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I've already said in other places, "Brian Hazard has re-interpreted the songs presented here into works of sheer beauty. Every DM fans owes it to themselves to get this”, as well as, "Even songs I detested in their original form ("Sweetest Perfection") are rendered into a wonderful musical form that I find myself listening to over and over". I still believe that now. In fact, these versions, in my mind, far surpass (in some instances) the original Depeche Mode versions. "Leave In Silence" is transformed from being a somber but delicate mid-tempo track into a great dancefloor packing track, with much beefier basslines and drums. Those who look down on DM's first two albums would be shocked at how good this song sounds. "I Am You" is a track taken from the one DM album I've never owned, Exciter. Given that I've never heard the original version, it's impossible for me to compare this cover to the original. It's a somewhat stark take on the song, not too lush in the instrumentation save for the last minute of the song, and with a electronically altered backing vocal line that accentuates the unaltered vocal line really well. "Sister Of Night", one of my favorite tracks from Ultra, is sped up slightly, but still just as effective under Brian's skillful musicianship. I could go on and on about each track, but to summarize: This is the best tribute ever done for the band Depeche Mode, bar none. Songs such as "Here Is The House" and "One Caress", songs that were hard to imagine anybody but DM performing right, are here rendered so well that I now think of them as Color Theory tracks rather than DM songs. This is a wonderful, wonderful album, and I can't recommend it highly enough. Don't believe me? Check out www.dmtribute.com or www.amazon.com for sound samples... you'll become a believer. (5/5 stars) Jason
Baker
Maurizio
Pustianaz
Color Theory, "Color Theory presents Depeche Mode" (11th Records) - It makes perfect sense for Huntington Beach-based Color Theory to release a full-length disc reinterpreting 11 of Depeche Mode's most under-appreciated songs. Since the release of one-man outfit Color Theory's "Life's Fairytale," singer-songwriter-keyboardist Brian Hazard's original "Ponytail Girl" has been mistaken for a Martin Gore-voiced opus that was left off "Exciter" (both titles were released in May 2001). Rather than simply re-create the luxurious and driving textures on the original Depeche Mode recordings, Hazard has reinvented the songs in vivid ways that will please his own growing legion of fans and those of the electro-pop band he honors. Excellent reworkings of "Sister of Night" and "But Not Tonight" are among the highlights on Color Theory's sixth full-length collection. You might like if you enjoy: Depeche Mode, Moby, Enigma, earlier Color Theory releases. Robert
Kinsler
Side-Line
Magazine
Con cinco albums a costas y con reconocida influencia de la banda de Basildon, Brian centra todo su imaginación al componer la música para las versiones de su banda influenciadora, tema que ya se hacía notar en tracks de sus primeros discos como "Subterranean" (con harta influencia del "See You"). Así, por vez primera se podrá escuchar "la música de Color Theory en tracks de Depeche Mode", con la sola excepción de la "balada" de el mencionado tema de su propia inspiración. El cd se inicia con "I Want You Now", con un inicio muy tétrico al cual se le añadirá su voz para empezar luego con los beats electrónicos (similar a los Wave In Head) con la voz de registro alta el cual se nota sobremanera en el siguiente "Sister Of Night" de casi siete minutos en una vena más dance. Brian Hazard, le pone bastante sentimiento a cada track, así lo demuestran la balada "It Doesn"t Matter", previa a "Sweetest Perfection" de regular calibre que servirá de preámbulo para la enigmática "Here Is The House" de creativa interpretación y con semejanza en los coros originales -una vez más-. "World Full Of Nothing" y "Surrender" (muy cercano al estilo de A. Bell) dan paso al noveno track -uno de los más emblemáticos- la clásica de la segunda mitad de los ochentas: "But Not Tonight" esta vez con un tratamiento más light. El track once nos sorprende con una versión trance o europop de la bella "Leave In Silence", tras lo cual llega el turno del último tema "Ponytail Girl" del 2001 -original de Brian- y cuya lírica se encuentra al interior del librito. Cabe señalar que, desde un inicio, el presente cd nos sorprendió por su raro jewel case, y por la creación de una página oficial de este disco en www.dmtribute.com, site donde podemos encontrar todos los detalles referentes a esta producción. Reynaldo
Gonzales Ágreda
Eric
Olsen
Sämtliche Versionen schaffen eine dichte Bindung zu den Originalen und zeigen deren melodiöse und oftmals auch fragile Seite auf. Die Depeche Mode Songs bekommen bei dieser Veröffentlichung eine Art neues Gesicht. Durch geschickt eingesetzte Minimalelektronik und Pianoklänge erschafft Color Theory eine Atmosphäre die irgendwo im annähernd akustischen unplugged Bereich anzusiedeln ist und sich lediglich durch den Einsatz des Synthesizers voin diesem abhebt. Doch nicht nur musikalisch, sondern auch vokal weiss "Color Theory Presents Depeche Mode" vollumfänglich zu überzeugen - und auch die beiden eigenen Color Theory Songs können es mühelos mit den gecoverten Titeln aufnehmen. (95%) Ingo
Möller
Todd
Durrant
Fidel
First and foremost, the piano on 'but not tonight' is incredible. rain. For me it was dangerous to touch this song since i love the original so much, have the single, etc. but the piano, the piano... it goes straight to my heart, and i can see the raindrops plopping and bouncing off the streetlamp lit ground with the piano strokes, and dave gahan dancing around in circles with his arms out, face turned up to the sky, ruining his leather boots in the rain. My other favorite on this album is 'it doesn't matter', with these lovely bells. And i like how it ends it with the line "i am happy, i am happy, i am happy even though you're not here now." which is a better closing line, and the repetition of the "I am happy" part leaves the listener to think about whether the singer is truly happy and ok with the situation, or whether he is trying to convince himself that he is happy. The pace and dancy-ness of "i want you now" gives it a different feel, makes it lighter, flirtier, a little less...desperate, sleazy.... Conversely, the heavy beat on 'one caress' makes it a little more insistent, with a deeper emotion, or urgency, rather than the more sweet character of the original. The ending of 'world full of nothing' is this very interesting, beautiful, eastern-esque instrumental interlude, like peacefully pondering love, pondering the world, is it full of nothing? maybe it's peacefully full of nothing? "I am you" is better than the original, which I find boring except for the ending with the orchestration. Color Theory's version is a little faster, with a more interesting instrumentation. It changes dynamics and uses silence in ways that make the song move somewhere, so that you can FEEL something- it's far more emotional than the original. "sister of night" is another song in which color theory makes it loads better than the original by making it more emotional. For me, the original is largely one emotion and every time I want it to get more or less intense, it doesn't. So the original feels so flat for me. Color theory's version has an interesting intro, with a different beat and instruments/sounds, and it sets it up in a way to allow for darkness of different kinds, it can increase intensity so that it becomes more urgent, then releases the tension with the piano which is, for me, calming, but not necessarily less dark. Melissa
Chiu
"As
one of the most discerning DM fans I know, (another being the person
I bought the second copy of Color Theory presents... for) your music
is a refreshing take on some of my favorite songs ever written.
I once rode 5 hours, both ways, in one day with the afore mentioned
DM fan to see them, so we consider ourselves authorities. :) I've
heard so many attempts to duplicate Depeche Mode's sound but your
original arrangements on Gore's already genius writing is brilliant.
I am proud to call it one of the best additions to my collection
and have been telling every other DM fan I know about this gem." "I
absolutely loved it. I really do not know what else to say. It is
an absolutely brilliant peace of art. I am not surprised at all
about that entire buzz about it. Now I know why." "I
read that Color Theory's tribute was unlike any other previous collection
of DM songs. So I gave it a shot. To my surprise, it was everything
I was promised.” “If
a DM fan was to buy only one CD of Depeche Mode music that wasn't
done by DM, it needs to be this one.” "I
really like what you did with DM's songs. The background noises
are just spectacular. This way you add a more aggressive electronic
attitude. I mean, you took a risk and the final sound is just brilliant,
really!! This is the kind of tribute that fans are looking for -
some familiar tracks that have something new to offer, something
new to propose. Also, the carefully selected songs are great! I
would like to hear your version of "Dream On" and "Walking
in My Shoes" but I understand that maybe they are too commercial,
right? Just something else - Ponytail girl - I love it! It is more
than good! I must confess that I used to think that it was sung
by Martin Gore. You should sell it to them (it's a joke!). Please
keep doing what you do - I mean it!" "I
have to say it was very interesting when I came upon your remixes
of Depeche Mode on iTunes. You have, hands down, the best remixes
of Depeche Mode songs I have ever heard! You didn’t slaughter
the songs nor insult Depeche Mode fans. I am now such a big fan
I am emailing everyone I know to tell them to download your music
off iTunes." "On
the whole, this DM-tribute album represents 11 new views of DM songs
and is able to set itself apart from previous tribute albums. "Leave
In Silence" is the best cover I've ever heard." "Just
like to congratulate you on your Depeche Mode tribute album, which
is probably the best one I've heard, an interesting selection of
songs given original treatment." “If
ever there was a tribute to Depeche Mode, this is it.” "There
are many DM tributes, but this one rates on the top of the scale.
Especially clever is the dance floor addicting version of "I
Want You Now"... I always wished that a pumped up bootleg or
cover would be pressed, and Brian Hazard of Color Theory has answered
my "synthpop prayers"." "This
a must get for all Depeche Mode and Color Theory fans."
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