New Depeche Mode album "Memento Mori" and world tour announced
- Thread starter This Charming Bowie
- Start date
Vesper Nocturne
I want to sleep under the polar night
It should work. Because it has definitely started off working for them in this new phase.
They might have had personality conflicts or other conflicts internally over the years as all human beings inevitably do, but from a collaboration perspective and from a performance perspective it is definitely working.
Part of that is that they bring such different pieces to the table. Depeche Mode as a band, as an entity, definitely had a strong enough repertoire and catalogue that they could be less than mediocre for 30 years and then still come back and nail everything that was great about their original formula together.
These new songs are so instantly recognizable as Depeche Mode, but like as modern Depeche Mode. Which is really interesting because there was no modern Depeche Mode for 30 years, there was just nothing. It’s good that Dave made it through his own personal hell because I’m sure it has been really worth it.
Martin Gore is a total sweetheart who has always been worth 100x his own weight in gold. I hope this fantastic reception continues for them and I hope the whole album
will be like a Music for the Masses situation where every single song is something to like, but these Mafia ordered ticket prices for shows these days for a good seat if you want to be up front are beyond an absolute joke. I’m also still mad that music ever went to streaming though, so hey. Lol
They might have had personality conflicts or other conflicts internally over the years as all human beings inevitably do, but from a collaboration perspective and from a performance perspective it is definitely working.
Part of that is that they bring such different pieces to the table. Depeche Mode as a band, as an entity, definitely had a strong enough repertoire and catalogue that they could be less than mediocre for 30 years and then still come back and nail everything that was great about their original formula together.
These new songs are so instantly recognizable as Depeche Mode, but like as modern Depeche Mode. Which is really interesting because there was no modern Depeche Mode for 30 years, there was just nothing. It’s good that Dave made it through his own personal hell because I’m sure it has been really worth it.
Martin Gore is a total sweetheart who has always been worth 100x his own weight in gold. I hope this fantastic reception continues for them and I hope the whole album
will be like a Music for the Masses situation where every single song is something to like, but these Mafia ordered ticket prices for shows these days for a good seat if you want to be up front are beyond an absolute joke. I’m also still mad that music ever went to streaming though, so hey. Lol
Revisions:
Wagging Tongue
You won't do to silence me
With your words on wagging tongue
With you long, tall tales of sorrow
Your song had to be sung
I won't be offended
If I'm left to cross the great divide
Believe me, they will follow
Just to watch another angel die
Watch another angel die
You'd to darken me
With your secrets and your lies
With your piercing code of silence
Relax, enjoy the ride
I'll meet you by the river
Or maybe on the other side
You'll find it hard to swallow
When you watch another angel die
Watch another angel die
Another sun is rising
Another day has come
You can find me, I'll be waiting
Until the day is done
I won't be persuaded
Kiss your doubts goodbye
Everything seems hollow
when you watch another angel die
Watch another angel die
Watch another angel die
Watch another angel die
* * *
My Favourite Stranger
Some perfect stranger
Sneaks on tip-toes
Steals my shadow
And goes where I go
My favourite stranger
Stands in my mirror
Puts words in my mouth
All broke and bitter
Some perfect stranger
My imitation
Drops my name in
My conversations
Some perfect stranger
Speaks when I speak
Walks in my footsteps
And talks in my sleep
My favourite stranger
Stands where I stand
Leaves crime in my wake
And blood on my hands
SuedeMoz
The sanest days are mad
Really interesting to hear about Richard Butler's involvement in the new album. Seems like a great pairing and I hope we get to hear some of it in the final recording.
ZOOM FROM GLOOM
LASCIATE OGNI SPERANZA!
after seeing the video, I’m sure it was intentional, but not difficult for Marty to pull off.Martin really has that "Seventh Seal" look going on - intentionally or not:
nicky wire's legs
My bear is cooler than you
im surprised no one has ever titled an album memento mori before. it seems so obvious.
nicky wire's legs
My bear is cooler than you
me either. no pretty girls. persona is my favourite. 2 pretty girls in that one.Thanks. Good video idea, (wish M would do a proper one again someday)Yeah, I’m sure they’re both fans of Scott and obviously, Bergman. Though personally, TSSeal, not one of my favorites from him.
Song lyric snippets:
***
Soul With Me (only song Martin sings on)
I see the beauty
As the leaves start falling
Follow the light
Towards the voices calling
I'm going where the angels fly
And I'm taking my soul with me
***
My Cosmos Is Mine
Don't play with my world
Don't mess with my mind
Don't question my spacetime
My cosmos is mine
Don't stare at my soul
I swear it is fine
Its borders are outlined
My cosmos is mine
***
Don't Say You Love Me
You’ll be the killer
I’ll be the corpse
You’ll be the thriller
And I’ll be the drama of course
If you play the sinner, I’ll play the stain
If you play the winner, I’ll be your permanent pain
I’ll be the boredom, you the desire
I’ll be the cat calls
And you’ll be the sound of choir
You’ll be the promise
And I’ll be the end of your dreams
So don’t say you love me
Because you’ll never love me
***
Caroline's Monkey
Caroline knows how fragile we are
With hope as our faith
We look to the stars
Caroline’s monkey is crying again
There’s no satisfaction
On Caroline’s train
***
Never Let Me Go
We will be beacons
Shining so bright
Like stars in the darkness
For lovers at night
Never let me go
***
Soul With Me (only song Martin sings on)
I see the beauty
As the leaves start falling
Follow the light
Towards the voices calling
I'm going where the angels fly
And I'm taking my soul with me
***
My Cosmos Is Mine
Don't play with my world
Don't mess with my mind
Don't question my spacetime
My cosmos is mine
Don't stare at my soul
I swear it is fine
Its borders are outlined
My cosmos is mine
***
Don't Say You Love Me
You’ll be the killer
I’ll be the corpse
You’ll be the thriller
And I’ll be the drama of course
If you play the sinner, I’ll play the stain
If you play the winner, I’ll be your permanent pain
I’ll be the boredom, you the desire
I’ll be the cat calls
And you’ll be the sound of choir
You’ll be the promise
And I’ll be the end of your dreams
So don’t say you love me
Because you’ll never love me
***
Caroline's Monkey
Caroline knows how fragile we are
With hope as our faith
We look to the stars
Caroline’s monkey is crying again
There’s no satisfaction
On Caroline’s train
***
Never Let Me Go
We will be beacons
Shining so bright
Like stars in the darkness
For lovers at night
Never let me go
U2’s Bono and The Edge, Depeche Mode and Cat Burns announced for BBC Radio 2’s Piano Room... and Gary Davies launches Ten to the Top
They'll be performing for BBC Radio 2’s Piano Room at Maida Vale studios in March and April
www.bbc.co.uk
Depeche Mode’s Piano Room will be broadcast on Thursday 6 April and their classic cover is a track by Scott Walker, with their session accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra. The recording was Dave Gahan and Martin Gore’s first ever time performing at the BBC’s Maida Vale studios, but also their first UK performance since the sad death of keyboard player, Andy Fletcher, last year. Depeche Mode has had a huge influence within both the electronic and alternative music scenes since the 80s and which continues to this day, with 54 songs in the UK Singles Chart, 17 Top 10 albums in the UK chart and having sold more than 100 million records worldwide. The Grammy nominated band has won numerous UK and international awards and accolades, and in 2020 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their 15th studio album, Memento Mori, is due to be released in March 2023.
Depeche Mode says: "We were honoured and privileged to be asked to perform for Radio 2’s Piano Room. It was an amazing experience to play live with a 21-piece orchestra and it will remain a vivid memory. What a fun day!"
Musikexpress review:
1. My Cosmos Is Mine
A pulsating, fiery prelude - in the chronology of MEMENTO MORI, however, the last piece Martin Gore wrote for the album. To dark electronic sounds, he formulates his world-weariness, in particular the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine with its countless senseless deaths. Gahan succeeds in making the oppression clear with his singing; the piece is both: an indictment of world events, but also a retreat into the inner world. The title is therefore to be understood defiantly: My cosmos belongs to me - this is and remains my little world!
CONCLUSION: Weltschmerz is followed by a longing for isolation - right at the beginning a key song to plunge completely into the album.
2. Wagging Tongue
Originally a folky song, written by Dave Gahan in the style of the
Gahan in the style of the 70s. Gore then turned the demo inside out: At the beginning, analogue-cosmic synths can be heard, like in Kraftwerk, Harmonica and other German electro-krautrock pioneers. When the beat kicks in, the track locates itself in a chart show of the 80s: " Wagging Tongue " is melodious and light-hearted, a reminiscence of the time when Depeche Mode indulged in naive cheerfulness, especially with their singles.
CONCLUSION: Might be Vince Clarke's favourite song on the
on the album - a single worthy of mention!
3. Ghosts Again
The pre-release single, co-written by Martin Gore and Richard Butler, an old acquaintance of Gore, songwriter and singer of the post-punk veterans The Psychedelic Furs. Even when little snippets of the song circulated on the internet during the press conference announcing MEMENTO MORI, the sound of "Ghosts Again" triggered pleasant memories of the melancholic syn-thie hits of the late 80s and early 90s among fans. And in its entirety, the song delivers what it promised back then and thus fuelled the anticipation: After many years, finally a Depeche Mode single that really ignites immediately.
FAZIT: The younger cousin of "Enjoy The Silence".
4. Don't Say You Love Me
E in Sons. which sounds as if the Walker Brothers were going to write a soundtrack
electro-style interpretation of a soundtrack composition by Ennio Morricone, which David Lynch then uses for an upcoming season of "Twin Peaks". Gahan sings sombrely, including one of the strongest lines on the album: "You're the singer, I'm the song". Whereby Martin Gore and Richard Butler, who wrote the song together, of course know who plays which role, whether in music or in love: It's the singer, not the song.
CONCLUSION: This is how blues goes in the year 2023.
5. My Favourite Stranger
In the background, co-producer Marta Salogni
The atmosphere is terrifying. The song consists of a recurring, repetitive, and very loud electronic noise. The song consists of a recurring verse, chorus and resolution? No such thing. The songwriters Gore and Butler put the listener on the rack in a very concrete way, Gahan sings about another, destructive ego: "my imitation". In the end, the blood is on his hands - post-industrial electro-blues with a high paranoia factor!
CONCLUSION: Uncomfortable, cold, highly intense - a Depeche Moment for connoisseurs.
6. Soul With Me
The track with Martin Gore as lead singer. He plays the
crooner - at least in the verse - and sings with a lot of warmth. In the transition to the chorus, one expects a trip into kitschy ballad areas, but Gore breaks with the expectation with a slight grin on his face, sings instead a smart soul refrain with a now slightly brittle voice - and prepares in the lyrics to escape from the "earthly cages" to move where the angels fly: "I'm taking my soul with me." CONCLUSION: A hidden soul song about souls - Joke very much to Gore's taste.
7. Caroline's Monkey
Another collaboration with Richard Butler - and
* probably the least catchy track on MOMENTO MORI. It deals with drugs and addiction, the monkey on Caroline's shoulder stands for the demon of addiction, for the "black elephant* that stands in the room and destroys life with its relationships.
relationships.
CONCLUSION: Important topic, good lyrics - nevertheless a song that deliberately keeps you at a distance.
8. Before We Drown
Gahan's big ballad on the album, starting with interesting
interesting harmonic arabesques, later a song about the ambivalences of love, about the constant doubts, the rising and falling - and the need to move forward as an individual before you go down together.
CONCLUSION: One of the best twisted love songs Gahan has written for Depeche Mode.
9. People Are Good
Gore never liked "People Are People": the song that made Depeche Mode big in the USA and Germany was lyrically too flat, too clear. Now
"People Are Good" - not a rip-off of his own hit (even if you can sing it on the basic beat), but a contemplation of humanity the way songwriter Martin Gore prefers it: bitterly angry, full of ambivalences.
The phrase "everything will be alright" is followed by the line "keep foolin' yourself* - Gahan knows how to find the right tone for Gore's mockery. For the bluesy tremolo in the verse, Gahan was inspired by the same teachers as Jochen Distelmeyer from Blumfeld.
CONCLUSION: Gore again in joke mode, here between cynicism and fanservice.
10. Always You
The song begins with complex beats and echoes of modern pop, then takes another swing in the direction of 80s synth-wave. Gahan once again shows that his vocals are more influenced by songwriter blues than ever. Gore's lyrics formulate lines for a love song as he imagines it: "My love, there are no more words / Life's too absurd."
CONCLUSION: The title of the song suggests music other than this sombre swan song to warmth and closeness.
11. Never Let Me Go
Classic - and is the "Go" perhaps even a salute to Vince Clarke and his Yazoo hit "Don't Go*? Here, too, the melody of the old song can be sung along to the beat of the new track. But then a very strong, hit-suspicious independent song develops with 80s beats, sparkling electric guitars and very strong harmony vocals by Gahan and Gore.
FAZIT: Here too - single suspicion!
12. Speak To Me
The grand finale of the album that will leave many speechless.
speechless. Dave Gahan has written a beguiling and larger-than-life ballad, about a moment on the floor (very specifically: the floor of a bathroom), about a pleading address to a higher being - and quite obviously about his specific near-death experience.
Like a praying man, he asks someone to guide him, that he will follow this voice. Whether back to life or death?
The piece begins without beats, the strings increase their playing to the climax, when they fade away, a throbbing beat remains, symbolising the heartbeat of a human being. A living person who is aware of his mortality: MEMENTO MORI. One of the most intense listening experiences in Depeche Mode's entire discography!
CONCLUSION: Without words.
OVERALL RATING: MEMENTO MORI: 5/5
1. My Cosmos Is Mine
A pulsating, fiery prelude - in the chronology of MEMENTO MORI, however, the last piece Martin Gore wrote for the album. To dark electronic sounds, he formulates his world-weariness, in particular the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine with its countless senseless deaths. Gahan succeeds in making the oppression clear with his singing; the piece is both: an indictment of world events, but also a retreat into the inner world. The title is therefore to be understood defiantly: My cosmos belongs to me - this is and remains my little world!
CONCLUSION: Weltschmerz is followed by a longing for isolation - right at the beginning a key song to plunge completely into the album.
2. Wagging Tongue
Originally a folky song, written by Dave Gahan in the style of the
Gahan in the style of the 70s. Gore then turned the demo inside out: At the beginning, analogue-cosmic synths can be heard, like in Kraftwerk, Harmonica and other German electro-krautrock pioneers. When the beat kicks in, the track locates itself in a chart show of the 80s: " Wagging Tongue " is melodious and light-hearted, a reminiscence of the time when Depeche Mode indulged in naive cheerfulness, especially with their singles.
CONCLUSION: Might be Vince Clarke's favourite song on the
on the album - a single worthy of mention!
3. Ghosts Again
The pre-release single, co-written by Martin Gore and Richard Butler, an old acquaintance of Gore, songwriter and singer of the post-punk veterans The Psychedelic Furs. Even when little snippets of the song circulated on the internet during the press conference announcing MEMENTO MORI, the sound of "Ghosts Again" triggered pleasant memories of the melancholic syn-thie hits of the late 80s and early 90s among fans. And in its entirety, the song delivers what it promised back then and thus fuelled the anticipation: After many years, finally a Depeche Mode single that really ignites immediately.
FAZIT: The younger cousin of "Enjoy The Silence".
4. Don't Say You Love Me
E in Sons. which sounds as if the Walker Brothers were going to write a soundtrack
electro-style interpretation of a soundtrack composition by Ennio Morricone, which David Lynch then uses for an upcoming season of "Twin Peaks". Gahan sings sombrely, including one of the strongest lines on the album: "You're the singer, I'm the song". Whereby Martin Gore and Richard Butler, who wrote the song together, of course know who plays which role, whether in music or in love: It's the singer, not the song.
CONCLUSION: This is how blues goes in the year 2023.
5. My Favourite Stranger
In the background, co-producer Marta Salogni
The atmosphere is terrifying. The song consists of a recurring, repetitive, and very loud electronic noise. The song consists of a recurring verse, chorus and resolution? No such thing. The songwriters Gore and Butler put the listener on the rack in a very concrete way, Gahan sings about another, destructive ego: "my imitation". In the end, the blood is on his hands - post-industrial electro-blues with a high paranoia factor!
CONCLUSION: Uncomfortable, cold, highly intense - a Depeche Moment for connoisseurs.
6. Soul With Me
The track with Martin Gore as lead singer. He plays the
crooner - at least in the verse - and sings with a lot of warmth. In the transition to the chorus, one expects a trip into kitschy ballad areas, but Gore breaks with the expectation with a slight grin on his face, sings instead a smart soul refrain with a now slightly brittle voice - and prepares in the lyrics to escape from the "earthly cages" to move where the angels fly: "I'm taking my soul with me." CONCLUSION: A hidden soul song about souls - Joke very much to Gore's taste.
7. Caroline's Monkey
Another collaboration with Richard Butler - and
* probably the least catchy track on MOMENTO MORI. It deals with drugs and addiction, the monkey on Caroline's shoulder stands for the demon of addiction, for the "black elephant* that stands in the room and destroys life with its relationships.
relationships.
CONCLUSION: Important topic, good lyrics - nevertheless a song that deliberately keeps you at a distance.
8. Before We Drown
Gahan's big ballad on the album, starting with interesting
interesting harmonic arabesques, later a song about the ambivalences of love, about the constant doubts, the rising and falling - and the need to move forward as an individual before you go down together.
CONCLUSION: One of the best twisted love songs Gahan has written for Depeche Mode.
9. People Are Good
Gore never liked "People Are People": the song that made Depeche Mode big in the USA and Germany was lyrically too flat, too clear. Now
"People Are Good" - not a rip-off of his own hit (even if you can sing it on the basic beat), but a contemplation of humanity the way songwriter Martin Gore prefers it: bitterly angry, full of ambivalences.
The phrase "everything will be alright" is followed by the line "keep foolin' yourself* - Gahan knows how to find the right tone for Gore's mockery. For the bluesy tremolo in the verse, Gahan was inspired by the same teachers as Jochen Distelmeyer from Blumfeld.
CONCLUSION: Gore again in joke mode, here between cynicism and fanservice.
10. Always You
The song begins with complex beats and echoes of modern pop, then takes another swing in the direction of 80s synth-wave. Gahan once again shows that his vocals are more influenced by songwriter blues than ever. Gore's lyrics formulate lines for a love song as he imagines it: "My love, there are no more words / Life's too absurd."
CONCLUSION: The title of the song suggests music other than this sombre swan song to warmth and closeness.
11. Never Let Me Go
Classic - and is the "Go" perhaps even a salute to Vince Clarke and his Yazoo hit "Don't Go*? Here, too, the melody of the old song can be sung along to the beat of the new track. But then a very strong, hit-suspicious independent song develops with 80s beats, sparkling electric guitars and very strong harmony vocals by Gahan and Gore.
FAZIT: Here too - single suspicion!
12. Speak To Me
The grand finale of the album that will leave many speechless.
speechless. Dave Gahan has written a beguiling and larger-than-life ballad, about a moment on the floor (very specifically: the floor of a bathroom), about a pleading address to a higher being - and quite obviously about his specific near-death experience.
Like a praying man, he asks someone to guide him, that he will follow this voice. Whether back to life or death?
The piece begins without beats, the strings increase their playing to the climax, when they fade away, a throbbing beat remains, symbolising the heartbeat of a human being. A living person who is aware of his mortality: MEMENTO MORI. One of the most intense listening experiences in Depeche Mode's entire discography!
CONCLUSION: Without words.
OVERALL RATING: MEMENTO MORI: 5/5
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