If God has a master plan, that only He understands, I hope it's your eyes He's seeing through

I once had a massive crush on a guy who's a HUGE Depeche Mode fan. He was really cute, funny, and very sweet. He listened to The Smiths, New Order, and The Cure, but Depeche Mode was by far his favorite band. He even boasted that when he was a kid, he attended the big Rosebowl show the band did back in 1988, and swore that if you looked closely at the video of the concert, you could see his face in the crowd.

I was really surprised when I found myself crushing on this guy, especially since my first impression of him wasn't that great. He looked like one of those guys that hung around clubs trying to look cooler than they actually were, feeding corny lines to girls until one was foolish enough to fall for them. And he also looked like he'd have really bad taste in music. I knew that we'd never get along. But then one day, I was humming a Smiths song, and he started to sing the lyrics word for word. And I was shocked. Turns out that we listened to a lot of the same bands, and there was a lot more to him than I initially thought.

I've always wondered what people's first impressions of Depeche Mode were. One of my friends used to make fun of me for liking Speak and Spell era Depeche Mode (Dreaming of Me, New Life, etc.) because she said it all sounded like video game music. She was more a fan of songs like Never Let Me Down and Enjoy the Silence, which I suppose are less arcade sounding than the "video game" Depeche Mode tracks she couldn't stand.

But the thing about most of the songs from Speak and Spell is that they were written by Vince Clarke. I think Martin Gore only wrote Big Muff and Tora! Tora! Tora! and co-wrote Just Can't Get Enough with Vince. It's kind of frightening to think of all of the songs we may not have if Martin hadn't taken over on songwriting duties for the band when Vince left in 1981. But I don't think anyone can say that all of those great lyrics and catchy hooks weren't already in Martin Gore's head. He just needed the opportunity to get them out for everyone to hear.

With each album they put out, Depeche Mode seemed to get better. Their music became more introspective, more personal, more emotional. This seems like a natural progression of course, but it always amazes me when I see bands taking more steps backwards than forwards. Thankfully, Depeche Mode hasn't done that.

I've always thought that Dave Gahan had one of the most amazing voices in music. Sure there are people who sing better, but the bold and demanding quality of Dave's vocals grab onto you at the beginning of a song, and won't let go until the end. He sings with such confidence, that you expect every line to be some sort of proclamation. Maybe they are. With Martin Gore's writing style, you know that there isn't a word wasted in a Depeche Mode song.

Most people think that Violator is the quintessential Depeche Mode record (Carlos D once said it's the best record to have sex to). But even on your least favorite DM record, you still have those songs that hit you with an intense honesty and a passionate assurance. And isn't that what we love about this band?

The new Depeche Mode record, Playing the Angel, comes out on Tuesday. The band will kick off their North American tour in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on November 2nd. The first single from the record is called Precious. It seems that whenever I get into the car and turn on the radio, this song is playing. I absolutely love that.

Depeche Mode- Precious

If you just can't wait until Tuesday to hear the rest of the record, you can listen to it on the bands myspace page here. It's good. Really REALLY good. How did we ever get along without myspace?

Now for some of my favorite Depeche Mode tracks. It was hard to pick just a few, so that's why you're gonna get a whole bunch.

Depeche Mode- New Life (from Speak and Spell)
Depeche Mode- Stripped (from Black Celebration)
Depeche Mode- Everything Counts (from 101)
Depeche Mode- Sweetest Perfection (from Violator)
Depeche Mode- Condemnation (from Songs of Faith and Devotion) *preach brotha Dave*
Depeche Mode- Barrel of a Gun (from Ultra)
Depeche Mode- Shine (from Exciter)

Here are a few great covers of some Depeche Mode favorites. I totally forgot how amazing Tori Amos' cover of Enjoy the Silence is. And don't even get me started on the Placebo cover. They rocked the hell out of I Feel You.

Originals
(from Violator)
Depeche Mode- Enjoy The Silence
Depeche Mode- Personal Jesus
Depeche Mode- Clean

Depeche Mode- To Have and To Hold (from Music For the Masses)
Depeche Mode- I Feel You (from Songs of Faith and Devotion)

Covers
Tori Amos- Enjoy the Silence (from Strange Little Girls)
Johnny Cash- Personal Jesus (from American IV: The Man Comes Around)
Converge- Clean (from Deeper the Wound) *Yeah, the hardcore Converge*
Deftones- To Have and To Hold (from For The Masses) *You suck if you pass this one up*
Placebo- I Feel You (from Black Market Music) *If you don't listen to this, you're missing out BIG TIME*

So what did we learn today children? Depeche Mode kicks ass. But you already knew that. Indoor Fireworks posted some cool Depeche Mode mixes last week, so you should give them a listen.

Oh, and as far as the guy that I had a crush on. Well I never knew for sure if he liked me even remotely and I was far too shy and easily embarrassed to find out. But whenever I hear a Depeche Mode song, I always think about him. Just the other day (Tuesday) my mom and I were at the grocery store and People are People came on over the speakers. And I wondered if he was hearing it whenever he was.

Official Depeche Mode site
Depeche Mode on Myspace
Violator (all female Depeche Mode Cover Band)