Depeche Mode: Devotional

This is an amazing show, in all senses of the word. Great performance (if you're into Depeche Mode of course), but also the audio is excellent and the picture amazing. Shot on film (not video as was the trend at the time) by renowned photographer Anton Corbjin, the lighting and photography are breath-taking, as well as the huge projection screens at the back of the stage (shot by Corbijn again). This concert was nominated for a Grammy in 1993. Fans of Corbijn can check it out as a curiosity. People who aren't sure what Depeche Mode are about and who are open minded (especially the rock crowd) should definitely check it out and make up their minds about Depeche Mode after seeing this. Songs mainly from "Songs of Faith and Devotion" and "Violator" albums. In my opinion the best Depeche Mode live footage ever: the bits in 101 are great but are only bits and don't have the visual depth of this show.

First: I'm a great fan of DM.

And I think that "Songs Of Faith And Devotion" is a truly great recording although the critics (and fans, too) were rather divided in their opinions.

Same goes for me with "Devotional". On the one hand, Anton Corbijn did an overwhelming job with the stage exteriors and the filming, on the other hand it's pretty scary to see a Dave Gahan on the brink of emaciation, almost fighting himself through the concert. Focusing on the SOFAD album left many "oldschool" fans behind with mixed emotions - okay, you really can't expect that DM is always digging up "Just Can't Get Enough" after more than one decade in which they had evolved like no other band (you would still wonder how many people are requesting especially this song though), but...hmm, let's say that some songs of faith and devotion didn't worked really in front of a huge live crowd. Or better said, a few more songs from their huge backcatalogue wouldn't have had hurted.

Okay, all of the above mentioned things are a matter called "the freedom of the artists" - if you count everything together, you will have a great time with "Devotional", reliving the good old times before "Exciter" (sorry...but this is definetly their worst output ever IMHO).

what can i say......its a must see. I would say its DM best tour to date. compared to 101 and one night in Paris, Devotional seems to be at a much higher level of professionalism.

Although i feel DM were at the hight of their career throughout the 101 music for the masses tour. Devotional seems more in depth with the music and more in control. The music is precise and clear.

There is extreme talent among the four, with a fresh look and sound with an addition of drums to the stage, which i thought was a great change especially from the world violation tour.

Their talent exceeds that from other bands, as they are still producing music (as a three) today, with the recent touring the angel tour. I hope another DVD is released of a tour from their past as i really enjoy listening as well as watching their music being played!

This DVD from Depeche:s 93-94 tour shows a band at there highest performance. A lot of credits to the director Anton Corbijn. The show is brilliant with the big TV-screens in the background. The sound is great and powerful already from the intro of "Higher Love". Some people complains at David Gahans performance but i think his great. He is and have always been a great showman. This is the last tour that Alan Wilder was a member in the group. Though Martin Gore is the writer and composer in the group Alan was the man who created and experimented much in the studio to make the great sound that made Depeche so big. Personally for the band members this tour was nearly a disaster. Internal fights ended up that Alan left the band, Daves drug-addiction nearly killed him and Andy Fletcher landed in a depression. I think that many fans believed that this was the end for Depeche Mode but they came back. And now (2005) they starting a new world tour beginning in America. On the 1:st of mars 2006 they playing at the Globe in Stockholm. I'm gonna be there, believe me.

This is Depeche Mode the way they should be seen.

Filmed by Anton Corbijn over several nights of their 1993-94 DEVOTIONAL TOUR (listed by Q Magazine as "the most debauched rock tour ever"), the final product is an almost dreamlike chronicle of Depeche Mode at the absolute peak of their influential creative talents.

Musically, the song selection is on-target, the arrangements are tight & rockin', and frontman Dave Gahan is at his over-the-top best and surrounded by Anton Corbijn's opulent stage set and surreal visuals. Accordingly, after this film's VHS release, it was nominated for "Best Longform Music Video" at the 1994 Grammy Awards.

The extras on the DVD set include two previously unseen excerpts from the performance ("Policy Of Truth" and "Halo"), the tracks that were (irritatingly) only released on the European versions of the film ("Behind The Wheel," "Mercy In You," "Fly On The Windscreen" and "Everything Counts"), the music videos from SONGS OF FAITH AND DEVOTION, the original concert projections used on the tour, and two relevant documentaries.

At any rate, without bias, this video is truly one of the best live performance documentaries that are out there. It captures a band in top form, an audience in almost trance-like devotion, and, thanks to Anton Corbijn, the film is dripping with color and, at times, in hazy focus...much the way you'd remember the show if you had been there. Recommended to all.