Songs of Faith and Devotion

5-14-16

I remember coming across Songs of Faith and Devotion online. It was on Myspace music I first listen to "I feel you." I knew right away the song had guitars in it. It was definally a rock n roll song. I read somewhere before, in an interview with Gary Numan, what album did he prefer, Violator or Songs? Numan liked both albums and dised those who prefered analog over digital. This sound like a confusing conversation. He was also refering to both Depeche Mode albums. At that time, I only knew Violator. I loved Violtor. I remember being 19 and listeing to Violator on the New Jersey beach.. It was such a beautiful album, I cried. It had such a powerful infulence over me. Somethings were turbulent in my life back then. I cherished Violator as a close album of mine. It was until last year, late 2015, did I listen to Songs. I was amazed again!

I remember going on Youtube and just listening through the album all the way through while trying to do homework. "I Feel You," felt like a scene from Banjo-Tootie. I guess I was watching longplays of the game. Trying to be nostalgic again. The album had a strange feel to it. I was feeling something of Violator again. An emotion I can't describe. I think I heard "Walking in my Shoes" did I have to stop the album and do something else. Returing back to album, somehow, Walking in my shoes catched on. It is the most meloncolny song I have ever heard. It's like I heard it on the radio before. I have a vision of somekind of bad family animated film in mid 90's. I think it was, "Princess and the Swan," "The Quest for Camelot," "Fern Gully," really bad and forgotten movies only kids in the 90's would remember. It was like being a bottom feeding cat-fish. This is the kind of movies you have to watch if you can't watch the main Disney movies.

Somehow, Walking in my shows leaves that impression on me. A song in a trailer for a bad animated film. I don't think about this all the time, but it was the first taste, smell, sight when I heard Walking. I since saw the video, and loved it even more. The esoteric imagery, the occulist birds, the ugly people, the dark tower behind Gahan. Such a sad song. It has to ressonant with me too. The pain I have to spend my money and go to get a fraud degree. Youth wasted. Try walking in my shoes...

"Condenation" is very catchy. A song about refelection. Reminds me of The Wind Rises. I saw that movie three times in 2014. Something about Condemnation is memorable. An industrial ballet? A song about forgiveness? It's a gutteral song. It comes from the soul. I noticed right away Gahan is the singer. Something I never heard before. Originally, Gore was suppose to sing the song. But Gahan butted. It is really a song about him. I have other feelings too. Like I'm a space marine, walking down a long dark corridor to amny fatal fate. A slow song heading for the hills. A good song.

"Mercy In You" is a classic. I always sing this song while I'm driving. I'm not so sure why the song was not called "The Mercy In You." I guess it sounds cooler. Don't know why it wasn't a single either. Condenmation is a good song, I just don't think it should be a single. I always see Captain Syrup from Wario Land with this song. Scene from Wario Shake It! too. Strange. An action-esque song. I have to do something. I absoulety love the bridge to the chorus. The song feels like a clash between so many things. Gore was going for a pop single. Gahan wanted a blues songs. Guitars were added in because of an arguemment. The Mercy In You is quinesstinal Depehce Mode. The backwards synth is so memorable and the chanting. Chanting has alot to do with this album. In fact, everything on this album is a song. A song about faith and devotion. The Blues infulence lurks in.

I didn't know what to make of Judas at first. Such a sad song. The first ballet. track 5. I know why the song is hear. It's the last track on side A. It's a perfect ending for one side of 20 mins of music. Ironically, It was the last song recorded for the album. Daniel Miller, producer, argued making songs on this album was touture. It was a hellish experince. Nobody ever wanted to back to the Spain studio to make another album. It was the end of Depeche Mode. Something about the members were heated against each other. In a way, this would be the ture and original final song on the album. Gore ahas such a beautiful song. Every DM album has at least two Gore tracks. I wish to hear more. It's a shame his voice is not used more often. Judas is a rewinding song about devotion. Judas, the kiss of death onto Jesus. If you want my love. He says. Such instrumental in the last mintue of the song. A hypnotic daze begins. The wind is always so powerful. Judas became a faovirte of mine later, not instantly. I love it.

"In Your Room" has the best emotion on the album. It's hard to explain the song in words. The first buzzing synth is well-known. The rest afterwards is hard to explain. But the voice, "In Your Room... Time stand stills." Gahan has a blasting voice. A perfect blend of wind and synth FX. It's the part, where the strong sytnh hit comes in. Some new state of consiousness happens. I went back thinking of Super Mario 64, Wet Wet World. The drums come in.
So powerful. I never shed a tear on this song, but it has the power to do so. In Your Room is meant to be experinced, not listen to. The 5th time I listen to the song, my emotion dissapered. I lost the impacted I originally felt. It was like some kind of epic ending to a video game I never played. The secret ending to Super Mario 64. The original song to played during credits. I can imagine, zooming in first person with Mario, looking at random objects. As a third person camera looks at the entire map. Objects dancing. All the goombas, the koopas, some weird manniquin dancings. All ahrd to explain. It is one of the best songs on the album. If you never heard this song before, go take a listen in a very dark room.

"Get Right With Me," is intresting. It's another variant of Condemnation. Gahan and Soulsavers "Shine" is very similar to this sound. Nice use of turntable scraching. Never will hear it again in a DM song. Very Trip-Hop oriented. A song about reflection. I like it a lot. I feel like Crash Bandicoot when ever I hear it played. Kind of like a virtual segull flying across. I can see it. Maybe in a desert. Driving in a car too. I can see the sand dunes and the gassy horizon. When the sun sets, the skys goes back and forth. I think I like the guitar alot. The rift after the chrous is good. It is rather a good relxing song. I should do nothing but hang in the sun and listen to this song. A rock song. They should of, stopped the song after the break and into the bizarre interlude. Intresting part. If it was a music video, strange things would happen. I like the interlude alot. Amazing use of noise and feeling.

I love "Rush." I am always listening to it. It never gets old! In Your Room loses it's emotion after sometimes. Rush never gets old. Why was this never a single? It is the only synth-rock song ever by DM. It's so strange to listen to "Just Can't get Enought" and then Rush. Rush is so powerful. I love the synth. That is the best part. "Bada-bump Bump-bump-bump, Bump-bump" repeat. And the break down. the reggae drum going off. Gahan on the floor. Loose like a maniac. So much emotional. That errier guitar too. It's like a Palacebo guitar. Very grundge or emo noise. Darkwave. Very much apart of the 90's. I never heard it ever replicated ever again. It's a special kind of guitar. And finally, the best part, the last part of the song. The mosh guitar. It reminds me of Final Fantasy. FF OVA from the 90's. Some really dead serious evill sinister thing going on. I just want to dance to that loop over and over again. Too bad the songs jsut ends with it. Such emotion Rush has.

"One Careless" is special. The second Gore song. The use of a classical orchestra is great. The only unique DM song that does this. So much emotional. Once again, the bad animated movies come about. Maybe, "Anatasia," "Hunchback of Notre Dame," some kind of broadway animated film. 1993 is a strange year indeed. One Caress is powerful. I love Gore. I sing this song a lot. I just can never get down the long parts. I like to think about every teenage girl that listen to this song. How many of them fell in love with Gore? What did it mean to them? Something about the "bless" part gets me. Ballroom dancing. Some of the best emotion.

"Higher Love" is controversial. A strange ending song to choose. It's long. Cool synth FX. But really can't say more. I love when Gahan is in pain when he sings. He really shows it in this song. "Quest for Camelot" with that stupid blue two-headed dragon appears in my mind. I have no idea. 1993? The chorus is catchy. Just not friendly. I think the bridge and the intro really stands out more. The song is however, a great opener, along with Rush. Seeing DM live, with Higher Love leaves a powerful emotion. It's like Higher Love, was suppose to be a single. Not a good single I will say. Some blues chorus is in it. I like it. It is an intresting alternative to Clean. Clean however is much more eviler. Higher Love has an angel sound to it. No matter, Higher Love does end the album perfectly. Slow, slow, slow, until nothing. The repeative synth loops are great. I just imagine what it like to record this song with Depeche Mode in the studio. Was it hard? Was it impossible? What was the original purpose of the song? Was it suppose to be better and because of deadlines, they ended making it a happy song? What if Gore took over it and made it a dance single? It's hard to imagine if this song had more of a Violator feel to it.

I always like to think Songs as a spirtual sequal to Violator. That what it always is. What sounds on the album are similar? Is 1989 and 1993 that differnt in sound? Songs improved Violator so much. I have been sining the album since August of 2015. Now May 2016, It's has difined my last year at college. The hard times I went through, I listend to Songs. Amazing. Will leave a bookmark on the part of my life.