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Some Great Reward
1984 studio album by Depeche Mode From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Some Great Reward is the fourth studio album by the English electronic band Depeche Mode, released on 24 September 1984 by Mute Records. The album peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number 51 in the United States, and was supported by the Some Great Reward Tour.[5] This also saw the band using samplers, much like they did in their previous studio album Construction Time Again (1983).
This was the first album where they achieved chart success in the US with the single "People Are People" which reached No. 13 on the charts in mid-1985 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was a Top 20 hit in Canada. It was also the first album that peaked at a higher position on a chart that was not from the band's home country as it peaked at No. 1 in Germany.[6] Singles "Master and Servant" and "Blasphemous Rumours", which was released as a double A-side with "Somebody", both also charted in Europe.
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Background
The band had released their previous album, Construction Time Again, in August 1983, and followed up with a supporting tour that lasted through early 1984.[7] The band went into the studio around Christmas 1983 to begin recording tracks for Some Great Reward while still on tour.[1] In July 1984, while still in the recording studio, the band's US label Sire Records released their first compilation album, People Are People, when Construction Time Again failed to chart in the US.[8]
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Recording
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Depeche Mode planned to record Some Great Reward in London before going back to West Berlin to Hansa Studios to mix and master the album, as they had done for Construction Time Again.[9] However, recording took longer than planned, and when their allocated time at Music Works Studio in London expired, they moved to West Berlin to complete the recording sessions at Hansa; as a result, "most of" the album was recorded at Hansa.[9] Singer Gahan said of the new album, "We wanted to definitely go somewhere else ... the idea of going to another country [to record the album] really appealed to us."[10] The band also like Hansa, knowing that David Bowie and Iggy Pop had recorded some of their albums there,[a] and preferred the energy of West Berlin to the "dead" energy of London.[9] Gareth Jones, who had been the sound engineer on their previous album was now one of the music producers during these sessions, said that the band wanted to "evolve", shed their "wimpy" sound, and "make powerful, strong records with a lot of atmosphere."[10] Singer Dave Gahan said "A lot of people still think we're teeny-wimps," and songwriter Martin Gore agreed, saying a few years later that "we had such a terrible image, very sickly. Even I thought we were wimps."[11] The band worked to evolve their appearance, and started to be photographed on stage and in the press wearing black leather; Gore started wearing fetish leather harnesses in photoshoots.[12] The band's recent album and single reviews had been positive,[13] and they were upbeat on the new material they were recording,[9] with Gore saying "We just want to produce a really fine album which will hopefully establish us as a major act."[14]
The band embraced life in West Berlin; Gore had a German girlfriend and the band would regularly go into the city to party at night.[9] Gahan remembered that the band had a great vibe during this time, saying "We really had alike a gang mentality then as well. It was us against the world."[9] During recording downtime, the band recorded an all-covers album called Toast Hawaii, named after Andy Fletcher's favourite snack from Hansa's cafeteria, though this album has never been released.[9] The band befriended West German artist Annette Humpe and Gore would later play keyboards on two songs from her 1985 album Humpe.[15]
On the professional side, Alan Wilder began to take on more production responsibilities for the band with this album; Gore recalls that it was a "turning point" for Alan's role in the band: "Alan would often sit in the studio with Daniel [Miller] and Gareth [Jones] till two or three in the morning" while the rest of the band was out at a club.[16] In order to maintain better control of his songs, Gore created his own publishing company, Grabbing Hands.[9]
For the album, Depeche Mode continued to incorporate found objects into their music by hitting or dropping them in front of microphones and sampling the sound, a practice they had started on their previous studio album, Construction Time Again.[10] Album track "Lie to Me" was one of the band's favorite tracks, although Gore expressed regret that the album version wasn't maybe as good as it could have been.[10] Lyrically, compared to their earlier albums, the band addressed more personal themes such as sexual politics ("Master and Servant"), adulterous relationships ("Lie to Me"), and arbitrary divine justice ("Blasphemous Rumours").[17] "People Are People" took "social and political subject matter and [made] it quite poppy and commercial" and ended up being one of the band's more successful singles to date,[10] although by 2006, the band's view of the song soured, with Fletcher calling it "our biggest hit that we don't play [live anymore]".[10] Wilder wrote two songs during the sessions, "In Your Memory", the B-side to the "People Are People" single, and "If You Want", which was the last song he wrote for a Depeche Mode album.[16]
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Release and promotion
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In February 1984, the band played a one-off live show at Birmingham Odeon for the BBC TV show Oxford Road Show, and a month later the band released the first single from the sessions, "People Are People".[18] "Master and Servant" was released as the second single in August 1984 and despite some controversy due to the sexual nature of its lyrics, both "People Are People" and "Master and Servant" charted well in the UK and the US, and "People Are People" went to number 1 in West Germany.[19] The band performed "Master and Servant" on Top of the Pops when it rose in the charts.[11]
Some Great Reward was mastered in late August 1984[b], and released on 24 September 1984 by Mute Records in the UK with catalogue number STUMM19.[16] In West Germany, Intercord Records released the album with catalogue number INT 146.812; initial pressings were made on grey vinyl after the success of their colored vinyl releases for earlier singles.[20] Sire Records released the album in the US, and they also made available a special promotional 12" release with a custom track list and custom sleeve (catalogue number PRO-A-2271).[20]
Like their previous album, cover design was done by Martin Atkyns and photography by Brian Griffin, with a look described as "industrial chic"[16]
On 29 October 1984, Depeche Mode released the third single from the album, a "double-A-side" release that included both "Blasphemous Rumours" and "Somebody". Like the "Master and Servant" single before it, "Blasphemous Rumours" stirred up some controversy due to its religious message, prompting rebuking from some members of the clergy in the UK.[11] [21]
The album was remastered and re-released in 2006.[22]
Tour
The Some Great Reward Tour was the band's longest to date,[5] starting in late September 1984 and running through the end of July 1985.[23] The band played in the UK in September and October 1984, Europe in November and December, then took a break before playing the US in March and April 1985 before returning to Europe in July.[24] American synth-pop and electronic band Book of Love were the opening act for all 15 tour dates of the North American leg of the tour.[25] The band were surprised by the large attendance at their US shows; they had not toured the US on the previous tour because of low attendance when they had visited the US in early 1983.[26] Said Gore, "We thought that we would never be popular in America. And when we went back in 1985, we'd suddenly become this cult phenomenon. And we were playing for 15,000 people a night."[26] The success of "People Are People" as a single, plus the People Are People US release had boosted their popularity since their last tour.[26] In Athens, Greece, Depeche Mode played one of the city's first large, open-air festivals to 80,000 fans.[26]
They also played two dates behind the Iron Curtain, a rarity for Western bands at the time.[26] Wilder remembered that "we'd hall heard these stories about our popularity in that part of the world and in Eastern Europe in general. People always said 'You're so popular in those countries, you have to go there.' But many bands at that time didn't do that. There were too many obstacles."[26] Depeche Mode played in Budapest, Hungary on 23 July and in Warsaw, Poland on 30 July 1985; they tried to arrange concerts in both Moscow and East Germany as well, but were prevented due to "bureaucracy".[26]
On 3 November, 1984, Depeche Mode played a concert at the Hammersmith Odeon, and the performance was recorded and broadcast on BBC Radio 1 and introduced by radio personality Richard Skinner.[27] Tracks from the broadcast were released on a promotional-only vinyl release (catalogue number CN 4498/S).[27] The 30 November 1984 show in Basel, Switzerland, was recorded and released on a promotional record by Warner Brothers Music in the US; radio stations that received a copy of the 30 minute excerpt from the show were allowed to play the record only once.[27] The concert on 14 December 1984 at Alsterdorfer Sporthalle in Hamburg, West Germany, was recorded and issued on the live concert video release titled The World We Live In and Live in Hamburg (1985), which was released in the US, UK and Japan on various formats.[21]
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Critical reception
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Melody Maker's Barry McIlheney hailed Some Great Reward and noted a "truly remarkable development" in Dave Gahan's voice, concluding that while "[i]t used to be okay to slag this bunch off because of their lack of soul, their supposed synthetic appeal, their reluctance to really pack a punch", the album "just trashes such bad old talk into the ground and demands that you now sit up and take notice of what is happening here, right under your nose".[38]
NME critic David Quantick was critical of the sound of the record, and felt that it "suffers from too many missed grips on good ideas". He continues: "It ought to be an intelligent chart contender, a mix of commercial class and magpie manipulation of the unconventional; it isn't. When that bonk and clatter is used... it's just a nod to left-field, rather than use of the sound." Of the songs and singing he says: "Often the tunes are ordinary; Martin Gore, as ever, favours a bit of a drone. In small doses (singles) this is fine. Over 40 minutes, the interest begins to wane. Dave Gahan's voice has improved greatly – in that he's learned how to use its limited range – but like the melodies, it imparts mucho sameiness to the record." He concludes: "Depeche Mode can be one the few acts worthy of the name pop group. It's just that they should be so much better."[39]
In Number One, Sunie expressed similar reservations: "The sadly under-rated Depeches turn out consistently excellent singles. But 45s rather than LPs remain their forte [...] They've progressed a million musical miles from their boppy origins, but Martin Gore's lyrics haven't kept up. Over a whole LP, their gaucheness is a major distraction from the record's musical merits."[30]
Carole Linfield, in Sounds, felt the balance of powerful music and personal lyrics was just right: "The combination of the Depeche strength of vocal and now the Depeche delicacy is going to be hard to beat... This package is a carefully assorted, daintily arranged symphony ... one that carries emotion, devotion and yet never gives way to feebleness or predictability. OK... the lyrics look trite, often naïve and frequently clichéd when printed out [...] Yet Depeche have the right balance and necessary gauche to pull it off. Perhaps it's simply that power – never mawkish – that sustains it. Whichever way, the combination locks in. The Depeche Mode clicks."[36]
German DJ Paul van Dyk cited Some Great Reward as his all-time favourite album, stating it is "one of the albums that really has influenced both myself and probably everyone who is somehow involved in electronic music."[40]
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Track listing
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All tracks are written by Martin L. Gore, except "If You Want" written by Alan Wilder. All lead vocals by Dave Gahan, except where noted.
2006 Collectors Edition (CD + DVD)
- Video
- Audio
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Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Some Great Reward.[41]
Depeche Mode
Technical
- Daniel Miller – production
- Depeche Mode – production
- Gareth Jones – production
- Ben Ward – engineering assistance
- Stefi Marcus – engineering assistance
- Colin McMahon – engineering assistance
Artwork
The artwork photo was taken by the Round Oak Steelworks in Brierley Hill near Dudley, England. The Steelworks was demolished in 1984.[42] Nowadays Merry Hill Shopping Centre is at the location.
- Brian Griffin – photography
- Stuart Graham – photography assistance
- Martyn Atkins – design
- David A. Jones – design
- Marcx – design
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Charts
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Certifications
Notes
- Bowie and Pop had recorded several albums at Hansa in 1976 and 1977, including Pop's Lust for Life and Bowie's Low and "Heroes"[10]
References
External links
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