Search - Depeche Mode :: Black Celebration

Summoning the Dark Clouds with Black Celebration

Private Quentin Tarantino Fan | nowhere | 06/24/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The reviewer describes this album as having a big black cloud that hangs over you and forces you to buckle down. Well, it does have a big black cloud, but It's a cloud that you will never want to part with once you savor it. Oh yes.



Despite that, this album really isn't gloomy. It still seems a bit sensual, you know how Depeche Mode can be. Maybe a bit like Violator's tone, only darker and tailor for solitude between two people, or something of that nature. The synths, effects, drums, and vocals are a lot more dark, and there are some really cool effects. The tracks aren't that dense, but there is not much happiness. All of this while being strangly catchy, though far removed from the poppier stuff of that era like Duran Duran and The Cure (Just like Heaven kind of material). -



I could say that the album peaks early. Black Celebration celebrates the darkness, and I couldn't agree more. There's nothing wrong with all times of day! I'd even say that there are six awesome songs in a row. The "death could strike us so let's do it" theme of Fly of the Windscreen and the two beautiful songs that follow suit. It Doesn't Matter Two, with it's creepy yet comforting choir of vocals, is a highlight for me, and A Question of Time asks that question that many fathers/brothers/sisters/maybe guys that actually love a girl and don't want to just _______ her because she's hot, are subconciously aware about but dare to hide it in them. The rest of the album fails to keep up the steady stream of awesomeness (not a word but I don't care), but A World Full Of Nothing is really good. Dressed In The Black is one of my favorites, either about BDMS (look it up), or maybe just how the color black (on girls) makes some people go insane, for some weird reason (I personally find black on girls really attractive, though not in a weird creepy fetish way). Maybe that's it, but the instrumentation is awesome on it's own, and one of the reasons why it kicks [...].



There are some gripes, not very big, but enough to bring down the grade (remember, just because there isn't anything naturally wrong with the songs, doesn't mean it's automatically brilliant or five stars). There are plenty of songs that pale in comparison to the better tracks. These tracks are Here is the House, Stripped, New Dress, and not Tonight. These songs are, though, listenable, but not awesome or anything like that. There is no sub-par song in Black Celebration, but those songs are just not as good as the rest of the songs.



Still though, it still sounds good listening to it the whole way through.

Great stuff with a dark edge to it. The remastered version with a DVD is great too (it's the copy I got), but it is missing But Not Tonight (because that song was not released on the album in the UK when the album was first released). I guess that's it.



8.5/10"

Unexpectedly deep synthpop

IRate | 04/11/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"BC may be their best 80's overall effort, by a lot, not so much because of a darker mood but perhaps in spite of, with brooding polish and measured, arresting vocals guiding the procession unusually well instead of falling for its cliches."

Best of the 80's

Alisa R. Haller | Utah usa | 06/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After hearing this again some 20 yrs later I remember how fantastic Depeche Mode really was at capturing the mood of the times. Highly recommended for extracurricular activities (I can't put it more delicately than that)! Have fun!"