Black Celebration (studio album) by Depeche Mode

From Strangel 02/25/2024 09:14

This reminds me of the time when I bumped into John Candy and my colostomy bag exploded into his shopping bag. Good times.

This is a really solid synth-pop album with dark, nocturnal vibe. Title track sets the atmosphere right in the beginning and it is followed by fantastic Fly On The Windscreen. Then we have very danceable, sensual Question Of Lust, that has this esoteric vibe. Another highlight for me is Question Of Time with catchy guitar and synths all over it. Stripped is my favorite on the album, the production is very forward looking and synths sound like something that could have been on Violator. Here Is The House is another catchy one and New Dress ends the album with a more industrial synth sound. There is a couple filler tracks like Sometimes or Dressed In Black, but overall the album is great in terms of vocals, production and vibe.

This is the album where Depeche Mode really started to discover their sound and start to experiment with a darker undertone. While it would be executed better on later releases, this early dive into more harsh and tense sounds makes for fantastic listening as you really can feel the raw nature of the music and that puts you right at the centre of it all. This creates a state of bliss that is hard to achieve on a lot of albums as when artists develop they start to iron out these little nuances but in my opinion they make the soundscape so unique and that's why this is probably my second favourite DM album. This is helped by the fantastic vocals and stellar song writing that we are treated to. Then they add layers on top of that with a dark and brooding atmosphere that is maintained throughout and you then know you are in for a phenomenal experience. If I had to criticise the record it would be that there are a few weaker tracks with some songs being just okay but none of them are bad enough to take you out of the bubble of the record. Overall, an under rated release in my opinion and is probably the most important album in the artists career and is their second best behind Violator.

From TheDude85 09/02/2019 14:58

Some have evaluated this as a transitional album, but I always viewed it as where DM found their later sound - the sound that catapulted the band into arena concert superstars. The throbbing goth/dance songs along with brooding ballads are all here. "Princess Di Is Wearing a New Dress".

From santropez 04/15/2019 23:32

Favourite track: "Stripped"
Least-liked track: "Sometimes"

Probably the beginning of the band's prime.

From nocturnaldelight 09/23/2018 10:56

My favourite Depeche Mode album. Some of the best songs like "Stripped" or "But Not Tonight" and the perfect opening track ("Black Celebration") that sets the mood for the whole album. Regardless of the growing darkness in their sound this is still an album you can really enjoy. Most Depeche Mode albums contain a lot of songs I really don't like but on this album (except for "Sometimes") even the worse songs are still OK.

If you want to buy "Black Celebration" on CD today you should look for one of the older releases that include the following CD extra tracks that were removed from the 2007 re-releases:

12. "Breathing In Fumes"
13. "But Not Tonight" (Extended Remix)
14. "Black Day"

"But Not Tonight" is my favourite Depeche Mode song of all time. The 4:15 min. version was already the B-Side of the european "Stripped" 7" single. The 5:14 version on "Black Celebration" is not only longer but has a better mastering quality.

This is prototypical new wave music, and the album finds DM hitting their stride. One of their best.

this is where DM start getting really dark
and really sound THEIR sound

With this album Depeche mode really came into their own. The album is filled with the growing darkness that would even more apparent in their later works.