Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
Welcome to Disability Empowerment now season four. I'm back with my dear, dear friend Elena Mallet, and we're doing a mini series on the spiritual recovery of To Patch Mode. Elena, welcome back to the show.
[00:00:39] Speaker B: Well, thank you for having me, Keith. It's always an honor.
[00:00:43] Speaker A: Yeah.
We recorded Episode last year on the Patch Mode and there's so much to talk about with the. This band that I just couldn't get enough.
[00:01:10] Speaker B: I thought we were not covering that album.
[00:01:14] Speaker A: No, no, we're not. We're not. I just had to get that.
I'm still.
Debate Mode was formed in 1980, and the third three albums, Speak and Spell, A Broken Frame and Construction Time Again, were the very early, early work.
And as such, they were just beginning to develop their sound. On the first two albums especially, they were more simp pop band. If you go back and look at their early music videos.
[00:02:08] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:02:13] Speaker A: And then it was.
It was in their third album, Constructing Time Again, where they really began to mature as a band in lyrics and in the type of music that they would eventually become known for all over the planet.
But awards, 1980s Ford's some great reward, which is the album. We're beginning our discussion on the final track of that album, and I love that we're starting here.
A song called Vlad from its Rumors.
[00:03:13] Speaker B: Yeah.
Did you want me to say something about it?
[00:03:18] Speaker A: No.
[00:03:20] Speaker B: So I was thinking about this on the drive home today, and Blasphemous Rumors to me is like.
And again, I haven't heard every song in the world.
[00:03:29] Speaker C: Right.
[00:03:29] Speaker B: But I'm a. I consider myself a music connoisseur and I really feel like in terms of pop music, Depeche Modes, Blasphemous Rumors is like pop music's first venture into just singing about such a heavy subject matter, which is kind of the cruelty of life.
[00:03:48] Speaker A: Sorry.
[00:03:49] Speaker B: Yeah, go ahead.
[00:03:52] Speaker A: Sorry to interrupt.
It's not critiquing God or saying that he's a bully, per se.
It's not the divinity of Anti Christian, anti God song that a lot of people were worried it would be.
It's basically asking questions and painting a scenario, a what if scenario, that God is no better than the Greek God Loki, which is the trickster God with a bit of a mean streak.
But Vincent's a very early album for the band and they're just posing questions, as we will see in their later albums. Martin Gore says, I write about religion, relationships and politics.
What else is there? And I was thinking about this on my walk this morning with my dog.
If you take the Hierarchy of needs.
What are the third three needs?
Besides air and sunshine, water, food, sleep. And then you go into sex. And onwards and onwards.
But breaking down the hierarchy of subject, topics which everyone can relate to, no matter where you are in life.
Everyone can relate to some kind of religion or religion, persecution or trauma.
Some kind of relationship. Be good, bad, bad or ugly, or sometimes all three.
And politics, even if you're apolitical or the most die hard political fanatic, politics will affect everyone.
You cannot hide your head under rock or tunnel to the center of the earth and not be affected by politics.
[00:06:59] Speaker B: Right.
[00:07:00] Speaker A: Relationships are religion in some vein.
So his notion is very apt. I mean, for three topics.
He basically picked them right out the gate. But I interrupted you.
[00:07:29] Speaker B: You're fine. I think that ties everything in, right? Is we're talking about like faith and religion, right? And you know, and then we'll have some further episodes about love kind of mixed with that religion and higher faith. And I think what you're saying ties into all that. And blasphemous rumors is really that kickoff point for them. You know, if you're.
If we're ignoring the two albums, right, the first two albums, we. We kind of, you know, honored Martin Gorsing. Felt like not really Depeche Mode. And so if you're starting from construction time again and going up, construction time was really political and just a very big commentary on what was happening in England, what was happening around the world.
Observations about greed, right. And kind of enslavement to the system. And I think some great reward, like you said, started to bring out Martin's really philosophical side and spiritual side. And at this point they also had not had any dramatic life changes either. And so I think it's really fascinating that they were so young, you know, we're talking early 20s, and they had not had their drug addictions yet. They had not had any overdoses yet.
[00:08:46] Speaker A: There was no holy gym, nothing.
[00:08:49] Speaker B: Yeah.
And you know, I was watching when their documentaries on it and they were stating that. That this was actually really kind of out there song for them, you know, that they just felt it. It just felt natural and they were excited for it and they knew the public might not receive it. Well, I also think out of Depeche Mode, aside from the one they was. The one they hate that we talked about last time.
It's called A Heart. I love that one. But you're. But you're right. I was watching documentaries and there's one from like the late 90s or early 2000 that Dave said That it's their least favorite. He confirmed he does not like that song. And I think Blasphemous Rumors, ironically, is a simple lyric as that one. But I think because of the subject matter and the way the music layers, you know, in designs, it's far more impactful. Yeah.
[00:09:42] Speaker A: And I would very vaccinated to know that two of the four members, I think Martin and Fletch.
By the way, this episode is dedicated to the memory of Andy Fletch, one of the founding members who sadly passed away a few years ago at the age of 60. 60 is now considered young to pass away from.
A lot of us hopefully are living a lot longer.
Let's keep it.
I was surprised to know that a few band members had their own reservations about it becoming a single because of their history with religion, specifically Martin, which I found very fascinating because I think Martin and Fletch were both choir voids.
[00:11:14] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:11:15] Speaker A: Yeah.
And so. But yeah, on thirds of 50th legend, it sounds like you're batching God or they're badging God, but on close listening it's more.
We don't know, we're just dead seen. And they use the Very insightful. Which we'll get to later.
Story of a young.
A woman who was a drug addict, tried to commit suicide, found God and then two years later got killed in a hit and run or something like that.
And they probably made that up. I mean, but it's.
That vignette could happen to anyone that it's immediately relatable and it poses the question of why would God turn this young woman's life around from drugs and make her a believer in him for the third time in her young life and then two years later she dies.
Well, the valid in that and the song app states that if this is fair, then God is really mean.
But it doesn't.
It's not an anti God song or anti religious song. They're just wrestling with all these types of questions.
[00:13:45] Speaker B: I also. And I know we need to move on to the next songs, but I think too with that storyline that he takes this young woman, you know, after the breakdown, right. They come back with the lyrics that as she passes away birds were singing in the summer sky. And I think as you said that, well, it initially sounds like it's against God.
[00:14:09] Speaker C: Right.
[00:14:09] Speaker B: And. And suggesting, you know, the absence of, you know, a higher power at the same point. Like the distinct lyric of birds were singing in the summer sky and came and then came the rain and once again a tear fell from the mother's eye, which is this implication that, you know, we die, but then it's a beautiful day.
[00:14:31] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:14:32] Speaker B: And. And so, like, what is.
Right, like you said, what's the trick? Yeah. What's the gimmick? What's going on here? Like, why. Why is somebody recovered and then killed? And then the birds are just singing like it's, you know, a beautiful, you know, day. And I think that's all very symbolic of, like you said, the question of the life cycle. But I know we were talking about how that came out the year you were born, but we should move on to Black Celebration, which is the year.
[00:15:02] Speaker A: I was born, yet the next album, which happens to be your favorite. And we've known each other a long time, and I only found out very recently that was your favorite album. And I think I joked with you over the phone. I'm not questioning our entire friendship and what I really knew about you.
I didn't know you favorite Depeche World album, but A Black Celebration stands as the only album in which there's a title track.
And I find that very, very curious. In the song that we're discussing is the title track itself.
Oh.
Oh, no. We're actually discussing the second track.
[00:16:18] Speaker B: Fly on the windscreen.
[00:16:19] Speaker A: Fly on the wind screen.
[00:16:21] Speaker B: It's all good. I was ready to kind of make something. A Black Celebration. I was like, yeah, all right. Let's. You know, it's about doom and gloom and, like, days just kind of sucking and we're all just living, you know, like.
[00:16:32] Speaker A: Yeah. And I think that's where they were as band at that time.
Construction time, again, was very industrial. They were beginning to experiment with all types of sounds, different sounds they carried that threw on some great reward.
But as you told me, they really let it shine on Black Celebration.
[00:17:16] Speaker B: I.
For me, I think the Black Celebration developed their real sound going forward. And the documentary I watched was great. Like, I said, somebody put together a bunch of clips, but it all made sense.
So I think they had filmed those two or recorded those two some great reward in Black Celebration in Berlin. I guess they had a recording studio there.
And so definitely they were influenced. Those industrial sounds, right. Were influenced by Germany's kind of big. They were big into discotheque, right. And, you know, unique sounds. I think with Black Celebration, they admitted there was no radio hit on there and that their producers were like, what? What are you doing? This isn't, you know, listening to. They said all the demos that Martin had done, and the band was like, this is killer, you know, and. And the producers are like there isn't one track we would be able to release. What. What is going on? And I guess they pushed for it anyway and said they felt it was them. And that's what they said is they truly felt like this album was them. They. They came into their own, developed their real look and sound. And while some great reward was getting there, especially because Alan Wilder was, you know, taking over as keyboardist and really coming into his element.
You know, I think this one out. I think Alan wrote Fly on the Windscreen. I could be wrong and mistaken, but they were saying that he was. The song was an observation of nuclear war being a threat and that we were all pretty scared then, you know, that we were about to.
And I think Fly on the Windscreen makes sense because they're singing Death is everywhere. There's a fly on the windscreen. And then just come kiss me now. And. And it's that component of life's short.
[00:19:11] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:19:11] Speaker B: You know what I mean? And death is on the horizon. We might as well enjoy the last moments and.
But there's so many. And I know I'm taking over in this one, but I love Fly on the Windscreen. It's absolutely in the top 10 for me by Depeche Mode. And I think, you know, like lambs for the slaughter. You know, we're all lambs for the slaughter, and we're wishing to die. And there is that really, again, that heaviness that we hit with blasphemous rumors is this.
And it makes sense that it might be inspired by nuclear war because, like, we're building the bombs that are going to kill us. And so that saying that we're wishing to die is. Is essentially that it's very.
A straightforward imagery again and.
And yet very metaphorical. You know, there's this bizarreness about the Come here, kiss me now bit that, like, the song goes into this weird, eerie kind of rhythm. And I think.
I really do think it is them. It's. It's like the song is eerie, it's strange, it's dark, it's gritty, it's.
But yet it's electro, you know, electro pop. And. But the slow kind of beat is, I think, really showed us who they were about to become.
[00:20:31] Speaker A: Yeah, I. I will agree with that fully. And will Glad. Marriage Rumors was very heavy, both lyrically and musically. It set them up great for Black Celebration. And one of the reasons I love But Not Tonight, which is. So we'll talk about in another part, is because it's so the polar opposite of Blacks from its rumors both lyrically, musically, and as the album closer it.
And so if you listen to both some great reward in Black Celebration or all the way through, you get to.
You get a maturity that you.
They could not achieve had they not done one and then the other, it's. And we were talking about how their late favorite song is called Hard.
And so we both love Strange Love.
Those are bead sides on the deluxe edition of the album. And Ed's Beadsides, they slow very well in the entire construction of the album.
[00:22:39] Speaker B: Straight.
Do you mean something else? Strange Love is on music for the masses. Oh, it's a main song. It's not a B1.
[00:22:47] Speaker A: Will I go again?
Yeah.
[00:22:51] Speaker B: No, I was like. I'm curious now. I'm trying to think of what the B side is for the disease.
[00:22:57] Speaker A: Shake the.
[00:23:00] Speaker B: I love Shake the Disease. That should have been on Black Celebration.
[00:23:04] Speaker A: No, I mean, so not Strange Love.
Shake the disease. And it's colder hard when you put those two after.
But not tonight.
[00:23:21] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:23:23] Speaker A: It's just another continuation of the already great album.
[00:23:31] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:23:31] Speaker A: And so I just wanted to plug that.
[00:23:36] Speaker B: Oh, I'm gonna plug one more B side.
Christmas island is also B side of Black Celebration. It is epically music. It's just music and it like, no lyrics and. Yeah. So I'm just gonna plug that because that.
[00:23:52] Speaker A: I think one of the only songs that Go and Ali Wad wrote together.
[00:24:03] Speaker B: Yeah. That also should have. I felt like Black Celebration should have been a longer album. I think due to its concept. It could have sustained all. All of those B sides. It's really unfortunate that they didn't make the cut.
[00:24:16] Speaker A: Yeah.
But we're charging on to their next album, which it's called Music for the Mad.
And we are talking about the song Sacred.
[00:24:39] Speaker B: Yeah.
You know, I like. So I had told you that my.
I have two thoughts about this one. I don't want to take over. So cut me off. You know, I mean. But Sacred talks about what?
[00:24:56] Speaker A: Never, Never.
[00:24:58] Speaker B: Okay. Sacred talks about spreading the word of God.
[00:25:02] Speaker C: Right.
[00:25:02] Speaker B: He's acting as a missionary. And again, the lyrics are very straightforward.
I think that is what's fascinating about some of the religious songs is they're just cheeky by just being like, flat and. But still leaving you wondering what they're singing for.
But, you know, what you're picturing is this righteous man who, you know, you're. You're kind of picturing the Latter Day Saints.
[00:25:26] Speaker C: Right.
[00:25:26] Speaker B: Is knocking on your door, the Jehovah Witness, you know, and it's his duty. He Says it's my mission because I'm a missionary.
And I. I really think it's. It's either playing from the angle of, you know, like it's sarcasm.
[00:25:47] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:25:47] Speaker C: Right.
[00:25:48] Speaker B: Or really is the viewpoint of the missionary.
And. And it's. It's always been kind of.
I've always loved that the tongue in cheek of it. Because it's a playful song and I think that's why I've always interpreted it as. It's kind of sarcasm about religion.
[00:26:05] Speaker C: Right.
[00:26:05] Speaker B: Is that like. Because he says to put it in a word and write it down and that's what that is. Walking on hollow ground. And so that lyric to me has always implied that the Bible's high. Hollow. The words are hollow. You know, the. The preaching is hollow.
That's how I've always interpreted the song. The fast beat, the pacing, the way he sings it. It's. But again he sings it kind of like the missionary, like the preacher. And so it's a fascinating song.
[00:26:35] Speaker A: Yeah. And the song titles and the album titled Their Sarcasm and ironic Nets meaning the bands would become as much stable for them in how they promoted themselves in their body of work.
Adds the industrial music that they've become known for.
I know on the DVD documentary they said that the album title came from when Margin Gold was rummaging through a thrift shop. And he song album called Music for the Millions and the veg founded ironic coming off of Black Celebration which they all thought would be the big glorious hit album.
And so it's little tongue in cheek reference to.
And let's be real Black Celebration and Music for the Madison Soldier. Well comparatively speaking for the time. But there was no Magnum op EDS yet.
[00:28:31] Speaker B: Yeah. And the irony of Music for the Masses being called that and yet they weren't popular worldwide yet was that. That did make them popular worldwide. That was their big breakthrough in America.
Beyond little clubs. They finally got to do the Rose Bowl.
[00:28:48] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:28:49] Speaker B: Whole documentary one Depeche Mode 101 follows their daring, bold maneuver to stay in the US a little bit longer and do this last minute Roseville concert for they. I think they said for like discount tickets and they had people coming from all over the country and they were like we could play to an empty stadium.
And I was watching this behind the scenes footage and it was quite hilarious when it said it occurred to them that they were playing outside and there was no way to hide if the seats weren't filled.
You know that stadiums have like curtains and things they can put up. And they were like we're having these, like, documentaries show up. And we made this huge deal and we have no idea if anybody here even likes us yet.
And I thought that was really funny. They apparently were doing a tour of Mexico and decided to take that daring chants on the Rose Bowl. And so music for the masses did become. Music for the masses is made itself.
[00:29:45] Speaker A: There's a family connection to 101.
The director of that whole documentary was D.A. pennebaker. And before he did that, he would a part of Drew Associates.
And Robert Drew pioneered movie film technique called cinema verde.
And Robert Drew was married to Ann Drew.
And Andrew was my mother's best friend.
And so there you go.
And I discovered that as I was unwrapping the deluxe edition of 101 because I take research from my episodes very seriously.
65 hours later.
But it's. And that name struck a chord with me. And I looked up DA Pennebaker and I actually met him once. And so each very.
At Robert Drew's celebration of his life and walk. I think I asked him a question.
I don't remember.
So that's my six degrees of subject. Yeah, I was just about to say Depends Mode.
But it was really their next album that things started.
Well, it was the album to make them and break them.
That album is titled Violator and there's several hit singles of that album, including Enjoy the Silence, which I thought it was your favorite album.
[00:32:33] Speaker B: Well, Enjoy the Silence is my favorite song. Yeah, but Violator is not my favorite album as a whole.
[00:32:39] Speaker A: No, but I was thinking that they should have called that album Enjoy the Silence because I can just imagine the Pratts, they will get the Pet Mode's new album Enjoy the Silence. It's anything but silent.
[00:33:03] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:33:04] Speaker A: Yes. But Violator, the song that really broke them even before 4 enjoy the silence was a song called Personal Jesus.
[00:33:24] Speaker B: Yes, Personal Jesus.
It's really about finding like, somebody or, you know, you know, somebody here or some idol.
[00:33:37] Speaker C: Right.
[00:33:38] Speaker B: And. And idolizing them, worshiping them. And the tongue in cheek lyric, lift up the receiver and I'll make you a believer.
[00:33:48] Speaker C: Right.
[00:33:49] Speaker B: And I've always thought the song sounds so sleazy, to be honest. It's. It's hilariously sleazy. And so is the music video.
And you know, and again, it always the point.
Yeah. And it makes you really question what they're getting at. You know what I mean? Like, and they never will tell us, you know, because they, you know, are good guys and. And let us all put ourselves in the song.
[00:34:17] Speaker A: Well, actually, that's not exactly True.
In doing research on that song specifically according to Gore, he would reading a book about Elvis Presley and his wife and he would very.
He used what he learned in the book as inspiration for that song. And I'll read you the exact quote curse. I find it fascinating. It's a song about being a Jesus for somebody else.
Somebody to give you hope and care. It's about how Elvis Presley was a man and her mentor referring to Priscilla Preds Lay and how often that happens in love relationships. How everyone's heart is like God in some way. We play these God like parts for people but no one is perfect.
And that's not a very balance view of someone, is it?
Yeah, I found that utterly fascinating because you're right, these boys, these men typically do not give you any back strongly any inspiration to any of their songs. The only exception that I know of which we'll talk about in the next part is its song called Prejudice. But we'll talk about that later on. But until I researched personal Jesus and found that quote, I had no idea.
And that Martin's a very private person. I mean they all are.
And they're not going to give you anything in terms or hardly anything in terms of, of the background or who's the song about because that's personal to them and to the persons they were writing about and particularly in terms of relationships, it should be personal.
But we get now to my favorite album that it's the first album that I publicly and privately fonded over like almost to a manage point.
[00:38:03] Speaker B: And I can attest to that, not.
[00:38:06] Speaker A: Making fun of saying that. Like when I first heard this album, it was transfixion to me. It was like discovering my religion all over again.
This is songs of faith and devotion and there are a lot of songs, surprise, surprise that we're going to be talking about.
The first one is the opening track, I feel you.
[00:38:49] Speaker B: Yeah.
And I know we'll have to get through this one quickly even though this album deserves a ton because I know we only have 20 minutes but I feel so we don't bore the audience. Right.
I feel you.
You know, again is definitely this. I mean he says this is the dawning of our love, but in the morning of our love.
[00:39:13] Speaker C: Right.
[00:39:14] Speaker B: He chants it and I think again, this is a duality song is, you know, you could be talking about literal love with a human being, you know, or, you know, I. I'd like to think it's more about faith and finding his love in Jesus or God.
[00:39:30] Speaker C: Right.
[00:39:30] Speaker B: Like depending on, you know, you talk to people. Some are like, I don't pray to Jesus, but then others are like, I only talk to. You know, like you never know who's talking to God or Jesus.
And I think, you know, that is what he's singing to, right, is feeling the higher power, feeling their love. The song is really powerful instrumentally.
And there's gospel singers on this album and in the background, you know, kind of doing these sounds, right, that are kind of ominous and also all mighty and powerful sounding and. And I think that really does imply that it's faith because.
Yeah, it's epic.
[00:40:12] Speaker A: Yeah. No, and it's a very mute musical follow up to Personal Jesus, which makes total sense because.
And that bridge between the two albums, because musically they connect so beautifully and even the music videos are similar. They're both hilarious. But they also mention the mud from God Allah in this song.
And so right off the bat, track one, not even two minutes in, you have them name dropping faith like vids.
The album titled Songs of Faith and Devotion was not just a throw away random chosen.
And that's also what I appreciate about the salvation active violator.
They really buckled down. It was a terrible tension period.
But some of their best work, bar none, is on this album. And if this was their last album, they would have gone out on top. But thankfully it wasn't.
[00:42:16] Speaker B: The next with Alan Wilder.
[00:42:19] Speaker A: Yes, it's the lads with Alden Wide.
Oh, yeah, Wilder.
[00:42:28] Speaker B: It's all good. What's the next.
[00:42:30] Speaker A: Yeah, Judith.
This is a very interesting song because it's basically a love song and a faith devotional from God Jesus in my mind.
But they name it Judith.
And that, to me, it's very intriguing because I would have never expected that from anyone.
[00:43:18] Speaker B: I think the intention behind the song is about entitling it. Judas is about our flaws and imperfections. Right. Judas is persecuted for, you know, tattling, but really that's our version, right. That a lot of people are quick to throw stones. And I think that their implication is that when you're in relationships, you know, loving relationships, they're bound to fail. They're bound to have issues and that the point is to work through together, right, and to, I think, follow the teachings of Jesus. Right, to love and. And there's this kind of story about Judas and the doubting Thomases and kind of the negative sides of. Of the story of Jesus, right. These disciples and it's.
Yeah, I think that's really what it is. I think Judas is titled in terms of saying, you know, talking about humanity itself is we Are flawed people.
[00:44:24] Speaker A: Yeah. And the song before that, Condemnation, which was originally going to be sung by Martin Gore, but Dave Gann had a really strong feeling that he could do it, Judson.
And boy, does he ever.
The music video is in my mind amazing.
The. The story told within the music video, the actors.
It should spellbinding to really think about it. But the next song, unless you have more to say about condemnation, I think.
[00:45:32] Speaker B: Condemnation strangely belongs on our next parts about love because it is. While it uses religious symbolism, it's definitively about, you know, a relationship.
Yeah. Yeah.
[00:45:46] Speaker A: So did Ride With Me. Do you want to take this one?
[00:45:53] Speaker B: Yeah, I love this one.
Also a preaching song. I. I feel it's much similar to Sacred. Yeah. Is there's kind of a tongue in cheek.
Are you really singing realistically? Because there's these beautiful lyrics. Life is such a short thing and I cannot understand, you know, it's. But then there's kind of this get right with me. The preacher, you know, reaching his hand out, singing his faith.
I love it. I love the sermon. The whole song is a sermon.
[00:46:27] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:46:27] Speaker B: Friends, if you've lost your way, you know, you'll find it again someday. I'm like. In the way he sings it in kind of these staccato sentences, which is not typical of Dave. And it. It's very thematic and goes with the entire concept of the album.
[00:46:42] Speaker A: So.
[00:46:42] Speaker B: So that's how I interpret that song. I think it's, you know, it is, I think a well intentioned song, but has just a smidgen of their cheekiness. I don't think they ever let that go. They tend to not let their guard down, which we'll get to their new album, Memento Mori in later parts, but I feel like that's might be the only album I've heard them be sincere. Yeah. I think one of their songs are always a little edgy.
[00:47:12] Speaker A: Yeah. And I mean it carries on with Higher Love and then also one Tourette's, but we're talking more about higher Love.
What did that soul mean to you.
[00:47:36] Speaker B: Again? I think closeness of wanting a closeness to a higher faith. You know, whether it be God, Allah, as we mentioned earlier, whoever.
[00:47:44] Speaker C: Right.
[00:47:44] Speaker B: I. I think this whole album is a nod to religion itself.
So whatever higher being that is. And he. He's clearly wanting to transcend himself, you know what I mean? He says, I surrender all my soul.
You know, I really think that. And he says, moved by a higher love.
[00:48:04] Speaker C: Right.
[00:48:05] Speaker B: And so I think the whole concept is a self discovery, you know, and kind of that desire to be his higher self and. And you can only be your higher self in his vision through finding the higher power, the higher love and trusting them.
[00:48:23] Speaker A: I fully agree. And it's the. The closing track of that album and it's just imagable album like Black Celebration, but it's more. It's a lot more targeted in.
They knew going into this album what they wanted to talk about.
And in my research I found out that it's really a bluesy rock album.
[00:49:10] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:49:11] Speaker A: Which blew my mind goods. I had never thought of it that way, but it was finding the instrumentals somewhere that really expanded my entire conception of just how bloody brilliant this album is.
[00:49:43] Speaker B: Well, even going back to their inspiration from Elvis is. I really feel like this is the first album Dave starts crooning on. Yeah, it's not every song, but you know what I mean. He. He hits it in condemnation. In I feel you there's this kind of vibrato. He starts putting it more into his voice. This kind of like waviness that Elvis always had. And so I would have to agree with you that Elvis was also blues. So it.
[00:50:12] Speaker A: I mean some. We'll talk about in the next series.
If there's one song on this album that I go absolutely goo goo gaga for, it's in your room. But we'll talk about that in later.
[00:50:37] Speaker B: Do you think that I had a debate on that. Do you think it's.
It's appropriate? Is it religious or is it relationship? We can talk about later. It's your podcast. But like I thought about that all days. In your room. Part of this one. Should it be?
[00:50:51] Speaker A: I mean the.
The interesting thing and why I love that song to death is because it captured every facet, every side of love.
Obsession, neediness, devotion. I mean if you want to take your song about devotion, you.
They put it in the middle of the album and so it transcends meaning leads in my case that. Yeah, you could make a case that it's judge a psycho sexual vignette, but it goes in to every arena of the power and addictiveness of love. And so to my mind it perfectly captured faith and devotion in equal measure.
To me, that song is the album.
That song describes the album title beautifully.
So we can go either way. But we'll. We'll mention it again in say we'll.
[00:52:38] Speaker B: Geek out over it again in the next part.
[00:52:42] Speaker A: The later series which is on the patch. Love and devotion and so ultra is where we find ourselves and where I came up with this series because it's very Spiritual album like the one that preceded it, but it's also about recovery because Dave is going through his rock drug trades, Martin is drinking, Alan had left the band, and Pledge is going through clinical depression.
And there was a long time where no one knew if the patch mode will make another album.
[00:53:59] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:53:59] Speaker A: But the.
After 18 months or something like that, more than a year, I think it was 14 or 18 months.
[00:54:12] Speaker B: Yeah. They have to pause it.
[00:54:14] Speaker A: Right.
This album, which they had never done before, but out. But Martin said in hindsight, that gave him ample enough time to write songs.
[00:54:35] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:54:36] Speaker A: And so we begin with the second track, which is a personal favorite of mine, the Love Theme.
And this song, we can also debate if it's religions, so if it's a relationship. So I think it's both.
But listening to it, I heard way too many religions overtones that I would like. Vince had to be in the episode.
[00:55:22] Speaker B: I feel it's definitely religious one.
You know, listening to it the other day, it's.
You know, I really think it's about all the systems that take love away from us.
[00:55:35] Speaker C: Right.
[00:55:36] Speaker B: Like, you know, they. They talk of times where it's like kings and queens.
[00:55:40] Speaker C: Right.
[00:55:41] Speaker B: Take the money from the poor and we're talking about thieves and poppers and, you know, and all these scenarios in life that kind of fail the masses.
[00:55:52] Speaker C: Right.
[00:55:52] Speaker B: Like a mass group of people. And. And I. I think the implication is that the love thieves are that, like 1%.
[00:56:00] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:56:01] Speaker C: Right.
[00:56:01] Speaker B: It's the top people at the top. And they destroy what could make the world a better place and thus create love.
[00:56:09] Speaker C: Right.
[00:56:10] Speaker B: And that's how I've always interpreted that.
[00:56:14] Speaker A: Did you want to talk about the next song? Home?
[00:56:20] Speaker B: I believe it was Home is my favorite on Ultra and also in my top 10, I think home, you know, if we're going back to how difficult this album was to make is. Is just so the audience knows how challenging. Dave didn't even have his voice due to his severe heroin addiction. They sent him home, and when they went back out to Visit him in LA, wondering if he was better, he OD'd.
[00:56:47] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:56:48] Speaker B: When they came to visit him.
And so he was in recovery that he finally went to a recovery center. And so recording this album with his actual voice was after recovery, seeing the world with silver eyes for the first time in. In years.
And like you said, Martin was in the throes of alcoholism and Andy had been depressed since Songs of Faith and Devotion, even leaving that tour on the later half of it because of it, I think Home really. And Martin has Opened up more about that. This one, too. Again, they open up once in a while about songs. And he describes some of his alcoholism as. As really his drive for this song, why he sing it. I also think his voice is just better for this song. Yeah.
[00:57:35] Speaker A: Oh, yeah.
[00:57:37] Speaker B: But I definitely think it can be about Dave's addiction as well. And I think Home Talks for me, is not even just about addiction. I think it truly can be interpreted as finding the light in whatever scenario you needed it in.
[00:57:55] Speaker C: Right.
[00:57:56] Speaker B: And I do believe they're mostly talking about a higher power. You know, I think people can certainly relate it to somebody they've met. And again, I think it goes back to that idolizing of personal Jesus.
[00:58:07] Speaker C: Right.
[00:58:07] Speaker B: Is there's this implication that whether it's a true person here, an idol, or a higher power, they've shown the way. And I think Home is definitely more about the higher power.
But you can personalize it, and clearly it's about addiction. When he sings about the sickly sweet sheets, you know, and clinging to his back and his knees and feeling desperate, you know, and it's. Yeah, it's. It's an incredible song about a journey, a rough journey, and finding their way through it.
[00:58:46] Speaker A: Yeah.
And then Freed State is more.
Oh, and we forgot to talk about mercy in you and my Joy on the largest album. We'll double back on the next.
[00:59:06] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, yeah.
[00:59:07] Speaker A: We got a few to those songs. But Pre State is more generally religious.
What is it?
[00:59:23] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:59:24] Speaker A: Oh, you didn't. I thought you'd say no.
[00:59:31] Speaker B: This song is straight up about, like, legitimately he sings. You know, it's about self discovery with God.
[00:59:40] Speaker A: Yeah, it's.
And now I can't find the lids again.
[00:59:47] Speaker B: Oh, sorry, I screwed your speech up about Free State.
[00:59:51] Speaker A: No, Freed State is founded. Freed State is one of the ones where it's more about the personal development of the self rather than talking about God or some deity on some devotion.
And that's why I really wanted to include it, because it's talking about faith, but from a very different angle than they usually do. And really, that is where I came up with the concept of the title of spiritual recovery, because it's here.
And the next album, which we'll talk about in a few minutes, where they fully paint a picture of Ultra, which is them coming of the high going through recovery. You're never done going through recovery. But this analogy will say the next album, Exciter, is them on the other side of the darkness of going through recovery. But before we get to Ultra.
Sorry, before we get To Exciter.
We have two more songs on Ultra, the Bottom Line, which is, to me the quintessential love ballad and leads, in my mind, the only song they've ever written that could be placed on any album.
Like you wouldn't.
Personal Jesus would only vet on Violators in your room would only vent on zones of faith and Devotion. I've listened through their entire catalog again.
This time I didn't speed through it like a drug addict.
But the Bottom Line is the only song, in my opinion, that they could put on any of their albums and it would fit.
[01:03:07] Speaker B: Agreed.
[01:03:08] Speaker A: Yeah.
[01:03:09] Speaker B: I don't want us to feel like we have to rush through Bottom Line. And in Insight, I think, is the next one too, because I think we're going to do Exciter on the next part.
[01:03:20] Speaker A: You had wanted to finish out the. The 90s exciter.
[01:03:28] Speaker B: I hate to tell you, but it's 2001.
[01:03:31] Speaker A: Oh, yes, yes. No.
Right, well, we'll lead in to wrapping up about Insight and our final thoughts on Ultra.
[01:03:52] Speaker B: Yeah, so Insight is.
You know what? Actually, I want to go back to Bottom Line for a second because I. I just think you're right. It only fits Ultra and, like, rhythmically, literally, this album is phenomenally cohesive.
[01:04:14] Speaker A: Yeah.
[01:04:14] Speaker B: And I did read about that, that their producers pushed for a more tame album and. And in Tameness, they really hit a very spiritual side.
And I think you're right, his Bottom Line is just again, about fate, things meant to be, you know, And Martin's voice is phenomenal again. Martin really rules Ultra with his songs.
[01:04:41] Speaker A: Yeah.
[01:04:42] Speaker B: And I think Insight is the softer side of Dave. We finally really see a soft side of him and Martin's. I think the ending with the Give Love, you know, is. Is just Martin's voice perfectly complements him. But I think Insight is really just about again, finding that inner wisdom.
[01:05:05] Speaker C: Right.
[01:05:05] Speaker B: The answers, the feeling of knowledge or something's there, you know what I mean? A trust and in the world. And he says that the spirit of love is rising with. In me and. And talking to you now. And it's. Yeah, I. I think it's a phenomenal, like last.
It's kind of like the end, towards the end of the album and it really sends it off quite, you know.
[01:05:33] Speaker A: Well, actually, I think the Bottom Line lyrically, AD Leads could set on any Depeche Mode album. But I agree with you musically and rhythmically, it is only.
It could only be on Audra. I view the lads.
Four songs on Audra since of night, which we didn't talk about pre state the bottom line and insight, particularly insight would sort of teaser whether or not the band knew it at the time of what was to come on their next album, Exciter, which we will talk about in our next part. Elena, it's always a pleasure and if I may be cheesy, your friendship is very much to me like some grade.
[01:07:01] Speaker B: One reward that is cheesy.
I got nothing. I'm terrible with puns.
[01:07:09] Speaker A: Oh Chees, thank you my friend.
[01:07:13] Speaker B: Thank you so much. I cherish our friendship. I'll see you soon.
[01:07:25] Speaker A: You had been listening to Disability Empowerment. Now I would like to thank my guests.
You are listener and the Disability Empowerment team that made this episode possible.
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