Depeche Mode(!)

Kevin Chavez3 said:I mean, the band was founded by brothers who were hairdressers😬

But their debut is killer—the second one holds up—after that, I haven't really listened.

"I Ran," "Messages," "Modern Love Is Automatic"... those tracks are just too good.🙏

I’m with you on that first album.🙏
Give the Men Without Hats debut a spin—it's even more upbeat.🙏 🙏 🙏

analogharbor442 said:If you're into Joy Division, you basically have to dig Magazine, Ultravox, Japan, The Sound, The Comsat Angels... maybe even early OMD.

Not really my thing.
Total snooze fest.
They're solid.
Pretty good, bordering on great.
Never actually listened.
Not these either.
Aaaaayyyy, they're great.

rustymaker60 said:You've gotta check out Camouflage (The Great Commandment, Suspicious Love, Love is a Shield), Blancmange, Visage (Fade to Grey), and definitely OMD.
Propaganda too, for sure.

Fair enough.
Not quite.
Decent, that one song mentioned is killer.
For sure.
Could be.

Following stormyviper11 (because I've always had a soft spot for Joy Division)...

If you're into Joy Division, it’s almost a given that you'll dig Magazine, Ultravox, Japan, The Sound, The Comsat Angels... maybe even some early OMD.

I love a lot of them, but I don't follow them blindly.
On average, they're very good.
It's hard to say. Everything I've listened to—specifically the stuff after Foxx—tends to swing between being absolute masterpieces or just plain slimy.
I'd call them good based on two solid, yet incredibly fragile albums: Tin Drum & Gentlemen...
No Man's Land is okay, though in my book, it's way too "generic."
When they hit, they hit hard—they're truly exceptional.
I honestly can't decide.

Douglas Taylor4 said:I follow DMJ (mostly because I’ve got a soft spot for Joy Division)...

I appreciate a lot of their work, though I’m not exactly a blind devotee.
On balance, they’re quite good.
It’s hard to pin down. Everything I’ve checked out—specifically the stuff following the Foxx era—tends to swing between being brilliant and being incredibly cheesy.
If we're talking about two albums that are both solid and deeply fragile, like Tin Drum & Gentlemen..., I’d call them good.
No Man's Land? It’s alright, I suppose, though it’s far too generic for my tastes.
When they hit their stride, they aren't just good, they are truly exceptional.
I can't say for sure.

Honestly, I don't really see how you could describe Tin Drum or Polaroids as "fragile"... you might have made that argument for Quiet Life or Adolescent Sex, assuming we're all using the same definition of fragility.😎

Adolescent Sex destroys everything... it's the first and last thing that matters. 🙏

Bradley Ramos2 said:I honestly don't get why you're calling Tin Drum and Polaroids 'fragile'... you could argue that applies more to Quiet Life or Adolescent Sex... assuming we're all using the same definition of 'fragility' here.😎

I haven't really spent much time with Quiet Life or Adolescent Sex.
Personally, I think Gentlemen take polaroids holds up better than Tin Drum.
To me, David Sylvian is the true embodiment of fragility, and by extension, the whole Japan catalog.
It’s like he’s constantly draped in some fine silk kimono.
Is the guy actually human, or just a ghost?

Douglas Taylor4 said:Is he even a real person, or just some kind of ghost?

Nah, just a guy.😬>

gentlepuma20 said:no, just a queer😬

Maybe so, but...
Rob Halford is gay.
🙂 😉

Personally, I'm not really a Judas Priest fan 😛

Personally, I'm more of a Painkiller Law fan, though I don't really see the connection to Ultravox😁

Honestly, even I finally caught on to what Douglas Taylor4 was trying to get at... 🙄
And man, that cover of Green Manalishi is absolutely killer.

Been nearly 3 years since I last posted here
man, oh man...

So, check it out—on April 6th, a new compilation called > is dropping. It’s this massive double CD/DVD set, and besides all the singles, it'll also feature every single one of their promo videos shot under the Chrysalis Records/EMI label back between 1980 and 1986. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

And get this...

>

Matthew Johnson6 said:Warren Cann, Chris Cross, Billy Currie and Midge Ure are set to reform Ultravox again for a US tour in April 2009, entitled "Return to Eden". this will be the first time the classic lineup of the band have performed together since Live Aid in 1985.

Man, I’m just praying they actually sound better than that Ureov live set—wasn't it called Rewind or something?
Seriously, that was rough, man, just total garbage... except for that one killer track, One Small Day.😳

gentlepuma20 said:nah, just some homo 😬

man, look at these comments... absolute insanity 🙄
just a freaking timeline 🙏

That one track of theirs, Dancing with Tears in my Eyes?? I mean, that's such a killer song... honestly, it’s pretty much everything I know about them 😛but I guess I'll probably dive a bit deeper into their stuff later on

Ultravox are the absolute best—they’ve got so much killer material, seriously just go dive into YouTube for a bit. They were never exactly mainstream superstars, but that whole "Vienna" album is pure gold. If you dig "Vienna" or "Dancing with Tears in my Eyes," you definitely need to check out stuff like "Lament," "Sleepwalk," and some of my personal favorites—"The Voice," "Visions in Blue," "The Hymn," and "Passing Strangers."

analogharbor442 said:Who doesn't love Joy Division?

Fair point.

analogharbor442 said:Japan

Ziyev.

analogharbor442 said:... even some earlier OMD.

What counts as "earlier"? Honestly, after the initial shock and listening to >, I just didn't have the energy to fight through that level of boredom. 😁

I love Ultravox, obviously.😍 There are plenty of great bands being mentioned in this thread—but how you manage to squeeze Japan and OMD into the same conversation as titans like New Order or Ultravox is something I’ll never quite wrap my head around!😁

Young Savage 🙂

john foxx >>> midge ure

What’s everyone’s take on this band?
The kings of AOR
Back in the 80s
Vienna was the absolute peak
Synthpop
Pure bliss
Midge Ure was really the only sharp successor during that era
Taking over for the fallen king, Bryan Ferry

🙏
🙏
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