Depeche Mode~ Sounds Of The Universe
Apr 22, 2009 at 4:14 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 37
NeonPirateKing

NeonPirateKing

100+ Head-Fier
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Posts
116
Likes
10
Anybody get this album yet? How does it sound?
biggrin.gif
 
Apr 22, 2009 at 7:18 AM Post #3 of 37
I enjoy In Chains and Wrong a bit, but it's nothing amazing, the rest is just not doing much for me. Compared to other releases this year thus far it doesn't deliver.
 
Apr 22, 2009 at 10:17 AM Post #4 of 37
Only one listen here so far, but I might have to kick my arse to listen to it a second time. "meh" here too. Problem is, as I was discussing with a friend last night, a lot of independent bands have been using those sounds, beats, but to WAY better results. I think the only reason why DM gets away with these songs is because... they are DM.

I'm not even sure Warp Records would want to put that one out
wink.gif


But then, that's only after the first listen, I'll see what I feel about it after a few more
wink.gif
 
Apr 22, 2009 at 2:17 PM Post #5 of 37
I was very skeptical too at first, but this one is definitely a grower. FWIW, I've been listening to DM since '81, and almost hate Playing the angel, which I think sounds like crap, and it's not just the butchered mastering, but the subpar production, and poor songwriting from Gore.

Sounds of the universe actually has some very good songs on it.
 
Apr 23, 2009 at 4:51 AM Post #6 of 37
Some of the songs are pretty good, while the others are meh, in my opinion. It's not a really strong album, but a good one nonetheless.
 
Apr 23, 2009 at 4:11 PM Post #7 of 37
Probably their worst album, at times it leaves me very flat. But a mediocre Depeche Mode album will always be better than the best than most other bands can deliver, so it's actually quite a decent record.

I have got the ultra deluxe boxset, and while pricey it's packed with incredibile content (3 CDs, 1 DVD plus large format books and other stuff).

You can check my review on Whisky Fun by Malt Maniacs' Serge - Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Music (it's still on first page, but in the next days it will scroll down).
 
Apr 24, 2009 at 6:23 AM Post #8 of 37
I picked it up (CD/DVD combo) the other day and have only listened to it twice so far. 50% of the content is good. The other half is like others have said, 'meh', and kind of on the slow side. 'B'-sides to Violator, imo.

Haven't checked the DVD out yet although I did see 'Wrong' on youtube. Quite disturbing visually.
 
Apr 25, 2009 at 12:27 PM Post #9 of 37
I picked up the 2xLP+CD edition. I think it's their best album overall. Worst song on it is "Wrong," interestingly enough. Favorites at the moment are "Peace," "Come Back," "Jezebel," "In Sympathy," and "Fragile Tension." I think if you liked Playing The Angel, you should probably find a lot of elements to love on this album (and I loved Playing The Angel, as well as their 80's and early 90's efforts).
 
Apr 25, 2009 at 1:21 PM Post #10 of 37
Did you notice, on the DVD videos, the headphones the band is wearing in studio?

Dave and Martin wear Grado SR-60 (WEIRD choice!)
Fletch wears a Sennheiser HD-280 instead (more suited to studio recording, but still a rather ordinary can)
 
Apr 26, 2009 at 8:56 AM Post #11 of 37
Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucabeer /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Did you notice, on the DVD videos, the headphones the band is wearing in studio?

Dave and Martin wear Grado SR-60 (WEIRD choice!)
Fletch wears a Sennheiser HD-280 instead (more suited to studio recording, but still a rather ordinary can)


Yeah, there was a thread about this a while back =P. It seems that this album's reviews vary depending on what era you prefer in depeche.
 
Apr 26, 2009 at 10:10 AM Post #12 of 37
Me, I love all eras of Depeche Mode.

I like the first two albums in spite of their cheesiness (or maybe exactly because of it!), I like Construction Time Again even if it is a bit too experimental.

I LOVE all the stuff from Some Great Reward to Playing the Angel (yes, including Exciter, one of the most delicate/well sung low-key albums they have ever released).

But still I am only enjoying 60% of SOTU: some tracks really don't click with me, particularly "Miles Away", "Corrupt" and "In sympathy". Actually, I prefer some of the B-sides from the second CD of the boxset to these three.
 
Apr 28, 2009 at 5:12 PM Post #13 of 37
I Picked up the Box Set as well and I truly enjoyed the DVD. I listened to the surround 5.1 mix of the album and watched every video bit. While at a first listen, it seems there's nothing captivating about SOTU, if you listen a bit more, you will find some great songs in there. I liked the Wrong video, it feels like watching a clip of a SAW movie, very different than any other video they have done. The Studio session tracks are very good, to me these versions sound a lot better than the album versions. They should release the whole album recorded this way, there are more dynamics and warmth to the sound. For example; the song 'Come back' in the album has this distorted guitar sound all over the track that totally destroys it, making the song annoyingly unlistenable! If you listen to the Studio Session version on the DVD, this songs excels, Martin plays the piano here instead of the distorted guitar, giving the song a more acoustic sound. The Bonus tracks are excellent, worth listening too. I really enjoyed 'Stories of Old and 'Ghost' great classic DM songs IMO. The demos CD is a good addition to the Pack, it shows you how Martin 1st envisioned the songs(all sung by Gore) although not sung with much emotion, and minimal instrumentation is present, still very good indeed. The remixes CD is pretty good and the art book with lyrics, photography and extra goodies like the pin badges, postcards are nice in a "collectors', and True fan" kind of sense. So I pretty much enjoyed the Box set as a whole, I wouldn't say this is their worst work nor their best, but I think they are playing it toooo safe. Then again DM don't have anything to prove to anybody, so they can do whatever they want and not be concerned about losing anything. I have to listen to the album a bit more in order to be assertive about its quality, but as of now, I'd say it is safe to say that SOTU it's definitely more suited for a true DM fan. Listen to it, draw your own conclusions, and see how it fits within your musical tastes. As far as my own tastes with DM, I've always have these albums as my top 5 in the following order:
'Songs of Faith & Devotion'
'Violator'
'Music for the Masses'
'Ultra'
'Black Celebration'
 
Apr 29, 2009 at 4:27 AM Post #14 of 37
Quote:

Originally Posted by Audirephilos /img/forum/go_quote.gif
...top 5 in the following order:
'Songs of Faith & Devotion'
'Violator'
'Music for the Masses'
'Ultra'
'Black Celebration'



That's my ranking, too. Except I swap MftM and Violator.
smily_headphones1.gif
 
Apr 29, 2009 at 4:34 AM Post #15 of 37
their old stuff is better. not feeling this new album.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top