This album is a culmination of Depeche Mode's middle-period experimentation. More informed by Goth than techno, it is still anchored by plenty of the larger-than-life-baritone melodrama so distinctive of David Gahan's vocals. The most experimental track is "Pimpf"--a song that heave-hoes along with the synthesized emulation of a Russian men's choir. Although nowhere near fast enough to be danceable, the commanding "Never Let Me Down" ranks as the best single on the track, with the most hummable "Strangelove" coming in at a close second. Each song is a praiseworthy accomplishment, but the singles here set off the experimental tracks, making the album seem thematically schizophrenic. --Beth Bessmer

European 14-track CD on EMI.

I am an avid fan of DM, and will do the best job at being objective about their work. Although, I think this album is great and it has many quintessential DM songs, there are some songs that I often skip over. These songs are definitely not my favorites, but I think mostly that they just don't appeal to me in the context of this album. This is why I label this "transitions". I love all periods of DM, but I notice this one seems to be one that incorporates the earlier "new wave" feeling of previous albums but also ushers in the darker era of DM. I tend to prefer the darker DM, but appreciate the earlier work especially if not simultaneously. If you are even a slight fan of their work, you will enjoy this album.

If you like Depeche Mode then buy these 4 albums:

Some Great Reward
Black Celebration
Music for the Masses
Violator

These albums were released between 1985-1990 in consecutive order & have all of their best songs. Their other albums are also good but would only recommend for die hard fans. These 4 albums are their classic albums.

MTV had been already established as mainstream, the BOSS was getting soft in the Tunnel of Love, BON JOVI were more about the hair than ever - and the British invented Alternative music. Two such post-punk groups, THE CURE and DEPECHE MODE, better than most others, were able to grasp the decade's vibrations and broadcast them back as UNBELIEVABLE MUSIC. Whereas the CURE were mostly edges, the DEPECHE MODE were mostly technopoetry.

This was the first album I ever bought as a CD - and I remember bringing it home to my new JVC HiFi, anxious to listen to the "crisp, digital sound" (little did I know that, only some years later, we would come to miss the fullness and richness of the old vinyl records). I was right to be anxious though: this was ONE OF THE GREATEST ALBUMS - EVER!

MUSIC FOR THE MASSES is one of those rare albums that can be listened to from start to finish. No filler material here. The voices are atavisticly haunting; the keys persistently penetrating; and the lyrics stay with you for ever.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

For years I overlooked this album, in favor of other Depeche Mode classics like Violator and Songs of Faith and Devotion. Yet many of the tracks from "Music for the Masses" kept popping up. Recently viewing a Depeche Mode documentary on Joost (check it out if you haven't), I realized what I'd been missing and picked it up immediately. Today, I can't get enough of it.

"Music for the Masses" is the band's most accomplished album without a doubt. When they recorded it, they were already entrenched into the dark synth-based sound that would characterize the second half of their career, away from the more catchy pop songs that were the norm in their music early on.

Every track in the album is a piece of art that collectively make the whole production sound as current and powerful at the time of this writing as it did twenty years ago, when it was released.

"Never Let Me Down Again" is your basic work of genius, and "The Things You Said" and "Little 15" aren't far behind.

Things get a bit spottier from there, but I'm thinking you'll forgive.