DEPECHE MODE Vinyl Records and CDs

As with many of the 1980s' most brilliant pop stars, Depeche Mode have too often been relegated to period film soundtracks and compilations to evoke surface nostalgia rather than their unique emotional and musical complexity. From their earliest days with Vince Clarke (before he left to form Yaz, and later Erasure) creating disjointed, analog Synth Pop that evoked technological and social alienation, to their evolution through the '90s evoking epic orchestrations of heavier electronics and production with a force that often borders on Industrial intensity, they have always been successful on both the dancefloor and in the music store. Dave Gahan's sorrowful, impassioned vocals evoke feelings of loneliness as he presents mischievous lyrics of tongue-in-cheek social commentary, sexual politics and bittersweet romance. As they progressed, their symphony of synthesizers no longer represented cold futurism, but an otherworldly warmth via smooth melodies and clean dance beats.