Review of Depeche Mode: Videos 86 to 98

Introduction

Track listing:

1. Stripped
2. A Question Of Lust
3. A Question Of Time
4. Strangelove
5. Never Let Me Down Again
6. Behind the Wheel
7. Little 15
8. Everything Counts (live)
9. Personal Jesus
10. Enjoy The Silence
11. Policy Of Truth
12. World In My Eyes
13. I Feel You
14. Walking In My Shoes
15. Condemnation
16. In Your Room
17. Barrel Of A Gun
18. It`s No Good
19. Home
20. Useless
21. Only When I Lose Myself


Depeche Mode have come a long way and done well for themselves, putting Basildon firmly on the consciousness of their global fan base. Originally known for their distinct brand of synth pop in the 80s, Depeche Mode have matured firmly into a band that wants to make its own music, evolving styles and just trying things out. The bands biggest success was the album Violator, which brought me into the fold and I was hooked. The sounds, the samples, the lyrics, it was simply evocative.

The band`s long awaited successor to Violator, Songs of Faith and Devotion, was released day and date around the world on March 22 1993 and hit everyone, who hadn`t heard it, with a hard grungy and dirty edge, totally unlike anything the band had produced before. It was brilliant, and the videos that it spawned no less surreal or imaginative with `fifth` band member, Anton Corbijn, continuing to take care of the majority of band`s videos and artwork.

Video

Presented with a fullframe transfer, the videos were originally shot with different aspect ratios. The quality of the transfer is very good, but it can be difficult to tell since the nature of most of the videos themselves can be stylistically grainy and dirty. Quite a few of the videos, directed by long-time Mode collaborator, Anton Corbijn, have a surreal, if not an arty look and feel. I didn`t spot any digital tell tale signs of compression at all however. The quality of the new interview footage is clean and well produced.

Here then are the videos from 86-98 including two from the album Ultra, which followed Songs of Faith and Devotion, and Only When I Lose Myself which is not available on any album at present.

Audio

There are no fancy Dolby Digital or DTS remixes here. We get the unadulterated PCM track preserving the original stereo soundtrack. It`s a shame that a remixed 5.1 track hasn`t been made to just open up the front soundstage a bit, but by the same token I`ve listened to a lot of remixed 5.1 and it doesn`t sound that impressive. The PCM here though sounds clear, has good bass, and it`s like listening to a CD. No problems with the sound.

Features

Easy to navigate menus with a couple of extras:

• Interview with DM (7:42) - This segment explores more behind-the-scenes of the bands` videos. Interesting, but too short.

• A Short Film (23:28) - As short as this short film is, it`s still very interesting. All the band members, including former members such as Alan Wilder, talk about the music making process and the videos. From the 80s to the 90s through all the upheavals, the ups and downs and generally the way of the rock and roll lifestyle is explored.

There are no subtitles on this DVD.

Conclusion

The Videos 86 > 98 is a collection of 21 videos with 2 short interviews and runs for 126 minutes. The DVD spans 12 years of their career from Black Celebration right through to Ultra with the bonus of Only When I Lose Myself and goes to prove the longevity of the bands different brand of music. The main force behind the band, Martin L. Gore, continues with unabated song writing talent and comes up with some truly amazing songs. The sound too has evolved since that familiar 80s beeping sample led noise and has gotten grungy and different with Songs of Faith and Devotion marking the turning point.

One of the great things about DM videos is that they`re not like any other pop videos. Visually these are striking and are nothing like the dull manufactured promos seen all over music channels. While the meanings behind them might be vague, they`re still interesting to watch and it makes for great background music too. The style of some 18 of the videos is down to their long-time collaborator Anton Corbijn who was also involved in album sleeve and concert set design too. This has definitely created a unique look and feel making DM unlike any other popular music band.

I`ve been a fan since Violator and continue to like DM`s unique blend of pop music. This collection of 21 videos is top notch and has oodles of replay value. This is a cool DVD that any Depeche Mode admirer or fan will enjoy. Recommended.