''Some Great Reward'' is the fourth studio album by English
electronic music
Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroa ...
band
Depeche Mode, released on 24 September 1984 by
Mute Records. The album peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number 51 in the United States, and was supported by the Some Great Reward Tour. This also saw the band using samplers, much like they did in their previous album ''
Construction Time Again'', which they would continue to use in their following albums ''
Black Celebration
''Black Celebration'' is the fifth studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 17 March 1986 by Mute Records. The album further cemented the darkening sound created by Alan Wilder, which the band later used for thei ...
'' and
''Music For The Masses''.
Additionally it also saw the band addressing more personal themes such as sexual politics ("
Master and Servant
"Master and Servant" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 20 August 1984 as the second single from their fourth studio album, ''Some Great Reward'' (1984). Its subject matter is BDSM relationships, which caused ...
"), adulterous relationships ("Lie to Me"), and arbitrary divine justice ("
Blasphemous Rumours
"Blasphemous Rumours"/"Somebody" is Depeche Mode's twelfth UK single and first double A-side single, released on 29 October 1984. Both A-side songs are from the album ''Some Great Reward''.
Song information Blasphemous Rumours
The verses to " ...
").
"Blasphemous Rumours" was released as a double A-side with "
Somebody
Somebody may refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Somebody'', by Connie Dover, 1991
* ''Somebody'', by Philip Michael Thomas, 1988
Songs
* "Somebody" (Aerosmith song), 1973
* "Somebody" (Bonnie McKee song), 2004
* "Somebody" (Bridgit Mendler song), 20 ...
".
This was the first album where they achieved chart success in the US with the single '
People Are People' which reached No. 13 on the charts in mid-1985 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, and was a Top 20 hit in Canada. It was also the first album that peaked at a higher position on a chart that wasn't from the home country as it peaked at No. 1 in Germany.
Tour
The tour was the band's longest to date. A concert held at
Alsterdorfer Sporthalle in
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
,
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
, was recorded and issued as a video release titled ''
The World We Live In and Live in Hamburg'' in 1985. The European release featured 16 songs, while the North American version featured 11 songs. The video has not yet seen a DVD release.
Book of Love was the opening band for all 15 tour dates of the North American leg of the tour.
Critical reception
''
Melody Maker''s
Barry McIlheney
Barry McIlheney (born 1960) is a British journalist, editor, broadcaster and publisher. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, McIlheney is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, Republic of Ireland, and London's City University.
Journalism and man ...
hailed ''Some Great Reward'' and noted a "truly remarkable development" in
Dave Gahan Dave may refer to:
Film, television, and theater
* ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver
* ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film
* Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...
's voice, concluding that while "
used to be okay to slag this bunch off because of their lack of soul, their supposed synthetic appeal, their reluctance to really pack a punch", the album "just trashes such bad old talk into the ground and demands that you now sit up and take notice of what is happening here, right under your nose".
''
New Musical Express'' critic
David Quantick
David Quantick (born 14 May 1961) is an English novelist, comedy writer and critic, who has worked as a journalist and screenwriter. A former freelance writer for the music magazine '' NME'', his writing credits have included ''On the Hour'', '' ...
was critical of the sound of the record, and felt that it "suffers from too many missed grips on good ideas". He continues: "It ought to be an intelligent chart contender, a mix of commercial class and magpie manipulation of the unconventional; it isn't. When that bonk and clatter is used... it's just a nod to left-field, rather than use of the sound." Of the songs and singing he says: "Often the tunes are ordinary;
Martin Gore
Martin Lee Gore (born 23 July 1961) is an English songwriter, musician, singer, record producer and DJ. He is one of the founding members of the electronic rock band Depeche Mode and is the band's main songwriter. He is the band's guitarist a ...
, as ever, favours a bit of a drone. In small doses (singles) this is fine. Over 40 minutes, the interest begins to wane. Dave Gahan's voice has improved greatly – in that he's learned how to use its limited range – but like the melodies, it imparts mucho sameiness to the record." He concludes: "Depeche Mode can be one the few acts worthy of the name pop group. It's just that they should be so much better."
In ''
Number One
Number One most commonly refers to:
* 1 (number)
Number One, No. 1, or #1 may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Number 1'' (Big Bang album), and the title song
* ''No. 1'' (BoA album), and the title song
* ''No.1'' (EP), by CLC
* ''n.1 ...
'', Sunie expressed similar reservations: "The sadly under-rated Depeches turn out consistently excellent singles. But 45s rather than LPs remain their forte
..They've progressed a million musical miles from their boppy origins, but Martin Gore's lyrics haven't kept up. Over a whole LP, their gaucheness is a major distraction from the record's musical merits."
Carole Linfield, in ''
Sounds
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid.
In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...
'', felt the balance of powerful music and personal lyrics was just right: "The combination of the Depeche strength of vocal and now the Depeche delicacy is going to be hard to beat... This package is a carefully assorted, daintily arranged symphony ... one that carries emotion, devotion and yet never gives way to feebleness or predictability. OK... the lyrics look trite, often naïve and frequently clichéd when printed out
..Yet Depeche have the right balance and necessary gauche to pull it off. Perhaps it's simply that power – never mawkish – that sustains it. Whichever way, the combination locks in. The Depeche Mode clicks."
German DJ
Paul van Dyk
Matthias Paul (; born 16 December 1971), known professionally as Paul van Dyk () is a German DJ, record producer and musician. One of the first true renowned DJs, van Dyk was the first artist to receive a Grammy Award nomination in the newly a ...
cited ''Some Great Reward'' as his all-time favourite album, stating it is "one of the albums that really has influenced both myself and probably everyone who is somehow involved in electronic music."
Re-release
In 2006, ''Some Great Reward'' was re-released with a bonus DVD. The CD was remastered and was released on a CD/
SACD
Super Audio CD (SACD) is an optical disc format for audio storage introduced in 1999. It was developed jointly by Sony and Philips, Philips Electronics and intended to be the successor to the Compact Disc (CD) format.
The SACD format allows mul ...
hybrid. The bonus DVD includes the B-sides "In Your Memory" and "(Set Me Free) Remotivate Me" in addition to a remix of "Somebody" and several live versions of some of the songs from the album. The DVD also includes a documentary on the making of the album.
The remastered album was released on vinyl in March 2007.
Track listing
2006 Collectors Edition (CD + DVD)
*Video
*Audio
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Some Great Reward''.
Depeche Mode
*
Martin Gore
Martin Lee Gore (born 23 July 1961) is an English songwriter, musician, singer, record producer and DJ. He is one of the founding members of the electronic rock band Depeche Mode and is the band's main songwriter. He is the band's guitarist a ...
*
Alan Wilder
Alan Charles Wilder (born 1 June 1959) is an English musician, composer, arranger, record producer and former member of the electronic band Depeche Mode from 1982 to 1995. Since his departure from the band, the musical project called Recoil b ...
*
David Gahan
*
Andrew Fletcher
Technical
*
Daniel Miller – production
*
Depeche Mode – production
*
Gareth Jones – production
* Ben Ward – engineering assistance
* Stefi Marcus – engineering assistance
* Colin McMahon – engineering assistance
Artwork
The artwork photo was taken by the
Round Oak Steelworks
The Round Oak Steelworks was a steel production plant in Brierley Hill, West Midlands (formerly Staffordshire), England. It was founded in 1857 by Lord Ward, who later became, in 1860, The 1st Earl of Dudley, as an outlet for pig iron made in th ...
in
Brierley Hill
Brierley Hill is a town and electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England, 2.5 miles south of Dudley and 2 miles north of Stourbridge. Part of the Black Country and in a heavily industrialised area, it has a pop ...
, England. The Steelworks was demolished in 1984.
Nowadays
Merry Hill Shopping Centre
Merry Hill (formerly Westfield Merry Hill and The Merry Hill Shopping Centre) is a large shopping complex in Brierley Hill near Dudley, England. It was developed between 1985 and 1990, with several subsequent expansion and renovation project ...
is at the location.
*
Brian Griffin – photography
* Stuart Graham – photography assistance
* Martyn Atkins – design
* David A. Jones – design
* Marcx – design
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
External links
*
Album information from the official Depeche Mode website
{{Authority control
1984 albums
Albums produced by Daniel Miller (music producer)
Albums produced by Gareth Jones (music producer)
Depeche Mode albums
Mute Records albums
Sire Records albums
RCA Records albums
Virgin Records albums