Monday, February 06, 2017

Depeche Mode - Where's The Revolution

hello pop pickers


i don't think anyone, like me, dare put forward the hope that this year will be as amazing as last year when it comes to most merry music releases. 2016 saw a stack of stunning stuff hit the stores, and yet of course saw us need to bid goodbye to many of the amazing people who made that music.

by this time in 2016 we'd already had Blackstar from David Bowie and Night Thoughts off of the Suede. nothing quite so astonishing yet, but who knows, perhaps it will come. as for a hint of where it might come our way from, Basildon's finest have "dropped" a single on us. yes, as the title of this post gives you every indication of, Depeche Mode have a new song out, and it is called Where's The Revolution.



the trivia, and all that, for the song? sure. a return to new music by Depeche Mode was announced during the course of the last year. this, if we accept that digital downloads are now such, is the lead single off of their next album, Spirit. the album itself gets released March 17, and shall be their 14th studio album.

yes, indeed i did purchase the "download single", which comprises of just this track, for 99p. many would say why bother, for the band, as all do seem to do these days, effectively give it all away for free via one of them "internet" things. i don't know man, i just like supporting artists i appreciate, and always loved the idea of having a collection.

it would seem that there is no video for Where's The Revolution as such, but the official "internet" release of the song in audio alone form, granted with some visuals hinting at the Spirit album cover, can be found by clicking these very words here. for those of you who some reason prefer the snippets i record and upload here from time to time, here.....



is it any good? it's not bad, as such, it just happens not to be the sort of Depeche Mode sound i like. for me, it's things like Ultra and Playing The Angel, and more intensive, faster sounding things from Violator and so on. this is their quasi-industrial sound slowed down somewhat.

my (considerably) better half, who is quite the ardent follower of all that Depeche Mode do, absolutely loves it, however. especially the, what i think she called it, the mis-timed or mis-cued bass on it.

one thing which is most decidedly baffling me is that a lot of people out there are declaring this as a "return" to politically motivated material by the band. whilst there's no refuting there is a political slant to the song (the band have indicated it is something of a reaction to Brexit and the US election), for the life of me i cannot think of any song from 1981 onwards which they did what had a political overtone, overt or otherwise. if you can tell me what meaning i missed somewhere, let me know.....



anyway, any misgivings or lack of outright enthusiasm for Where's The Revolution which my thoughts may provide a harbour for shall not prevent me from pursuing the album entire. stalkers, would be assassins and the like, then, should know that they shall indeed find me in my nearest HMV on Friday, 17 March 2017 so that i may purchase the record Spirit proper.

what hopes would i have for the record? if we take the last three recordings, it would be most happy times if it is a lot like Playing The Angel in sound. it will be ok if it all goes a little Sounds Of The Universe. it will be a let down if it's something like Delta Machine again. but, we will find out in just slightly north of a month from now. or, well, i will, when i buy it and have a listen.



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