IN SEARCH OF EXILE...

Anything that gets your blood racing is probably worth doing. Hunter S. Thompson

The day before...

Listen, smile, agree, and then do what ever the fuck you were gonna do anyway. 

It's early Saturday morning my phone rang twice once the alarm, second time a call from Dushica to wake me up. The train is leaving in 2 hours. I'm still not packed, haven't showered or washed my hair. It's going to be a rush to pack and everything else... An hour later I somehow managed to do all that and double check my luggage. Dushica is picking me up and her brother is taking us to the train station. But I still haven't told you where we're going or why. It's a very special city for me, a city where dreams come true. Wien, Vienna, Bec you can call it in any language that you like. Wien has something magical around it, I can't quite understand what, but it's there for me. I can feel it. Since the two of us are young with a small income we found the cheapest way to get to Wien is to travel to Budapest by train and than to take a bus to Wien. It's a long ride but we didn't mind. We arrived in Wien at 10 o'clock in the evening, our hosts have picked us up at U Bahn station. We settled and that’s when this fantastic weekend begins.


I can tell you now the reason why we came here. It was a present for my friends Dushica Birthday, and she really loves Hurts. It's her favourite band. Actually this band is the one thing that connects our musical taste since it’s very different, we couldn't believe that we actually both adore the same band. So I suggested to her that on her Birthday we go to see Hurts concert as a present for her. So here we are on a night out, the night before the concert having fun in a club meeting new people drinking almost everything we can, because once you start with vodka and tequila in the equation, you can end up with anything to drink. And so it was. A great night out with lots of lovely people from all over the world, a lot of heavy drinking and dancing till we dropped.


Sunday!!! The day of the show, and we’re so ready for it!!! The day went by so fast, waking up, breakfast with Blake the guy we met last night, who is was so cool that we took him home with us. Got an adorable picture with him and a homeless guy who we paid for the picture cause he needs that money more than we do. Such a terrific morning and a way to start the day! Afternoon spent on a Christmas Market and in Museum Quarter where we had lunch and headed toward our accommodation to change and get ready for the show.



Gasometer here we come! The two of us arrived an hour before the show, managed to get to the first row in front of stage even if we didn't deserve it since there were people who came and waited much longer that we did. I guess we were lucky. Oh, the anticipation.


Finally the lights are off and the support band comes out, normally I wouldn't write about this, but Pegasus is amazing, it was such a discovery for me I really like them, their energy on stage and communication with the audience. I highly recommend their music especially Rise Up', 'Go Out (And Get Her)' and 'Skyline'. The break between the gigs, the longest half an hour of our lives. But then it was all worth it!

The musicians came out on the stage followed by Adam and Theo, it's real and it's happening we are here, we weren't aware so much of it until it actually happened. That we travelled for 16 hours, that we are in the another city, now it all fitted like in a perfect puzzle. The sound of the song 'Mercy' rips our ears!!! There's no player, speaker or head phones that could do justice to the live performance of it or any other song that they played tonight.


As the show went on my voice faded I couldn't sing-along Theo's voice and Adam's playing were too mesmerizing. 'Somebody to die for' perfectly describes the desire to fall in love and how hard is to do it actually and the last verse spoken with Theo's shattered voice "Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light." taken from Dylan Thomas poem "Do not go gentle into that good night".

'The Crow' made me cry I think that this song is the beating heart of the band, their essence and core. And when you look at the set list all songs have a matching pair except this one this one is the one that stands alone and yet represents all the others. I personally prefer acoustic versions of songs so you can imagine how thrilled I was when 'Blood, tears and gold' was played acoustic so emotional even more for the opening line that Theo gave " This is one of our favourite songs that we ever wrote It's a song that we wrote after the Wonderful life". I must say though I adore song 'Sunday' and even though it was a perfect match since the day of the concert was Sunday a live performance of it didn't do it for me. But 'Stay', oh I must say if this song doesn't touch your soul with first lines of the lyrics then you should question if you even have one. "My whole life waiting for the right time to tell you how I feel" the whole Gasometer was in tears Theo's voice pierced through us, I hugged Dushica with all the strength in my arms wanting to "Stay" here forever, I could feel her tears soaking my jumper, we didn't care about anything else in the world just this moment, this song, Hurts, the two of us together in front of stage overwhelmed. To bring us back to life the band played a little game where all of us turned the lights on our phones and raised our hands in the air. This song is called 'Illuminated', and that's just how we felt. Shimmering light was all around us, Illuminating us and the concert hall, making a perfect match of the lyrics and the light effects.

"When I close my eyes, I see you
When I close my eyes, you're here
In the dead of the night, I feel you
When I open my eyes, you disappear..."


'The Road', final song at least that's what they said, but we all knew that there would be an encore, yet still a perfect way to announce that it's just few more minutes and they will disappear from the stage.


Pause. Cheering, shouting, laughing and the band appears again. 'Better than love' rhythm starts and it really feels better than love, our feet are in the air the euphoria is at it's top, though soon things settle down for the real final song 'Help' from the deluxe version of the newest album. I'm not sure have I got the point of the song right but in my opinion the song is meant to all of us who helped them to reach the stars and not being afraid of life anymore. The band thanks us for a lovely show, the lights are out and it's over.



Back to reality. We went to get our jackets and got lost on the way but somehow managed to find the wardrobe. When we got out of the venue, I had that weird sensation in my guts that we should walk around the hall, so we did. We found the spot where other people waited for the band, took a stand there and started to talk with a girl who offed us cigarettes. She said that she interviewed Adam and Theo a few months ago on a festival in Wien. In her exact words she said that the boys are so nice and relaxed, proper gentleman, they even asked her to play a guitar for them since she does it in private life.


The night was cold, ice cold if you ask me, but when Theo showed up and started to give autographs nothing mattered anymore. As he was approaching we put our phones away since we didn't want to see one of our favourite frontman through camera lens.

Of Course, no problem.
While he was signing my ticket I asked him: "Can I shake your hand?"
He gave me the look like please why do you even ask and replied: "Of course, not a problem”
-Thank you Theo, this is lovely.
- No problem, thank you. It was a great show , it was real special tonight.
- Yeah, it's her birthday, I say.
He gives Dushica a look under his eyebrows saying: " Happy Birthday."
and adds a heart next to his autograph on her ticket, she gives her thanks as he moves on.


As the people started to move on. I approached to the manager and asked him can we take just one photo with Theo he replied No photos just autographs and I remembered what the girl from the radio said, that managers really don’t get the fan thing. The usually just see money that the band will earn from us. But for us fans it’s different, we live for that show or shows if we’re able to afford them. And if we manage to meet the band member it’s such a precious memory for us especially if we get to keep some memory of that encounter. You can imagine how important for the two of us was to have that photo with him. And when he said No, I just had to ask Theo to take a picture with us, and he didn't disappoint, he said yes, no problem. Moment later we stood in his embrace ready to take that photo. I gave my phone to the security guy to take it, but instead he flipped the camera to front and took a picture of himself. He realized that something was wrong and didn't know how to fix it, he tried to take it again but the same thing happened. Dushica took the camera from him and just took a shot not realizing that the camera is flipped.

We said thanks to Theo and he asked:
- “Are you sure that you got it?”
- “Yes” we said, but unfortunately we didn't take it.




Thank you, Theo this is lovely.

It was too late and we were bummed for it, but then it came to our mind that Theo stood
there in our arms the whole time waiting patiently for us to take that photo, not trying to
rush anything. And that memory of him indulging us is more precious than any photo
we could make. So thank you for that.
On our way back to accommodation, we just sat in silence trying to sort out the
memories made moments ago. But this condition of ours had a short life, the
moment we had the chance to speak what just happened to us, we endorsed it. A good
night sleep helped us to summarize our impressions from the show, making them more
real than ever. We came back home full of new life and energy, But not the rushing one
that pumps up your blood, but the calm one that brings you tranquility.
So our two gentleman from Manchester till we meet again <3






Happy Birthday. Love Theo.

Another Great Collaboration Dave Gahan with SixToes

SixToes have paired up with Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan for their new single.

With the addition of three new members since their debut LP Trick Of The Night, SixToes have been quietly yet busily honing and developing their sound through intensive, isolated jam and recording sessions in a remote makeshift studio in a disused barn in Norfolk. The result of these sessions is SixToes mark 2 and a new album, the forthcoming The Morning After, set for release in early 2014. The first taste of the new album will be released in November in the form of the new single, ‘Low Guns', which features guest vocals from Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan.

Originally a three-piece, SixToes self-made debut album Trick Of The Night was released in 2009 to critical acclaim with Uncut describing it as "genuinely strange and original - SixToes possess an intricate, idiosyncratic beauty". Since then, the London based-band have become a sextet, collaborated with Josh T. Pearson and Soulsavers (playing strings on Last of the Country Gentlemen and The Light the Dead See albums) and remixed the likes of Depeche Mode and Nick Cave.

Continuing to expand, the revised line up of SixToes recently fled to an abandoned barn in Norfolk to focus on some new material. Throwing ideas around, the band raised the possibility of a dream collaboration - Dave Gahan.

Well, sometimes dreams do come true. SixToes were invited to remix a Depeche Mode track, taking part in a wider project around the release of 'Sounds Of The Universe'. Deciding to re-pay the favour, Dave Gahan agreed to drop past the studio.

Recording backing vocals on 'Low Guns', the singer even added a few bars of harmonica during the songwriting process.

Dave Gahan: "I always really liked the remixes that Six Toes did for Depeche Mode over the years, so when the band reached out to me about working with the band on 'Low Guns', I jumped on the opportunity. The band are exceptionally talented, the song connected with me, and I think the video is inspired and fantastic."

The song awakes deep emotions while listening to it, it's full of ambient, tranquility and can take you somewhere deep.

Listen to 'Low Guns' below. <iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F113401338"></iframe>

Depeche Mode Obsession Disorder

Depeche Mode Obsession Disorder

Yeah, you got this right! There are thousands of Depeche Mode Devotees wandering around with this, many of them unaware how serious it is. And it can be contagious! Check out these symptoms to see if you have this condition:

Inability to concentrate on anything other than Depeche Mode and their music, oftentimes leading to job loss, misplacing children, kitchen accidents and bad driving.
Obsessive belief that you are married to one or all of the band members; especially bad if you are already married and are calling out band members names in your sleep. In the most serious cases, you have gotten rid of your mate to make room for the band that you believe is living with you. No one should dig in your back yard.
Suddenly bursting into a frenzy of singing Depeche Mode songs in public, sometimes with violent arm waving. Even more dangerous if you think the band is there singing with you.
Excessive sweating in the presence of any of the band members. This can progress to excessive drooling as well, especially if Dave is present.

Those most seriously affected may suddenly start babbling incoherently or lose the ability to talk at all.
Constantly having to replace your computer when the hard drive fails from being overloaded with thousands of photos and videos of the band, accompanied by permanent damage to your fingers from right-clicking to download the same photos and videos that crashed your computers in the first place!
You barricade yourself in your home with your stash of Depeche Mode photos, videos and music for long periods of time. Many of your friends will believe you died, and some may send the police. No, not the band The Police, the REAL police.
Obsession with the color black. Everything must be black. This can progress to painting your entire body black or dying your pets. If your car windshield is now black, seek help immediately. Preferably not in your own car. Black contact lens should be discarded.
The only number you ever use is 101. Causes a big problem when banking and you no longer get your mail. Unless your house number is 101. And the IRS is not amused.

You wave your arms in a frenzy anytime you hear Depeche Mode music. You wave them uncontrollably anytime you see anyone that looks even remotely like Dave. And you wave them at the police officer while being arrested for waving while driving with your Depeche Mode music at concert volume. You get in more trouble when you sing Barrel of a Gun to the officer to justify your waving. Serious cases of waving will require shoulder surgery.
You have homeland security on speed dial as you are convinced the terrorists are plotting to steal Andy, Martin and Dave from your home. Yes, you think the band lives with you.
You build an addition to your home to store all the Depeche Mode stuff you have bought. You have multiple copies of everything, fearing the supply will run out. Plus you need all the extra walls for the tons of giant posters of the band you had printed from all those photos you downloaded earlier. Just Can't Get Enough! Yeah, that's the song you sing when bringing home more stuff!
You know the words to every song they ever recorded, even the ones on "Ultra", progressing to the delusion that you actually WROTE all the songs yourself and gave them to the band as a love gift.
You buy tickets to every concert even if you can't go just to have the tickets for your Depeche Mode scrapbook. Yes you have scrapbooks. Hundreds of them.

You have multiple arrests for reaching out and touching men that look like members of the band while asking them to be your Personal Jesus. Unfortunately you reached out and touched more than their faith, muttering something about wanting to touch their "Little One"
You tell your psychiatrists (yes you have several of these) that your favorite feelings are those of death, pain, suffering and other things from dark places. With a smile on your face. He thinks you should be committed, but you tell him all Devotees are committed. He does not get it.
You create websites, Pinterest, Tumblr, facebook and other pages for the band, spending hours every day, convinced the world needs this. Urgently! The band told you this, right?
You believe that You Tube was invented as a showcase for Depeche Mode and are outraged that other people are posting videos there. Obviously youtube has been hijacked by Bon Jovi, but you don't know who they are as you only listen to Depeche Mode.
Long term sufferers will progressively lose their ability to walk normally from so many years of dancing "Dave style" around their house. Long supermarket aisles will start to resemble a catwalk, further provoking this behaviour in public; those indulging in the accompanying hip thrusts and ass shaking risk being arrested by store security, Even worse is if they suddenly remove their shirt and dance bare chested. Especially bad if they are female.
You can't visit a dog shelter without breaking into singing "Precious" at full volume. Unfortunately the dogs don't know how to pose and Anton Corbijn is not there to help. Those most afflicted will sing "Precious" when sighting any dogs anywhere, even one. Scares the heck out of the dog's owner,( but the dogs love the sound of the music.)
You think guitars were not invented until the year Martin Gore got his first one; I mean they do sort of look like a synthesizer with strings? Martin invented this, right?
Your friends no longer invite you out for an evening on the town since the night you sang "Soothe My Soul" to the shirtless guy with tattoos standing at the bar because you thought he looked like Dave from behind. He was not Dave, did not get soothed, was definitely not amused and it got ugly.
You have been permanently banned from the local costume store after trying to steal all the feather wings to send them to Martin Gore.
Your front door banner reads "Welcome to My World", but you never answer your door. You can't hear the bell over the concert volume Depeche Mode music that is on autoplay 24/7. Plus you have lost the ability to talk about anything other than Depeche Mode.
Your friends bribe the people sitting around you at Depeche Mode concerts to take photos. No, not photos of the BAND. Photos of YOU making a fool of yourself screaming, waving, climbing on stage, and tossing your panties at Dave, particularly bad since they were the ones you were wearing when you entered the concert. And more photos are taken by the police when you are thown out by security for cussing at the rich people in the front row for not singing the correct lyrics. No, not the band The Police, the REAL police.

SO, WHAT'S THE CURE?

First,if you have a friend that has this disorder, proceed with caution. Under no circumstances should you try to remove them from their safe little Depeche Mode world. Approach them with kindness, playing DM music if you have it (Oh, surely you do? ) Singing a few lyrics may soothe them. They will be just fine, secure in their belief that the band takes care of them. Always. Forever.
If you yourself have this condition, congratulations! You are one of the lucky chosen ones! Everyone that criticizes you is envious. You have DM. They don't. You should share. It is very contagious.
____________________________________________________________________
THERE IS NO CURE. NO CURE IS NEEDED. BE CALM. YOU ARE PERFECTLY NORMAL AND HEALTHY. THE REST OF THE WORLD IS SICK AND CONFUSED!
____________________________________________________________________

This article is the creative and intellectual property of the owner of DepecheModeLover.com and can not be used without permission. Permission is granted if full credit is given to the website DepecheModeLover.com as the source with it clearly stated with the article. Please respect my hard work in what I write. I may continue to add to this article so visit often

Oh no, they didn't! Depeche Mode New Single!

The release of a new studio album is business as usual for Depeche Mode,They have finished their European tour and soon are going to kick off  the American Tour, but before they do they have a treat for us fans. Right as their North American tour kicks off, Depeche Mode have released their video for their latest single “Should Be Higher.” The song comes from their new album “Delta Machine,” which was released earlier this year. A pyrotechnic backdrop adorns Depeche Mode's live-performance The clip was directed by Anton Corbijn, who's responsible for numerous Depeche Mode videos as well as Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box" and Coldplay's "Talk." The song, officially out Sept. 9, marks the third single from "Machine," following "Heaven" and "Soothe My Soul."

The clip shows the band in their live element with Dave Gahan playing the role of the charming front man. Going strong for 33 years, the guys show that they still have the magic and wonderfulness  when it comes to performing live. Stunning bright visuals dance behind Gahan as he dances, wiggles, and schmoozes the crowd. The video shows what fans can expect from the band's latest outing. In my opinion  Should Be Higher – The vocal risks Gahan takes on “Should Be Higher” are the ones he should be taking more of. There’s a soaring reach to a falsetto in the chorus, anchored by the Gore/Fletcher/Hiller industrial rhythm section – it really works. Despite its yearning tone, this tune is an achievement, capitalizing on the ambition laid out on "Playing the Angel," but not fully realized on "Sounds of the Universe."
Official release date of single CD is on 09.09.2013. Available in stores from 23.09.2013.  You can watch the new video here. ENJOY!
Share your impressions about the new single. 

50 pravila za tate koje imaju ćerke

1. Voli njenu mamu. Poštuj je, ceni i otvoreno pokaži da je voliš. Kada tvoja ćerka poraste, velike su šanse da će udati za nekoga ko će se prema njoj ponašati onako kako se ti ponašaš prema njenoj majci. Dobro ili loše, to tako ide. Dobro je bolja varijanta.
2. Uvek budi tu. Kvalitetnog vremena nema bez kvantiteta. Družite se bez ikakvog drugog razloga osim da ste zajedno. Budi iskreno zainteresovan za sve što nju zanima. Potrebno joj je da tata bude uključen u sve faze njenog života. Nemoj sedeti pasivno dok prolaze godine… i njen život u tim godinama.

3. Ona će rasti tražeći heroja. To možeš biti ti. Moraćeš joj priskakati u pomoć mnogo puta u životu. Budi na nivou u svakoj situaciji. Crveni plašt i plave helanke – može i ne mora.
4. Ceni svaki zajednički trenutak. Danas ona u pelenama puzi po kući, sutra joj dodaješ ključeve od auta, i pre nego što shvatiš, predaješ je mladoženji. Život se dešava brzo. Uživaj dok možeš.
5. Sasvim je OK da praviš planove za njenu budućnost. Isto tako je OK i to da ih ona ignoriše. Hteo si da ti ćerka bude jaka ličnost?
6. Dozvoli joj da te našminka. Tvoj osećaj neprijatnosti će izbledeti – njena uspomena neće.
7. Ona će se svađati sa svojom majkom. Oprezno biraj stranu.
8. Hajde, kupi joj te djindjuve.
9. Naravno da deluješ smešno dok se igraš žmurke sa bebom. Sve jedno se igraj.
10. Uživaj u čaroliji kupanja bebe.
11. Doći će dan kada će tražiti da joj kupiš kuče. Nemoj mnogo da se premišljaš. Bar jednom u njenom životu samo reci „da“.
12. Nikada nije suviše rano da je učiš o vrednosti novca. Kada bude tinejdžerka, verovatno će ti izvući i poslednju paru iz džepa… na dan svadbe takođe.
13. Velika je verovatnoća da je pričljivija od tebe… mnogo pričljivija. Budi dobar slušalac, ne prekidaj je i sve će biti u redu.
14. Kupi joj par patika čim prohoda. Neće još dugo pristajati da nosi obuću kao tatinu.
15. Pleši sa njom. Počni dok je još mala, ili čak beba. Nemoj čekati dan njenog venčanja.
16. Izdvoj vreme, dok je mala, da se sa njom igraš kockicama . Ti ih poređaš – ona ih sruši.
17. Nauči da joj kažeš ne. Možda će se naljutiti danas, ali jednog dana oboma će biti drago što si bio čvrst.
18. Kaži joj da je lepa. Stalno joj to ponavljaj. Jednog dana će neki crtać ili magazin o lepoti pokušati da je ubedi u suprotno.
19. Nauči je da promeni gumu na kolima. Izduvana guma ne treba da joj bude razlog za paniku. Svejedno će te zvati telefonom uplakana, prvi put kada se to desi.
20. Svakog dana treba neko vreme da je držiš u zagrljaju. To će imati uticaj na njeno zdravlje tokom celog života.
21. Dozvoli joj da drži volan. Uvek će se sećati dana kada joj je tata dao da „vozi auto“.
22. Pametna je koliko i bilo koji dečak. Postaraj se da to zna.
23. Kada nauči da deli poljubce želeće da te izljubi po celom licu. Ohrabri je u tome.
24. Pravilno grickanje suncokreta i semenki neće joj pomoći da upiše fakultet. Svejedno je nauči.
25. Nositi je na ramenima je čarobno iskustvo. Radite to dok su tvoja leđa jaka, a ona mala.
26. Nekada će ti njeno ponašanje biti potpuno neshvatljivo. Zapamti, kao i njena majka, tvoja ćerka ima svoj način razmišljanja…, drugačiji od tvog.
27. Njen šarm je uvek jači od tebe. Seti se toga svaki put kada se ne ponaša lepo, ili traži da joj kupiš nešto što ne treba.
28. Jedva će ćekati da se vratiš sa posla. Nemoj kasniti.
29. Ako mama krene sa njom na časove plivanja, potrudi se da i ti uđeš u bazen. Nema veze što nema drugih očeva. To je njihov gubitak.
30. Nikada ne propuštaj njen rođendan. Za deset godina se neće sećati šta si joj doneo na  poklon. Sećaće se da si bio tu.
31. Nauči je da vozi rolere. Posmatraj kako njeno samopouzdanje raste.
32. Pusti je da se valja po travi. To je dobro za njenu dušu. Nije loše ni za tvoju.
33. Odvedi je u kupovinu kupaćeg kostima. Ne ustručavaj se da staviš veto na nešto što izabere, ali se potrudi da odoliš potrebi da joj kupiš pidžamu za plažu, koja prekriva celo telo.
34. Negde između trećeg i šestog rođendana verovatno će pitati da se uda za tebe. Odbij je nežno.
35. Posle ružnog sna, verovatno će hteti da se uvuče u tvoj krevet. To je dobra stvar.
36. Malo stvari je za malu uplakanu devojčicu utešnije od tatine ruke. Zapamti to zauvek.
37. Odvedi je u parkić na ljuljašku. Tražiće da je ljuljaš jače i brže. Njeno shvatanje jačeg i bržeg nije kao tvoje. Imaj to na umu.
38. Kada malo poraste, njena i tvoja definicija jačeg i bržeg ljuljanja biće mnogo bliže. Kada dođe to vreme, daj sve od sebe.
39. Držanje svoje male devojčice za noge, dok joj glavica visi naopako i dok se ona kikoće i nekontrolisano vrišti od zadovljstva je dobro za bicepse. Upozorenje: ona ne zna šta je to zamor mišića.
40. Možda će ti tražiti ponija za rođendan. Ukoliko ne živite na farmi, ne kupuj ga. U redu je i da iznajmiš nekog da proba.
41. Ne preteruj sa poklonima za rođendan i Novu godinu. Umesto toga, organizuj da radite nešto zajedno.
42. Stavi joj do znanja da uvek može da se vrati kući. Šta god da se desi.
43. Kao leptir, jednog dana će raširiti krila i odleteti. Uživaj u njenim danima gusenice.
44. Napiši joj pismo rukom svake godine za njen rođendan. Daj joj pisma kada prvi put ode od kuće, kada postane majka, ili kada budeš mislio da su joj najpotrebnija.
45. Nauči da joj veruješ. Postepeno, kako bude rasla, dozvoli joj sve više slobode. Uzdići će se do tvojih očekivanja.
46. Kada se dvoumiš, veruj svom srcu. Ona mu već veruje.
47. Sposobnost prepoznavanja da li treba da se mešaš, ili da se skloniš s puta kada je tvoja tinejdžerka uznemirena, koštaće te godina života. Ako uspeš da naučiš da razlikuješ, javi kako ti je pošlo za rukom.
48. Sladoled pokriva gomilu grehova. Treba da znaš njen omiljeni ukus.
49. Taj dan će brzo doći. Ništa što možeš da uradiš neće te pripremiti za to. Što pre prihvatiš tu činjenicu, to će ti biti lakše.
50. Danas ide u obdanište. Sutra je već na fakultetu. Nemoj da trepneš.

Autor teksta je Michael Mitchell, tridesetineštogodišnji tata bloger, koji svakodnevno twituje o svom viđenju roditeljstva. Njegov blog LifeToHerYears se svakodnevno dopunjuje novim pravilima za tate.

Neka od originalnih 50 pravila, koja su specifična za život u SAD, ili se ne mogu adekvatno prevesti na srpski jezik, zamenili smo nekim od skorije napisanih pravila.

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Talking about perfection: Halo In Reverse

Talking about perfection: Halo In Reverse: This would be my favorite song from Violator if that's possible to have from this album, since the whole album is excellent....

Halo In Reverse

This would be my favorite song from Violator if that's possible to have from this album, since the whole album is excellent. I thought the halo in reverse was the irony of an "innocent" person who is really putting on a front and they aren't so innocent. To me it is that a person is ready to suffer for their lover regardless of what he/she does to them...cheating, not being their for them, mental torture etc .. in the end the result is self gratification of the end. Both sides will get something out of the "not so good" relationship.

I've always been puzzled by the concept of "Halo in Reverse", so it was very interesting to read interpretations on this. I like the idea of a halo at the other end of the body, as a chain to ones ankles. The lyric was obviously dear to Martin as he decided to name the whole song after it. That in itself is interesting.

The word 'shackles' (on meaning "anything that serves to prevent freedom of procedure, thought") in the beginning of this terrific song already show what it's all about.

You wear guilt like shackles on your feet - Because of the mistake you made, you know you're wrong and it's notable

Like a halo in reverse - Angels wear halo's a devil would  be wearing one in reverse in spite of God, which is the relation of a crime to attractiveness

I can feel, The discomfort in your seat", And in your head it's worse - The discomfort is obvious to the viewer, and it presumes that it only can be worse on the inside. 

There's a pain, A famine in your heart, An aching to be free - A starving in the person's heart for love I suppose from someone else or a desire to be free of their lies withheld

And "when our worlds they fall apart" When the walls come tumbling in Though we may deserve it It will be worth it - When the relationship falls apart or the truth comes out it all will fit to place and eventually it will be for the best 

Can't you see, All love's luxuries, Are here for you and me - Luxuries is used as sarcasm of the problem's failed relationships of love

Bring your chains, Your lips of tragedy, And fall into my arms -  The desire for "I'm sorry story" with all the guilt to be told

The song is about infidelity, a couple where a person who is most likely cheating on their partner and their partner knows it. This eventually destroys the relationship  (world falls apart),. This person really wants out of the relationship they feel guilty and confess about the infidelity or they come clean and are very sorry about it, but the end of it brings so much pleasure that it's justified (it will be worth it).

The other way to look at it can be that  he's trying to convince her about the 'truth' of his conviction that they can do whatever they want for having pleasure ("All love's luxuries / Are here for you and me"), however she's quite hesitant for believing in his words and I think it's basically because she's a very devoted religious person. Therefore her mind is living a permanent & terrible conflict ("The discomfort in your seat / And in your head it's worse") since every time she has tried to correspond to his expectations she feels terribly guilty , despite she doesn't take herself as a 'blessed' person at all, on the contrary she probably sees herself as a unforgivable sinner all the time("You wear guilt / Like shackles on your feet / Like a halo in reverse"). Nevertheless, on its chorus he tells her that no matter how apocalyptic their fate can be, they deserve to live their love intensely.

"Bring your chains

Your lips of tragedy

And fall into my arms"

Well, he seems to give up to erase her 'brainwash' on this last verse, but he'll never give up her anyway...
This interpretation is more compatible to the story in the video for this song, where she's happier with Martin, even thou Dave is more obvious choice for her...

This album comes to be  one of the top  albums ever for me. I'm still sure it's the most upbeat album you'll ever hear, but you only have to look at groups like Linkin Park, Hurts,  Portishead, Rammstein, and Moby to realize the impact of Violator to this day.

References:

Also have to mention that this song has a lot to do with the term halo effect in psychology where the term "halo in reverse" is a part of it. 

The halo effect or halo error is a cognitive bias in which one's judgments of a person’s character can be influenced by one's overall impression of him or her. It can be found in a range of situations from the courtroom to the classroom and in everyday interactions. The halo effect was given its name by psychologist Edward Thorndike; subsequent researchers have studied it in relation to attractiveness and its bearing on the judicial and educational systems.

Halo error The correlation in the halo effect experiment was concluded to be a halo error. The halo error showed that the persons relied mainly on general perception of certain characteristics that determined the results of their answers.

A person’s attractiveness has also been found to produce a halo effect. Attractiveness provides a valuable aspect of the halo effect to consider because of its multifaceted nature; attractiveness may be influenced by several specific traits. These perceptions of attractiveness may affect judgments tied to personality traits. Physical attributes contribute to perceptions of attractiveness (i.e. weight, hair, eye color). For example, someone that is perceived as attractive, due in part to physical traits, may be more likely to be perceived as kind or intelligent. The role of attractiveness in producing the halo effect has been illustrated through a number of studies. Recent research, for example, has revealed that attractiveness may affect perceptions tied to life success and personality.In this study, attractiveness was correlated with weight, indicating that attractiveness itself may be influenced by various specific traits. Included in the personality variables were trustworthiness and friendliness. People perceived as being more attractive were more likely to be perceived as trustworthy and friendly. What this suggests is that perceptions of attractiveness may influence a variety of other traits, which supports the concept of the halo effect.

Halo in Reverse 

The relation of a crime to attractiveness is also subject to the halo effect. A study presented two hypothetical crimes: a burglary and a swindle. The burglary involved a woman illegally obtaining a key and stealing $2,200; the swindle involved a woman manipulating a man to invest $2,200 in a nonexistent corporation. The results showed that when the offense was not related to attractiveness (as in the burglary) the unattractive defendant was punished more severely than the attractive one. However, when the offense was related to attractiveness (the swindle), the attractive defendant was punished more severely than the unattractive one. The study imputes that the usual leniency given to the attractive woman (as a result of the halo effect) was negated or reversed when the nature of the crime involved her looks.

Depeche Mode the Soundtrack of my life

Song are not favored by the necessary order :)


1. Black Celebration


This is the title track off the groundbreaking album of the same name that put Depeche Mode on the map artistically. It has one of the best starts to any electronic based album I have ever heard. It is really the theme song for the band because it embodies the angst and deep sensibilities that are at Depeche Mode's core as a group. From its whispered beginning, to its chanted ending it holds you spellbound.


2. Blasphemous Rumors

Off the album Some Great Reward; this introspective track about suicide, the tragedies of a doomed fate, and losing faith in religion, is arguably Depeche Mode's most somber masterpiece. The eerie synthesized effects Fletcher and Wilder utilize make the quintessential moody backdrop to the lyrics without being melodramatic. An insistent, tongue-in-cheek chorus frames the melody with wry sarcasm, and by the end of the song you really don't mind being blasphemous.


3. Waiting for the Night to Fall


Another "little treasure" from Violator that is both breathtaking in its choral simplicity, and complex for the same reason. Here Depeche Mode gives homage to the splendor of the night with all the ardor of hunting vampires anxious for moonlight to descend. Fletcher and Wilder command the electronic effects with a perfect balance of soft intrigue. Gahan's throaty exclamations break through the softness of the melody with alarm and honesty that brings the song from its suspenseful beginning to its mystical ending. In a word-Brilliant!


4. Walking in My Shoes


Depeche mode brings a declaration of defiance from the album Songs of Faith and Devotion. With a blend of gospel-heeled inspiration and a taunting in your face retort, Gahan's vocals guide you through a musical journey that both seeks and despises redemption on two sides of the same coin. He's been everywhere and done everything. He's a sinner, but if he can't get redemption then he invites to you try to redeem yourself on the same path. But he doesn't have very much faith in you. This has to be one of my favorites Depeche Mode songs; both for its matter-of-fact honesty and pleading search for personal approval.


5. One Caress

 Also on Songs of Faith and Devotion is the song One Caress, which definitely deserves a mention here even though it never got much critical credit. For fans it's one of the more underrated songs in Depeche Mode's discography. With a soul-shaking string section that soars to the high heavens it urges your mind to go beyond the mundane. The cherubic voice and bitter-sweet romantic lyrics of the talented Martin Gore make this song absolutely beautiful. Just one listen and you can easily envision a pair of star-crossed lovers - Romeo and Juliet, Helen and Paris, and in more modern pop culture Edward and Bella of Twilight fame may tickle the edges of your imagination as the music plays.

6. Precious:


Coming back with a bang was personified when the radio airwaves were hit with this ambitious single from Depeche mode's 12th studio album Playing the Angel. Precious has the sort of grandiose, longing drama that only Depeche Mode can deliver. The subtle but pronounced electronic styling leads the listener into a modern version of analog rhythms. Once again it is the strong lyrical message from Gore since it's written for his children that were hurt from the divorce that Martin and his wife were going trough, and Gahan's bass-laden vocals that make this song so memorable.


7. Enjoy the Silence


The song that started my Depeche Mode fervor, a famous song off of the album Violator; Enjoy the Silence has become something of a rock staple; it has a melody that is both cheery and morose. If you do not know this song then you are simply not a Depeche Mode fan! This has to be one of Depeche Mode's most covered songs. The most recent popular covers come from metal rock darlings Lacuna Coil, and alternative rockers Keane. Depeche Mode in all their glorious ingenuity explores the space between the explosive anger of a lover's quarrel and its aftermath, telling the story of the damage that words can inflict on the psyche. And yet when you look at the video you have a king who crossing all this landscapes like he owns the world. So it makes you think how king can have it all so he truly Enjoys the Silence. Nobody does it better .


8.People are People

Off of the album Some Great Reward;   one of the groups' more dance-able tracks. It explores issues of equality in race, social status, religion, and gender. For its upbeat demeanor this song handles some pretty heavy issues that still continue to plague the world. The single has a raw sound that suggests harsh echoes of metal grating against concrete to emphasize the insulated areas of the urban condition.


9. Only when I lose myself


A beautifully crafted melody is what lifts this song into the top five list. The song is different from the typical Depeche Mode model. As close to a love ballad as you will find in their catalog the lyrics are not the strong point of this song. In fact, in straying from the usually dark and moody formula the lyrics at time feel a little corny. The songwriting however is truly inspired and conveys the tender beauty that the lyrics can't quite deliver.


10. Never Let Me Down Again


Another haunting entry that shows the core of the bands appeal, the uncanny ability of Gore's song writing and Gahan's lyrics to merge together as a perfect unit. The lyrics tell the desperate story of some sort of addiction in the form of a road trip with 'my best friend'. The lyrics are powerful on their own but the simple melody carries the message across perfectly. The love/hate relationship with the addiction can be felt in the sad and desperate music.


11. It's No Good


Depeche Mode despite their well earned reputation for dark and sinister themes can actually be a very funny band. Everybody might not catch on to the humorous side of this tale of unanswered love, but the hopeless detachment from reality is put across with a good dose of humor. The hilarious music video for the song by Anton Corbijn underscores these points very well. The song itself is brilliant and again the superior melody crafting of Martin Gore is complemented perfectly by Gahan's voice.


12. Personal Jesus


Again the band offers their take on religion. This song is an attack on the commercialized and non committal surface religion that is common in the West. The song is also a mainstay and crowd favorite when the band plays live. The signature chant "Reach Out and Touch Faith!" lends itself perfectly for the crowd to sing along. This song can easily keep going for more than 10 minutes if the crowd really gets into it.

13. Halo
The song about two people who are engaged in a bad relationship driven by some strange attractiveness and emotion. They ultimately realise that it's better to end it than to continue the agony. The video shows the girl choosing happiness over a guy that seems like an obvious choice for her .  


14. I Just Can't get enough


The bands first successful single is typically catchy, but not nearly as dark and moody as the signature sounds of the band. It is a clean cut electro pop single that shows the contrast in the early songwriting of Clark and the sinister melodies later crafted by Martin Gore. Released all the way back in 1981 this single still gets regular airtime and is an essential part of the Depeche Mode experience.


15.When the Body Speaks

This top song by Depeche Mode is an intimate ode to giving in to physical desires at the paradoxical urging of and detriment to the soul.
"To the soul's desires the body listens what the flesh requires keeps the heart imprisoned..."


16.World in My Eyes

Depeche Mode sings about living in the moment of sexual exploration.
Funny, i always thought this was a song about a guy who's all talk. He promises the girl this highly spiritual out-of-body experience, and in the end he doesn't deliver. Hence the lines "that's all there is, nothing more that you can feel now, that's all there is". Doesn't sound like a great time was had. More like, "you kidding me? That's it?" The guy doesn't seem to mind though. He got what he wanted, and will most likely move on to the next conquest, seducing his target with the same smooth lines. I think the song's got a sarcastic undertone to it.


17. Everything Counts


This song is a prime example of the industrial sound Depeche Mode evolved from the mid 80's. The mechanical beats and highly synthesized sound would not feel out of place in a Front 242 single. The songs still retains Gore's fantastic ability to write beautiful melodies and the chorus has a stadium "sing along" appeal that is so typical for Depeche Mode's best songs.


18. In your room

Because of this song I claim that Martin Gore is the Mozart of our time.
A lot of Depeche Mode songs have a religious undertone to them, and this song could be interpreted in such a way as well. He is talking about being at the discretion of some greater power, being trapped in the world created by it, not knowing what's going to happen to him and how long he'll be here.
"I'm hanging on your words
living on your breath
feeling with your skin
Will I always be here..."
This verse is referring to the fact that this greater power gives him wisdom and direction,that he breathes because spirit was breathed into him, his skin is part of the skin of the creator, and he is asking this creator if his life is eternal. Though it seems as if he's not very excited about this prospect until he finds out or knows for sure what he needs to do and what's the meaning of it.
Gore has often written in terms of God existing but that God is not necessarily good & benevolent (Blasphemous rumors as an example). In this song he explores the idea of a cruel God which allows us existence only to take it away. "In your room, where souls disappear, only you exist here". It's all quite obvious. He sees God as creating us to simply play with our souls.
I must say this song has a special place in my heart and is a favourite one!


19. Policy of Truth

One of the biggest lessons I leaned was that a lie, whether an omission of an uncomfortable fact or an outright prevarication, was a bad thing. My grandmother used to always say, “There are two types of people I can’t stand—a liar and a thief.” I’ve come to understand that her equal distaste for those social pariahs proceeds from the fact that one simply can’t trust either of them. And without trust, well, you have no way of establishing a relationship that any well-adjusted human would call healthy. I went through life letting that precept shape my discourse with others…usually. That I employed the word “usually” above should be a big hint that my perspective on truth-telling did became more sophisticated over time. For example, I grasped fairly early on that there were occasions when avoiding the truth was actually one’s moral duty. Case in point: if you’re living in Amsterdam in 1944 and a man with a funny cross on his arm asks you if you’re hiding Jews in the attic, and you are, you should politely reply in the negative. That’s extreme, I know. “Do I look fat in this dress” is a more common, yet equally life-threatening example. The point is, sometimes you have to lie for the sake of the greater good or to spare a person from unnecessary hurt.
Perhaps that’s just the way the world turns, and I should just get with the Depeche Mode program. (God knows they were on point with “Personal Jesus”.) All I know is, I’m tired of playing by the rules, only to find out that hardly anyone else does. What’s worse, some even consider me the social deviant for doing it! It seems that yet again, my idealism is costing me…I just hope that I don’t end up morally bankrupt.


20. Broken

Song from a new album released. Personally one of my favorites, it tells us of how we all suffer to be what we're not suppose to be and play different rolls so that we fulfill others desires not our own. So, that finally we end up broken not realizing that we were broken from the start, but there's positive side of it. Like the chorus says If you have someone who will love you for who you are and be there no matter what then you're good and there's nothing to fear. The lyrics that hit my core are "When you were a child, you dreamed all day long, dream of the future, got lost in your songs" For such a long time I forgot to dream those childhood dreams, and to try to make them happen for me now. But not any more, this year everything changes, If I succeed it will result with a book. The lyrics that Dave wrote could fit to one of Martin's. NO need to re-listen the song to like it, it's a love at first listening. Also this album is so well thought out, their music evolved, lyrics are comprehensive as always and that made them ahead of others again. It's a mixture of classical DM sound and something new acoustic and raw. The studio version of this song works better for me.


Many will undoubtedly feel that this list does not represent the best of Depeche Mode. With a body of songs so strong it's very difficult to pick only 10, that's why I while compiling this list I realized that a top 20 list would probably do the band more justice. However, every single song on this list is an excellent song and would serve as a great entry point to explore this excellent group. Share yours top 10 or 20 :)