Posts by analogbear40

...and then, to wrap up the tour, they played the Rose Bowl, that massive stadium in Pasadena that holds 100,000 people...😁

No matter how much this whole thing feels like a complete, cohesive album already, it doesn't truly hit its full stride or find its real weight for me until you reach that final track, Pimpf.

Depeche Mode - Pimpf (1987)

Even though the music video shows the whole band joining in on those choir vocals, word on the street is that Martin Gore actually handled all the voices you hear on the recording.

.....here comes the latest installment.....

Music for the Masses Review

Dennis Hall41 said:I’m inclined to agree with the two colleagues above—I maintain that physical media is way overpriced. There’s zero reason why, say, a disc printed in a run of a million copies should cost $120-$50. In reality, it should sit somewhere between $30-$20, including the liner notes and everything else, especially since manufacturing costs roughly $5-$3.25.

To me, it actually feels like modern CD reissues are incredibly (maybe even unrealistically) cheap compared to how things were throughout the entire 90s, the 2000s, and honestly just until a few years ago.
Of course, I’m not talking about prices in our local shops here; I mean the price of new releases on Amazon.com just a few months after the release date. By that point, you can practically find almost everything for $4.99 or $5.99. Back in the day, that was completely unthinkable.

This is an album that truly defined an era. It left a massive footprint on those of us who first experienced it during our formative years when it originally hit the shelves.

I’m actually quite curious to hear what people think if they're coming to this record for the very first time.

For those who already know this (masterpiece) inside and out, I thought I'd drop a few links to some incredibly deep and thorough reviews that have popped up online lately:

DM - Music for the Masses Review by Vaughn George - Part One

DM - Music for the Masses Review by Vaughn George - Part Two

DM - Music for the Masses Review by Vaughn George - Part Three

These pieces really dive into the various facets of the album in a very specific—maybe even slightly geeky—way.

Even today, more than 30 years later, Music for the Masses still feels just as powerful and flawlessly produced to me. But at its core, as it should be, are the songs. They are the brilliant compositions of Martin Gore, which were sonically sculpted by the other unsung genius, Alan Wilder, regardless of the co-production and engineering work by David Bascombe.

It’s only when those talented hands work together that we get such an extraordinary whole.

I’m sticking to my guns with option B:

Jakarta - mask for two (1984)

Hopefully, I haven't missed the boat on this one.

Chris Myers said:👍

That was a really, really solid read.

Justin Currie has had a pretty low-key career since he moved on from his main gig with Del Amitri.

Then again, looking back at the history books, Del Amitri never quite grabbed the massive legendary status they probably deserved.

Justin Currie - No, Surrender (2008)

Big Macs for the heavyweights, low-calorie wraps for the office drones
Gourmet snacks for the indecisive elites, caviar payoffs for the penthouse dwellers
Airport shoe shines serving the executives amidst the high-end tech and expensive cigars
First-class travelers board last, after the riff-raff is crammed in with their duty-free hauls
The checkout chaos—getting ripped off on your rewards points, thinking if you put in another decade at this job, you’d finally have some stability
Panhandlers hovering near the ATMs, but you just dodge through them using the same old excuses
Horror stories about missing kids keep everyone hyper-focused on protecting the family and keeping the pantry full
Neighborhood watch types scouting out the unemployed, putting their suburban split-levels on the market and driving up the bidding wars
Do you stand your ground? Should you lay down your life for your principles?
Just so your meaningless effort gets etched into history?
If you want my two cents, I say forget it. Just give in.
Endless expansion is the cancer we use as a cure; a swarm of profiteers keeps the engine running
Budget sedans for the wealthy, disposable lives for the working class, cheapgetaways under the sun, and complimentary cocktails at the club
Childish propaganda clogging up the networks, keeping people chasing the dollar so they never find freedom
Keeping them fed on garbage—the starlets, the predators, the outsiders flooding in from the
Tent cities just over the ridge
Talk of war, the great national debate, soldiers in D.C. fighting to spread new flavors of hatred
Humanity reduced to tiny dots under the harsh glare of a camera lens; anyone who steps up pays the price
Pretentious climbers looking down on the retail workers, while the small-town folks grumble about the backpackers
Fortress America, step right up—take your shot, you might hit the jackpot
Do you stand your ground? Should you die for what you believe in?
Just so your useless gesture is remembered?
If you're asking me, I say no. Give up.
Patrolled beaches at sunset, keeping out the "undesirables" who don't follow the unwritten rules
An equal opportunity to live in absolute destitution; punish the ignorant and lock up the slow-witted
Commuter bosses idling in their luxury cars on the interstate, while mindless patriots stand at attention
A constant blizzard of red tape, all so billionaires can point to a phantom enemy to shoot at
The pill-pushers, the door-to-door salesmen, the trend-chasers, and the spiritual seekers
Crackpot stockbrokers pumping up shares until you're suffocating under a mountain of junk mail
Religious zealots prowling every corner, hunting for fools hungry for any kind of dogma
Blindly following faith, falling straight into traps laid along the walls of holy sites
Athletes perform in massive spectacles while tanks roll through the streets and the country just laughs it off
Tourists staring at the changing of the guard while creeps pay the locals to pose for photos
Movie buffs rushing to see the latest trash, blockbusters drowning out even the simplest thoughts
Failing public schools churning out graduates only to toss them into a system run by idiots
Ballot boxes, phone voting, rigged surveys—they let you have a say just to make you feel important
The average Joe doesn't want to deal with it, so they just liquidate his life while he looks the other way
Don't get sick, don't get smart, or they'll tear you apart with a version of justice built on lies
Marching down Main Street, complaining all you want, but the losers at the head of the line have been in charge for twenty years straight
If you're asking me, I say no. Surrender.

.....one little comma makes all the difference......between the titles (No Surrender / No, Surrender)......😁

.....thanks for the spark, Chris Myers......pure songwriting, honestly......😉

David Sylvian - Orpheus (1987)

Holding my ground on this jagged terrain
The wind kicks up, biting and cold
Wrapping itself tight around my coat

I deal with the same anxieties as anyone else out there
Those nagging urges to pack it all in or just walk away from it all

My perspective on things tends to drift
Oscillating between total gloom and a flicker of dim light

I hesitate to speak because I’m afraid of what might be heard
But Orpheus remains motionless, lost in a deep, silent slumber

When the sun hits, I spread my wings wide
It's a kind of beauty that’s impossible to ignore

Think of those empty bottles clattering down the steps
They remind me of all the folks I used to know who simply didn't care

Deep down at the bottom of the shipwreck
Lies a collection of pleasures I don't regret one bit

The heavy weight gets swept away by the rising tide
While Orpheus holds true to his word and stays right by my side

Listen, I've definitely got plenty left to learn
Make no mistake, these internal fires never really die down

Trust me, once the laughter finally runs dry
I'll find comfort in the sound of my Orpheus singing his promise

Everyone else is asleep while we pull at the oars
It's just us, the elements, and a sense that hope has slipped away

But every obstacle thrown our way
Only served as more wood for the fire and strength for our weary bones

Even so, the voices still have tales to share
About those epic battles between the heights and the depths

Yet we feel steady against even the grandest visions
As Orpheus sings about the possibilities waiting in the morning

Listen, I've still got quite a way to go
Get this—these fires never truly stop burning

Please, believe me, when the joke stops being funny
I'll be listening to the promise in my Orpheus's song

Steven Newman50 said:I think there might be a misunderstanding. Yesterday was for submitting suggestions, while the poll itself is still active 😁 Should I jot this one down for next week? 😁

No need, thanks.
It would just end up filling space on the list.
I'll come up with something fresh for next week instead.

...here’s a little something from my side regarding the old American scene:

Jakarta - Maske Za Dvoje (1984)

Every time I dive back into music videos from that era of American music history, I swear I find something new. It’s like my eyes finally adjust and I notice details that completely flew under my radar years ago....

I’ve actually had this album sitting on my "must-listen" list for quite a while now. Judging by the music video for their hit song spiritus, it seems like they hit that absolute sweet spot of 1984 vibes—exactly the kind of atmosphere I dig. Plus, from what I can tell, the musicianship is genuinely high-quality and varied, even if it isn't strictly following one genre.....

On top of that, I have this feeling the bass lines really take center stage here. And honestly? I’ve always had a massive soft spot for a killer bass line....😁

Amanda Robinson4 said:Three votes for three albums... for now. Just a heads up, voting wraps up at midnight tonight.

Wait, just until midnight tonight?
If that's the case, there’s probably no point in me throwing out an A-list candidate from my collection right now... I doubt they'd stand a chance against the heavy hitters already in the ring anyway.😁

I was under the impression we had until Sunday night—meaning Monday at midnight.😛

I’ve been wondering how we should handle those albums that were nominated in previous weeks but didn't end up winning—especially when the person who suggested them doesn't want to put them forward again. What's our move there?
I personally would love to see someone like YMO get another shot at it, though... I have to admit, they aren't my absolute top pick either.

Dead Can Dance - Severance (1988)

Severance,

The birds of leaving call to us,

Yet here we stand
Endowed with the fear of flight.

Overland

The winds of change consume the land,

While we remain
In the shadow of summers now past.

When all the leaves
Have fallen and turned to dust,

Will we remain
Entrenched within our ways.

Indifference,

The plague that moves throughout this land

Omen signs
In the shapes of things to come.

Tomorrow's child is the only child.

A little something for the music lovers out there! 👍

I’ll kick things off with the heavy hitters—the "usual suspects." 😁

Dead Can Dance - Indoctrination (A Design For Living) (1985)

In times of great vexation,
When one must choose between what's right and wrong.

Freedom, so they say,
Amounts to the choices you have made
Through all the arbitrary rationale concerning liberty.

Freedom, I must say,
Exists within unconditioned minds.

Reason has come of age.

How can you be satisfied with things the way they are,
When all that surrounds us now, and so much more,
Remains inside the keeper's dark embrace?

The insatiable thirst for power has made
Idols out of mortals, gods into clay,
Soldiers into heroes, children into slaves,

All damned.

Desires,
Their hopes betrayed.

Who will suffer the laws
That State can decide your child's education
Unless you pay the price?

Who will suffer their laws?
Who will suffer their minds?
Who will suffer their words?
Who will suffer their designs?
Who will suffer their laws?
Who will suffer their minds?
Who will suffer their words?
Who will suffer their designs?

Scott Long71 said:I have to admit, I didn't actually cast my vote for my own suggestion regarding Joe Jackson, so now I'm genuinely curious—who ended up being the choice? 😁

By the way, why shouldn't voting be open? It’s not like we’re keeping state secrets here. In fact, I think having that kind of transparency would actually make things much more interesting.

I couldn't agree more. Honestly, it’s spot on.

When it comes to this list, Joe Jackson is absolutely my number one—honestly, he’s the only choice that matters to me.😉

Costello's Get Happy album from 1980 features 10 tracks per side, and even though they aren't particularly long, the whole record ends up feeling pretty thin because of it.
That's actually what Stephen Street mentioned during Danny Baker's show about pop albums, which I shared a link to earlier.

Coldplay

Back in the turn of the millennium, they were absolutely everywhere. I remember losing my mind over > when it was spinning on >—you know, back when they still had > hosting that show. Then came the hype for that stellar second album, led by the gorgeous single >.....
Their third record felt like the moment they pivoted toward that massive stadium-rock sound. It was a total shift in concept, though honestly, the songwriting stayed solid enough.
I remember being genuinely floored when I heard them perform a live cover of > by I think somewhere around the > era, I just felt the magic fading... I haven't really kept up with them since. Though, I have heard whispers lately that they might have actually turned a corner and made some positive changes......

Does anyone happen to know where or when the recording with our English dub will be posted?

ruggedharbor17 said:Or even those artists who were virtually unknown, so their singles aren't considered high-value items.

Those two ideas just don't mesh in the same sentence...

For instance,

https://www.discogs.com/The-Bernhard...elease/6007820

If you look at how many people actually own this 12" single (using Discogs as our gold standard here), it falls squarely into that "unknown" category—or more accurately, it's a total rarity.

As for the price? That’s just a minor detail.

It all boils down to market demand.
There are millions of obscure indie acts out there where maybe only a handful of people own their stuff, and those records sell for a buck or two.

But then you run into outliers like this one... which isn't even that rare in the grand scheme of things.

Anyway, I think we've drifted pretty far off-topic from what the original poster intended to discuss here...