Depeche Mode’s ideal studio album – had it been recorded in a studio and not live in front of an audience at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, where the band played their 101st and final tour concert in 1988. At that time, the four musicians did not play with a drummer, but with a drum computer and rhythms from the synthesizer, which gave the arrangements a corresponding tape machine flair. All songs from the “Tour For The Masses” set list are included, and for the live versions, a number of pieces were equalized and presented as maxi versions, such as “Never Let Me Down Again”, whose single Depeche Mode combined with one of their remixes. As the best of a pop band, this collection of songs is unparalleled in 1988.
“101” therefore sounds like a non-stop mix of the back catalog with the audience mixed in – sometimes so abruptly, as if we needed to be reminded that there are 60,000 people in the stadium. “Good evening, Pasadena!” shouts Dave Gahan at the beginning, but the recording of this group, which is not known for improvisations, could also have come from Hamburg or Madrid. A longer interaction is offered on the closing “Everything Counts,” as Gahan encourages the audience to sing along, which they continue to do even after the song is over. So the end of the set belongs to the voices, not the machines.
The tour film, shot by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, expresses the special feature of this Californian show: that a British electro-pop band has achieved a breakthrough in the USA. The documentary shows fans traveling across the country, but not all moviegoers liked watching US teenagers ride the bus instead of a full concert, which the reissue is now selling as a “cinematic precursor to the youth culture reality TV trend.” The digitally restored edition not only contains interviews with the band and crew, but also three previously unpublished live videos. (Sony)