Singles 81-85, The
From such bouncy early hits as “New Life,” “Just Can’t Get Enough,” and “The Meaning of Love” to the increasingly heavier sound of “Everything Counts,” “People Are People,” and “Blasphemous Rumors,” nearly all the tracks appear in the original single mixes, some quite different from their album versions, others essentially the same (the one subtle difference in “Somebody” is an echoey percussion pattern buried in the mix, for instance). Two unavailable singles also feature: “It’s Called a Heart” and “Shake the Disease“. As an introduction to Depeche’s brilliant knack for catchy tunes evolving over time into a more challenging but no less popular collection of songs, at once defining and expanding the boundaries of synth pop, look no further.