“Some Great Reward” stands as Depeche Mode’s fourth studio album, dropping on September 24, 1984, via Mute Records. This record reached number five in the UK and number 51 in the US, supported by the Some Great Reward Tour.
During this tour, the band started using samplers, a trend that continued in their subsequent albums.
In addition, the album tackled more personal subjects like sexual politics (“Master and Servant”), extramarital affairs (“Lie to Me”), and questions of divine justice (“Blasphemous Rumours”). The song “Blasphemous Rumours” was released alongside “Somebody” as a double A-side.
This album marked their first significant success in the US with the single “People Are People,” which hit No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in mid-1985 and became a Top 20 hit in Canada. It also achieved the band’s first No. 1 position on a chart outside their home country, in Germany.
The accompanying tour was the band’s longest to date, featuring a notable concert in Hamburg, West Germany, which was later released as a video titled “The World We Live In and Live in Hamburg” in 1985. The video hasn’t been released on DVD.
During the North American leg of the tour, American synth-pop and electronic band Book of Love served as the opening act for all 15 tour dates.
As for the album’s critical reception, it received mixed reviews. Some praised the development of Dave Gahan’s voice and the album’s impact, while others criticized it for missed opportunities and ordinary tunes. Despite the reservations, Depeche Mode continued to be a noteworthy pop group.
