The use of real instruments exposed the imperfections of the recordings which brought out a more humane quality in Songs of Faith and Devotion. Keyboardist Alan Wilder suggested the idea of bringing a live feel to the album where actual instruments such as drum kits would be used in favour of programmed drum machines. Lead vocalist Dave Gahan was adamant on bringing this raw quality to the song, as it was at this time in the early nineties that grunge rock dominated both the American and British music scenes. It shows that Depeche Mode approached Songs of Faith and Devotion from a different perspective as they started to experiment with genres such as grunge rock. The technical masterclass that was displayed in their predecessor would present Depeche Mode with the colossal task of trying to deliver something as innovative for their sophomore album Songs of Faith and Devotion.įrom the screeching feedback to the dirty blues guitar riff, it’s abundantly clear that opener I Feel You follows similar musical conventions to Violator’s Personal Jesus. There’s no question that when Depeche Mode released their visionary album Violatorin 1990, it firmly established four boys from Basildon as one of the most influential electronic groups in the world. But with other numbers such as "Walking in My Shoes" and "The Mercy in You" to recommend it, Songs of Faith and Devotion continues the Depeche Mode winning streak.Album Review: Depeche Mode – Songs of Faith and Devotion "Rush" is the biggest misstep, a too obvious sign that Nine Inch Nails was a recording-session favorite to unwind to. Outside musicians appear for the first time, including female backing singers on a couple of tracks, most notably the gospel-flavored "Condemnation" and the uilleann pipes on "Judas," providing a lovely intro to the underrated song (later covered by Tricky). Martin Gore's lyrical bent, as per the title, ponders relationships through distinctly religious imagery while the gambit is hardly new, on songs like the centerpiece "In Your Room," the combination of personal and spiritual love blends perfectly. "I Feel You," opening with a screech of feedback, works its live drums well, but when the heavy synth bass kicks in with the wailing backing vocals, even most rockers might find it hard to compete. Perhaps even odder is the fact that it works incredibly well all the same. Yet the odd thing about Songs of Faith and Devotion is that it sounds pretty much like a Depeche Mode album, only with some new sonic tricks courtesy of Alan Wilder and co-producer Flood. In the meantime, the band went through some high-profile arguing as David Gahan turned into a long-haired, leather-clad rocker and pushed for a more guitar-oriented sound. In between Violator and Songs of Faith and Devotion, a lot happened: Nirvana rewrote the ideas of what "alternative" was supposed to be, while Nine Inch Nails hit the airwaves as the most clearly Depeche-influenced new hit band around.
0 kommentar(er)
