Izdavač: Ostalo
Žanr: Alternativni Rok, Elektronska muzika, Pop, Rok
Poreklo: Strani izvođač

Original, made in Holland

Knjizica od 12 str.

Odlicno ocuvano

knjizica 5 Cd 5

Studio album by Depeche Mode
Released 14 April 1997
Recorded January 1996 – February 1997
Studio
Abbey Road, Eastcote, Westside, Strongroom and RAK (London)
Electric Lady (New York City)
Larrabee West (Los Angeles)
Genre
Alternative rock[1]trip-hop[2]
Length 60:07
Label Mute
Producer Tim Simenon
Depeche Mode chronology
Songs of Faith and Devotion Live
(1993) Ultra
(1997) The Singles 86>98
(1998)

Ultra is the ninth studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 14 April 1997 by Mute Records. It was the band`s first album following the departure of Alan Wilder. Wilder`s departure and lead singer Dave Gahan`s drug problems, which culminated in a near-fatal overdose, had caused speculation that Depeche Mode was finished.[3]

Ultra was the first album the band recorded as a trio since A Broken Frame (1982); it was also their first where the band members were not involved with production, with these duties being handled by Tim Simenon of Bomb the Bass fame. Though not directly supported by a full-length tour, it was promoted via a brief series of concerts promoted as Ultra Parties.

The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and at number five on the US Billboard 200. By April 2006, it had sold 584,000 copies in the United States.[4] In 1999, Ned Raggett ranked the album at number 50 on his list of the `Top 136 or So Albums of the Nineties`.[5] That same year, the annual Ultra Music Festival in Miami was named after the album by its co-founder Russell Faibisch,[6] and acknowledging its influence on the Polish rock scene, Tylko Rock ranked it at number 71 on its list of the `100 Albums That Shook Polish Rock`.[citation needed]

The album was preceded by the singles `Barrel of a Gun`, released on 3 February and `It`s No Good` which was released on 31 March. It was followed by the singles `Home`, released on 16 June and `Useless`, released on 20 October.

Background and composition
Lyrically, much of the album was inspired by the turmoil the band had faced throughout the 1990s. Martin Gore said that the opening track `Barrel of a Gun` is about realising that you do not have to fit someone else`s view of the world.[7] The demo version is similar in feel to the final version, although it was recreated from scratch. The drum pattern was cut up from a loop and re-sequenced, as Gore did not want to use an unedited drum loop, but also felt that loops can provide an `immediate atmosphere`.[8]

Musically, the band explored many sounds within the realms of alternative rock but with larger electronic and trip-hop influences. The band also felt that they wanted to do something different since Alan Wilder had left the band.[9] Tim Simenon served as the album`s sole producer, who had previously created two remixes for the limited 12` release of the live version of `Everything Counts` with Mark Saunders. He had also been a large fan of the band`s music as far back as their appearance on Some Bizzare Album in 1981 with the track `Photographic`. As Gore and Gahan were impressed with Gavin Friday`s 1995 album Shag Tobacco, which he had produced, Daniel Miller arranged for him to meet with the band.

`Sister of Night`, `Useless` and `Insight` were the first demos to have been written. The band played these demos to Simenon when they met, and despite their simplicity he was impressed. Upon hearing the demo of `It`s No Good`, he considered it to be a classic Depeche Mode song.[10][11] While the project started out as a small set of songs, it eventually evolved into a full album.[12]

Gahan continued to struggle with his heroin addiction during the early months of the album`s production. He rarely turned up to scheduled sessions, and when he did, it would take weeks to get any vocals recorded; one six-week session at Electric Lady in New York produced just one usable vocal (for `Sister of Night`), and even that was pieced together from multiple takes.[13] Gore was forced to contemplate breaking the band up and considered releasing the songs he had written as a solo album.[14] In mid-1996, after his near-fatal overdose, Gahan entered a court-ordered drug rehabilitation program to battle his addiction to cocaine and heroin.[15] Recording sessions continued after he came out of rehab; according to Simenon, he sang `Barrel of a Gun` as if nothing had happened.

Wilder himself commented on the album discussing his feelings towards his departure:

I can`t hear it in the same way as a record I was involved with, but I certainly don`t feel a yearning to be involved again, and I`ve no regrets about leaving at all. The album is difficult for me to comment on, though I do have something of a stock answer, which is: you can probably work out what I think about it by listening to Unsound Methods and then Ultra, because the two records tell you everything you need to know about what the musical relationship was between myself and Martin. It`s almost as if we`ve gone to the two extremes of what we were when we were together. What the band had before was a combination of those extremes.

All tracks are written by Martin L. Gore. All lead vocals by Dave Gahan, except where noted

No. Title Lead vocals Length
1. `Barrel of a Gun` 5:35
2. `The Love Thieves` 6:34
3. `Home` Gore 5:42
4. `It`s No Good` 5:58
5. `Uselink` instrumental 2:21
6. `Useless` 5:12
7. `Sister of Night` 6:04
8. `Jazz Thieves` instrumental 2:54
9. `Freestate` 6:44
10. `The Bottom Line` Gore 4:26
11. `Insight` (includes the hidden track `Junior Painkiller`, starting at 6:27)
GahanGore
8:37
Total length: 60:07

Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Ultra.[26]

Depeche Mode
David Gahan
Andrew Fletcher
Martin Gore
Additional musicians
Kerry Hopwood – programming
Dave Clayton – keyboards, keyboard programming (all tracks); string arrangements (track 3)
Victor Indrizzo – percussion (tracks 1, 4)
Jaki Liebezeit – percussion (track 10)
B. J. Cole – pedal steel guitar (track 10)
Gota Yashiki – drums (track 6)
Keith LeBlanc – drums (track 6)
Danny Cummings – percussion (tracks 6, 9)
Doug Wimbish – bass (track 6)
Daniel Miller – System 700 (track 5)
Richard Niles – strings score, strings conducting (track 3)
Graeme Perkins – strings coordination (track 3)
Technical
Tim Simenon – production, mixing
Q – mixing, engineering
Paul Hicks – engineering assistance
Guy Massey – engineering assistance
Lee Fitzgerald – engineering assistance
Tom Rixton – engineering assistance
Gary Forde – engineering assistance
Lee Phillips – engineering assistance
Jamie Campbell – engineering assistance
Jim – engineering assistance
Greg – engineering assistance
Audie Chamberlain – engineering assistance
Robbie Kazandjian – engineering assistance
Mike Marsh – mastering at The Exchange (London)
Evelyn Halus – vocal coach
Gareth Jones – mixing (tracks 5, 8); additional vocals engineering (tracks 2, 3, 9)
Artwork
Anton Corbijn – art direction, photography, front cover
Brian Dowling – colour prints
Area – sleeve design