Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward (CD)

All Music Guide

The peak of the band's industrialgonemainstream fusion, and still one of the best electronic music albums yet recorded, Some Great Reward still sounds great, with the band's everevolving musical and production skills matching even more ambitious songwriting from Martin Gore. "People Are People" appears here, but finds itself outclassed by some of Depeche Mode's undisputed classics, most especially the moody, beautiful "Somebody," a Goresung piano ballad that mixes its wit and emotion skillfully; "Master and Servant," an ampedup, slamming dance track that conflates sexual and economic politics to sharp effect; and the closing "Blasphemous Rumors," a slowbuilding anthemic number supporting one of Gore's most cynical lyrics, addressing a suicidal teen who finds God only to die soon afterward. Even lesserknown tracks like the lowkey pulse of "Lie to Me" and the weirdly dreamy "It Doesn't Matter" showcase an increasingly confident band. Alan Wilder's arrangements veer from the big to the st...ripped down, but always with just the right touch, such as the crowd samples bubbling beneath "Somebody" or the call/response a cappella start to "Master and Servant." With Reward, David Gahan's singing style found the métier it was going to stick with for the next ten years, and while it's never gone down well with some ears, it still has a compelling edge to it that suits the material well. - Ned Raggett, All Music Guide Read more Less