What would Exciter and Ultra be like if?

[~zoggoz]

I would like to know from everybody out there in DM land. What they think Exciter and Ultra would have been like if Alan Wilder was still with them. To me he was A key component thats missing

[test]

I honestly think that if Alan hadn't left when he did, there would be NO Utlra or Exciter. That's just my opinion though.

[~cheetah]

That's a good point Steph. I'm wondering how much input Alan had as far as the making of an album was concerned. I suppose he didn't have as much creative freedom as he would have liked and that's part of the reason he left DM. It's a pretty safe bet that the instrumentation would have been different.

[test]

Well, I do know that Martin was NOT happy with Alan's tweaking of Judas. It's well known that Alan did most of, if not all of the studio work while the others were out doing whatever. There was resentment about that and resentment on Al's tweaking. I can see both sides. I personally am glad that Al is off doing his own thing. Both are much happier now.

[~zoggoz]

See as far as Uitra goes music wise I don't think that Album would have changed that much. The music to me was still that familiar DM sound the one thing I think would have been improve was the mixes. I think the guys did A better job on mixes before they started handing there stuff off to other musicians. Exciter A little harder to I think the title would have stayed but content who is to say what would have happened. See the reason I posted this question was that it was asked to me the other day so I want to get other DM fans there opinion.

[~LARS]

I think both albums would have sounded better and they would have had a little more DM sound to them. Alan in my opinion is a great musician and I wish he would have never left the band. I love Martin but I get the impression that he is very controlling and wants things his way. I remember an interview with Dave and he was saying that he wrote a song called "Ocean Song" but Martin decided it didn't fit with the sound of "Ultra" so it didn't make the album.


LArs

[Avil]

I´m happy that those albums sounds like they do.
I don´t understand why people say that they don´t have the "DM-sound" Isn´t everything created by DM something with the "DM-sound" in it? For me everything from speak and spell to exciter is DM, and got the DM-sound...the sound has only matured a bit...

[~MaxMode]

Hummmmm!

ULTRA and EXITER with Alan? probably two other masterpieces
that's my opinion.

[test]

Thank you Avil! Thank you!!! :)

[~skylla]

i find it kind of strange that people seem to think that the sound of depeche mode hasn't changed since the departure of alan wilder. sure - by definition - everything with depeche mode has a depeche sound, but i think what most people refer to as the "depeche sound" is the sound from some great reward and onwards... and that sound is no more! i'm not saying that ultra and exciter doesn't sound good (it does), but compared to other dm-albums (again, from some great reward and onwards) something is missing (even if you compared to the sound-evolving from sgr to sofad).

actually i think this change is more apparent if you rephrase the question to: what would a song like 'in your room' had been like WITHOUT alan wilder. to me ultra and exciter represents how small the difference is between a good song and a masterpiece in terms of production.

but hey... i too am glad that alan wilder left. if he hadn't, there might not have been such a masterpiece as 'unsound methods'.

[~zoggoz]

A friend and I said along time ago this was when Alan was in the band. We kind of sorta came up with who was who in the group as far as what role they played. Dave was the showmen Alan he was A musicians musicians Martin he was the songwriter/singer/musician and Fletch most didn't know where to put him but we always figured he was the on the business side. But now that has changed Martin seems to have more to do then ever and yes live they have two people to help out but they had to get two people to replace one Alan Wilder. They really did have A great formula going as far as A band goes.

[7red7]

I think if Alan was still in the band for those two albums, they would have been a lot better,more dance orientated in some aspects, and better production work as well :)

[~Munson]

Both albums are great in my opinion, but if Alan would still have been with the band I think that the programming would have been more "DM" like. I hate to use that term but it seems to be popular. Alan is a genius, but with or without him DM s;till kicks ass!

[Avil]

Blah, DM succeeded to go on without Alan, and very good.
Why always think in terms of "if". Today DM is a band without Alan, and it doesn´t matter how many if´s we bring up, exciter and ultra will stay the same forever...
I appreciate the stuff Alan took part in. It´s just like I appreciate the stuff Frank Mertens and Rick Echolette (former members of Alphaville) took part in.
But I can´t always think that how had Salvation sounded if Frank still would had been a member...
Exciter is a masterpiece! And it got a perfect DM-sound!

[~schalana101]

I agree Avil, we're just passionate about DM's music. That's why we say "if" all the time. It's almost like pushing something good to be better.

[test]

We would be saying *if* still had Alan stayed in the band. They would have broken up after Ultra. The tension would have crushed the band. We would be lamenting the break up. "What would happen *if* the band stayed together?" I hate to be a wet blanket, but that's just my opinion. I love to say if about things as well, but it's just not what is.

[~skylla]

so avil... you think exciter is a masterpiece... i actually kind of envy you! back in the early nineties depeche mode was EVERYTHING (kind of like your love for alphaville, i guess), and i have TRIED - and then i've tried again - but i just don't like exciter. it just leaves me numb. i still listen to exciter from time to time in the (näive) hope that i might actually grow to like it, but it just doesn't seem to happen.

when a band which you've devoted so much time on changes into something you suddently don't like anymore, it's natural to think about WHY this has happened. maybe it's just that we've liked different things about dm, and it just so happened that the "thing" - whatever it is - that i liked about depeche, is the thing that is now missing. anyway... for me the departure of alan wilder marked the last depeche mode album that i really loved. and by the way, my band favourite was always dave (i adore his voice), so it's not like i was predisposed to not liking dm after alan left. i would really like to still like dm... but it's not happening.

to sum it all up: exciter is a great album because so many people love it (just as celine dion is a great singer, because so many love her music)... it's just not for me. and i will always wonder what if...

[Avil]

skylla

I understand what you are saying, and I think that you have a good opinion about all this. Sometimes you just can´t accept such a big change as DM has made thru the years.
(as me being chocked when I heard Prostitute with alphaville with the first time, but after a while I looooved it)

I must agree with the fact that the difference between speak and spell and exciter is HUGE! It really is.
And for someone that started with a sound like the one in S&S and learned to love that sound, it´s very hard to suddenly get an album like ultra and then Exciter!!

Who knows what that album had sounded like if alan was still a part of Dm..who knows if that album would have seen the light of day at all...
we just know that we have exciter, it´s loved and hated, but it´s still Dm. Maybe not the Dm that once were, but the DM that is today.

/Christina

[~CrumbleToDust]

Firstly in response to the original topic:

I reckon U & E would have been more gospel sounding, Alan brought them into SOFAD, and took them on to Unsound Methods and Liquid. He clearly likes the gospel influence.

Secondly: I wish Alan had never left. I like Recoil and I like Ultra (I'm not saying anything about Exciter :|) but for me, I can't envisage the current DM doing another BC or MFTM... But that's life and there are plenty of bands out there who really buzz my bell! Alphaville, Mesh, The Nine, Iris - need I say more. Life isn't so bad, and when it is... go back to your stereo, and leap around to Fly on the Windscreen like 'twas 1986!

[~marten jallad]

I've been a DM fan now for 18 years and have stuck with the band through their many changes. The progression from Speak and Spell to Some Great Reward was quite fluid. Then along came Black Celebration and really took a new direction (now seen as DM's best effort by most fans)-I believe Alan Wilder was definately very instrumental making this happen creating some memorable tracks. Once Songs of Faith & Devotion came out DM had changed so much that they seemed barely recognizeable-the great dance up tempo beats had been replaced and as far as I'm concerned have not been recreated in any of their albums after it. The changes were already happening while Alan was still there. Personally I think Exciter is DM's best album since Violater-especially FreeLove-Long live a truely inovative and ever changing band!!

[~Hajas]

Originally posted by StphLadd
I honestly think that if Alan hadn't left when he did, there would be NO Utlra or Exciter. That's just my opinion though.

I'm with you.

Freddy

[~hippychick]

I love Ultra & Exciter is OK but what's missing from the Exciter tour sound is Alan's contribution - laying down the live tracks, b/c according to my 2001 bootleg, Exciter live doesn't have that spark anymore. Really hated some of Peter G's keyboards. Other parts of the songs just drag on or drone, never like before. Alan is seriously needed here.

[~Mike Gjennestad]

ok can I just say, that i am curious as to what a recoil album would be like with Dave guest singing or marting helping to write/sing or play. that would be more interesting i think


gjennmike

[~Nevernever]

Exciter it's just a experiment with Clicks & Cuts music. bad experiment. Björk makes it much better. But Clicks & Cuts music is one of the most progressive today, imho. For more info and bands about it -> http://www.mille-plateaux.net