HiRez Poll Depeche Mode - EXCITER [SACD]

[JonUrban]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this SACD release!

 

[Cai Campbell]

Wow, nobody has commented on this one yet?

Well, if you've read any of my other comments concerning the Depeche Mode SACDs, you know I'm not a fan of the band by any stretch. But I must say that I really enjoyed listening to "Exciter".

I had been listening to the Depeche Mode SACDs in semi-chronological order, but I decided to jump to the end of their catalog to see if my opinion of the band might change. I must say that "Exciter" was a like a breath of fresh air compared to the band's earlier work.

I don't now if its just that the band is more mature, if the instruments and recording technologies used is better, or if the surround mix is better, but I really like this disc a lot! Now that I think about it, I think all three of those factors are contributing here.

The sound is laid back, but not in an overtly depressing fashion as marked by the band's earlier work. Stylistically, I'm hearing influences of Brian Eno, Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk, but cast in a pop vocal framework. It works very well.

The surround mix is quite exceptional. It's very full and discrete, serving to reinforce the rich and dreamy texture of the music. The center channel is quite well done, anchoring the vocals without drawing attention to itself.

The fidelity of this disc is brilliant! It's the best sounding DM SACD release I've heard so far (others that I've listened to include "Violator", "Speak & Spell" and "Music For The Masses").

Unfortunately, there are a few weak tracks that bring the album down a bit. I find the track "The Dead Of Night" downright annoying. But overall, this is a brilliant album on many fronts. I'm giving it eight points.

 

[neil wilkes]

This whole series is simply outstanding.
"Exciter" is one of the later releases (the tenth, with only "Playing The Angel" released later) and is simply superbly executed here.
As with all these discs though (and here is where I suspect I will get flamed) I actually prefer the sound of the DTS-DVD over the SACD.
On the DVD there is a very nice little ongoing series accompanying each album in the form of a little documentary talking about the era the release was from, and I will one day put all these onto a single title as it would be worth a release all on it's own.
A solid 10.

 

[Baker]

This whole series is simply outstanding.
I will one day put all these onto a single title as it would be worth a release all on it's own.

For those who don't especially love Depeche Mode, or are barely interested in them, I have to +1 this big size. Not only are the 5.1 remasters absolutely perfect in every way, but the documentaries, put altogether in a single 4 hr + feature, are priceless. It's not only a must see for DM fans, it's also a great in-depth review, from the inside, of a classic band whose success has many times been argued, because such a band "shouldn't" have succeeded this far, nonetheless it did, and worldwide.

The sound is perfect, the bonuses are perfect... OK, Exciter is not from the same league. But DM's 5.1 discography still remains, to me, the BEST surround collection ever made. It still has to be topped.

 

[stormchaser]

Yep, I agree. Buy em while you can. While I'm not a huge DM fan and there are some songs that I just don't get, this series is top-notch and worth the attention of any surround junkie.

 

[britmarc]

Mute Records got the idea perfectly when they did these 'double-discs' of the Depeche catalogue - shame they didn't go the same way with Yazoo.... But hopefully they will with Erasure, as they are all from the mind of Vince Clarke.
Superb sound, and the extras are A+ rated.

 

[sculptorD5]

Exciter is a good disc, but not really my style, a bit too laid back.

as far as Erasure goes, i'll buy every album if they ever give us those in surround! Andy Bell of Erasure is singing here tonight in Dallas... I can't wait! less than 6 hours away...

 

[Baker]

Oh, by the way... I forgot to mention that those Depeche documentaries are not only brilliant... they are SUBTITLED ! See, Genesis, it CAN be done !

 

[Fourplay]

Ever since I assembled a surround system in 2009, I have been in a frantic acquisition mode, especially as many surround titles had already gone out of print before I began collecting. Prior to 2009 my room spaces were just wrong for surround.

As a result, it has been impossible for me to keep up with the music lining my shelves. I just cracked the shrink wrap on Exciter yesterday for the first time since buying it new in June of 2011. I moved this title forward in the rotation because of a recommendation in another thread here on QQ - "What's-your-Go-To-Surround-Demo-Quality-SACD." My version is DVD-A rather than SACD, but I suspect the mix is the same.

I must say, this was a pleasant surprise for me! I am not very familiar with this band, as their reputation is largely as a pop band and I am more of a hard rock and jazz guy. But as is mentioned elsewhere in this thread, the sonics and mix on this disc are excellent. I also really like some of the music quite alot. Earlier I had tried Some Great Reward and Speak & Spell, and although the mixes are decent on those I did not connect to the music as well as on this disc.

So far this is my favorite from the Depeche Mode series of discs. I recommend this as a starter for those who might not be fans of the band. The mix is very discrete, just the way I like it. Track 7 - Freelove is a great place to start. 9 for me!