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Rating: "Speak & Spell" is the first album by Depeche Mode and the only one featuring the presence of the co-founder and first leader of the band, Vince Clark. Saying the album is practically Clark's work might seem like an exaggeration, but it's not an entirely incorrect statement.
Clark handles the writing of the lyrics, the drum machines, and even the backing vocals. The role of the lead vocalist is given to the newcomer Dave Gahan, while the use of the keyboards is divided among three band members, Clark himself, Martin Gore (who will also be the lead vocalist on two tracks), and finally Andrew Fletcher.
The album will be the perfect launching pad for the English band, and the first track immediately shows why. "New Life" is a really well-done song. The keyboards perform their role perfectly, accompanied by the drum machine which gives the song that driving rhythm that you will hardly forget. The lyrics of this song, like those of others in the album, should not be underestimated; even if at first glance they may seem trivial, they actually contain a complexity of their own.
The second track "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead" is good, though it doesn't particularly amaze. "Puppets" is of a higher level; a catchy track but not mediocre. On the contrary, the perfect conformity between lyrics and instruments makes it one of the most convincing in the album. The fifth track "Nodisco" is adequate, although its excessive length (4 min and 15 sec) penalizes it, making it become boring in the long run.
Although I previously defended the lyrics of "Speak & Spell", in this case, I must do the exact opposite. It's all the fault of "What's Your Name". A rather banal track, simply entertaining, with not at all brilliant lyrics. Indeed, both Martin Gore and Andrew Fletcher admitted in a 2005 interview that it is the worst Depeche Mode song ever.
And here we come to "Photographic", the first Depeche Mode song written by Vince Clarke and included in the "Some Bizarre" compilation, an album featuring tracks by emerging bands. The song is decent, although it suffers from repetitiveness.
Change of pen, Martin Gore takes over from Vince Clarke in the next two tracks: he writes and composes "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and is also the creator of "Big Muff". The former is a particular song that evokes dark atmospheres, proving very convincing; the latter, however, is a sufficient instrumental track.
The tenth track, "Any Second Now (Voices)", perhaps shows the most mature lyrics of the entire album, being one of the best songs of "Speak & Spell"; if not the best. The only drawback is its short length. It's also noteworthy that the song is sung entirely by Martin Gore. The fourth track, "Boys Say Go!", is decent, while not being a musical masterpiece. The album concludes with one of the group's most famous songs, "Just Can't Get Enough". And indeed, the last track best reflects the album. Because in my opinion, "Speak & Spell" is an excellent debut album, characterized by some hits like the aforementioned last one, and by truly excellent tracks like "New Life" and "Any Second Now (Voices)"; songs necessary for the group to gain the notoriety that in the following years will allow them to experiment and to be one of the most influential bands of the last thirty years.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Puppets (03:59)
Get that feeling, head is reeling
You think you're in control, but you don't know me baby
I can move you, I can soothe you
I can take your places in a different way
And I don't think you understand what I'm trying to say
I'll be your operator baby, I'm in control
Watch your action, close reaction
And everything you're thinking babe inside your head
Conversation, my creation
Nothing that you do unless I said
And you don't know the consequences of the things you say
I'll be your operator baby, I'm in control
All the things you try to prove, babe
All the words we said before
I'm only part of what I started, babe
You can't stop me anymore
Get that feeling, head is reeling
You think you're in control, but you don't know me baby
I can move you, I can soothe you
I can take your places in a different way
And I don't think you understand what I'm trying to say
I'll be your operator baby, I'm in control
03 Dreaming of Me (03:44)
Light switch
Man switch
Film was broken only then
All the night
Fused tomorrow
Dancing with a distant friend
Filming and screening
I picture the scene
Filming and dreaming
Dreaming of me
So we left
Understanding
Cleancut so we're sounding fast
Talked of sad
I talked of war
I laughed and climbed the rising cast
Quickly I remembered
Fused and saw a face before
Timing reason
Understanding
Like association whore
04 Boys Say Go! (03:08)
You don't understand, this is in demand
And I think that I have to show you
Try to look inside, take me for a ride
In a day and the night get to know you
Boys meet, boys get together
Boys meet boys it's forever
Don't say no, boys say go!
I can run away never stay
And the rain and the pain and the sorrow
I'm not very sure when you close the door
In the end it's the same as tomorrow
Boys meet, boys get together
Boys meet boys it's forever
Don't say no, boys say go!
05 Nodisco (04:15)
I saw you in the picture, I saw you play the part
This ain't nodisco
There's thousand watching you
You take this too far
This ain't nodisco
Sometimes when I wonder if you're taking a chance
This ain't nodisco and you know how to dance
Move me disco
Baby don't you let go
This ain't nodisco
Part one, act one
Everyone pretend
This ain't nodisco
This more a story
And we're reaching the end (the end)
This ain't nodisco
Always makes me happy when you're taking a chance
This ain't nodisco and you know how to dance
Move me disco
Baby don't you let go
This ain't nodisco
I saw you in the picture, I saw you play the part
This ain't nodisco
There's thousand watching you
You take this too far
This ain't nodisco
Sometimes when I wonder if you're taking a chance
This ain't nodisco and you know how to dance
Move me disco
Baby don't you let go (3x)
This ain't nodisco
06 What's Your Name? (02:44)
Sometimes watch you walk the street at midnight
Sometimes I can feel you in the air
Looking good knew you would
All the time I understood
Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
You're so pretty
Everybody seems to look your way now
(Everybody seems to look your way)
Everybody wants to know your name
(Hey, hey, what's your name)
Feeling bright just tonight
Hear them say you're out of sight
Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
You're so pretty
Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
You're so pretty
All the boys we got to get together
All the boys together we can stand
We can go never know
All the things we need to show
Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
You're so pretty
Hey you're such a pretty boy (you're so pretty)
Hey you're such a pretty boy (you're so pretty)
Hey you're such a pretty boy
You're so pretty (P-R-E, double-T-Y)
Hey you're such a pretty boy
Hey you're such a pretty boy
You're so pretty
07 Photographic (04:57)
A white house, a white room - the programme of today
Lights on, switch on your eyes are far away
The map represents you and at the tape is your voice
Follow all along you till you recognize the choice
I take pictures, photographic pictures
Bright light, dark room
Bright light, dark room
I said I'd write a letter, but I never got the time
And I'm looking to the day I mesmerize the light
The years I spent just thinking of a moment we both knew
A second passed like an empty room, it seems it can't be true
I take pictures, photographic pictures
Bright light, dark room
Bright light, dark room
I take pictures, photographic pictures
Bright light, dark room
Bright light, dark room
Bright light, dark room (repeat until fade)
08 Tora! Tora! Tora! (04:28)
They were raining from the sky
Exploding in my heart
Is this the love in disguise
Or just a form of modern art?
From the skies you could almost hear the cry
Tora! Tora! Tora!
In the town they were going down
Tora! Tora! Tora!
I had the nightmare only yesterday
You played the skeleton
You took my love the dark dark day
I played an American
From the skies you could almost hear the cry
Tora! Tora! Tora!
In the town they were going down
Tora! Tora! Tora!
I played an American (repeat until fade)
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Other reviews
By biaspoint
I seemed to fly inside a rubber room and bounce from one side to the other of the room, hitting the walls violently but without feeling any pain, suspended in the void.
I think this album is the exception that proves the rule, a great group manages to make records that have nothing to do with each other and masterpieces of pure techno-pop like Just Can't Get Enough!
