Artist: Depeche Mode
Album: Music For The Masses (remastered re-issue)
Label: Rhino/Wea
2 Disks

I turned 31 a few weeks ago.  That makes me 12 when ‘Music for the Masses’ was originally released.  The differences between then and now?  I have much better hair for one.  But my taste in music has generally stayed the same.  So far this year, Decapolis has received over 250 albums in for review.  This has been by far my favorite release we’ve received. 

Last year, The Cure reissues were among my favorites of the albums we got in.  I don’t really know what to think of that.  I’ve noticed over the last few years how picky I’ve become with my music choices.  With the exception of a handful of albums, nothing moves me anymore.  At least nothing like the albums of my early teen years.

Depeche Mode was one of the few bands that actually meant something to me.  Like The Cure, Depeche Mode’s darkness just clicked with me. 

I only have a cassette version of ‘Music for the Masses’, so of course the remaster sounds incredible when you compare the two.  Like ‘The Cure’ reissues, there’s some great packaging, along with some very cool bonuses.  The first disk is the remastered version of the album.  The second cd/dvd contains the album, b-sides, and the short film ‘Sometimes you do need some new jokes’.

The highlight of the dvd for me was watching the behind the scenes of the 101 concert.  The recording of their infamous Rose Bowl concert was the second CD I ever purchased.  It skips something terrible now—but these 2 cds were so very important to me.  I’ve never seen the film of the concert before, but watching David Gahan get 80,000 fans to wave their arms (or for one person a crutch) to ‘Never Let me Down Again’ was incredible.  You also get to see him sport some awesome looking jean shorts during the sound check.  It scares me to think I might have had a similar pair….

‘Music for the Masses’ is one of those albums you should have in your collection.  This reissue will definitely be a top pick of mine this year.  Go buy it.  And don’t forget to wear your jean shorts.