Some Great Reward by Depeche Mode

November 25, 2005 | 20 Comments

The Artist: Depeche Mode
Featured Song: Stories of Old
[Launch Player]
The Album: Some Great Reward
Released 1984
Recommended if you like: New Order, The Rapture, The Faint, The Cure, Cause and Effect, Red Flag

Some Great Reward is burned into my brain. I know the album like the back of my hand and probably always will. It was my first introduction to pop/wave and the first Depeche Mode album I ever owned.

Depeche Mode was one of the bands that defined my teenage years. They weren’t my favorite, but I owned just about everything they put out and while Black Celebration was probably my favorite, Some Great Reward will always hold a special place in my heart.

Listening to it now, years later, still evokes vivid memories of junior high, high school and my early-teen years. Tracks like “Lie To Me”, “If You Want” and “Blasphemous Rumors” can bring back memories that I can feel, taste, see and smell. Seriously, if I close my eyes I can take myself back in time. Heck “People are People” was the first song I ever asked a girl to dance with me to.

I think part of it was me being an impressionable youth. However, listening to DP today I can see that they really had a knack for song writing and the “dark side” of pop. In their prime they were f’n great and years later I realize their music is timeless.

Filed under: Album of The Moment
Keyword Tags: depeche+mode new+wave music

Comments

1. jordan said:

While the only song I’ve heard off that album is `People are People’ (WinAmp/AOL have the video), I own and love Violator.

Posted on November 25, 2005 07:26 AM | #

2. bennion said:

I feel the same way about this album! B.C. is probably my favorite too and I was lucky enough to see that tour. But Some Great Reward is a perfect album from start to finish. I think my first slow dance was to ‘Somebody’. I’m not sure how ‘manly’ it is to say that you like D.P. but you gotta admit these guys could (still can?) write some great music. Thanks for bring back the memories.

btw… your amazon link to this album is going to the wrong album. just fyi.

Posted on November 25, 2005 08:00 AM | #

3. Peter said:

Great, now I have “Lie To Me” stuck in my head, and I don’t have it with me on my iPod. Grumble.

Posted on November 25, 2005 08:38 AM | #

4. Josh said:

LOL. Check the link on Amazon. It goes to “Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus” by the Cloud Cult. :)

I used to love DM songs, but haven’t listened to them in years. I’ll have to dig out the Route 66 remix of Behind the Wheel from Music for the Masses. I always dug that song – Perfect for road-trips.

Posted on November 25, 2005 10:06 AM | #

5. Tsevdos John said:

I am propably a younger fun of Depeche Mode, but they were the first and best electro-pop band ever. By the way they also introduced the “dark side” to future pop and electro based groups…Old time classic for me!!! God bless Martin L. Gore!!!

Posted on November 25, 2005 11:28 AM | #

6. Mani Sheriar said:

Wow. What a blast from the past! I immediately went and downloaded the album. Just thinking of it brought back sooooo many memories - how random!!

By the way, just to give stereotypes a bit of a kick in the ass, I am a 30-something milf. ;o)

Posted on November 25, 2005 01:35 PM | #

7. Jeff said:

Yeah Depeche Mode was great back in the day. I remember being into the goth scene for a bit and listening to Depeche Mode a lot. Ahh, I can still hear the drum beat of “Personal Jesus”…

Reach Out and Touch Faith

Posted on November 26, 2005 04:51 PM | #

8. Jim Renaud said:

God, I hate Depeche Mode and a certain girl to remain nameless who dragged me to their horrible concert only to end up broke after buying her pizza, pop, a DM t-shirt and then she dumped me the week after. I hate you Depeche Mode! I hate your ass-face!

Posted on November 29, 2005 09:02 AM | #

9. JAbbott said:

I’m a big DM fan too - I’ve been to six or eight of their concerts and usually listen to concert bootlegs rather than studio albums. Great stuff.

Posted on November 29, 2005 12:09 PM | #

10. Julianne said:

Early DM was the soundtrack to a lot of teen angst for me – “Somebody” made me simply *weep*.

“Catching Up with DM” is in heavy rotation on my iPod.

Yikes I’m old!

Posted on November 29, 2005 01:03 PM | #

11. Wiley Snyder said:

I think Depressed Mode was one of the greatest bands of the 80’s / early 90’s . Everything they did was original and they cam from nothing and nothing but talent. Things you don’t find today. Some things yeah sucked … but you got to give it to them. They had talent.. original material and good tunes with HEART !

I dont see a SHIT thing like that today 2005

Posted on November 29, 2005 10:43 PM | #

12. Rogue said:

Having seen them countless times. Spent 1000s on records imports cds They are still kicking out fresh new sounds.
For 25 years I have been a fan…Eeek must be old..
even taking my 18 and 20 year old daughters next year who have grown up on the band.
Violator is stilll there greatest album but when I hear Behind the wheel my arms start waving :o)

Posted on November 30, 2005 06:26 AM | #

13. barbex said:

“Blasphemous Rumors” oh yeah, memories!

Learning english, listening to the song with a dictionary in my hand and translating every single word.
Thanks for the memories.

Posted on November 30, 2005 07:02 AM | #

14. Soni said:

I’m in my early 30s but no band has made the impression that Depeche has. Their recent albums don’t thrill me - I like their earlier stuff - Tora! Tora! Tora!, Ice Machine, Any Second Now, The Landscape is Changing, Lie to Me, Black Celebration, Shake the Disease, Blasphemous Rumours… ahhhh Depeche Mode is the best band ever, I was truly obsessed with them during high school.

Posted on November 30, 2005 06:53 PM | #

15. jacob noel said:

Yup! I think they are fabulous. I’m a big fan of them and listening their songs.

Posted on December 2, 2005 06:05 AM | #

16. !!blue said:

Wow, what a rush of memories. Thanks for brightening up my cold Chicago day! I’ve been in love with them since high school (I’ll be 30 next year). The song Home made me cry at the concert last week.

Violator is also my favorite, along with Some Great Reward and Songs of Faith & Devotion.

I especially :heart: the remixes.

Posted on December 7, 2005 12:53 PM | #

17. Endless Sky said:

I just remembered that my older brother used to drive me to school absolutely BLASTING the song ‘Strangelove.’ He’d time it so that we’d pull up in front of my [Catholic] grade school at the precise moment when they sang the line: “I give in to sin, because you have to make this life livable…” It was great. I was eleven and everybody else was listening to Guns and Roses. I felt so cool.

Posted on December 8, 2005 06:31 PM | #

18. Benoit Brookens said:

I was cleaning and found Some Great Reward about a week ago. Depeche Mode, brings back many memories for me also. I never got a chance to make it to a concert.

Posted on December 10, 2005 12:23 PM | #

19. Ade(rian) said:

For me, Some Great Reward is my favorite DM album. Wow, I just had a flashback - I clearly remember when I ditched school to go buy tickets for this tour and having a blast with my buds when we went to the show. Holy cow, Great memories! Thanks for having this post and spawning Some Great Memories …lol

Posted on December 10, 2005 04:33 PM | #