This Track Is Fire!

Thursday, June 28 is the 38th anniversary of 101st concert of Depeche Mode's "Music For the Masses" tour, held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and later releases as a live album, fittingly titled 101, in March of 1989. In celebration of that anniversary, I've selected one of DM's popular songs that also displays the power of the band and their fandom, "Never Let Me Down Again." I am no Depeche Mode historian, so I can't say for certain whether or not this occcured before this legendary performance, but during the song lead singer Dave Gahan stepped to the front of the stage, extended his arms up high, and began waving them from side to side. Of course, the crowd immediately followed suit, and thus began a tradition seen every single time DM performs this song, which can be seen in every recording of "Never Let Me Down Again" on every tour since. It certainly helps that this album is seminal for Generation X, but also this performa...

While "Personal Jesus" was the song that made me fall in love with Depeche Mode, in the Spring and Summer of 1984 little Michael heard a song that he liked called "People Are People." Mind you, I was only 10 years old, so at that point I mostly listened to the pop stations on the radio, or whatever station my parents had playing, either at home or in the car. Agin, that was mostly pop if my mom was listening to anything, and oldies (most Motown) if my dad was playing music. But even at such a young age this song made an impact on me. Enough so that when my friend, Matt, received 101 for Christman in 1989, I asked to borrow his tapes because I remembered liking "People Are People" back when I was a kid, a whole five years previous. So while "Personal Jesus" is the song that grabbed a hold of me, and really, never let go, "People Are People" was the song that started my affinity for Depeche Mode, I just did not realize it when I was 10....