Release

1	Narrow, The -	I Feel You	3:55
2	Fokofpolisiekar -	Shake The Disease	3:56
3	Wickhead -	Waiting For The Night	3:03
4	16Stitch -	Policy Of Truth	4:24
5	N8ive -	It's No Good	4:34
6	Tiger Lilly (2) -	Strangelove	3:49
7	Parlotones* -	Somebody	3:44
8	Roswell Kings -	Condemnation	3:41
9	Diesel Whores -	I Feel Loved	2:19
10	Slashdogs, The -	Never Let Me Down Again	2:35
11	F...Etc -	Enjoy The Silence	3:06
12	Hog Hoggidy Hog -	Just Can't Get Enough	3:10
		Written By - Vince Clarke
13	3 Minute Solution -	Personal Jesus	3:53
14	Dubway -	Barrel Of A Gun	4:52
15	Scarlet Box -	Dream On	4:16
16	In Dreams -	In Your Room	4:24
17	Running With Scissors -	World In My Eyes	4:11
18	Belljar -	Stripped	3:50
19	Heteromorpha -	Fly On The Windscreen	5:45
20	Kobus! -	Blasphemous Rumours	4:36

Credits

Written By - Martin L. Gore (tracks: 1 to 11, 13 to 20)

Notes

A unique South African tribute album that sets a stage for various young local bands to perform their interpretation of a Depeche Mode track of their own choice.
All featured tracks are exclusive to this CD.

Bernard Seyfarth (Graphix) / Fiona O (Promo) / Grant Strauss (Sales) / Paul Speirs (A+R, Licensing) / Lee Wilson (Concept)

2005 (P)&(C) Alter Ego Record Company / Distributed by Alter Ego.
UPC/EAN: 6009656 960243

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Rated 4/5

Review by hmvh Apr 14, 2006 (edited over 3 years ago)

The approach: In a land far away and in a time long past (back in high school), there existed two distinct and rivalling musical camps. There were those who favoured rock (yours truly) and then there were those who preferred synth-pop (Depeche Mode, OMD, Human League, etc.) Both groups constantly vied for control of the electronics workshop class's hi-fi system.

The foreplay: Fast-forward to the year 2005, some 20 years later. This guy walks into a "Look & Listen" music store in Randburg and picks out some CDs he'd been looking for. While browsing a little further, he comes across this unusual and unexpected compilation of young, hitherto unknown rock bands covering Depeche Mode songs, of all things. "That's interesting," he thinks, and despite the higher-than-usual price tag grabs and buys it - an action completely out of character...

The climax: They return back to his place. He pops this disc in for a quick spin, and blown away was he, for it was totally unexpected how well certain Depeche Mode songs - some of which he knew not before - lend themselves to modern rock! Also, the inclusion of female lead vocals on four of the tracks adds a different angle completely.
Track 8 sounds like something Placedo could've released whilst the uptempo post-punk version of track 10 raises more than just a serious grin. Track 11 could've easily been a typical cover by "Me First and the Gimme Gimmes" with Blink-182 overtones, and the ska-like version of track 12 is outright hilarious, imaginative and sheer madness (pun intended) that makes one think of a Kaapse version of Farin Urlaub ;) Similarly, track 13 is almost better than Marilyn Manson's cover while track 17 reminds of a female equivalent of the White Stripes, and Kobus!' rendition of track 20 sounds too damn deliciously wicked to be a DM song... far better than the original.

The afterglow: So, to my old nemeses George Westcott and Rudi Erasmus: DM ain't too bad after all... if played LOUD and on geeetars!
You guys will hate this compilation. I love it!

Standout tracks are 1, 3, 15, 17, and 20.

More info in the booklet would have been appreciated but nevertheless: Hats off to Alter Ego for coming up with this little gem!