101 (album)

101 is a live album and documentary by Depeche Mode released in 1989 chronicling the final leg of the band's Music for the Masses Tour and the final show at the Pasadena Rose Bowl.^[1][2] Group member Alan Wilder is credited with coming up with the name; the performance was the 101st and final performance of the tour (and coincidentally also a famous highway in the area). The film was directed and produced by D.A. Pennebaker.

History and development

The band's original concept for the film "101" was going to be about how Depeche Mode fit into The 80s. The band had considered shooting the documentary with an "experienced director," but felt that the (un-named) choice was going to do something too "glossy," and they wanted something more interesting, so they agreed to use D.A. Pennebaker.^[3]

Pennebaker discarded the band's initial concept for the film, feeling that it was "impossible to examine in an entertainingly cinematic fashion."^[3] Instead, the movie follows a group of fans who are travelling across America as winners of a "be-in-a-Depeche-Mode-movie-contest,"^[3] culminating in a live recording of Depeche Mode's show at the Rose Bowl, where in excess of 60,000 people were in attendance.^[4] The movie does not depict the full Rose Bowl concert, instead only showing incomplete snippets of the band, fans and the concert. A 2003 reissue included more of the concert footage, but as Pennebaker "was shooting a documentary, not a concert film," a complete video record of the concert does not exist.^[1]

Pennebaker used his direct cinema approach, which he described as "letting the camera run as unobtrusively as possible, thereby encouraging events to unfold on their own. ... You edit more and the film changes every three days, but [the band] were very nice and patient about it."^[3]

Pennebaker admited there was a similarity between Depeche Mode and some of the other artists he'd filmed before (Bob Dylan and David Bowie): "I found the audience very rapt; they were there for that band. Not any band would do. I got the feeling that maybe there was no other band they'd ever go out for again in that assemblage, and it made me take that audience fairly seriously."^[3]

2003 audio reissue

In 2003, Mute Records reissued 101 as a hybrid SACD. In essence, the two-disc set contained 101 in three formats - multi-channel SACD, stereo SACD and PCM stereo (CD audio). The multi-channel audio was presented in 5.1 and gave a better representation of the live experience. The SACD was not released in North America.

Due to pressing errors, however, the first run of the set was marred by a mis-encoded multi-channel SACD layer that skipped and was unlistenable on the first disc. The stereo SACD and CD audio layers were unaffected.

As a bonus hidden track, the multi-channel layer also included the full version of "Pimpf".

2003 video reissue

In 2003 the film was released on a two-disc DVD with the main film on the first disc. The second disc had interviews with the three fans and their experiences with the band. There were also interviews with Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, and Andrew Fletcher talking about their solo projects which they were working on at the time (Gahan - Paper Monsters, Gore - Counterfeit e.p., Fletch - Client). All three interviews were conducted separately by Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus. At the time, the commentary on the film was recorded at separate times and edited together later. Alan Wilder, who left the band almost seven years after 101 in 1995, chose not to be interviewed. Finally, there was an interview with Daniel Miller and on the state of Depeche Mode, and includes comments on Vince Clarke and the old Depeche Mode days, and manager Jonathan Kessler.

In addition to the interviews there was also isolated video footage of the concert, including new footage.

Reception

Track listing

LP: Mute / Stumm 101

Disc one

A Side

1. "Pimpf" – 0:58
2. "Behind the Wheel" – 5:55
3. "Strangelove" – 4:49
4. "Something to Do" – 3:54
5. "Blasphemous Rumours" – 5:09

B Side

1. "Stripped" – 6:45
2. "Somebody" – 4:34
3. "Things You Said" – 4:21
4. "Black Celebration" – 4:54

Disc two

C Side

1. "Shake the Disease" – 5:10
2. "Pleasure Little Treasure" – 4:38
3. "People are People" – 4:59
4. "A Question of Time" – 4:12

D Side

1. "Never Let Me Down Again" – 6:40
2. "Master and Servant" – 4:30
3. "Just Can't Get Enough" – 4:01
4. "Everything Counts" – 6:31

CD: Mute / Stumm 101

Disc one

1. "Pimpf" – 0:58
2. "Behind the Wheel" – 5:55
3. "Strangelove" – 4:49
4. "Sacred" – 5:09
5. "Something to Do" – 3:54
6. "Blasphemous Rumours" – 5:09
7. "Stripped" – 6:45
8. "Somebody" – 4:34
9. "Things You Said" – 4:21

Disc two

1. "Black Celebration" – 4:54
2. "Shake the Disease" – 5:10
3. "Nothing" – 4:36
4. "Pleasure Little Treasure" – 4:38
5. "People are People" – 4:59
6. "A Question of Time" – 4:12
7. "Never Let Me Down Again" – 6:40
8. "A Question of Lust" – 4:07
9. "Master and Servant" – 4:30
10. "Just Can't Get Enough" – 4:01
11. "Everything Counts" – 6:31

SACD: Mute / LCDStumm 101

Disc One:

1. "Pimpf" – 0:58
2. "Behind the Wheel" – 5:55
3. "Strangelove" – 4:49
4. "Sacred" – 5:09
5. "Something to Do" – 3:54
6. "Blasphemous Rumours" – 5:09
7. "Stripped" – 6:45
8. "Somebody" – 4:34
9. "Things You Said" – 4:21

Disc Two:

1. "Black Celebration" – 4:54
2. "Shake the Disease" – 5:10
3. "Nothing" – 4:36
4. "Pleasure Little Treasure" – 4:38
5. "People are People" – 4:59
6. "A Question of Time" – 4:12
7. "Never Let Me Down Again" – 6:40
8. "A Question of Lust" – 4:07
9. "Master and Servant" – 4:30
10. "Just Can't Get Enough" – 4:01
11. "Everything Counts" – 6:31
12. "Pimpf" [Full Version] (multi-channel SACD only)

• Audio available in three formats: 2-channel CD, 2-channel SACD, multi-channel SACD

VHS: Mute Film / MF007 (UK)

1. "101 – The Movie" – 117:00

DVD: Mute Film / DMDVD3 (UK)

Disc One

1. 101 – The Movie (includes optional audio commentary)

Disc Two All songs are isolated live video footage, uninterrupted by documentary footage. Songs with a * are exclusive to the DVD and were not in the VHS film. Footage of "Sacred", "Something To Do", "Things You Said", "Shake The Disease", "Nothing", "People Are People", "A Question of Time" and "A Question of Lust" are lost and were not able to be recovered for the DVD.

1. "Master and Servant"
2. "Pimpf"
3. "Behind the Wheel"
4. "Strangelove"
5. "Blasphemous Rumours"
6. "Stripped"
7. "Somebody"*
8. "Black Celebration"
9. "Pleasure, Little Treasure"*
10. "Just Can't Get Enough"
11. "Everything Counts"
12. "Never Let Me Down Again"

Extra

• Interview

1. Dave Gahan
2. Martin Gore
3. Andrew Fletcher
4. Jonathan Kessler
5. Daniel Miller
6. Christopher Hardwick
7. Oliver Chesler
8. Jay Serken

• "Everything Counts (live)" (music video)

• All songs are written by Martin Gore except "Just Can't Get Enough", written by Vince Clarke. David Gahan sings lead vocals on all songs except "Somebody", "Things You Said", and "A Question of Lust", in which Martin sings lead.
• "Pleasure, Little Treasure", was released as a promotional single in France and Spain.

Certifications and Sales

Personnel

• David Gahan – lead vocals
• Martin Gore – keyboards, guitar, melodica, percussion pads, backing vocals, lead vocals
• Alan Wilder – keyboards, piano, percussion pads, backing vocals
• Andrew Fletcher – keyboards, percussion pads, backing vocals

References

External links

• 101 at the Internet Movie Database