Black Celebration represents many things for Depeche Mode. Sonically, we're looking at an evolution of their synthesized, sampled, semi-industrial pop sound -- a little less tinny than Some Great Reward. Lyrically and thematically, what we have is a full realization of the bleakness DM had been flirting with on songs like "Blasphemous Rumours," "Love, in Itself," and "Shake the Disease." This is important because it is the final, complete break with the cheerier sound associated with early Depeche Mode albums, and a transformation into the greatest band to emerge from the 1980s.

The title track sets the tone for the album very effectively, using a thick layer of menacing bass under twinkling melodic keynotes. "Black Celebration" is not quite as dark as most of the other songs on this album; but maybe it's really just that it is a declaration of the need to hang onto whatever happiness we can in the face of all-encompassing misery. A perfect opening to a near-perfect album.

The eerie underlying synth of the first track evolves into the backdrop for the second: "Fly on the Windscreen." This is DM at their gloomiest; a pummeling bass underpins the need for human contact as a reminder that there is such a thing as life.

"A Question of Lust" begins a hat trick of delicate songs sung by Martin Gore. It's an earnest, airy tale of the needless suspicion of jealousy in a relationship that probably won't last. A shimmering, sad ballad in an album of despair, yet a nice bounce-back from "Windscreen."

"Sometimes," the next song, is I believe very underrated -- I've seen someone deride it as an ersatz "Somebody," which is really not at all accurate. It employs only Martin's voice, echoed in a strange fashion, over a lazy, very pretty piano piece. A short and sad little number that fits the album without question.

The next track is "It Doesn't Matter Two" (to be distinguished from "It Doesn't Matter" on SGW). I like this song for its use of a choral sample, manipulated almost beyond recognition, as its main rhythm. Martin sings of lost sexual innocence here, his voice lending a requisite fragility that Dave Gahan's would not.

Dave resumes a lead singing role on "A Question of Time," with a fast synth beat picking up the pace. I did not like this song much at first, but in the concert version, Martin whacks a guitar to replace the kazoo-like effect of the synth found here - a definite improvement.

"Stripped" is the centerpiece of BC. Fragile synth keynotes convey a shared, secret sensuality, while a constant backing hum coats everything in sweaty pheromones. The muffled rhythm of a train drives the song from start to finish. Altogether an addictively beautiful song about the search for intimacy in a bleak, black, filthy, distant world.

From the escapism without in "Stripped," we turn to escapism within in "Here is the House." Acoustic guitar is used well here against a barely danceable beat, creating one of the more obscure, underappreciated DM songs.

Martin's last lead singing role is "World Full of Nothing," an account of loveless sex as told from an omniscient, third-party perspective. Haunting, especially with the repeated "Though it's not love, it means something."

"Dressed in Black" is the weakest song on BC. It seems to redeem every tidy cliche about mods that has ever been thrown at them, and consequently feels trite. It should have traded places with one of the B-sides, "Christmas Island."

What follows is the pounding, trenchant bass of "New Dress," a political statement about the stupid things society values as important. A very cool song as relevant today as it was in 1986.

Black Celebration closes with "But Not Tonight" - as upbeat as any song gets on this album, though it does not feel out of place. It is carried by a fast beat and just a hint of optimism in the darkness. A fitting final chapter in DM's darkest tome.

If you like 80s music at all, buy this album. If you like 80s music and were raised on Moby, NIN, or Orbital, DEFINITELY buy this album. You will be glad you did.

This is my second favourite Depeche Mode album. It is miles ahead of their earlier eighties work, as far as songwriting ( there's not a dud song in the bunch ) and production ( they had by then learned to fully incorporate sampling into their work so that it sounds integrated, and not just a gimmick ). This is so much more than just a synth pop album. The lyrical depth is astounding. But what I like best is the fact that roughly half of these songs feature the lovely, tender and emotional lead vocals of Depeche Mode songwriter Martin Gore. I sense more feeling from his vocals than I do Dave Gahan, who tends to over-emote and often ends up sounding bombastic. In fact when I pick out my favourite songs from this cd, they inevitably are sung by Gore. "Sometimes". "A Question of Lust". The beautiful "It Doesn't Matter Two" and "World Full of Nothing." All in all, an essential Depeche Mode release and a classic not only of the genre but of popular music in general.

I just got the remastered disc with the dvd and extras. This will be a great purchase for the hardcore DM fan. Too many great reviews already on here to go into song by song specifics but I will add (my opinion anyway) that this album made DM. There is just something so beautiful, honest, bleak, emotional, naked, and truthful about this collection of songs. Sure they had made it big by this time with People are People and could have rested on their laurels and made Some Great Reward again and again (paging the Rolling Stones and bands like them...) but they really pushed themselves to new ground here. As Gareth Jones says on the DVD (he is great on the DVD) that this album was such a far cry from Just Can't Get Enough. I look at this album (and really all DM albums) as the alternative to so many things in society... guitar wanker bands, sappy love song bands (don't we have enough), hedonistic hippie love, boring overplayed top 40 music, etc. These guys have had one of the most inexplicable careers in music history. They sell out stadiums with next to no radio play in the US. Anyway thanks DM and thank you Martin Gore (the true anti-rock star) for the great, courageous music.

I origionally listened to this album on Vinyl, and was happy to see they kept most of the interlude sound effects between some songs... and what songs they are. The first track, Black Celebration didn't mean much to me at first, untill i really listened to it. I now anticipate every change in tempo, every lyric sung, and every moody note off that keyboard. The remix of Fly on The Windscreen is alright, but I am somewhat biased in the review of that song because I still love the origional. A Question of Lust is just amazing. I love the melody and the lyrics seem to hit me everytime I listen to it. I actually like A Queston of Time, although this CD has the "Album Version" which is still good, but I really like the "Single Version" (found on The Singles compilation) better, I guess because its a bit faster and louder. Stripped is of course, one of the bigger songs off this album that many people know, and the opening line of "Come with me, into the trees..." always makes me listen to the rest of the song. Here is the House was origionally a track I skipped over to get through the CD, but after listening to it one day, I was captivated. The intro is still somewhat plain to me, but the lead synth melody is so captivating and addictive, it has become a favourite. I know many people don't like "Dressed in Black", but I do enjoy the opening and some of the melody. How can you refuse to listen to that song when your in one of 'those moods'? Although the song, But not Tonight was off the "Modern Girls" soundtrack, I always like to listen to it after hearing the whole album. Its upbeat, fun, cute, somewhat cheesy, but like almost all DM songs, it has a synth lead that is addictive that I can never get out of my head. All in all, Black Celebration is one of my favourite albums.

Depeche Mode finish the immature stage of first three albums and pass through transitional stage of 'Some Great Reward', then complete their original musical style in this album. As their second 'Singles' album starts with this album, "Black Celebration' is the real beginning of Depeche Mode as we know, symbolized by blackness and darkness. You can listen to Martin's vocal in 4 songs-A Question of Lust, Sometimes, It Doesn't Matter Two, World Full of Nothing- exceptionally in this album.(Usually Martin sings only two song in one album) Also, you can see Martin's best lyric of 'New Dress' with the chorus very witty and critical at the same time. And I can say confidently 'Black Celebration' is one of the best 3 albums of Depeche Mode ever, with 'Violator' and 'Songs of Faith and Devotion'.