I'll be the first to admit: I was listening to Dokken and Whitesnake when these bands were starting out. I saw posters of them on the wall at KWUR during my 6 - 8 AM Sunday morning DJ shift. I didn't know who they were, didn't listen to them, and hoped that they would go away. But they didn't. Today: I still couldn't name one song by either of them, but apparently they were both the "Godfathers" of electronic/dance.
Except, there can only be one Godfather. So who is it? Who is the rightful progenitor of all that is ELECTRONIC today?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Excellent post!!! Wow, what a question, both fans claim Godfathership to electronic music and dance, but like Dan said, there can only be one.
Both bands were formed in 1980, both are still officially active, both have taken hiatuses, and both have had their own personal demons.
If you're a fan of electronic music and/or dance, then you probably love both of these bands.
I'd say that modern electronic music lists DM as their Godfathers, while dance artists and DJ's probably say New Order.
But who is bigger? Depeche Mode for sure. Album after album they continue to reinvent themselves while New Order stays very much the same.
Depeche Mode were the first band to make keyboards "cool". Although if you were a fan of Whitesnake, you probably still don't think keyboards are, or ever will be cool.
I have one of those electric bikes that can run on a battery so you don't have to pedal. I haven't been able to ride it in over a year though. Thing is there's no air in the tires. Also I'm not sure the battery/electric part works. And the last thing is that it's chained to a bike rack in my building but I've lost the key to the lock. (Thankfully I have a regular bike I can ride.)
Anyway, I don't listen to either New Order or Depeche Mode. I can probably name one song by each. I think I used to make fun of them when I was in high school.
NOTE: It's good to know that dshugrue pits together bands that he doesn't necessarily listen to. I appreciate this genuine quest to know who's bigger just to know and not for any particular reason.
So without knowing much about either band, on a purely gut level, I'm gonna say Depeche Mode. Please keep in mind I don't even know what a "depeche" is.
yeah, no, good points Phil, especially the last one about keyboards. For a long time I thought keyboards were a necessary evil, present in great songs like "Here I go again" and "Jump" but lamentable nonetheless.
Then I discovered Kraftwerk and my life changed. For the better.
jon, what's the comment about your bike? I don't see the connection to either band...
oh wait, you're saying you have no need for "electronic" things -- whether in music or in bicycles. You are more of an "unplugged" kinda guy. Is that it?
Depeche Mode is a French magazine, it means "Fast Fashion"
Depeche Mode for sure. They were veeryy strange in the beginning, whereas New Order were a bit like intellectually self-aware college kids...whatever that means. Depeche Mode were just downright strange. Dan, I remember also listening to Whitesnake, Dio and the likes and looking at Depeche Mode doing "Master and Servant" or "People are People".
Little did I know that this band would be on my favorites list a couple of decades later.
Besides, with a surname like GORE (Martin Gore, responsible for most of DM's songs), how can you really go wrong.
And to Phil: Whitesnake if any band is a keyboard rock band ;-).
Post a Comment