For fans of DM, this is a real treat. If you're not the type who likes remixes, don't bother with this - many of these songs are remixed beyond recognition. The early remixes staying truer to the originals than the newer ones, as technology advances and lets the remixer strip the tracks down to nothing and re-construct, rather than simply extend the songs. Martin Gore, songwriter for DM, has been quoted as saying he's not a big fan of having some outside person remixing finished tracks, and Vince Clarke, their original songwriter, has the same feeling. I am inclined to believe this is more a record company release, than something the members of Depeche Mode would have had a direct hand in. Nontheless, this is a nice collection, a real history of modern electronic dance music in one handy box. Buy the limited edition version, it has an entire bonus disc of extremely rare and new remixes. ( I pre-ordered mine and got it the day it was released in the US - thanks again AMAZON !! )

Remix albums often compile throwaway dance versions of old hits, and they're usually released to milk cash out of diehard fans who clamor for their favorite band's next studio effort. But the exception to the rule is Depeche Mode's "The Remixes 81-04." Not only is this collection justified, but it's a necessity for any Depeche Mode fan. Collecting new, rare, and previously released material, this 3 disc set compiles nearly 4 hours worth of hits over a span of 23 years. (A single disc is also available) House reworkings of "World in My Eyes," "It's No Good," and "Policy of Truth" sound not a day older than their date of release, while Air's chilled transformation of "Home," William Orbit's makeover of "Walk in My Shoes," and Rex the Dog's electro working of "Photographic" command rewinds. Some personal favorites (the 12-inch version of "(Set Me Free) Remotivate Me" and FC Catalan's "Surrender") are missing, but what DOES appear definitely earns the disc five stars. Enjoy the silence? No way. Turn up the volume and start dancing.

First off let me say that IF you don't already own the depeche mode back cataloge of singles then this is a FIVE star collection. Some of these mixes are absolute classics. especially the violator and songs of faith and devotion era tunes. There are also some rarities, the On-U sound mix of master and servant was only available on the DJ only 12" that cost around 30 to 40 bucks in the records stores. So for new commers to the depeche mode remix cannon this is a great buy with stuff that as a collector i spent years discovering. However, I don't think that anyone who isn't a depeche mode completist would be interested in this CD. for someone who wants to get to know depeche mode I think that the singles collection from a few years back is a much better "best of" hits. because let me tell you MOST of the mixes are not the "best of". The mix they choose of freelove is almost unlistenable, for example. And as far as the new mixes on the third disc, well I would say that they are at best adequate and at worst a laughably mediocure effort. Goldfrap sings along on her mix...as if it were a kareoke mix, the Nothing remix sounds like Dave Gahan is fronting The Strokes, and Clean is given the weakest, toothless treatment of any song since the paint by numbers house mixes of dream on, a plooding souless dirge of a song that was one of the jewels of Violator. don't get me wrong. I love depeche mode. and I love remixes. I have spent hundreds of dollars on wierd ass remix singles from all around the globe. I salivated over this release for months...but it is all for not. This CD is not worth the money...I'd suggest buying a single box set instead...or just wait and buy the differnt import versions of Enjoy the silence, as all the new mixes from this CD appear on those different discs. I will add that I was so excited to see a photographic remix...I love that song...I always have and have waited for new versions...but 30 dollars is too much to pay for such a milk toast effort.

Three different kinds of people will consider buying this 3-CD collection of reinterpreted Depeche Mode songs. The first is the DM fanatic, who will buy anything and everything with the band's name on it, sight unseen. No need for a review there. The second is not very familiar with DM remixes, and has not bought many of the singles, but would like to hear alternate versions of popular DM songs. Again, no need for a review -- just buy it already. It is the people in the third category who will need a review, people who already own several singles with remixes on them, asking themselves, "Do I really need three discs of Depeche Mode remixes? Will they be good?"

The answer is a resounding "yes." The Remixes 81-04 is chock full of experimentronica, ranging from industrial to ambient, from club music to pensive guitar rock. To call this collection diverse is to call the North Pole cold. So many artists have put their own spin on this music, that listening to these CDs is as much about discovering all the different artists who admire DM as it is about discovering those artists' wildly different takes on DM's music.

Let's consider the remixes that are fairly familiar. If you do not already own the remixes of "Policy of Truth," "Personal Jesus," "Rush," "Painkiller," "In Your Room," "Useless," "Route 66," "Strangelove," and "I Feel Loved" present on these discs, that is reason enough to buy this compilation. They are easily some of the best DM remixes ever, and if you do not already own them on their respective singles, you might as well get them here. In all cases they are as good as the originals, but in different ways.

There are a number of relatively obscure versions here as well. The opening Split Mix of "Never Let Me Down" stays fairly true to the original album version, but treats the ears to an extended trip. William Orbit's Random Carpet Mix of "Walking in My Shoes" is much longer, and even more seductive, than the remix of the same name found on the WIMS single. The same is true of Danny Tenaglia's Labor of Love edit of "I Feel Loved." All of these are somewhat familiar, but take the treatment to longer lengths and deeper depths than the listener is accustomed to.

Then there are the remixes that are either totally new or previously unreleased (or so rare that they might as well have been previously unreleased). Daniel Miller's subtle yet significant reworking of "World in My Eyes" is an enchanting masterpiece, an elegant cousin to the album version found on Violator. Timo Maas brings a minimalist techno approach to "Enjoy the Silence," and although it initially underwhelms, it also gradually begins to feel "right" as it is not just another dance version of a song that has been remixed more times than anyone can count. Furthermore, Goldfrapp here shows that "Halo" CAN be remixed well; but up until this point, it just hadn't been approached the right way. What no one understood was that the song needed LESS of a beat, not MORE. The Colder version of "Clean" is another successful remix of a song that kept getting changed without getting improved. In this case, a beat reminiscent of that found in "Personal Jesus" was the appropriate choice.

Interestingly, a heavy guitar approach is applied to "Freelove," "Nothing," and Mike Shinoda's Reintrepreted "Enjoy the Silence." All of these are well-executed, reverent homages to their respective originals, and not just the nu-metal disasters they could have been. It's a testament to the fundamental beauty of DM's songwriting that their music can sound good even with completely different instrumentation.

Out of the 37 tracks on these three discs, only two are relative disasters. LFO's "Lie to Me" adds clunky sounds to an opulent song, completely missing its point. And Adrian Sherwood's curious deconstruction of "People Are People" is historically relevant in its approach, but not very pleasant to listen to.

Even with those two tracks in mind, Remixes 81-04 is a must-have for people in all three categories. While not every song is better than its album version, if you enjoy remixes and you enjoy DM, you will be very satisfied with this purchase.

Depeche Mode has been my favorite band since 1985. I eagerly anticipate anything and everything new that comes out directly from them and even tribute albums. As one of the bands who pioneered the creation and inclusion of remixes, you'd think they'd have higher standards than this. Way too many of these remixes are just 6-8 minutes of drum beat with the lead vocal track sort of distorted in the background. Little if anything new or revulolutionary in terms of approaches to these songs to be heard here. Not horrible, a few good ones, but mainly a bunch of mediocre re-treads. I agree that for many of these songs, there are MUCH better remixes to be had. Not sure why they didn't get included here.