Depeche Mode
The Best of

THE REVIEW

A white rose. Calling back the grandeur of "Violator" (though the rose was red then). A stylized writing. Referencing the grandeur of "Songs of Faith and Devotion" (though the content was different).

You look curiously at this cover and find out that dM are releasing their first "Best of", coming out on November 13, 2006. Everyone is talking about it. "Martyr" is topping the charts. Depeche Mode winning the MTV Awards as the best group of 2006. Lots of advertising. Lots of promotion.

But you want more. You want more from a band with a heavy past. That has albums like "Violator," "Songs of Faith and Devotion," or even "Ultra" under its belt, albums of excellent music, produced by industry experts like Flood and Tim Simenon. You remember Alan Wilder. And Anton Corbijn's videos. The video for "In your room" shrouded in an aura of mystery, adorned with crimson drapes, a light bulb descending from above, and sadomasochistic references.

You remember the great performances (Hamburg '84, 101, Devotional Tour, but also, why not, the recent Touring the Angel filmed right in Milan). While you are wrapped in your memories, those who know something about the market exploit your emotions to deceive you and empty your wallet. And here is this sort of self-celebration.

A mutilated product, because it doesn't contain "all" the key tracks of the group, but only the most commercial ones, those that have caught on, and mostly those that made it to the charts. A useless product, because two collections, expertly crafted and with substance, had already been made ("The Singles 81>85," "The Singles 86>98"). And a strange and inert melancholy envelops you. Nostalgia for the group you had learned to love. For the group that made you dream with the cross-billed birds of the visionary video by genius Anton ("Walking in my shoes"), in short, for four prophets of our time. For a group that had always astonished you, defying your expectations.

But they say no. You must buy this product. Damn, it's a collector's item! Do you want to miss it? You can't just now, you who are nostalgic!

The melancholy grows stronger, and you know you can't leave it there, in the showcase. You know it must be yours.

"Personal Jesus" (Violator, 1990)

"Just Can’t Get Enough" (Speak and Spell, 1981)

"Everything Counts" (Construction Time Again, 1983)

"Enjoy the Silence" (Violator, 1990)

"Shake the Disease" (The Singles 81>85, 1985)

"See You" (A Broken Frame, 1982)

"It's No Good" (Ultra, 1997)

"Strangelove" (Music for the Masses, 1987)

"Suffer Well" (Playing the Angel, 2005)

"Dream On" (Exciter, 2001)

"People Are People" (Some Great Reward, 1984)

"Martyr" (The Best Of, Volume 1, 2006) - new song

"Walking In My Shoes" (Songs of Faith and Devotion, 1993)

"I Feel You" (Songs of Faith and Devotion, 1993)

"Precious" (Playing the Angel, 2005)

"Master and Servant" (Some Great Reward, 1984)

"New Life" (Speak and Spell, 1981)

"Never Let Me Down Again" (Music for the Masses, 1987)

The tracklist was the enabler. Many cried upon seeing "New Life." Many cried just the same not seeing "Stripped" and "Behind the Wheel." Some laughed heartily and with satisfaction seeing "Dream On." Some (and I am among them) exclaimed: "What rage!" Regret. The same "regret" Martin Gore sings about. That's what dominates. But also hope for tomorrow. For a better production. For a better management of the product. For a return to the music of Depeche Mode.