound and aesthetics, thanks to the hand of trusty Ben Hillier, reaching his second effort with DM. In the 13 tracks, there's a bit of everything, there's much of "Black Celebration" and "Some Great Reward”, something of "Violator" something of "Exciter" and an inevitable trail of “Play the Angel,” all still not too obvious, after all, the Synths are the ones, the sounds too, nobody or almost nobody can make miracles, all tracks revolve around the same frequency, the sound is very molded, only the guitars manage to break out from this cloud of Synth even if in SOTU they have been reduced compared to the past. The part I find somewhat off is in the arrangement of the various tracks, apart from “Wrong”, almost all have arrangements below the value of the song itself, see “Come Back” and “In Chains” two splendid works diminished by the arrangement. Even the rhythm section (all performed with old Drum Machines and Sound Generators) is a bit thin. Nonetheless, “In Chains” stands out as overwhelming and hypnotic, “Peace” is very ’80s with early-day choruses, and “Corrupt” to me is the most beautiful piece of the album (apart from Wrong) with guitars and rhythm reminiscent of “Personal Jesus” but much deeper.
Even though most tracks are excellent pieces, there's a lack of true second and third single material; none have the personality of “Wrong”, perhaps due to the arrangements or the reduced rhythm?
In conclusion, I can only say that it is a great album, deserving of at least 4 stars, an album to have, to listen to carefully and many times, because it is full of details and because it remains and they remain, despite everything, always ahead of their time!
Thank you DM, you've gifted us with yet another splendid work.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 In Chains (06:52)
The way you move Has got me yearning The way you move Has left me burning I know you know what you�re doing to me I know my hands will never be free I know what it�s like to be In chains The way you move Is meant to haunt me The way you move To tempt and taunt me I know you knew on the day you were born I know somehow I should�ve been warned I know I walk every midnight to dawn In Chains In chains, I�m in chains In chains, I�m in chains You�ve got me dying for you Its you that I�m living through You�ve got me praying to you Saying to you anything you want me to You�ve got me reaching for you My souls beseeching me too You�ve got me singing to you Bringing to you anything you ask me to The way you move Is mesmerizing The way you move Is hypnotizing I know I crumble when you are around Start to mumble a bit of a false sound Straggle, stumble, shackled and bound In chains In chains, I�m in chains In chains, I�m in chains You�ve got me dying for you Its you that I�m living through You�ve got me praying to you Saying to you anything you want me to You�ve got me reaching for you My souls beseeching me too You�ve got me singing to you Bringing to you anything you ask me to I�m in chains In chains, I�m in chains In chains, I�m in chains In chains, I�m in chains
02 Hole to Feed (03:55)
We are here
We can love
We share something
I'm sure that you mean the world to me
Your name was the one that was always chosen
Your words and the kindness that set me free
The shame as a hole that has kept us frozen
You open my eyes to a world that I could believe
Words can leave you broken inside
You’ll have to decide
I'm hanging onto my pride
We are here
We can love
We share something
I'm sure that you mean the world to me
When you get What you need
there's no way of knowing
What you'll have is another hole to feed
Your games simple played you've left us hoping
The gift that we have the life that we breathe
This world could leave you broken inside
With nowhere to hide
I'm hanging onto my pride
We are here...
We've been chosen...
We've been blessed with the place we need to find and then open
We are here
We can love
We share something
I'm sure that you mean the world to me
When you get What you need
There's no way of knowing
What you'll have Is another hole to feed
03 Wrong (03:12)
I was born with the wrong sign
In the wrong house
With the wrong ascendancy
I took the wrong road
That led to the wrong tendencies
I was in the wrong place at the wrong time
For the wrong reason and the wrong rhyme
On the wrong day of the wrong week
I used the wrong method with the wrong technique
Wrong
Wrong
There's something wrong with me chemically
Something wrong with me inherently
The wrong mix in the wrong genes
I reached the wrong ends by the wrong means
It was the wrong plan
In the wrong hands
The wrong theory for the wrong man
The wrong eyes on the wrong prize
The wrong questions with the wrong replies
Wrong
Wrong
I was marching to the wrong drum
With the wrong scum
Pissing out the wrong energy
Using all the wrong lines
And the wrong signs
With the wrong intensity
I was on the wrong page of the wrong book
With the wrong rendition of the wrong hook
Made the wrong move, every wrong night
With the wrong tune played till it sounded right yeah
Wrong
Wrong
(Too long)
Wrong
(Too long)
I was born with the wrong sign
In the wrong house
With the wrong ascendancy
I took the wrong road
That led to the wrong tendencies
I was in the wrong place at the wrong time
For the wrong reason and the wrong rhyme
On the wrong day of the wrong week
I used the wrong method with the wrong technique
Wrong
04 Fragile Tension (04:09)
There's a fragile tension
That's keeping us going
It may not last forever
But, oh well, it's blowing
There's something magical in the air
Something so tragic we had to care
There's a strange obsession
That's drawing us nearer
We don't understand it
It never gets clearer
There's something mystical in our dreams
So simplistic, it kicks and screams
All we will seem to reek on the edge of collapse
Nothing can keep us down
There's a dizzying feeling
That's keeping us flying
Some glittering gauntlet
Without even trying
There's something radical in our hands
Nothing logical to our plans
07 Peace (04:27)
Peace will come to me
Peace will come to me
Iâ??m leaving bitterness behind
This time Iâ??m cleaning up my mind
There is no space for the regrets
I will remember to forget
Just look at me
I am walking of incoming
Look at the frequencies of which I vibrate
Iâ??m going to light up the world
Peace will come to me
Peace will come to me
Iâ??m leaving anger in the past
With all the shadows that it caused
There is radar in my heart
I should have trusted from the start
Just look at me
I am a living act of holiness
Giving all the positive virtues that I possess
Iâ??m going to light up the world
Peace will come to me
Just wait and see
Peace will come to me
It's meant to be
Peace will come to me
Just wait and see
Peace will come to me
Itâ??s inevitability
08 Come Back (05:15)
Come back Come back to me I�ve been waiting here patiently (Repeat 1x) I�ve been walking a thin white line Between love and hate I could use a lil company A lil kindness to go a long way Weeks turn into months Months turn into years Reaching the same conclusions Gathering up the fear Come back Come back to me I�ve been waiting here patiently (Repeat 1x) I�ve been walking a thin white line Between love and hate I could use a lil company A lil kindness to go a long way Weeks turn into months Months turn into years Reaching the same conclusions Gathering up the fear Come back Come back to me I�ve been waiting here patiently (Repeat 3x) Come back Come back to me (Repeat 1x)
12 Jezebel (04:38)
They call you Jezebel
Whenever we walk in
you're going straight to hell
For wanted acts of sin - they say,
and that I'll have to pay
But I need you just this way
They call you Jezebel
For what you like to wear
You're morally unwell
They say you never care for me
But what the fail to see is that your games are the key
Open their eyes to the beauty
Open their hearts to the fun
Open their minds to the idea that you don't own someone
They call you Jezebel
Whenever men walk by
They say that they can tell
The longing in your eyes is real
and how you really feel
But they can't see your appeal
Jezebel
13 Corrupt (05:03)
I could corrupt you
In a heartbeat
You think you're so special
Think you're so sweet
What are you trying?
Don't even tempt me
Soon, you'll be crying
And wishing you'd dreamt me
You'll be calling out my name
When you need someone to blame
I could corrupt you
It would be easy
Watching you suffer
Girl, it would please me
But I wouldn't touch you
With my little finger
I know it would crush you
My memory would linger
You'd be crying out in pain
Begging me to play my games
I could corrupt you
It would be ugly
They could sedate you,
But what good would drugs be?
But I wouldn't touch you
Put my hands on your hips
It would be too much to
Place my lips on your lips
You'd be calling out my name
Begging me to play my games
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Other reviews
By Giordyboy
After more than thirty years of career and success, these three wealthy middle-aged gentlemen present us with another fantastic album, once again surprisingly innovative in its sounds and production.
The opening track 'In Chains' will probably become one of DM’s all-time classics, with its poignant and alienating melody.
By Alevox
"Sounds of the Universe has absolutely no reason, aside from its name, to be listened to."
"No thrills, no flashes, everything flat and sterile from start to finish."
By donnie darko
'It’s certainly not an immediate album like Playing the Angel, and it doesn’t contain hits that stick in your mind upon first listen, except perhaps Wrong, which is beautiful.'
'It’s an album that gets under your skin little by little... a tough album, not at all sycophantic, which I believe can win the hearts of fans as it is doing with me.'
By Aragno
Nothing better captures what I think about these three "guys"... class.
Each piece has a very precise, well-searched identity in terms of sound and melody, that conveys different sensations.
By Breus
Depeche Mode at their worst was perhaps not something I expected to encounter right now.
"Sounds of the Universe" is a boring album from the start and you can't listen to it in full, even if you want to.
