As we gear up to cover
Depeche Mode's "Delta Machine Tour" at Barclays Center this Friday, we look back at one of the bands earlier work from their four decade long career, 1984's
Some Great Reward. At the time of it's release,
Some Great Reward the album gained mixed reviews from critics and fans of the pioneering electronic audience. While the genre was still so new and bands could pretty much redefine themselves with nearly every single and album, Depeche Mode did not have much to prove thanks to their popularity but did want to sustain their star power. Singer
Dave Gahan's voice matured and got deeper on this, the band's fourth album, as did the bands sound. While much of the soul of Depeche Mode's music came from the synths and keyboards they made so popular,
Some Great Reward brought that soul out in lyrics and in Gahan's vocals. The record was propelled by the singles "People Are People," "Blasphemous Rumors," and "Master and Servant," Depeche Mode's darker, edgier, and much more soulful sound was taking shape. When the 80's ended, so seemed the legacy of this record thanks to the bands consecutive blockbuster records,
Music for the Masses, Violator, Songs of Faith and Devotion, and
Ultra. Now, as we gear up to catch the legends in action again this week, we look back at the pivot point to their career.
