Disco de Depeche Mode: “Ultra”

For many DM fans, amidst the chaos and aftermath of Songs of Faith and Devotion, it was a strange era indeed, with most of us wondering what would become of the greatest electronic band of all time? With the substance abuse problems of lead singer, Dave Gahan, and the sudden departure of key member, Alan Wilder, the future of the Godfathers of techno/electronica seemed highly uncertain. But as it happened, none of these things would stop the passion of the remaining members from creating more truly expressive and inspiring music...proving, just as they'd done earlier in their career, that despite the losses, Depeche Mode would live on.

Things got off to a rather fragile/shaky start (at first) with what we all refer to now as the "Ultra sessions." Actually the original idea was to get together for a proposed short EP release, with only a handful of songs initially being recorded. But as it turned out, this collaboration went so well that Martin, Dave, & Andy found themselves working together again in the studio with the ideas and enthusiasm flowing and gelling together nicely. Any previous problems seemed to fall by the wayside. It was also a nice idea to get Tim "Bomb the Bass" Simenon to sign onto the project as producer, having previously first worked for the band in the late 80s on remixes of "Everything Counts" & "Strangelove." Tim's familiar presence helped to keep things steady, which allowed for a much lighter atmosphere, without a lot of stress and pressure.

The first track and first single off the album: "Barrel of A Gun," was a very bold choice. Whether Martin wrote this song with Dave in mind as his own personal influence or not, the song itself seemed tailor connected to Gahan, on many levels. The music video that would follow only made this realization much clearer...with a rather pale faced Dave blowing bubbles in a bathtub, later found strolling blindly through outdoor corridors with eyeballs painted over his closed eyelids, and a look of cold death upon him. This was probably the darkest we'd ever seen Dave in a music video...much darker than even any of the videos from SOFAD. The shots of Gahan staring straight into the camera (with that chilling stare and deathly grin of his) while his hair begins to dance around and change shape into different hairdos is both funny and terrifying all at the same time. The song itself is richly dark and moody, with a great beat and electronic feel to it that any fan can appreciate.

The second single off Ultra would be the biggest hit from the album as well as hearken back to the band's earlier techno sounding greatness: "It's No Good". With a nicely heavy and fast moving beat along with an electrifying, yet hauntingly surreal sound quality, "It's No Good" represents Depeche Mode at their very finest. The music video is another highlight and subsequent standout, showcasing Dave as a has-been front man way passed his prime, who still thinks he's the greatest thing in the world. There's even an interesting storyline involved, as the band performs at some lowlife dive, while their cash payment is stolen by some guy. When Gahan rubs his fingers together asking for his money, and the owner just sort of shrugs, not knowing what happened to it, Dave's girls and the rest of the band walk out, with Dave going after them, screaming, "C'mon! It's no good! Losers!" It's truly a classic music video with director/photographer Anton Corbijn at the top of his game.

Two wonderful lead vocal tracks by Martin Gore can also be found on Ultra, including The Bottom Line (a slow, moody number) and the album's third single: Home. It's a lovely piece, with a nicely done orchestral accompaniment, along with Martin's very passionate voice work and emotionally affective guitar playing. Home is definitely one of Martin's personal best and a true highlight from Ultra. The music video is also a very interesting visual interpretation of the song, with what appears to be an angel-like figure walking around and observing human interactions and emotions (some happy, some sad), which are all quite thought provoking.

Other standouts from Ultra include Useless (the fourth and final single from Ultra), Sister of Night (which is performed on the album by Dave but has since been performed live by Martin), The Love Thieves, and Insight. Q does a fine engineering job, while Kerry Hopwood & Dave Clayton handle the program duties for the album admirably. There isn't too much of a noticeable sound difference between the original 1997 CD release and this 2007 remastered 10th anniversary edition. But the 5.1 and DTS audio mixes found on the DVD are worthy of purchase all by themselves. As with all the DM remastered album editions, additional songs ("Only When I Lose Myself," "Surrender," etc.), live tracks ("Barrel of A Gun," "It's No Good," & "Useless" all from London `97) and a documentary (Depeche Mode : 1995-1998 "Oh Well, That's The End of The Band...") are also included on the DVD.

While some will still say that Alan Wilder's contributions are sorely missed, Ultra still holds its own without him, and shows us once again that Depeche Mode are here to stay, and will continue to do so for years to come.

Stay Devoted!

Ultra (Remastered) - "Like a cat dragged in from the rain, who goes straight back out to do it all over again...I'll be back for more." - M.L.Gore

Over a decade since its release, it's surprising to hear how fresh Depeche Mode's "Ultra" remains after all these years. Equally surprising is how the record even saw the light of day. Following 1993's "Songs of Faith and Devotion," singer Dave Gahan sold his soul to the devil and drugs, and Alan Wilder thew his hands in the air and quit the group. Those two blows would have killed a lesser band, but DM held strong and released "Ultra." Produced by Tim Simeon of Bomb the Bass, the singles "Barell of a Gun," "It's No Good," and "Home" still hold up well, but other glimpses of near brilliance are "The Love Thieves" and the dark and etheral "Sister of Night." "Ultra" has been remastered and repackaged with lyrics and photography by Anton Corbijn; we also get a DVD featuring a 45 minute documentary that chronicles the band from 1995-1998, featuring refreshingly candid interviews with the band, Alan Wilder, management and producer Tim Simeon. The DVD also features the album in 5.1 surround sound as well as b-side tracks and the 1998 single "Only When I Lose Myself." "Ultra" was released to modest success in 1997, but it's a solid album that warrants a second listen.

If you're a DepecheMode fan I'm sure you'll agree this is one of the best CD's they've put out. Their lyrics always have a meaning that goes so deep-or they do for me anyway. Any DM fan will already have this in their collection.