The peak of the band's industrial-gone-mainstream fusion, and still one of the best electronic music albums yet recorded, Some Great Reward still sounds great, with the band's ever-evolving 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 Gore-sung piano ballad that mixes its wit and emotion skillfully; "Master and Servant," an amped-up, slamming dance track that conflates sexual and economic politics to sharp effect; and the closing "Blasphemous Rumors," a slow-building anthemic number supporting one of Gore's most cynical lyrics, addressing a suicidal teen who finds God only to die soon afterward. Even lesser-known tracks like the low-key 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 stripped 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
Ben Ward (Assistant Engineer), Stefi Marcus (Assistant Engineer), David Gahan (?), Brian Griffin (Photography), Daniel Miller (Producer), Ben Ward (Engineer), D.A. Jones (Design), Alan Wilder (?), Stefi Marcus (Engineer), Colin McMahon (Assistant Engineer), Andrew Fletcher (?), Depeche Mode (Producer), Martin L. Gore (?), Colin McMahon (Engineer), Marcx Town (Design), Stuart Graham (Photography), Gareth Jones (Producer)
Some Great Reward is the fourth album by the British electronic group Depeche Mode, released in 1984. The album peaked at #5 in the UK and at #54 in the US. The title comes from the last lines of the bridge in "Lie to Me" when it repeats near the end.
In 2006, Some Great Reward was re-released with a bonus DVD. The CD was remastered and (except in the USA) was released on a CD/SACD hybrid. The bonus DVD includes the two B-side tracks "In Your Memory" and "Set Me Free (Remotivate Me)" in addition to "Somebody (Remix)" 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 "deluxe" vinyl in March 2007.
^"Suchergebnis". Charts-Surfer.de. Retrieved 24 February 2009. Note: User must define 'neuer suchbegriff' search parameter as "Depeche Mode".
^"Gold/Platin-Datenbank". MusikIndustrie.de. Retrieved 24 February 2009. Note: User must define 'Sie können nach Titel, Jahr oder Interpret suchen' search parameter as "Depeche Mode".
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