Almost Predictable. Almost

Wednesday, 21 September 2016

DEPECHE MODE LIVE IN SCOTLAND - A NEW PROJECT

I'm kicking off a new project that will seek to give as full a record as possible of all the gigs Depeche Mode have played in Scotland. Thus far, the band have played the following shows:-

Glasgow:

Aberdeen:
Capitol Thatre Sept 17 1983 - http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/depeche-mode/1983/capitol-theatre-aberdeen-scotland-1bd75df8.html

Capitol Theatre Oct 17 1984 - http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/depeche-mode/1984/capitol-theatre-aberdeen-scotland-13d75dd9.html

The plan is to feature brief interviews with people who were there, who were involved in the gigs and more. At this stage, I'm hoping to hear from people who were at the gigs in 1981, 1982 and 1983. Were you there? Do you know anyone who was?

If you were there, can you get in touch here, on the blog Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/almostpredictablealmost/ or on Twitter (@almostprdalmost or @davidjmcelroy) ?

Thanks very much.

Thursday, 15 September 2016

PRIEST - THE B-SIDES EP

I make no apologies for reviewing a new Priest release almost as soon as it comes out. As you'll no doubt know by now, I'm a huge fan of this band and I genuinely think they can't put a foot wrong. This is their first full release since 2015's wonderful self titled debut, and it's a gem. There are many bands who release A-sides that don't even come close to the quality of these B-sides.

Youth, a brand new track, opens the e.p. in a blizzard of icy cool electro, bringing to mind the glorious emotional synths early OMD with a healthy dose of prime Yazoo. This track is up there with Priest's finest and encapsulates what they do best - uplifting synthpop that hits that emotional nerve that only that type of music can. We're The Same follows and, like I've said before (http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/priest-were-same.html), it adds an edge to the band's sound which is great to hear, although it should be said that this remains a pop song and a superb one at that. The pop theme continues with Dark Sun, like Chrvches at their most bubblegum, before we end on the outstanding Don't Let Go. Imagine New Order era Confusion influenced by the Orlando sunshine rather than the New York electro club scene and you've got Don't Let Go. It's as catchy as you like and a superb end to this e.p.

And that's that. Only four songs, but four songs that immediately remind you just how good Priest are. For me, Youth is the standout here and it's proof that Priest are a band to keep an eye on. Roll on their next release I say. If Youth is the direction Priest are headed, there is surely no stopping them.

The B-Sides E.P. by Priest is available now on ITunes and Spotify.

Priest Facebook https://www.facebook.com/xpriestxofficial/?fref=ts

Tuesday, 13 September 2016

DEPECHE MODE - VIDEO SINGLES COLLECTION

In what Sony are calling the "first in a series of band approved retrospective projects," Depeche Mode's Video Singles Collection will be released on November 11, 2016. It's a 3 DVD set containing every single one of the band's videos, from the sublime (Enjoy The Silence, Walking In My Shoes, Personal Jesus and every other video from A Question Of Time to Home) to the ridiculous (It's Called A Heart, The Meaning Of Love) to Hole To Feed, an uncatregorisable video in every single sense. Let's have a look at what's on offer.

DVD cover

First up, the cover art is cool. The DM logo is a bit odd, but the use of the iconic icons is superb and has been wonderfully trailed by the band's official channels this week. 10 out of 10 for that. Content wise, you can guess what's there because, like I said above, it contains every video for every single the band have released. Over the three DVD's, that's 55 singles and many good, if not great videos. The landmark Anton Corbijn era ones stand out of course, but there's something enjoyably naive about some of the early ones, from the leather clad guys turn cocktail drinking trumpet players of Just Can't Get Enough to the clearly made on loads of drugs Julien Temple directed Leave In Silence. One of my favourite non Anton videos is Shake The Disease as that marks the precise moment the band became actual Gods.

There are bonuses too in the way of 4 additional videos:

People Are People (12" version)

But Not Tonight (Pool Version)

Soothe My Soul (Extended)

Stripped (Unreleased Alternate Cut)

I know I should have, but I've never seen that version of But Not Tonight and the Unreleased Alternate Cut of Stripped is intriguing. Soothe My Soul was not that enjoyable in its original format, so an Extended version fails to get my blood racing.

There is all new commentary from the band too, recorded this year. I usually forget to listen to commentary, but all new chat will be worth hearing. If it's like the commentaries they provided for the reissues, that'll be interesting.

One of the most intriguing things about this is Sony's assertion that it's the first of a number of band approved retrospectives. That certainly caught my eye and we can perhaps hope that more vintage Depeche stuff will hit our shelves one day. The next Singles boxset perhaps or maybe something more - who knows? It's worth keeping an eye on.

As for this release as a whole, it's going to know doubt cause the usual ructions among the fan base. The press release says that it's 55 "newly restored" videos on DVD, so I guess that means no Blu-Ray which won't go down well in some quarters.

An essential release then? Probably not, but it's one I'll buy anyway. A whole set of the videos in one place is fine by me and the new commentary should hopefully throw up a few interesting things. Next year seems to be when the Mode machine cranks up again, so it's nice to have a starter meantime. Ok, it's maybe more of a salad than a prawn cocktail in the starter world, but Video Singles Collection should hopefully be a tasty enough prelude to the main meal served up next year. A review will follow with, I promise, no tortured food analogies.

Depeche Mode Video Singles Collection is released on 11 November 2016 on 3 DVD set. It will be available from all usual outlets.

Thursday, 1 September 2016

DEPECHE MODE MUSEO PART 7 - WORLD IN MY EYES 12BONG20, LTD EDITION NUMBERED PROMO 12"

The Violator period is my favourite Depeche Mode period, not just for the jaw dropping, awe inspiring majesty of the music, but also for the artwork. The album cover is a work of simplistic genius and the single artwork for the four singles Personal Jesus, Enjoy The Silence, Policy Of Truth and World In My Eyes is stunning. There will be time to look at these in depth later, but today, we focus on a rare 12" promo for World In My Eyes, the fourth and final Violator single. This release is my favourite Depeche 12" promo and so it's ushered into the Museo to be celebrated with all its other rare chums.

12BONG20 12" promo - front

The first thing you see here is the stark but gorgeous cover. It's in a plain white sleeve with a sticker at the bottom. The picture on the right hand side is Dave doing the World In My Eyes sign (let's just call it that), his silhouette taken from the picture of him that appears on the rear of L12BONG20. Written on Dave is a series of five numbers and that's where you find what number your 12" promo is. Mine is 00419.

Sticker on front of 12BONG20 12" promo

Over the last couple of days, I've consulted the wise gang of collectors on the wonderful depmod.com forum and Facebook page and the consensus is that there were only 500 of these promos issued, so it's a nice rare thing to have. I absolutely love the sticker idea as it gives an extra touch of magic to the usually otherwise generic promo 12" single. Also, fans of catalogue numbers will note that this release doesn't have a promo style catalogue number. There is a P12BONG20 in existence and it features World In My Eyes (Mayhem Mode Mix) and Happiest Girl (The Pulsating Orbital Mix (Instrumental)) whilst this record features the three tracks that appear on the official release of 12BONG20, yet it's not the one called P12BONG20. A mystery eh? I accept it's the type of mystery that only applies to a tiny percentage of the world's population, but if you're reading this, it's likely that you're one of them.

12BONG20 Side A

To the music then. As you'll see above, the record is a white label promo which for the uninitiated, means that the label is blank. I'm sure you worked that out yourselves. Side A features one track, the imperious World In My Eyes (Oil Tank Mix) which is one of the finest Depeche mixes there is. Side A can be identified by the matrix that appears in the run out groove of the vinyl - 12 BONG 20 A1 PR-R Copymasters Miles B. The vinyl was mastered by Copymasters, presumably by a chap called Miles B, and distributed by PR Records, hence the PR-R.

12BONG20 - Side B

Side B features two remixes of two of the finest Depeche B-sides there are: Happiest Girl (Kiss-A-Mix) and Sea Of Sin (Sensoria). I mentioned the Violator era's general magnificence earlier. The fact that it gave us B-sides of the quality of Dangerous, Happiest Girl and Sea Of Sin is yet another reason to view it as essentially mankind's greatest ever triumph. Going back to the record above, you can impress friends and lovers alike by telling them that the matrix on the run out groove of Side B is 12 BONG 20 B1 PR-R B.

12BONG20 promo 12" - rear.

It would bother me if I didn't add a picture of the rear of the record for completeness' sake so there you go. Not my most thrilling work I admit...

This record is a genuinely rare thing what with only 500 copies in existence and it's a step above your usual 12" promo because of the glorious sticker on the front. The fact that, unlike all the other Violator era 12" promos, it uses imagery from the official releases, makes it really special, and, if you can find one, my advice is to get it. It can be pricey though with Discogs currently offering two for sale with the cheapest at an eye watering and somewhat taking the piss £249 plus postage (https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/1276324?ev=rb). Hang on for a cheaper sale and go for it - you won't be disappointed.

Wednesday, 24 August 2016

SPEAK & SPELL, LIVE ELECTRIC CIRCUS EDINBURGH 27 AUGUST 2016

This Saturday, the brilliant Depeche Mode tribute Speak & Spell return to Scotland for an eagerly anticipated gig at Electric Circus, Edinburgh. The band have rightly gained a reputation for outstanding live shows, giving Depeche fans the chance to hear songs that the band themselves have long since forgotten or ignored. The gig this Saturday promises to be a really special one and such is demand for it, you'll need to move quickly to get tickets. You can find a link below.

I caught up with Keith Trigwell from the band to ask him a few questions:

APA: A Saturday night in Edinburgh is bound to mean a good, enthusiastic crowd. Are you looking forward to it?

KT: Oh yes. The Scots DM fans are extremely good fun all the time anyway and are always a great crowd. So many are mates of ours as well that it's just a riot.

APA: What can we expect from the show?

KT: We always try to deliver a show which is as close to how DM did things between 82-93 era. So for people who saw DM in those times, maybe a few little reminders of those gigs.

APA: Any surprises in store for us?

KT: Well hopefully yes, slight changes to artists and tracks, a very different gig to the one we did there last year.

APA: Finally, what's next for Speak & Spell?

KT: Last year had significant changes 'on' and 'off' stage. A LOT of work to get through bringing it together but a real team effort has paid off. We are now moving on with some new show ideas and new technical equipment is constantly being introduced so we fully expect better and more visual shows which are also easier to run. As well as that our new manager and her team has helped enormously. A few more tracks will be introduced soon which we are all looking forward to

Thanks very much to Keith for giving up his time for this piece. I know that his answers will have whet your appetite. Get yourself along to the Electric Circus on Saturday and get ready for two hours of premium Depeche Mode presented brilliantly by Speak & Spell.

Speak and Spell play Electric Circus in Edinburgh on 27 August and will be on stage from 8 until 10. Tickets are available at £10 each from here http://www.theelectriccircus.biz/live-music/events/27-aug-16-speak--spell-tribute-to-depeche-mode-electric-circus/

Event Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/307614526250823/

DEPECHE MODE MUSEO PART 6 - I WANT YOU NOW/BEHIND THE WHEEL JAPANESE ONLY CD SINGLE

Part 6 and we open the Museo to welcome in a lovely item, the Japanese cd single for I Want You Now/Behind The Wheel which was released on 25 March 1988. Japan was the only territory in which I Want You Now was released as a single and it's curious, but really quite lovely, that it takes the lead here, given that Behind The Wheel was the single released everywhere else. My feelings on the horror of Behind The Wheel (Remix) are well aired elsewhere on the blog. I'd like to think that the band's Japanese label Alfa felt the same, hence the inclusion of I Want You Now here. What a wonderful song I Want You Now is too - one of the great Depeche album tracks. I adore it and I hope you do too. The version here, by the way, is shorter than the version that appears on Music For The Masses - 3 minutes 31 seconds as opposed to 3 minutes 44 seconds. It's just a fade out of the album version though, avoiding the Russian language samples that fade in on the album as To Have And To Hold begins.

Enough music however, let's get into the business of over analysing sleeves and catalogue numbers.

Alfa 10SP-3 - I Want You Now/Behind The Wheel

The single was released on 3" CD single in Japan in what is known as Snap Pack or, if you prefer the Japanese, tanzaku. The unspapped pack (my one above) measures 6 inches by 3 inches. It can be then snapped into a 3 inch squared pack neatly housing the CD, but that spoils it if you ask me. The longer ,unsnapped pack is a much more appealing item. Unsnapped packs are more valuable too, at least in the mysterious world of Depeche Mode rarity hunting.

Inner sleeve of Alfa 10SP-4

If you do fancy snapping your pack, so to speak, one half of the inner sleeve of the snap pack shows you how to do so with additional Japanese instructions. Don't do it though. Promise me you won't.

Rear of Alfa 10SP-3

The rear art is a lovely thing as you can see above. The photos for this and for the band picture on the front were taken by John Stoddart in April 1987 (thanks as ever to Michael Rose and all at Depeche Mode Classic Photos And Videos for the info). As you can see, the lyrics to both songs appear on the rear too, in English and Japanese.

Bottom half of front of Alfa 10SP-3

Here's a better view of the band picture on the front. For snapping purposes (remember - DON'T) you'd snap it between the megaphone icon and the Japanese text that appears above the red line. It's a delight to see that gorgeous Mute logo there too. For completeness sake, the top half of the unsnapped pack is below. It's not as nice as the bottom half as the pictures, taken by "Tan" J Ohe, are fairly pointless. The inclusion of the megaphone icon is a nice touch though. Also, while I can speak a little German, I'm sure there's never a need for an umlaut over a"T."

Top half of front of Alfa 10SP-3

Finally, there's the CD itself. I love 3" CD singles as they're the format I first started collecting singles on, kicking off with Arms Of Orion, a Prince track from the Batman soundtrack. There's no need for me to tell you how splendid the Violator era 3" singles were as you all know this already. This particular one is a beauty as you can see:

Alfa 10SP-3

Look at that! A small but perfectly formed black 3" CD that contains not only that wonderful Mute logo but also the Music For The Masses era megaphone image embracing both sides of the CD itself. It's a lovely thing and lovlier still when house in an unsnapped snap pack. Did I mention that you shouldn't snap it?

There is, of course, more than one way to collect a Depeche Mode rarity. This single actually appears in four variations. Mine is the commercial edition 1000 Yen, with another commercial edition, the 937/910 Yen one, being available. The 1000 Yen edition was the usual price Japanese 3" CD snap packs retailed for. There are two promotional or sample versions available too. Again, they are either 937/910 or 1000 Yen versions. Finally, there is the super rare 7" promo which looks amazing but is exorbitantly priced whenever it appears on Discogs or Ebay. If you have a spare one that you want to send me please do so - I'll gladly pay the postage ;)

The 1000 Yen commercial version is currently available on Discogs starting at £75 or so (https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/515237?ev=rb) and it can also be found on Ebay at a slightly OTT Buy It Now price of $199.99 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Depeche-Mode-I-Want-You-Now-Rare-Japan-3-CD-Release-Alfa-10SP-3-/122096287121).

In conclusion then, this is a nice rare Depeche item and one that brightens up any collection. I hope you've enjoyed that this and, having seen the CD, that you want it now. Always end on a poor joke...

Tuesday, 16 August 2016

DEPECHE MODE MUSEO PART 5 - PERSONAL JESUS MUX 730

Part 5 of the Depeche Mode Museo and the third and final part of the Personal Jesus special is upon us. To be quite honest, I'm not sure how rare this record is. It's not one that DM collectors necessarily hunt down, unlike the two Personal Jesus entries on the previous two blogs and I only came across it during my daily E-bay hunt for Depeche records. It's an oddity really. but I thought it was worth sharing.

Personal Jesus - MUX730

What we have here then is a South African 12" of Personal Jesus. It's released on the David Gresham Record Company under licence from Mute and comes in a plain white sleeve. Given the sheer majesty of the usual artwork for this release, that is a shame. The labels partly save the day however, using a classic Mute logo to make them look all lovely.

Personal Jesus MUX 730 - A side label

On Side A, there are three tracks, in the same order as they appear on 12BONG17, namely the Holier Than Thou Approach and Acoustic mixes of Personal Jesus and the marvellous Sensual Mix of Dangerous, one of my favourite Depeche Mode remixes of all time.

Personal Jesus - MUX 730 Side B

Side B is the real oddball star of this release. Having had the three tracks comprising the standard UK 12" of Personal Jesus appear on the A side, you might think that you'll get the three tracks from L12BONG17 on the B-side. Logic would certainly dictate that and, let's face it, that would make this record a rather smashing thing to have. Things are never that simple though.

Personal Jesus MUX 730 - B side label

What we in fact get (apologies for the slightly useless picture above) are two odd picks for b-sides. Firstly, there is Route 66 (Beatmasters/Casualty Mix). Now, as a responsible blogger, I should have listened to this to see what the hell's going on, but I'm not so, until I do listen, this is my guess. Route 66 does appear in its Beatmasters Mix guise on 12BONG15 as any fans of that wonderful remix know. L12BONG15 then features the Casualty Mix of that which is a remix by Dave Allen. Two different remixes then. The length of the track here, 10 minutes 35 seconds, is around the same length as the Casualty Mix that appears on L12BONG15 so I presume that track 1 of this B-Side should be thus named and not incorrectly labelled as Beatmastes/Casualty Mix. I will look into this though and will report back.

The second track on the B-side is the Behind The Wheel/Route 66 Megamix which is a U.S only remix that featured on the standard 12", cassette single and U.S promo cd when the track was originally released.

Overall, a rather odd choice for a b-side as they don't even pick the best remixes of Behind The Wheel and Route 66. Interesting all the same however, and a nice oddity in the Depeche Mode catalogue. It can be picked up relatively cheaply on Discogs just now, starting at £23.26 https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/1717723?ev=rb

And that's that for Personal Jesus. The Museo will reopen soon....