Depeche Mode: A Biography

Fans of the band (and I am one) will find lots to enjoy about this book. And if those fans really like articles in music magazines (I don't necessarily), then they will like it even more as the book reads like a compilation of lots and lots of magazine articles about the band. Finally, if those fans also happen to be English, then I suspect they will like it even more. The book is written in English with lots of of English slang that escapes my American mind (no doubt, any Brit who just read that is already thinking up a clever slag response). I enjoyed the book because I enjoy the band, and there's lots of great information.

If you're a lover of Martin Gore and Andrew Fletcher who despises Alan Wilder and (to a lesser degree) Dave Gahan, you will probably love this book. I've read several books about the band and this one is far and away the most skewed and slanted of them all. To me a biography about any band should present the events and member statements in a way that allows the reader to form their own opinions. In Black Celebration, Steve Malins appears to have taken considerable time in picking and choosing quotes and stories that fit his own perception of the different members who make up Depeche Mode. While Martin (and Fletch) are presented as good natured, talented, kind people who've never hurt anyone; Dave and Alan (especially) are represented as the most judgmental, elitist, vain, arrogant, selfish, mean spirited, spiteful jerks you'd never want to meet. As if the quotes selected weren't enough, their lead-ins go even further to assure your opinion is a negative one. One example is a quote attributed to Dave from 1985 that starts off by saying "...he also seemed to have rather chauvinistic reasons..." In this instance, and MANY others, Malins seems to be editorializing more than reporting facts. It's as if he doesn't give the reader enough credit and wants to assure that they come to the same conclusions that he has. In doing so he's literally telling the reader how they should feel about someone or something before the story is even told.It's a curious book as a whole because if you didn't already know the ending you would think that the band had split up years ago after some huge falling out. Judging by the comments and quotes made about one another, you would assume that they would have told each other to drop dead many years ago. It seems rather odd for them to still be recording and touring to this day with the amount of disdain towards one another implied in Black Celebration. It's a real shame that an opportunity to tell such an interesting story has been wasted with this book. The actual facts of the 30+ year history of this band and all of its members (past and present) make for a fascinating enough tale without the yellow journalism found in the pages of this book. There are more than enough funny, touching, enlightening, and at times, even disturbing moments in the life of this band to make any book on the subject an enjoyable read. Unfortunately this book lowers itself close to the level of the trashy "unauthorized" tell all biographies that are the tabloids of the book world. Because the subject of the book is Depeche Mode I've given it 1 star when in truth it deserves none.

I'm new to the DM world and I wanted something that would give me a good amount of info and detail on the band and it's member's. This was a great choice, and I can't wait to finish it.

Probably the best Depeche bio, very detailed. The cover however.... Why did they pick this picture? And this least successful incarnation of the band as a trio? It didn't exactly make me want to buy this book. I'd prefer a classic photo from the glory days with Wilder or Clarke included.

Could not put book down! Great bio for the true DM fan. Highly recommend to find out the ups and downs of their rise to fame.

Awesome!

Excellent!!!

Great book, lots of interesting info for depeche fans but wish more of it was from pov of Dave Gahan or Martin Gore, for this reason I meant to give it 4 1/2 stars but it posted 5 too fast!

Having recently finished reading the book on Dave Gahan and being a long time fan of Depeche Mode and their music, I wanted to see what this book had to offer as all the reviews I'd read had been favourable. It gives great insight into the beginning, how they met, where they worked, the dynamics that nearly tore the band apart, Alan Wilder's input, Dave's drug problem that's been well documented. This isn't just a book about one of the best bands, this band is the best live band in the world, and it's interesting to read not just about how barmy some of the fans are, how dedicated the fans can be, it's a tribute to the great music that this band can put out, whether you're a fan of the band, a die-hard or someone that wants to know more about one of the UK's greatest exports, this book has it all. Not just a great read, but it's warts and all, nothing holds back, the intricate relationship between Martin and Dave, Fletch being more than a keyboard player, the lynch pin. If you love music, this is one of the best books out there.

One of the best books about Depeche Mode, the other being Jonathan Miller's "Stripped". With this two books you get almost a complete picture from this great band.

Ok

This book was advertised as being in good condition, it certainly wasn’t so I returned it.Definitely not worth the money.

A very detailed account of DM, although I found it rushed a bit in the last chapter with the Delta Machine album.I guess we need to wait for another 5 years for the next reprint!