The only weaknesses of Songs of Faith and Devotion were the Judas and Get Right With Me, which sound like B-sides compared to the other songs: but the miracle made by Depeche Mode was precisely in having minimized this type of songs, succeeding in achieving what probably is their best work, in that impossible situation. The different influences that Gahan, Gore and Wilder experienced in recent months had led them to have substantially different and unorganic visions of how Songs of Faith and Devotion was supposed to be: the first song recorded was the painful and alienating Walking in My Shoes, where Gore’s pop aesthetics, Gahan’s rock attitude and Wilder’s gloomy solemnity successfully merged together, creating the sound that branded the album. Depeche Mode in 1993Īlan Wilder, the musical director since ever, was the most frustrated of all, mostly because he suffered more than the others the bad impact of those behaviours on Depeche Mode serenity and productivity: Gahan, buried in his toxic frenzy, was not happy to be judged by his companions Gore, overwhelmed by the responsibility of writing songs comparable to Violator‘s levels, was slipping in alcoholism and started to be passive in the studio Fletcher suffered the whole situation and he tried hard to keep the group close, trying to manage the deteriorating relationship between Gore and Wilder.Įven Flood, called to produce Songs Of Faith and Devotion, was marked by the experience in the studio with Depeche Mode and he never wanted to work with them again: but that was the moment when the album needed to be recorded, and somehow the creative process started. The idea to recreate a “family” environment and to live together during the recording sessions wasn’t very successful, aggravating a situation that highlighted the problems and increasing the tensions among all members.
Meeting the singer shocked the other members of the band, facing a man who was deeply changed both inside and outside, skinny, covered by tattoos and more fragile. After eighteen months of separation, Depeche Mode met again in 1992 for the recordings of Songs of Faith and Devotion and they were crossed by tensions and problems that would shortly explode: while Martin Gore, Alan Wilder and Andrew Fletcher returned to their (more or less) ordinary lives, Dave Gahan had entered the spiral of heroin. What could happen at that point, as real stars of pop-rock scene and still young enough to continue on their own direction? SONGS OF FAITH AND DEVOTION | THE 12" SINGLES contains eight 12" vinyl discs showcasing the singles-“I Feel You,” “Walking In My Shoes,” “Condemnation” and “In Your Room” -and key B-sides, mixes and live recordings contemporaneous to the album.After greeting the 80s with the excellent Music For the Masses and entering the 90s with the explosion of Violator, there weren’t many obstacles on Depeche mode’s way. As such, it will likely be similarly unsurprising for you to hear that today’s the day that SONGS OF FAITH AND DEVOTION gets the boxed set that it so richly deserves. If you’re a Depeche Mode fan, then you’re undoubtedly aware of Rhino’s ongoing reissue of the group’s 12” vinyl singles on an album-by-album basis.