As I'm watching this I believe Martin and Alan had a positive effect on each other over the years. They likely developed a symbiosis where Martin wrote and composed, then Alan developed and orchestrated... which in turn made Martin write more complex songs and Alan orchestrate more diverse soundscapes... culminating with "Songs of Faith and Devotion".
Have you noticed that in "Sacred" outro we have quite an opposition to Martin high pitch/Dave low pitch duo? While Dave stretches those "Sacreeeeeed" and "Hoooolyyyyy", Martin nearly mutters "To put it in words /To write it down/ That is walking on hallowed ground"? It adds that special mystical vibe to the song.
The live 101 of Sacred I think really helps bring it alive.Little 15 is so haunting and Dave's vocal is incredible.when you play the piano for them it seems to bring all the beautiful nuances.
Imagine a moody teenager, in a dark room, hearing Behind The Wheel for the first time. Yep, that was me 🙂 My life has never been the same since then. Brilliant review, again! I agree entirely about MFTM having a very cinematic sound. Each and every song tells a story. Take Sacred. It might be a filler on this album, but it would be fantastic on any soundtrack, at least for me. Looking forward to hear what you have to say about Strange!
Considering that Sacred is a filler track, you devoted quite a lot of time to give us an in-depth review of that song Vaughn! (Which I enjoyed very much actually!) :) I've just realized recently that they used Carmina Burana samples in Sacred as well, just like in Never Let Me Down Again. Here's the description how the fascinating intro was made: ""Sacred" utilises a manipulated choral performance derived from a stereo recording of the "Amor volat undique" movement of "Cours d'amours", the third section of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. The sample contains the Latin lyric "Iuvenes, iuvencule - coniunguntur merito", which translates to "Young men and women are rightly coupled". The sample is played one key below its original key. The "Iuvenes, iuvencule - coniunguntur" lyric is reversed while the "merito" lyric remains playing forwards. The sample is then looped and layered with a loop derived from a vocal by Martin Gore to create the mysterious textured pad utilised throughout the intro and middle eight sections." (dmlive.wiki/wiki/Sample_sources) As always, thank you Vaughn for your time and effort to produce quality content, which is getting more and more professional. Can't wait to watch your next video! :)
I am generally obsessed with piano covers/improvisations in general and found quite a bit of Depeche Mode transcribed to piano but the way you do them is AMAZING. I really really love them, thank you for such great in-depth analysis.
I would love for you to do a video on "recoil" and I don't know if you would do this or not? But I would love for you to do a video analysis on "nitzer ebb". Who are very much like brothers to Depeche Mode in many ways?
Ditto on RECOIL...especially before he quit DM. His earlier projects were better in my opinion, but all were so very different than the Pop Music his other band and he were creating. I believe many dont even know of Alans true passion and the Recoil Volume of the Depeche Mode Saga
I love the key change in Little 15, it just makes the song even more stunning - and I love the pause at the end before the orchestra hit (if that's what you'd call it). Fantastic video, thank you.
This was really worth the wainting🥰. Thanks VG, its is pure joy watching your DM album reviews. I have seen them all😄. Love your interpretations of DMs songs. "Behind the wheel" is probably my favourite DM track of all time, at least in my top 5. Your piano interpretation of "Behind the wheel" was very, very beautiful🖤. Looking forward to next part🥳
Brilliant video once again! Thoroughly enjoyable and possibly one of the best ones in your line-up in my opinion VG. Keep up the amazing amazing work! Wow, that was good. You can play indeed!
Great part 4 Vaughn 👍 Listening to your improvisation breakdowns does make me wonder what a DM "unplugged" various album would sound like with them all on pianos: pretty damn good if you ask me, if what you've done is anything to go by. Keep it up chap 👏👏👏 (excuse the Fletch clap! 😆)
Agreed! Sacred was THE song that spoke to me on the album! They may have thought of it as a "filler" but it's not the first time they have been mistaken on that point.... like "But Not Tonight"
Little 15, Agent Orange, Behind the Wheel, Pimpf are all masterpieces. Real DM material. This album actually put me into this band 30 years ago. I love it. By the way, beautiful interpretation of Behind the wheel Vaughn.
MFTM is a brillant album that works as a whole, one of that few albums that I dont skip any song. And I have to say (don't kill me for this 🤫😇), I've always liked MFTM more than Black Celebration (I'm not really into "Sometimes" for example).
Wow. This was more than entertainment. You give us so many views and opinions about the songs. Perfectly done. Musical improvisations at its best. Keep up the good work. I am very keen on to listen to your next episode.
It's a kind of Magic dear Vaughn! Thank you very much for your great job! it seems to me that no one has done this in such detail before. I'm watching you with subtitles and rising my level of english as well. Also I try to repeat something from your playing on my piano. Special thanks for the interview with Mesh, very sincerely and unexpected. Greetings from Slovakia!
Lyrically 'Behind The Wheel' is a part one for the 'World In My Eyes' with all these wheels, drive, trip, and full of sexual connotations. In Behind The Wheel lyric entity wants to be taught, he gives his freedom as a price of practice and expirence. In Would In My Eyes he wants to teach, he wants to drive and be behind the wheel.
I could listen to you playing DM songs the whole Sunday. Would you consider uploading you playing piano versions of the albums? Or is there such a video that I missed?
Hi @itsmellony! I logged into the comments to suggest the same thing! Vaughn should put out an album of his piano interpretations. I could listen to them all day. Woke up with a lot of anxiety today and hearing these really calmed my nerves. Behind the Wheel was particularly beautiful. Seriously, Vaughn, I would pay for this!
I personally love Sacred. I feel it's the "Halo" of MFTM. IMO there are no filler tracks on Music for the Masses.. It is the album that's the single biggest influence on my work. Just brilliant. IMO you could go from MFTM to SOFAD without skipping a beat. Violator feels the odd one out when placed in context. Another superb part of the series V, and I'm glad MFTM is getting the attention it deserves. Well done.
It's funny because at the time of release of Music For The Masses I thought they would release "Sacred" as a single after "Never Let Me Down Again" because 1 it's gloomy and so very DM : let's face it they often chose dark songs over the more poppy ones for single releases, 2 it has a religious theme (something always dear to DM, think Blasphemous Rumours, think Personal Jesus) and 3 it has the lyrics "Spreading the news around the world" which was highlighted and mentionned seperately in the booklet of the original CD. So I was very surprised when they chose to release "Behind The Wheel" instead. Also I first listened to the album on CD so I wasn't aware of the fact that "Behind The Wheel" was the first track of the B-side of the vinyl. Or else I would have probably guess it easily. Plus I actually liked "Behind The Wheel" better than "Sacred" in the end. But even though most fans always praises Alan's work but actually my favorite version of BTW is the Shep Pettibone single remix. The relentless bass of the album version (although it's great, it reminds me of "Rent" from Pet Shop Boys a little bit), but it's a little bit too repetitive for my taste, so I thought that what Shep Pettibone did with it was very clever, even though Alan Wilder admitted he hated it and that he thought that Pettibone remix' ruined the whole song. :) But as always I don't always agree with what most fans think. Most fans also praises Anton Corbijn for its music videos and it's true that sometimes they're great. But as Music For The Masses goes, my favorite music videos are Strangelove '88 and Little 15, both made by Martin Atkins who also did the cover for the album. And personally I wonder what he could have come up with for Never Let Me Down Again & Behind The Wheel. The only gripe I have with Corbijn music videos is the use of black and white images. Especially in the field scenes of Never Let Me Down Again where in color, the grass for instance is amazingly beautiful (i've seen the making of pictures, the colours were incredible there).
I want to say Black Celebration changed my life but Music for the masses gave my life the depth that I didn't know was inside me until the music and lyrics of this album hit me. Beautiful playing Vaughn. My ex who had a piano in our house use to play DM songs for hours makes me miss those times (good memories). Thank you for such a great video!
Very nice demonstrations, Sir. Both piano and original sound banks. It reveals the beauty of these songs. After this video I appreciate Behind The Wheel + its layers and melodies a lot more. -Andy Ry Denmark.
Sacred is an amazing song. Loved your analysis.Thank you Vaughn . One question. In this video on 26:08 you played a part and I am curious which DM song that is from? It is beautiful.
I really love on little 15 when Dave and Martin are both singing together. It’s one of my favorite parts of the song. Plus the ending when Fletch and his watch 😂. Beautiful piano work. Behind the wheel I love the sound of the song. Great job Vaughn 😊.
I love your interpretations of these songs and equally your explanations. Perhaps you should explore a video for each song on the album as I'm sure that you would get a lot of support for such an idea. I have missed 'Little 15' from DM's live shows. I would like to see Peter Gordeno do a few acoustic versions with Dave (next tour or even better with Alan) of songs such as Little 15, Nothings Impossible, and, say Broken - for example. Love from Australia to you. 😁🇦🇺🍺😁
My god, you're videos are a goldmine for any DM fan ! I can't wait for the next albums reviews. My question is : Will you manage to interview the Mighty God Producer : FLOOD !!!! I will definitly back you up on this !!!!!
I think that most of us fans, aren't musicians and it's really great you gave us oportunity to hear the melody of these beautiful songs, cause sometimes we got lost in production, sounds and remixes. The emotion is similar, when talking about Sacred, at least for me..
Vaughn, I loved your analysis of Behind The Wheel, chord breakdown and sample overview. Just one thing....the electric guitar! Don't forget it's the icing on the cake as each sample builds and builds on top of the next, which is a running theme throughout every tune of Music For The Masses. And on top of the guitar we have the rotary chimes with classic Gore half-time dissonance playing against the whole what I think to be Lydian Spanish mode (like the To Have And To Hold mix). Please add your analysis for the next part, thanks for all that you do!
Sacred, with that subtile gospel, bluesy flavor would have fit perfectly in SOFAD. With a complete different arrangement: drum loops, synth layers or atmosphere, it would have sounded more "epic", in the style of In your Room or Walking in my shoes
Another amazing review, love the piano improvizations. But part of them working so good for us is that we know the full-blown original electronic songs and play along in our mind, I think? No one would ever hear of DM if they played just on pianos. :-) (I know, no-one is saying that.) By the way, Dave's songs like "Should be higher" or "Cover me" are very good, but are there any "Gore-isms" in there? Not that they have to, just curious. Also Dave is not writing on his own. Talking about Recoil, his "I am undone" remix for Nitzer Ebb, and "Minutes" for Sonoio are amazing... Also, I hope UA-cam is OK with this all and didn't "catch" copyrighted stuff? So we're good to continue like this, looking forward to that.
Great vid as always!! I always look forward to your piano improvs where you just lose yourself. Have you ever thought of doing an entire album of such compositions? You really have a unique style in approaching those. Also, the bit where you referenced the 'Empire Strikes Back' Imperial March theme was gold! John Williams was influenced lots by Chopin, Wagner and Holst in those compositions. I have a strong gut feeling that Alan Wilder was too in his for DM, especially more Germanic composers. Keep up the fantastic vids, cheers.
Alright!!! Well done!! What a great watch on a Sunday. Vaughn I think you’ll need a cool 8 parts to finish this review series for Masses. It’s an awesome album. Even if you hit 10 I’ll understand. 🤟🏻🥰
Vaughn, I think you should release an album of Depeche Mode songs on the piano. They are beautiful and as you say, it just goes to show what fantastic songs Martin composes. I’m gobsmacked how good you are without any formal training.
Love your piano versions, they really bring out another dimension in their music; Looking back it would have been amazing to have a full acoustic concert with Dave and Martin singing and Alan on piano.
Funny, I've always liked Sacred and thought it had a mature sound about it. But I hear your criticism of its execution; perhaps the production is too "pop" considering what Alan & DB could have done given the melodic components? Interestingly, I've always felt kinda disappointed by the 2nd slot placement of Things You Said.. it's always felt like a come-down following NLMDA, and I've regarded that one as more the 'album track'.
You're playing on "behind the wheel" was beautiful!🎹🎧💫😎👌👍 But I have to admit I was hoping you would cover "to have and to hold" on this part? That song really helped me get through a very bad time in my life. I had a problem with drugs for a long time and October 20th will be my 3 years clean. And tracks like that really helped me pull myself out of the Abyss. I'm sure it did that for a lot of other cats. So I can't wait for you to talk about that!👍✋✌
This was fabulous..... Fascinating you take everything apart and put it back together your way 👌. I just subscribed am looking forward to more. As much as I love Depeche mode.... I find myself more and more disconnected from them after The violator album. Unfortunately really not into their new stuff. Dangerous, happiest girl had me thinking another groundbreaking, mind-melting electro-pop album was on it's way..... And then? They tried to become a rock band? I don't know what happened? I really tried to hold on and get into it... Sorry DM you've lost me in the new sound.
Another brilliant video. I've got the Music For The Masses sheet music book, and there's no key changes in Little 15 at all - it all stays resolutely on the Em, B/D# chord pattern.
Vaughn, what amount of "real" improvisation are we seeing in these piano playing versions? Don't get me wrong, I think you're really talented, but it's hard to believe that you pull these out of the blue without no rehearsal at all. And if you do have those improv skills, well, all my respect.
The last show in Tampa Florida where I live and have grown up. I had a bit of a private show after the show, new songs. I was a bit sickly and fell asleep during the show and they woke me up singing to me. It was Dave Gahn and M.G. they moved just off stage. We waved at each other and I was going to go see them but I had a ride waiting on me; father; could not keep him waiting. Dad is like my best friend lately. Martin had stepped out with his electric guitar and with a metal techno riff made it say "Satan!" I remembered talking to him shortly in the past about the dark side of musical expression and mastering musical expression, like even if it is controversial and masters of music. When I was younger he shared some of what I think was solo work and in the American input industry I said, "Don’t leave D.M.". I am a pop, rock and 70s easy listening influenced individual. With the right artist I could piecewise an album, possibly a new artist. Thank DM eternal gifting well. I edited this note because it got a reply from V.G. I am not famous or rich or anything but I have a typical mind about art and my expressions of the past and giving them away like I am private and people would think I was lying, but I did get the extra show with no one else in the audience at the last show before the one was canceled because of the Hurricane. Hurricane. I am older now and think I live in a world of flat false memories of Scorpions and etc... moving on. I feel the need to move others in a life supporting path and special thought lived out, justified and put into truth being forward too.
Thank you Vaughn, your video will make Sunday a lot better🙂 It is great how you play the individual songs in the piano version with so much feeling and how great the individual melodies are. All these years I never knew how to describe this very special album sound. You got to the point again Vaughn. What a great album. Martin and Alan were simply brilliant in their combination😍 Where is there such a thing today? Because of Depeche Mode I started making music myself and playing in different bands🥁🎹🔊 Sometimes I think you take your mask off your face and tell us "it's Alan," 😅... you should be playing at Depeche Mode. I would stand behind it ☝🏻By the way, didn't Fletch play these clapp👏🏻 effects at the 101 Rose Bowl concert on the song Behind the wheel😂?Thank you Vaughn and have a nice Sunday. Take care of yourself. Greetings from Saarlouis
Hallo Ryan, interessanter Kommentar. Ich glaube, wir alle sind begeistert von Vaughn's Pianoversionen der Songs und freuen uns auf die nächsten Videos. Grüße aus Völklingen 🙋♀️
@@VaughnGeorge it would be cool for Martin to sing Behind the wheel acoustically with Peter next tour. The piano really brings out the emotional aspects in the song
Have you ever heard of the synth-pop group "images in Vogue"? There's a recent interview with the original members on cEvin Key's. UA-cam video who was the original drummer before he formed "skinny puppy" Page called "Scaremeister".
„sacred“ is a good song, but there was always something missing, it was Vaughnˋs pure piano interpretation. „little 15“ is such a wonderful thing, it reminds me of Philip Glass. „behind the wheel“ is absolutely fabulous.
And Id love to see a video on the song FLEXABLE....its so unique..its one of their oldest songs yet has all the markings of a kitchy tune found on B side of any modern DM album
The Exodus song at 8:35 is actually a religious christian song. I heard it been sung in Swedish. The name of the song is "The Promised Land" or something ike that. And Exodus is in fact the name of the second book in The Old Testament. There may be something there about Gores thoughts and battles with religion. So Martin may have been influenced of that song when he made "Sacred".
18:43 played over. And over. Vaughn please make a INTRO to Playing Depech Mode series....i want to learn the way you did, from you. Seriously. Poll your groups and ai think you will find a lot would pay for that priveledge. I would be happy to. Love how you approach the music we love.
I wonder if Alan would have gotten more credit (by the rest of the band and others) if the craft of Arranging was still talked about the way composing and producing are. The only time I can remember consistently seeing an Arrangement credit on modern pop or rock music is with Prince, who did everything anyway. But with pre-60s pop standards and jazz, the arranger was as important as anyone else. Frank Sinatra (for example) talked about arrangers and orchestrators the same way he talked about composers. With rock n roll though, it seems like arranging either became part of the producer's domain or in the case of bands it's either just each musician playing their part how they interpret it or the main songwriter dictating . With Depeche Mode, and electronic music in general, it seems like arrangement matters a lot more because of the sampling and layering involved. Just a thought, or a rambling question really.
When Dave hits those musical lows and pops into another level its hard to crap on him for his self destructive years and that year or two of raspy and gravely voice. Some of Faith and Devotion especially that tour were pushing his limmits vocally..but he did it. H addictions can be really hard on someone with limmited resources, and usually deadlky on those with endless ammounts of money for the habbit as Dave. Said when recalling those days. Glad he came out of the other side. They are all very lucky in their own ways to survive the issues that plagued each member.
![[UA] NAVI vs MOUZ | BO5 | IEM Rio 2024](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/CMBYk0cbGoA/mqdefault.jpg)
As I'm watching this I believe Martin and Alan had a positive effect on each other over the years. They likely developed a symbiosis where Martin wrote and composed, then Alan developed and orchestrated... which in turn made Martin write more complex songs and Alan orchestrate more diverse soundscapes... culminating with "Songs of Faith and Devotion".
Never before have I heard someone mention Depeche Mode and Star Wars, two of my favorite things in the world, in one sentence.. Thank you Vaughn 👍🏻👍🏻
Have you noticed that in "Sacred" outro we have quite an opposition to Martin high pitch/Dave low pitch duo? While Dave stretches those "Sacreeeeeed" and "Hoooolyyyyy", Martin nearly mutters "To put it in words
/To write it down/
That is walking on hallowed ground"? It adds that special mystical vibe to the song.
The live 101 of Sacred I think really helps bring it alive.Little 15 is so haunting and Dave's vocal is incredible.when you play the piano for them it seems to bring all the beautiful nuances.
Piano improvisations again🤩 Goosebumps ✔
Love this!🌹
Dear Vaughn, again and again I can say that you are a musical talent; an ingenious music interpreter! keep it up ....
Imagine a moody teenager, in a dark room, hearing Behind The Wheel for the first time. Yep, that was me 🙂 My life has never been the same since then.
Brilliant review, again! I agree entirely about MFTM having a very cinematic sound. Each and every song tells a story. Take Sacred. It might be a filler on this album, but it would be fantastic on any soundtrack, at least for me.
Looking forward to hear what you have to say about Strange!
Just finished work...got the glass full...time for Vaughan's world...ahhhhh!!!
My Sunday has just got sooooo much better, VG w/ another DM upload. #HappyDays 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻
Thank you my friend!! VG :-)
Hey Vaughan, you should release your own versions of these tracks, you make them sound so amazingly beautiful.
Jesus, when you think about their age at the time, so glorious, so beautiful, intelligent, empathic, deep..missing words now
Considering that Sacred is a filler track, you devoted quite a lot of time to give us an in-depth review of that song Vaughn! (Which I enjoyed very much actually!) :) I've just realized recently that they used Carmina Burana samples in Sacred as well, just like in Never Let Me Down Again. Here's the description how the fascinating intro was made: ""Sacred" utilises a manipulated choral performance derived from a stereo recording of the "Amor volat undique" movement of "Cours d'amours", the third section of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. The sample contains the Latin lyric "Iuvenes, iuvencule - coniunguntur merito", which translates to "Young men and women are rightly coupled". The sample is played one key below its original key. The "Iuvenes, iuvencule - coniunguntur" lyric is reversed while the "merito" lyric remains playing forwards. The sample is then looped and layered with a loop derived from a vocal by Martin Gore to create the mysterious textured pad utilised throughout the intro and middle eight sections." (dmlive.wiki/wiki/Sample_sources)
As always, thank you Vaughn for your time and effort to produce quality content, which is getting more and more professional. Can't wait to watch your next video! :)
Wow...love your comment...the details! Thank you...
Damn, I love that you keep coming with Depeche Mode content! Never gets old!
And I wanna see, some day ever, you and Martin sitting together, behind these two very keyboards and that would do us all so good, haha!
❤
I was waiting for this!
Enjoy!!
I am generally obsessed with piano covers/improvisations in general and found quite a bit of Depeche Mode transcribed to piano but the way you do them is AMAZING. I really really love them, thank you for such great in-depth analysis.
Thank you so much !! I really appreciate that !! VG :-)
I would love for you to do a video on "recoil" and I don't know if you would do this or not? But I would love for you to do a video analysis on "nitzer ebb". Who are very much like brothers to Depeche Mode in many ways?
I will talk about recoil yes!! VG :-)
Ditto on RECOIL...especially before he quit DM. His earlier projects were better in my opinion, but all were so very different than the Pop Music his other band and he were creating. I believe many dont even know of Alans true passion and the Recoil Volume of the Depeche Mode Saga
@@markusdaxamouli5196 I love Grain, it definitely feels related to tracks like Little 15 and Pimpf in its arrangement
@@VaughnGeorge Yesss! I love Recoil so this will be very exiting... I'm wondering if you'll interview anyone in particular ;)
Hearing you play "sacred". I was like, dude you can play!🎹👌👍👍
Thank you Max!! I try !! VG :-)
I love the key change in Little 15, it just makes the song even more stunning - and I love the pause at the end before the orchestra hit (if that's what you'd call it). Fantastic video, thank you.
This was really worth the wainting🥰. Thanks VG, its is pure joy watching your DM album reviews. I have seen them all😄. Love your interpretations of DMs songs. "Behind the wheel" is probably my favourite DM track of all time, at least in my top 5. Your piano interpretation of "Behind the wheel" was very, very beautiful🖤. Looking forward to next part🥳
Brilliant video once again! Thoroughly enjoyable and possibly one of the best ones in your line-up in my opinion VG. Keep up the amazing amazing work! Wow, that was good. You can play indeed!
I could listen to your piano playing forever, I like how you interpret the songs on the piano. Thanks from Germany
Anja Schiller thank you and kind regards to you there in Germany!! VG 😎👍🎹
Loving this album review series ,top job as always Vaughn 👍
when you play these great melodies, I realize, how poor in melodies their latest albums are, no more melody riffs of 80s, those bold keyboard melodies
Very True!! VG :-)
Maybe Alan Wilders absence maybe one of the reasons for that change
Maybe the last two only, and I’m saying that still very much loving Spirit and Delta Machine (a bit less though)
Great part 4 Vaughn 👍 Listening to your improvisation breakdowns does make me wonder what a DM "unplugged" various album would sound like with them all on pianos: pretty damn good if you ask me, if what you've done is anything to go by. Keep it up chap 👏👏👏 (excuse the Fletch clap! 😆)
Really really great video Vaughn. The use of the Samples makes it for me! This is what these videos should be all about. Great work again
Absolutely fucking brilliant😊❤️👍🏻
It’s strange that you say what you do about “Sacred”. I really like that song on the album, it’s one of my favourites ironically.
It's always been one of my favorites too. But I see his point. An album track was obviously it's purpose.
Agreed! Sacred was THE song that spoke to me on the album! They may have thought of it as a "filler" but it's not the first time they have been mistaken on that point.... like "But Not Tonight"
@@chrispetersen4863 But Not Tonight is on my Top 3 all time DM faves.
Little 15, Agent Orange, Behind the Wheel, Pimpf are all masterpieces. Real DM material. This album actually put me into this band 30 years ago. I love it.
By the way, beautiful interpretation of Behind the wheel Vaughn.
MFTM is a brillant album that works as a whole, one of that few albums that I dont skip any song. And I have to say (don't kill me for this 🤫😇), I've always liked MFTM more than Black Celebration (I'm not really into "Sometimes" for example).
Wow. This was more than entertainment. You give us so many views and opinions about the songs. Perfectly done. Musical improvisations at its best. Keep up the good work. I am very keen on to listen to your next episode.
I really appreciate your kind words and I am happy that you like the format and the information in the videos. VG :-)
As always, interesting and careful analysis
I can sit and listen for hours to your piano versions
You are a very talented guy
It's a kind of Magic dear Vaughn!
Thank you very much for your great job! it seems to me that no one has done this in such detail before. I'm watching you with subtitles and rising my level of english as well. Also I try to repeat something from your playing on my piano. Special thanks for the interview with Mesh, very sincerely and unexpected.
Greetings from Slovakia!
Lyrically 'Behind The Wheel' is a part one for the 'World In My Eyes' with all these wheels, drive, trip, and full of sexual connotations. In Behind The Wheel lyric entity wants to be taught, he gives his freedom as a price of practice and expirence. In Would In My Eyes he wants to teach, he wants to drive and be behind the wheel.
These are amazing! Thank you SO much for sharing. It takes me back to being a teenager in the 80's and why I still love/make electronica music.
The more the years as a Depeche Mode fan pass the more emotional your interpretation comes as their songs mean so much to us
I could listen to you playing DM songs the whole Sunday. Would you consider uploading you playing piano versions of the albums? Or is there such a video that I missed?
I will eventually release an album series on Depeche Mode piano album covers as there has been a lot of demand for it!! VG :-)
Vaughn George that would be great! 👍
Hi @itsmellony! I logged into the comments to suggest the same thing! Vaughn should put out an album of his piano interpretations. I could listen to them all day. Woke up with a lot of anxiety today and hearing these really calmed my nerves. Behind the Wheel was particularly beautiful. Seriously, Vaughn, I would pay for this!
Vaughn George , I am so happy I read your reply to @itsmellony. Please do. Can’t wait!
Nooooooooo. Es justo lo que él esperaba que le dijeran! No ves que se muere por tocar en cada video?
Hi Vaughn amazing-loved the Little 15 & behind the wheel suites the best my friend!
It’s great to see in the comments all the thanks & admiration.
I personally love Sacred. I feel it's the "Halo" of MFTM. IMO there are no filler tracks on Music for the Masses.. It is the album that's the single biggest influence on my work. Just brilliant. IMO you could go from MFTM to SOFAD without skipping a beat. Violator feels the odd one out when placed in context.
Another superb part of the series V, and I'm glad MFTM is getting the attention it deserves. Well done.
It's funny because at the time of release of Music For The Masses I thought they would release "Sacred" as a single after "Never Let Me Down Again" because 1 it's gloomy and so very DM : let's face it they often chose dark songs over the more poppy ones for single releases, 2 it has a religious theme (something always dear to DM, think Blasphemous Rumours, think Personal Jesus) and 3 it has the lyrics "Spreading the news around the world" which was highlighted and mentionned seperately in the booklet of the original CD.
So I was very surprised when they chose to release "Behind The Wheel" instead. Also I first listened to the album on CD so I wasn't aware of the fact that "Behind The Wheel" was the first track of the B-side of the vinyl. Or else I would have probably guess it easily. Plus I actually liked "Behind The Wheel" better than "Sacred" in the end.
But even though most fans always praises Alan's work but actually my favorite version of BTW is the Shep Pettibone single remix. The relentless bass of the album version (although it's great, it reminds me of "Rent" from Pet Shop Boys a little bit), but it's a little bit too repetitive for my taste, so I thought that what Shep Pettibone did with it was very clever, even though Alan Wilder admitted he hated it and that he thought that Pettibone remix' ruined the whole song. :)
But as always I don't always agree with what most fans think. Most fans also praises Anton Corbijn for its music videos and it's true that sometimes they're great. But as Music For The Masses goes, my favorite music videos are Strangelove '88 and Little 15, both made by Martin Atkins who also did the cover for the album. And personally I wonder what he could have come up with for Never Let Me Down Again & Behind The Wheel. The only gripe I have with Corbijn music videos is the use of black and white images. Especially in the field scenes of Never Let Me Down Again where in color, the grass for instance is amazingly beautiful (i've seen the making of pictures, the colours were incredible there).
I want to say Black Celebration changed my life but Music for the masses gave my life the depth that I didn't know was inside me until the music and lyrics of this album hit me.
Beautiful playing Vaughn. My ex who had a piano in our house use to play DM songs for hours makes me miss those times (good memories). Thank you for such a great video!
Very nice demonstrations, Sir. Both piano and original sound banks. It reveals the beauty of these songs.
After this video I appreciate Behind The Wheel + its layers and melodies a lot more. -Andy Ry Denmark.
Sacred is an amazing song. Loved your analysis.Thank you Vaughn .
One question. In this video on 26:08 you played a part and I am curious which DM song that is from? It is beautiful.
I really love on little 15 when Dave and Martin are both singing together. It’s one of my favorite parts of the song. Plus the ending when Fletch and his watch 😂. Beautiful piano work. Behind the wheel I love the sound of the song. Great job Vaughn 😊.
Great! Perfectly timed for this gloomy sunday afternoon!
I love your interpretations of these songs and equally your explanations. Perhaps you should explore a video for each song on the album as I'm sure that you would get a lot of support for such an idea. I have missed 'Little 15' from DM's live shows. I would like to see Peter Gordeno do a few acoustic versions with Dave (next tour or even better with Alan) of songs such as Little 15, Nothings Impossible, and, say Broken - for example. Love from Australia to you. 😁🇦🇺🍺😁
Cheers Roger!! Thank you Sir !! VG :-)
You're awesome Mr.Vaughn
You're too kind !! Thank you brother! !VG :-)
Love this - especially the improvisations.
Such a great work you're doing, please do not delay part 5
I think that you have never gave yourself emotionally as you did today. Lovely, dear Vaughn, just lovely
Thank you Anita!! VG 👍😎🎹
@@VaughnGeorge Thank you for answering, really appreciate it
Loved the Behind the Wheel improvisations, looking forward to part 5!
Wow. I’m looking forward to strapping in and watching this one later. Great work VG.
MW 🎹🎧🎤
Really love this :-) Best thinkable entertainment, Thank you Vaughn
Yeah!! Thanks for the Sunday Afternoon Delight..thanks buddy. Needed a Dose of the DM for the coming week. Cheers mate
I just woke up and I see 54 minute long Vaughn video and despite the world gone nuts ...I think ..."it just cant get any better than this"😀
Everyone should definitely listen to the Little 15 Ulrich Schnauss Mix from 2004. It is positively ethereal.
this is soul food.......thanks for sharing your insights and talent
Thank you Sir!! VG :-)
Great Review, Thank You
You're very welcome and thank you ! VG
My god, you're videos are a goldmine for any DM fan ! I can't wait for the next albums reviews. My question is : Will you manage to interview the Mighty God Producer : FLOOD !!!! I will definitly back you up on this !!!!!
Thank you !! Please share them with anyone you feel will like them. VG
I think that most of us fans, aren't musicians and it's really great you gave us oportunity to hear the melody of these beautiful songs, cause sometimes we got lost in production, sounds and remixes. The emotion is similar, when talking about Sacred, at least for me..
Vaughn, I loved your analysis of Behind The Wheel, chord breakdown and sample overview. Just one thing....the electric guitar! Don't forget it's the icing on the cake as each sample builds and builds on top of the next, which is a running theme throughout every tune of Music For The Masses. And on top of the guitar we have the rotary chimes with classic Gore half-time dissonance playing against the whole what I think to be Lydian Spanish mode (like the To Have And To Hold mix). Please add your analysis for the next part, thanks for all that you do!
Sacred, with that subtile gospel, bluesy flavor would have fit perfectly in SOFAD. With a complete different arrangement: drum loops, synth layers or atmosphere, it would have sounded more "epic", in the style of In your Room or Walking in my shoes
Another amazing review, love the piano improvizations. But part of them working so good for us is that we know the full-blown original electronic songs and play along in our mind, I think? No one would ever hear of DM if they played just on pianos. :-) (I know, no-one is saying that.)
By the way, Dave's songs like "Should be higher" or "Cover me" are very good, but are there any "Gore-isms" in there? Not that they have to, just curious. Also Dave is not writing on his own.
Talking about Recoil, his "I am undone" remix for Nitzer Ebb, and "Minutes" for Sonoio are amazing...
Also, I hope UA-cam is OK with this all and didn't "catch" copyrighted stuff? So we're good to continue like this, looking forward to that.
Great vid as always!! I always look forward to your piano improvs where you just lose yourself. Have you ever thought of doing an entire album of such compositions? You really have a unique style in approaching those. Also, the bit where you referenced the 'Empire Strikes Back' Imperial March theme was gold! John Williams was influenced lots by Chopin, Wagner and Holst in those compositions. I have a strong gut feeling that Alan Wilder was too in his for DM, especially more Germanic composers. Keep up the fantastic vids, cheers.
Alright!!! Well done!! What a great watch on a Sunday. Vaughn I think you’ll need a cool 8 parts to finish this review series for Masses.
It’s an awesome album. Even if you hit 10 I’ll understand. 🤟🏻🥰
Vaughn, I think you should release an album of Depeche Mode songs on the piano. They are beautiful and as you say, it just goes to show what fantastic songs Martin composes. I’m gobsmacked how good you are without any formal training.
Bless you Mark !! Thank you Sir!! VG :-)
Love your piano versions, they really bring out another dimension in their music; Looking back it would have been amazing to have a full acoustic concert with Dave and Martin singing and Alan on piano.
Funny, I've always liked Sacred and thought it had a mature sound about it. But I hear your criticism of its execution; perhaps the production is too "pop" considering what Alan & DB could have done given the melodic components? Interestingly, I've always felt kinda disappointed by the 2nd slot placement of Things You Said.. it's always felt like a come-down following NLMDA, and I've regarded that one as more the 'album track'.
GV church is now in service and fittingly I'm watching this on a Sunday. Thank you for "STRIP"ping MftM down. Pure joy.
You're playing on "behind the wheel" was beautiful!🎹🎧💫😎👌👍 But I have to admit I was hoping you would cover "to have and to hold" on this part? That song really helped me get through a very bad time in my life. I had a problem with drugs for a long time and October 20th will be my 3 years clean. And tracks like that really helped me pull myself out of the Abyss. I'm sure it did that for a lot of other cats. So I can't wait for you to talk about that!👍✋✌
This was fabulous..... Fascinating you take everything apart and put it back together your way 👌. I just subscribed am looking forward to more. As much as I love Depeche mode.... I find myself more and more disconnected from them after The violator album. Unfortunately really not into their new stuff. Dangerous, happiest girl had me thinking another groundbreaking, mind-melting electro-pop album was on it's way..... And then? They tried to become a rock band? I don't know what happened? I really tried to hold on and get into it... Sorry DM you've lost me in the new sound.
Awesome video Vaughn
AWESOMENESS! I LOVE IT!
Another brilliant video. I've got the Music For The Masses sheet music book, and there's no key changes in Little 15 at all - it all stays resolutely on the Em, B/D# chord pattern.
That's interesting... I have the Singles 86 - 98 sheet music book and Little 15 has the key change in it.
Vaughn, what amount of "real" improvisation are we seeing in these piano playing versions? Don't get me wrong, I think you're really talented, but it's hard to believe that you pull these out of the blue without no rehearsal at all. And if you do have those improv skills, well, all my respect.
Thank you for this. From the bottom of my heart
Are those soundbanks available somewhere or are those the auctioned off ones? Because they sound amazing!
Yeah these are of the originals I believe , VG:-)
Sacred is my favourite track on the album
44:16 LOL, im dead. I can so see fletch saying that
The last show in Tampa Florida where I live and have grown up. I had a bit of a private show after the show, new songs. I was a bit sickly and fell asleep during the show and they woke me up singing to me. It was Dave Gahn and M.G. they moved just off stage. We waved at each other and I was going to go see them but I had a ride waiting on me; father; could not keep him waiting. Dad is like my best friend lately. Martin had stepped out with his electric guitar and with a metal techno riff made it say "Satan!" I remembered talking to him shortly in the past about the dark side of musical expression and mastering musical expression, like even if it is controversial and masters of music. When I was younger he shared some of what I think was solo work and in the American input industry I said, "Don’t leave D.M.". I am a pop, rock and 70s easy listening influenced individual. With the right artist I could piecewise an album, possibly a new artist. Thank DM eternal gifting well. I edited this note because it got a reply from V.G. I am not famous or rich or anything but I have a typical mind about art and my expressions of the past and giving them away like I am private and people would think I was lying, but I did get the extra show with no one else in the audience at the last show before the one was canceled because of the Hurricane. Hurricane. I am older now and think I live in a world of flat false memories of Scorpions and etc... moving on. I feel the need to move others in a life supporting path and special thought lived out, justified and put into truth being forward too.
Thank you for sharing this awesome story with us!! VG :-)
I've heard from my friends about the things you said...be honest, did this situation happed to you?
I have a real love for "To Have And To Hold", the Spanish Taster mix. Anybody else???
Thank you Vaughn, your video will make Sunday a lot better🙂 It is great how you play the individual songs in the piano version with so much feeling and how great the individual melodies are. All these years I never knew how to describe this very special album sound. You got to the point again Vaughn. What a great album. Martin and Alan were simply brilliant in their combination😍 Where is there such a thing today? Because of Depeche Mode I started making music myself and playing in different bands🥁🎹🔊 Sometimes I think you take your mask off your face and tell us "it's Alan," 😅... you should be playing at Depeche Mode. I would stand behind it ☝🏻By the way, didn't Fletch play these clapp👏🏻 effects at the 101 Rose Bowl concert on the song Behind the wheel😂?Thank you Vaughn and have a nice Sunday. Take care of yourself. Greetings from Saarlouis
Hallo Ryan, interessanter Kommentar. Ich glaube, wir alle sind begeistert von Vaughn's Pianoversionen der Songs und freuen uns auf die nächsten Videos.
Grüße aus Völklingen 🙋♀️
Super = ] Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses album review (Part 4)
Hello VG Love the piano 😊
Martin Meisner thank you my friend !! VG
Love those piano improvisations❤
Thank you Alex!! VG :-)
@@VaughnGeorge it would be cool for Martin to sing Behind the wheel acoustically with Peter next tour. The piano really brings out the emotional aspects in the song
Good work VG
Cannot wait for Part 8
Have you ever heard of the synth-pop group "images in Vogue"? There's a recent interview with the original members on cEvin Key's. UA-cam video who was the original drummer before he formed "skinny puppy" Page called "Scaremeister".
„sacred“ is a good song, but there was always something missing, it was Vaughnˋs pure piano interpretation.
„little 15“ is such a wonderful thing, it reminds me of Philip Glass. „behind the wheel“ is absolutely fabulous.
And Id love to see a video on the song FLEXABLE....its so unique..its one of their oldest songs yet has all the markings of a kitchy tune found on B side of any modern DM album
The Exodus song at 8:35 is actually a religious christian song. I heard it been sung in Swedish. The name of the song is "The Promised Land" or something ike that.
And Exodus is in fact the name of the second book in The Old Testament.
There may be something there about Gores thoughts and battles with religion. So Martin may have been influenced of that song when he made "Sacred".
Hey, good job! Will you be reviewing Devotional Tour too?
Love the piano ensembles. Would love to hear the depeche albums interpreted like this.
18:43 played over. And over. Vaughn please make a INTRO to Playing Depech Mode series....i want to learn the way you did, from you. Seriously. Poll your groups and ai think you will find a lot would pay for that priveledge. I would be happy to. Love how you approach the music we love.
I wonder if Alan would have gotten more credit (by the rest of the band and others) if the craft of Arranging was still talked about the way composing and producing are.
The only time I can remember consistently seeing an Arrangement credit on modern pop or rock music is with Prince, who did everything anyway.
But with pre-60s pop standards and jazz, the arranger was as important as anyone else. Frank Sinatra (for example) talked about arrangers and orchestrators the same way he talked about composers.
With rock n roll though, it seems like arranging either became part of the producer's domain or in the case of bands it's either just each musician playing their part how they interpret it or the main songwriter dictating .
With Depeche Mode, and electronic music in general, it seems like arrangement matters a lot more because of the sampling and layering involved.
Just a thought, or a rambling question really.
You should make an album of Depeche Mode piano covers 👌👌👌 it sounds grate
Thank you Alexis!! VG :-)
That exidous song reminds me of avengers and mixed with sacred.
When Dave hits those musical lows and pops into another level its hard to crap on him for his self destructive years and that year or two of raspy and gravely voice. Some of Faith and Devotion especially that tour were pushing his limmits vocally..but he did it. H addictions can be really hard on someone with limmited resources, and usually deadlky on those with endless ammounts of money for the habbit as Dave. Said when recalling those days. Glad he came out of the other side. They are all very lucky in their own ways to survive the issues that plagued each member.
After listening to Sacred on piano for 25 minutes, the moment Vaughn started playing Little15, i started crying.
Little 15 may be the darkest and sadest of Martins all songs. I find it hard to listen to the song honestly. Its almost painfully sad.