Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Depeche Mode's Martyr

The sole new track on the newly released "The Best of Depeche Mode Vol. 1" is the rather by-the-numbers "Martyr", which sounds like a streamlined version of the one-chord stomp that formed the foundation of 1993's I Feel You".

While the song is nothing to shout about, its accompanying video clip does provide a good sense of the veteran synth-pop outfit's history, told through a clever montage of their promos throughout the years.

As an interesting aside, a valid visual comparison can be made between frontman Dave Gahan's innocent, clean-cut demeanour of the early days and his grungified appearance of the mid-1990s, contrasted with the sober, repentant bearing of the new millennium.

This leads to a minor complaint: there are simply too many shots of Gahan, and not enough images of Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher (and no showing whatsoever of former linchpin member Alan Wilder). Granted that Gahan is the most recognisable member of the group, but the director could have provided a better sense of intra-band balance by giving more representation to the other members.

Nevertheless, you can view the clip here.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home