Send "Depeche Mode " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Popmatters |
 Every genre has its towering titans, and Depeche Mode strikes a better claim than any other group to being electronic music’s equivalent to the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. Not only has the Basildon, England ensemble been responsible for turning out some of the genre’s finest singles and albums during its creative apex, running approximately from the early 1980s on through to the departure of Alan Wilder in 1995, but the core trio of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, and Andrew Fletcher can still fill stadiums these days as well as any rock dinosaurs or triumphant nouveau pop stars. Ever since the 1989 concert film 101 proved beyond all doubt to the wider world that this bunch of skinny synth-playing Brits could deliver an extraordinary live show, Depeche Mode has made sure to make aural and visual documentation of its tours available for commercial consumption.Depeche Mode’s new live release, Tour of the Universe—Barcelona 20/21:11:09, is the group’s latest installment in that reliable tradition. Assembled from two shows performed in Barcelona, Spain in support of its 2009 studio album Sounds of the Universe, Tour of the Universe is available in a DVD/2 CD combo set. (For the purposes of this review, only the audio portion will be covered.) The fact that both nights’ setlists could be mixed together without a join being discernible, apart from the abrupt ending of disc one, is a testament to Depeche Mode’s mastery of the craft of live performance. And Depeche Mode definitely “gives good show” here. Reliably backed by an ebb and flow of traditional and synthesized instrumentation, singer Dave Gahan is always front and center, belting out each tune in his capable brooding baritone, flavored with the occasional crowd-stirring exaltation at the appropriate moments (“Sing it!”). Songwriter Martin Gore gets his customary turn at the mic, having developed an oscillating vibrato (omnipresent on “Jezebel” and always threatening to disrupt the show-stealing rendition of “Enjoy the Silence”) that’s so overdone that one wonders if he’s taking the piss. Naturally, several tunes from the band’s latest long-player are mixed with the fan-favorites and mandatory hits (“Enjoy the Silence”, “Personal Jesus”, “Never Let Me Down Again”) to form the basis of the concerts, although one can’t help but be a little disappointed that no material prior to the 1986 album Black Celebration appears....full text |
| Consequenceofsound |
| Depeche Mode’s tour in support of Sounds of the Universe was a struggle from beginning to end for the band. Dates were canceled on multiple occasions due to Dave Gahan needing surgery for a low-grade malignant tumor, tearing a calf muscle, and straining his voice. On the other hand, the tour had some definite high points, including a surprise appearance from Alan Wilder in London. In a way, Tour of the Universe: Barcelona 20/21.11.09 represents the tour as a whole, containing both the good and the bad. Sadly, the bad is what will be immediately noticeable. The first two songs of the set, “In Chains” and “Wrong”, suffer from Gahan’s decidedly weak singing. This hurts the opening for two important reasons. First off, “In Chains” isn’t a single or overly familiar song with the audience. Therefore, it relies heavily on performance, and since it doesn’t live up to the group’s standards, it helps to sink the entire opening trilogy. Secondly, his struggling voice ruins an otherwise strong version of “Wrong”, one of the best Depeche Mode songs of the last decade. “Hole to Feed” is better, but it isn’t strong enough to make up for the previous tracks’ errors....full text |
| Enterwarez |
| Playing 102 shows in 40 countries, Depeche Mode’s acclaimed Tour Of The Universe saw Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andrew ‘Fletch’ Fletcher performing to over 2.7 million people. Their epic trip across the globe was one of the most successful tours of recent history and saw them playing a host of stunning material spanning their impressive 30 year history. “Tour Of The Universe – Live In Barcelona” contains 21 tracks recorded over two sold out nights at the Palau St Jordi in Barcelona on November 20th and 21st 2009, both shows being highlights of the celebrated tour. This spectacular DVD release comes with a host of bonus content including four bonus tracks recorded across the two nights, a tour documentary – Inside The Universe – two tracks filmed at tour rehearsals in New York and Anton Corbijn’s specially created “screen films” for seven tracks plus further bonus montages created from the on-stage screens....full text |
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