Black Celebration

1. Black Celebration 4.57
Let's have a black celebration
Black celebration
Tonight
To celebrate the fact
That we've seen the back
Of another black day
I look to you
How you carry on
When all hope is gone
Can't you see
Your optimistic eyes
Seem like paradise
To someone like
Me
I want to take you
In my arms
Forgetting all I couldn't do today
Black celebration
Black celebration
Tonight
To celebrate the fact
That we've seen the back
Of another black day
I look to you
And your strong belief
Me I want relief
Tonight
Consolation
I want so much
Want to feel your touch
Tonight
Take me in your arms
Forgetting all you couldn't do today
Black celebration
I'll drink to that
Black celebration
Tonight
2. Fly On The Windscreen (Final) 5.19
Death is everywhere
There are flies on the windscreen
For a start
Reminding us
We could be torn apart
Tonight
Death is everywhere
There are lambs for the slaughter
Waiting to die
And I can sense
The hours slipping by
Tonight
Come here
Kiss me
Now
Come here
Kiss me
Now
Death is everywhere
The more I look
The more I see
The more I feel
A sense of urgency
Tonight
Come here
Touch me
Kiss me
Touch me
Now
Touch me
Touch me
There are flies on the windscreen
There are lambs for the slaughter
There are flies on the windscreen
Come here
Touch me
Kiss me
Touch me
Now
Touch me
Touch me
3. A Question Of Lust 4.22
Fragile
Like a baby in your arms
Be gentle with me
I'd never willingly
Do you harm
Apologies
Are all you ever seem to get from me
But just like a child
You make me smile
When you care for me
And you know...
It's a question of lust
It's a question of trust
It's a question of not letting
What we've built up
Crumble to dust
It is all of these things and more
That keep us together
Independence
Is still important for us though (we realise)
It's easy to make
The stupid mistake
Of letting go (do you know what I mean)
My weakness
You know each and every one (it frightens me)
But I need to drink
More than you seem to think
Before I'm anyone's
And you know...
It's a question of lust
It's a question of trust
It's a question of not letting
What we've built up
Crumble to dust
It is all of these things and more
That keep us together
Kiss me goodbye
When I'm on my own
But you know that I'd
Rather be home
It's a question of lust
It's a question of trust
It's a question of not letting
What we've built up
Crumble to dust
It is all of these things and more
That keep us together
4. Sometimes 1.54
Sometimes
Only sometimes
I question everything
And I'm the first to admit
If you catch me in a mood like this
I can be tiring
Even embarassing
But you must
Feel the same
When you look around
You can't tell me honestly
You're happy with what you see
Oh sometimes
Only sometimes
You must be...
You must be...
As embarassing as me
Sometimes
5. It Doesn't Matter Two 2.51
As I lay here with you
The shame lies with us
We talk of love and trust
That doesn't matter
Though we may be the last in the world
We feel like pioneers
Telling hopes and fears
To one another
And oh what a feeling
Inside of me
It might last for an hour
Wounds aren't healing
Inside of me
Though it feels good now
I know it's only for now
The feeling is intense
You grip me with your eyes
And then I realise
It doesn't matter
6. A Question Of Time 4.09
I've got to get to you first
Before they do
It's just a question of time
Before they lay their hands on you
And make you just like the rest
I've got to get to you first
It's just a question of time
Well now you're only fifteen
And you look good
I'll take you under my wing
Somebody should
They've persuasive ways
And you'll believe what they say
It's just a question of time
It's running out for you
It won't be long
Until you do
Exactly what they want you to
I can see them nowHanging around
To mess you up
To strip you down
And have their fun
With my little one
It's just a question of time
It's running out for you
It won't be long
Until you do
Exactly what they want you to
It won't be long
Until you do
Exactly what they want you to
Sometimes I don't blame them
For wanting you
You look good
And they need something to do
Until I look at you
And then I condemn them
I know my kind
What goes on in our minds
It's just a question of timeIt should be better
It's just a question of time
It should be better with you
It's just a question of time
7. Stripped 4.17
Come with me
Into the trees
We'll lay on the grass
And let the hours pass
Take my hand
Come back to the land
Let's get away
Just for one day
Let me see you
Stripped down to the bone
Let me see you
Stripped down to the bone
Metropolis
Has nothing on this
You're breathing in fumes
I taste when we kiss
Take my hand
Come back to the land
Where everything's ours
For a few hours
Let me see you
Stripped down to the bone
Let me see you
Stripped down to the bone
Let me hear you
Make decisions
Without your television
Let me hear you speaking
Just for me
Let me see you
Stripped down to the bone
Let me hear you speaking
Just for me
Let me see you
Stripped down to the bone
Let me hear you crying
Just for me
8. Here Is The House 4.16
Here is the house
Where it all happened
Those tender moments
Under this roof
Body and soul come together
As we come closer together
And as it happens
It happens here
In this house
And I feel your warmth
And it feels like home
And there's someone
Calling on the telephone
Let's stay home
It's cold outside
And I have so much
To confide to you
With or without words
I'll confide everything
Here is the house
Where it all happened
Those tender moments
Under this roof
Body and soul come together
As we come closer together
And as it happens
It happens here
In this house
So we stay at home
And I'm by your side
And you know
What's going on inside
Inside my heart
Inside this house
And I just want to
Let it out for you
And I feel your warmth
And it feels like home
And I feel your warmth
And it feels like home
Here is the house
Where it all happened
Those tender moments
Under this roof
Body and soul come together
As we come closer together
9. World Full Of Nothing 2.48
Close
Naked
Skin on skin
Tears are falling
Tears of joy
Her first boy
His first girl
Makes a change
In a world full of nothing
Though it's not love
It means something
She's lonely
And he says
It's for her only
That he lusts
She doesn't trust him
Nothing is true
But he will do
In a world full of nothing
Though it's not love
It means something
It's easy to slip away
And believe it all
Though it's not love
It means something
10. Dressed In Black 2.34
She's dressed in black again
And I'm falling down again
Down to the floor again
I'm begging for more again
But oh what can you do
When she's dressed in black
My mind wanders endlessly
On paths where she's leading me
With games that she likes to play
And words that she doesn't say
Not when whe're alone
And she's dressed in black
As a picture of herself
She's a picture of the world
A reflection of you
A reflection of me
And it's all there to see
If you only give in
To the fire within
Dressed in black again
Shadows fall onto me
As she stands there over me
And waits to encompass me
I lay here helplessly
But oh what can you do
When she's dressed in black
Dressed in black again
11. New Dress 3.45
Sex jibe husband murders wife
Bomb blast victim fights for life
Girl Thirteen attacked with knife
Princess Di is wearing a new dress
Jet airliner shot from sky
Famine horror millions die
Earthquake terror figures rise
Princess Di is wearing a new dress
You can't change the world
But you can change the facts
And when you change the facts
You change points of view
If you change points of view
You may change a vote
And when you change a vote
You may change the world
In black townships fires blaze
Prospects better premier says
Within sight are golden days
Princess Di is wearing a new dress
You can't change the world
But you can change the facts
And when you change the facts
You change points of view
If you change points of view
You may change a vote
And when you change a vote
You may change the world
Princess Di is wearing a new dress

是非アナログで

時代錯誤なことを言いますが、本作はあなたの状況が許せば、アナログ・レコードで聴くべきでしょう。本作はデペッシュ・モードのある種の到達点であり、「ミュージック・フォー・ザ・マスィズ」への橋渡し的なレコードです。
キース・リチャーズは「俺はCDが嫌いだ！」と訴えていましたが、本作をアナログで聴いてみると、決してキースの意見は老人のたわごとじゃないことがわかります。
「ブラック・セレブレーション」から「フライ・オン・ザ・ウィンドスクリーン」につながる箇所の興奮は、CDではあまり味わえないのでは。
アナログ以前に、デペッシュ・モードとはどんなバンドか、ということを知りたい方にも、お勧めできます。このお値段ですからね。

"Industrial-pop"と別れを告げたDepecheModeの分岐点

"Let's have a black celebration(闇祭?)"で始まり、2曲目の"Flies on the widescreen. Lambs for the slaughter(生贄?)"でズルズル闇の世界に引きずり込まれて行きます。で、シングルカットされた3曲目"A question of lust. A question of trust(不信?)"。4曲目の"Sometime"、5曲目の"It doesn't matter two(不和?)"、"A question of time. It's running out for you.(催促?)"とA面は延々となんだか対人不信だか不安を煽って誘うような曲が続き、最初のシングルカット"Stripped(曝け出せ?)"で新しいDepecheModeの世界に更に引きずり込むみたいな感じですかね…。
待ちわびて発売日に購入し初めて聞いた子供だった当時、このアルバムの前に出たシングル"Shake the disease"で「この苦しみを理解してくれ」と泣き叫んだDepecheModeは、とうとう精神も病んで鬱病になったんじゃないかと非常にショックを受けたものでした(笑)。それまでのDepecheModeは、独特の冷めた目線で社会を痛烈に批判した挑発的な曲(と普通の恋愛ソング)で売ってたのに…。"New dress"はダイアナ妃を批判した社会派ですが、歌詞が直接的過ぎでシニカルじゃないし(それでも、"New dress"と普通っぽい恋愛ソング"But not tonight"の2曲だけはそれまでのDepecheModeのイメージに近い)。音は重厚さを増してるんですが全曲テンポはスローで暗く、それまでの機械的な重低音"industrial-pop"でガンガン来るDepecheModeが好きだっただけにガッカリしたのを覚えてます。とにかく、当時は歌詞が理解できなかった。
流石、どの曲もメロディーは美しく、(どこか独善的な)歌詞もMartinGoreの私的な詩なのかなと思えば害も無く、個人的にどんな事があったのかは知りませんが、まぁ、そんな時期もあるのかな。実際、MartinGoreがリードボーカルを採ってる曲が多いのも、このアルバムの特徴でもあります。これ以降のDepecheModeは、ある種宗教がかった、聞く人個人に語り掛けるようなどちらかというと内向きな内容の曲を多く世に送り出し、一部のファンの間で絶対的なカリスマ性を得て時には神格化されて行きます。
案の定、(カラーが明らかに変わった)このアルバムはセールス的にイマイチで、このアルバム後" Music For The Masses"で大衆に媚びると高らかに宣言し、アメリカ進出も大成功して世界的なバンドに成って行くのでした。めでたし、めでたし。
ただ、アメリカでメジャーに成ったのは" Music For The Masses"以降だったにも関わらず、ディープなDepecheModeファンの間ではこのアルバムを"Violator"と並ぶ最高傑作にあげる人が多いのも事実です。
という事で、ここの大多数の書き込みに反して、個人的にはこのアルバムはあまり好きではありませんが、DepecheModeの分岐点と言われる(タイトル通り)記念すべき作品でもあります。ハマって行く人の気持ちも分からなくもないですが、私にとってはDepecheModeから心が離れて行く分岐点でした…。

ロバスミ

アルバムの内容はこれもまたファンには最高のお気に入りの作品。DVDはレコーディングの模様やインタビューなどボリューム満点です。あと、ロバートスミスがチラッと映ってますよ。　再生にはリージョンフリーのプレイヤーが必要。日本語字幕付です。(Rhino、US盤）　

DEPECHE MODEの頂点を極めた金字塔

まさに、珠玉の１枚。
このアルバムこそ、頂点・集大成・到達点・そして宝箱。
この世の終わりまで、語り継がれるべき、サウンドコラージュ

今でも素晴らしい

高校の時にレコードもってました。今聞いても素晴らしい。前とは違うかもしれまないけど引き込まれました。20年たってるのに凄いの一言です。切ない系の歌詞や曲はいまでも涙がでるくらいです。何年経ってもいい歌はいいものなんですね。

電源の状態が良い深夜に聞くのがお勧め

何かの儀式でも始まるかの様なタイトル曲のイントロの導入部からグイグイ引き込まれ、まるで堕ちてゆくかのごとく恍惚感に浸っている内に幕を閉じる。ダークでクールなアレンジながらも陰気臭くならない美しいメロディライン。SEE YOU（曲では一番好き）程の牧歌的な曲は無いけれども、見事な統一感で最後まで飽きさせない。マーティンゴアのソングライターとしての手腕を最も感じさせる、デペッシュのアルバム中、一番完成度の高い作品だと思います。