Depeche Mode - Playing the Angel (2 LP)
- LP
- 2 piece(s)
- 2005
- 19 tracks
- 1 uur, 29 min
- new wave
Playing the AngelCheapest atlunchboxrecords.com
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4.5
Average of 13 reviews
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After a four-year hiatus, Depeche Mode's eleventh album, 'Playing The Angel,' demonstrated once again that they refuse to remain creatively stagnant. By collaborating with Ben Hiller, who had recently worked with acts like Blur, Doves, and Elbow, the band was able to infuse their signature blend of harsh and smooth sounds with newfound vitality, resulting in numerous unforgettable moments. The album commences with the jarring, distorted wail of 'A Pain That I'm Used To,' a track that's guaranteed to startle you upon first listen, marking the beginning of a new era for Depeche Mode. Building on the confidence of their previous release, the trio crafts a sound reminiscent of their 'Songs Of Faith & Devotion' era, skillfully integrating guitars with their polished electronic grooves. There's no denying that the singles are the standout tracks of 'Playing The Angel.' From the hauntingly beautiful 'Precious' to the irresistibly catchy 'John The Revelator,' these tracks soar above the calmer depths of cuts like 'The Sinner In Me' and 'I Want It All,' creating a dynamic ebb and flow that enhances each song. While it may not be the strongest addition to their extensive discography, 'Playing The Angel' is nonetheless a welcome entry. It showcases Depeche Mode's ability to evolve with the ever-changing electronic music landscape, drawing inspiration from the misty, atmospheric sounds popularized by artists such as I Monster, FC Kahuna, and Boards Of Canada. It might take a few listens to fully appreciate, but the album is well worth the investment for the singles alone. And if you're a fan of Depeche Mode, even a casual one, 'Playing The Angel' is considered by many to be essential listening.
Absolutely, every single comment reflects what I've experienced. This album is fantastic. I recall playing the CD as soon as it was released. It's so distinct, it feels like a whole new album: cozy, incredibly layered, and razor-sharp simultaneously. Soooo great.
Once more, it sounds incredible. I reckon every track from 16/17 of DM albums on Sony Music has that same vibe.
This CD might just be the worst sounding one I own. I don't usually fuss over those DR numbers like others do, but this one really takes the cake. It's an absolute noise fest from beginning to end. I suppose I'm lucky I don't particularly care for the songs on this album, so I never give it a spin. But if I had an album I truly loved that sounded this bad, I'd be beyond disappointed.
I must admit, I wasn't up to date with Depeche Mode’s newer releases (after Violator). I'm going through their albums, in order, as I add the vinyl versions to my collection. I wasn't too impressed with Ultra and Exciter, so I was eager for an album that would resonate with me more. I heard that Playing The Angel was a more organic album, with the band using more analogue synths, so I was optimistic. From the very first track, “A Pain That I'm Used To”, I was hooked—it was thrilling and musically captivating. Their new sound was grittier and harsher—I loved it, I loved it a lot! The excitement didn't end there; the album continued with more tracks that had an incredible groove and made me want to sing along. Depeche Mode was back in form! I must say, some of the songs (like “Precious”) were familiar to me as they had some airplay. The lineup for this album was Andy Fletcher (keyboards), Martin Gore (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Dave Gahan (lead vocals), Christian Eigner (programming), Dave McCraken (programming, piano) & Andrew Phillpott (programming). The character on the album cover is a little creature called "Tubby Goth" (by the band) and "Mister Feathers" (by the label, the webmaster and the fans). The cover design by Anton Corbijn is believed to be a nod to a famous still photograph of The Cure's Robert Smith circa "Boys Don't Cry". Playing the Angel is Depeche Mode's first album to feature Dave Gahan as co-writer. He wrote the lyrics to "Suffer Well", "I Want It All" and "Nothing's Impossible", while Christian Eigner and Andrew Phillpott wrote the music. Gahan is the lead singer on all songs except for the instrumental "Introspectre", and Martin Gore-sung tracks "Macro" and "Damaged People". Gahan also sings backing vocals on "Macro", which was the first time he had sung backing on one of Gore's songs since Violator's "Sweetest Perfection". This pressing of Playing The Angel was beautifully produced (Ben Hillier), mastered and pressed (Rhino Entertainment Company). The double record came in a very nice gatefold jacket with full-color card stock record sleeves with photos, credits & lyrics. The record had a very good signal level (-1.5 dB) and was dead whisper quiet, with virtually no surface noise, clicks or pops. The credits list Emily Lazar, at the Lodge, New York as being responsible for the mastering. Lazar is known to produce awful masters and her name has become synonymous with heavy-handed dynamic range compression. She is responsible for the red book CD version of this album which suffered from vey heavy dynamic range compression. This vinyl version, however, does not. A careful inspection of the waveform of the digitally recorded version of this vinyl copy shows that it has minimal dynamic range compression. It is doubtful that Lazar mastered this version and some other un-credited party is responsible. I gave this album 5 out of 5 stars.
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