• Rating:
Let's clear the field of misunderstandings, this collection is significantly inferior in terms of content and quality compared to 81/85 and especially 86/98.
This CD encompasses 25 years of the English group's career, ranging from "Just can't get enough" to "Precious," from "Enjoy the silence" to "Dream on," with a jump to "Never let me down again" to be catapulted to "I feel you." This best-of includes 18 of the most representative songs of the group plus the previously unreleased "Martyr" (a piece that was supposed to be included in Playing the Angel but was later removed for issues of homogeneity and coherence with the sound of the latest album).
The collection is all here, nothing more than the ultra-famous tracks, leaving aside many songs present in 86/98 ("Policy of truth," "Stripped," "Strangelove," "Behind the well," "Useless"), paradoxically they set aside those songs that best represented the personal side of the group (particularly that of Martin Gore).
Now we move on to the DVD containing 23 videos and a 30-minute short film that tries to retrace the group's career through the most famous videos (the simplistic "Just can't get enough," the sunny "Everything counts," the serious "Never let me down again," the crepuscular "Enjoy the silence," the dark "Walking in my shoes," the irreverent "It's no good"...), perhaps the only reason that would lead a fan to buy this best-of is precisely the collection of videos that range from the earliest works (especially the videos of the first four albums have never been reissued on DVD, so they can only be retrieved from old VHS) to the present "Precious," "Suffer well," and "Dream on."
The documentary at the end is interesting and enjoyable, featuring interviews with Vince Clarke, Alan Wilder, and Flood, as well as obviously all the people who have worked closely with the band over the years. It explains how flagship tracks like "Enjoy the silence," "Personal Jesus," "Never let me down again," and "Walking in my shoes" were created... I also noticed that in the "Shake the disease" video, Martin Gore looks like the twin brother of Robert Smith (same hairstyle and same scarlet lipstick).
I'm not sure if this collection can satisfy the most loyal fans for the simple fact that the CD only includes four tracks that are not present in the two previous collections, but the video collection is well-made and decently complete. Moreover, the documentary is intriguing and curious.
I would recommend purchasing this best-of only to the newest fans; for all the "old" supporters, I would suggest they go for the edition with the DVD, if you really can't resist owning this album, which even more clearly reveals how the Mode no longer have the brilliant ideas of the past and are living off the masterpieces they created before. The fact that this best-of was released solely for commercial purposes proves this, as this collection does not represent anything new, it merely recycles old material.
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