par paisley1985 » 08 Sep 2005, 09:48
NEW REVIEWS>TRES DETAILLEES!!
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Playing The Angel - Review by midigirl
« on: Sep 08, 09:34 »
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Let's get down to it, shall we?
“A Pain That I’m Used To”
The first song on PTA hits you hard. You’ll have no other choice but to acknowledge “A Pain That I’m Used To” because this one cannot be ignored. It reminds me of when I first heard “I Feel You.” Those first few seconds when your ears are being violated… shocking you, making you listen to it. A bassline reaches in. As you’re led into it, a smooth, flowing synth pad sets the devious tone. Then, electronic beats tease as the lyrics come forth… “I’m not sure what I’m looking for anymore, I just know that I’m harder to console…” A guitar is plucked while delicate sounds build and fade.
Dave’s voice is quickly hypnotizing you by this point. His style of singing coaxing and tempting you into the dark and mysterious. You’re obviously the prey, just sitting there, waiting, for the song to attack. And it does just that. Hard-driving beats strike and swell up, seizing you with their mighty presence. This is where the “The Dead of Night” sounds grip and surround you, that is until they let go… and you find yourself back in the soothing calm which brought you there in the first place. But that isn’t the end of it. This song’s aggression keeps coming at you, until it eventually finishes you off at the end.
“John The Revelator”
This one isn’t hypnotizing, oh no. It starts off with sporadic electronic sounds. Then its bass drives in with pulsing beats. Oh my… It’s Dave resurrected straight out of Devotional… exerting his voice with thundering ability. It’s a stomper. JTR makes you want to dance. In the middle of the song, a dirty beat takes over and if you haven’t moved your body by that point, you will then. This is most definitely going to be a highlight during Touring The Angel.
Who’s that shouting?
John the Revelator!
All he ever gives us is pain!
Who’s that shouting?
John the Revelator!
He should bow his head in shame!
This is going to be a favorite for many of you.
“Suffer Well”
This song is my favorite. I think this is the best song Depeche Mode has EVER done. Seriously. No, I’m not joking. This is it for me.
It starts with a pattern of electronic beats. This is just a modest beginning to a song with so much depth. The bass kicks in, taking its reserved spot as the guitar introduces itself. “Where were you when I fell from grace?” Dave continues singing with a buzzing electronic heaven behind him. And it sounds unbelievable.
Distorted snares pop up. It sounds resentful. “Please don’t speak, they’re only lies…” The guitar comes back. More distortion and a hard snare take over. The light enters and hope takes over. You slide into the chorus as Dave hangs on and “suffers well.” Just then, the airy synths sweep over the song, back and forth, going high and low. Just as they start to sound as if they are flying about erratically, you come down as it fades back into Dave taking his place again. “…you called my name… a love was born.”
It sounds absolutely beautiful. More beats, old and new, are added to the electro buzz and the layers are growing. The airy synths, reminiscent of theViolator era, have you flying high now. “Suffer Well” makes it descent with that hopeful guitar and finishes with strong drums. Dave’s voice has never sounded so good. Well, maybe during Violator it sounded this good.
“The Sinner In Me”
Dark bouncing bass slides on its belly as distorted stretches of sound enter. More bass. The song is taken over with echoes of noise. They fade and Dave enters. “If I could just hide the sinner inside and keep him denied… how sweet life would be… if I could be free from the sinner in me.”
This song is sexy. The sexiest on the album.
It’s how a sinner thinks that knows the reality of sin. It’s a cold look into Martin Gore’s mind. You can’t get anymore straightforward than “The Sinner In Me.” It has a Massive Attack feel with its pounding, slow, ethereal music. The second darkest song on the album.
“Precious”
Well-chosen for the initial single. We all have reviewed this one to death so I’ll go on to the next…
“Macrovision”
The first Martin-sung song on PTA and his voice is outstanding. He takes on both vocal styles that he likes to assume in Depeche Mode. The deeper voice, which he uses live more and the higher-pitched singing voice we know well. Let me be sure to point out that Martin has really concentrated on going from high to low in “Macrovision.” In fact, he’s mastered it. This is the Martin that is 2005… an experienced, comfortable and skilled singer. His voice is a treat in this one.
I cannot imagine Dave singing to “Macrovision.” The music has a life of its own that only Martin can tame. “Thundering rhythm pounding within me, driving me onwards, forcing me to see …” Mmmhmm. I wonder what this song is about. It’s not supposed to be “dirty” though.
Snare drums with distortion and reverb come in late, something similar to NIN’s “Perfect Drug” in small doses… just enough to make you want more. Guitar plays as that familiar Martin and Dave harmony of high and low finish together singing, “See the microcosm in macrovision, our bodies moving with pure precision…”
“I Want It All”
Dave oh Dave, you brought us Paper Monsters on this one. His voice even takes on the style of Paper Monsters. (Except I can hear that Martin has been included this time.) There are elements of Depeche added, but it isn’t very obvious in the music. It is however, a beautiful song with an optimistic current. Probably the most uplifting on the album.
“Nothing’s Impossible”
If you want to say any song on Playing The Angel has an experimental edge, this would be the one. Strange sounds enter and exit while Dave’s voices (yes, voices) sing softly of needing a miracle. The music is bleak, but still retains a hint of faith. Dark guitar and a floating, atmospheric melody hold the chorus. The lyrics swoop in and out of doubt and hope.
“Just give me a reason, some kind of sign…”
“I still believe in love at first sight, nothing’s impossible.”
I liked it at first, but now I love it.
“Introspectre”
I can hear this playing before DM make their entrance during Touring The Angel. It’s an excellent instrumental. I’m impressed with it. The strangest thing is, every time I listen to it, I experience deja vu.
“Damaged People”
Track 10 moves me the most. This is THE song.
It has an innocent and sweet sound. At the same time, it’s also sad. It is the certainly the most profound song on the album. A sound mixture of Counterfeit 2 and Black Celebration, “Damaged People” will have Martin fans wooed. The lyrics are deep. This is truly a song for soul brothers and soul sisters. It reaches right in and takes hold of your heart.
“When I feel the warmth of your very soul, I forget I’m cold and crying.”
“Lillian”
This one is my second favorite. So very different from anything they’ve done. The unique “Lillian” is pure pop. I think it will be a single. The retro ambiance will emcompass you… the beats coming from everywhere, left and right, sped up and slowed down…
it’s extremely catchy.
A serious Dave gives us an upbeat song with an undertone of regret. “I should’ve run, I should’ve known each dress you own is a loaded gun…” It may be upbeat, but pain and misery always hit the spot.
“The Darkest Star”
Just as “A Pain That I’m Used To” was a fitting beginning, so is “The Darkest Star” a flawless ending. If “Pimpf” took you into the darkness, you have some more piano pounding to love here. Not as much, but it’s there. I had goosebumps listening to this song. The gospel “ahhhhhhh” (prevalent in SOFAD) is going to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand.
Dave slinks along singing/speaking of exactly what he wants.
I wasn’t prepared to experience that darkness again, especially after the poppy “Lillian.” That is a good thing. More shock value. When you hear “The Darkest Star,” every emotion you felt with Devotional is going to rush over you again. Atleast, in my case it did. What a way to end an album.
New Review concernant les paroles de cet Album
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*** Playing the Angel — Lyrical review
« on: Sep 08, 11:18 »
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I preface this by qualifying my tastes in Depeche. Great DM to me is dirty DM, when the Mode delves into the shadier side of life. The best of Mode is edgy, subversive — it’s Sea of Sin, Sister of Night, Behind the Wheel, To Have and To Hold, Blue Dress, Barrel of a Gun, A Question of Time. If that ain’t your Mode, then whatever you read here won’t resonate for you the way “Playing the Angel” does for me.[/caveat]
So PtA. I fully expected (OK, I’ll be honest, I really hoped) that Martin’s divorce would serve as the impetus for something ambitious, would drive Depeche Mode back to the despairing roads their albums used to travel. The contentment and salvation of the last 10 years’ worth of albums was wearing thin, don’t you think? Depeche Mode-lite I don’t willingly partake in — enough with the tenderness of Exciter or the redemption of Ultra and Songs of Faith and Devotion. Give me a halo in reverse, a sense of urgency, sitting targets, the flirt with all kinds of dirt ... black celebrations. So just when I’m losing my faith, DM redeems itself by giving in to old sins. ‘Playing the Angel’ ... it’s bombastic, menacing, anguished ... ground zero for emotional devastation. It’s everything a great Depeche Mode album should be, reminiscing Black Celebration’s “death is everywhere” sentiment, yet nearly void of the tender moments “when body and soul come together.” Any lyrical warmth that exudes from PtA is usually abrogated by gloomy synths, schizophrenic sound effects, heavy bass and dispassionate vocals. This is Depeche’s coldest effort and that’s a pure compliment — five or six of the songs stand up to anything the Mode’s done before.
There are a couple of lines in “Lillian” that capture what this album’s all about: “ Pain and misery always hit the spot, knowing you can’t lose what you haven’t got.” It’s this sense of loss that leads to a general feeling of lawlessness in the music ... when I hear PtA, I think of New Orleans anarchy, how desperate people behave when they feel they have nothing left to lose. That’s “Playing the Angel,” an emotional wasteland.
Breaking it down:
* A Pain That I’m Used To: Depeche Mode hasn’t hit me like this since Alan Wilder was at the controls, it ranks up with DM’s best. Despair pushing on masochism. “I’m not sure what I’m looking for anymore/I just know that I’m harder to console. I don’t see who I’m trying to be instead of me/But the key is a question of control.” This is out of control. Tension stretches the seams, the music beats at composure. “ All this running around, well it’s getting me down, just give me a pain that I’m used to. I don’t need to believe all the dreams you conceive, you just need to achieve something that rings true.” The desperation leads to ...
* John the Revelator: ... the anarchy of soul. This song feels like a mob looking to overwhelm anyone in its way, but the only one being overwhelmed is the singer. Faith is discarded with extreme fervor. “Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye.” JtR ups the intensity of “A Pain That I’m Used To,” which already exceeded the Mode’s usual indifference. Nasty synths, pounding bass, Dave at his preacher-man best shouting from the pulpit with a hallelujah-like chorus from Martin and the DM gospel singers. “Well who’s that shouting? John the Revelator! All he ever gives us is pain. Well who’s that shouting?
John the Revelator! He should bow his head in shame!!” JtR is so far over the top it makes “The Dead of Night” seem like a ball-less ballad; but there’s no playful self-mockery, this is spitting acid.
* Suffer Well: By now, you’re expecting Depeche to settle down into more Exciter(less) tones. Nope. Another up-tempo moment, yet more upbeat than JtR. I’m guessing it’s because Dave seems to have penned this one. Dave’s songs, if you can detect which ones they are, offer the glimmers of hope on this album where Martin seems to have none. It’s a nice balance, especially since even the optimistic co-writer next to Martin’s anguish isn’t exactly swimming in sanctity either. “Where were you when I fell from grace/Frozen heart, an empty space. Something’s changing, it’s in your eyes/Please don’t speak, you’ll only lie.” This has more of a classic Depeche feel to it, with sweet guitar riffs by Martin. And assuming it’s one of Dave’s songs, it’s only real flaw is a weakly written chorus.
* The Sinner in Me: The opening, which re-emerges further into the song, reminds me of a Curve song off “Gift” (but since I don’t have my iPod on me today, I can’t be pissed to figure out which one). This is my version of classic Depeche (see the songs listed above), where the singer’s looking to redeem himself through someone else. Totally reminiscent of the self-admission in “To Have and To Hold.” “ I’m still recovering/Still getting over all the suffering. More known for my anger than for any other thing. But you’ve always tried/To be by my side/And catch my fall when I start to slide.” Very dark tones, an underlying menace belied by fragile expressions of loyalty. Like the first two songs on the album, I rate this up with some of DM’s best.
* Precious: OK, now DM’s finally going to settle into those color-by-number songs that are typical Mode yet far from classic, like we’ve seen on the past two albums. Right? Uh-uh. You’ve all heard this one; personally, I’ve listened to it close on 100 times (iTunes at home and work are keeping track), and it still hasn’t grown stale. Not. Even. Close. Martin’s rare moment of compassion surfaces here, and only because it’s about his concern for his children in a now broken home. I put “Precious” in “Enjoy the Silence” territory ... you can take that as you will.
* Macrovision: Reminds me of “Comatose” or “The Bottom Line,” both in its awareness of being (“Our bodies moving/with pure precision. One universal/Celebration. One evolution/One Creation”) as well as its peculiarity. It’s a weak point on the album (though not that weak), and a point where all the turmoil that opened the album finally relaxes to more familiar Depeche detachment. This one’s introspective, finding understanding about one’s self maybe by taking in your surroundings. In that regard, sort of a “But Not Tonight” moment. “Thundering river/Pounding within me/Driving me onwards/Forcing me to see/Clear and enlightening/Right there before me/Brilliantly shining/Intricate beauty.” The song’s OK, but I don’t go for esoteric statements like “See the microcosm in macrovision.” What the hell does that mean? “Macrovision” ... the title sounds like one of Martin’s oddly named instrumentals, only this time he thought to put lyrics to it.
* I Want It All: Presumably Dave’s second song, the most obvious to me at least due to some cliched lines (like the chorus: “ Sometimes I try/Sometimes I lie, with you. Sometimes I cry/Sometimes I die, it’s true ...”). Along with “Macrovision,” my least favorite yet still likable even though it drags perhaps a minute long (as others have said). It’s a pretty, serene experience; lyrically reminiscent to “Hold On.”
* Nothing’s Impossible: A rather strange song, best described as an optimistic dirge. The gist is a man coming up short in a relationship, losing the woman due to his own shortcomings. Yet he still hopes: “ Even the stars look brighter tonight/Nothing’s impossible. I still believe in love at first sight/Nothing’s impossible.” Very cool, driven by heavy synths and Dave’s detached voice that belie the chorus’ conviction ... and this is what I love best about Depeche Mode, the experts of conflicting messages, emotional contradictions.
* Damaged People: Martin lays his self-worth on the table, and I think this one will land with “The Things You Said” as one of those absolutely underrated Martin efforts, in part because it passes by so quickly (at just under 3 1/2 minutes long). I wouldn’t call this a love song because who does he have to love? So Martin finds comfort in a casual affair ... it’s the modern version of “It Doesn’t Matter Two”: “When I feel the warmth/Of your very soul/I forget I’m cold/And crying. When your lips touch mine/And I lose control/I forget I’m old and dying.”
* Lillian: The album returns to the contempt and misery of PtA’s first four songs, and it’s no coincidence that the tempo accelerates again, like the pulse of a person under duress. “Oh, Lillian/I should have run/I should have known each dress you own is a loaded gun.” Lillian’s a whore, a player. Singer got played, and it’s just par for the course lately for him. Vulnerability left him emotionally bankrupt, which hearkens back to the point of this album: “Pain and misery always hit the spot/Knowing you can’t lose what you haven’t got.” Quite simply, another top-notch DM song; love the melancholy guitar at the end.
* The Darkest Star: As others have said, a perfectly suitable ending to a forlorn album. Dave’s at his sultry baritone best, trifling with another “Dressed in Black” kind of woman. He’s chosen the player (i.e. the Lillian) for the companion to his loneliness, and doesn’t care that the attraction is fleeting. “I don’t want you to be/Someone else for me. Stay as you are/The Darkest Star. Shining for me/Majestically.” Such a desolate ending, a final forsaking of love. So much for all those warm sentiments in Exciter, those atoning graces in Ultra and SoFaD. It’s back to the depravity and soulful liquidation of Violator days, and Playing the Angel is just as deplorably fetching.
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Edited By paisley1985 on 1126171593