Depeche Mode by Anton Corbijn: 81-18

If you're a fan of Depeche Mode you'll undoubtedly be familiar with Anton Corbijn's photography and design, from album covers, through videos, and even to stage designs, and in some respects he's almost an unofficial member of the band because of the amount of time he's spent with them. This book is a collection of photographs he's taken of the band from their earliest days in 1981, through to the most recent time he worked with them on the "Spirit" tour in 2018.It's a huge, heavy, hardback and arrives shrink wrapped. There's a paper dust cover, and if you remove this the book is backed with embossed linen. It's a lovely thing, but you really need to put it on a table to read it because it's so big and heavy.The book begins with a brief introduction, followed by an interview with Anton, then a Q&A with the band. These are all repeated at the very end of the book in German and French (which explains the multi-lingual aspect of the book - the rest is all English). The bulk of the book is made up of the photographs, arranged chronologically, and many are accompanied by hand-written notes by Anton. It doesn't take a long time to read - I read the whole thing in an evening - but it's entertaining and often enlightening. At the very end there is also a section devoted to the solo work of Martin and Dave for whom Anton produced some photographs, plus highlights of other work Anton has produced for the band, such as album and single covers.You won't find every single photo Anton has taken of the band here, so if you have a particular favourite you remember from a magazine, an album, or a tour programme it may or may not appear here, but there are an awful lot I'd never seen before, and as you'd expect from a book from this publisher the paper is thick, glossy, and it's immaculately printed.Yes, it's big, heavy, and expensive, but if you're a fan of the band, you'll absolutely love it.

I was reluctant to buy such an expensive book but I'm so glad I did. It is a thing of beauty. Carefully put together, it documents the history of DM through Anton's lens. If you love DM, you'll be glad you spent the money and it will look great in your collection. Shame about the packaging, though. Really, just a flimsy brown envelope is not enough. A friend said to me "Life's too short, buy the book". It was good advice.

Book is fantastic, fantastic photography and great finish, a must for any Depeche Mode fan.Only disappointment, absolutely no packaging around book, so its be rolling around inside the box.

Absolutely Beautiful, well made piece of history of the best band of all time !

Wonderful book. A must have item for any Depeche Mode fan. Anton Corbijn has captured the band perfectly, as always. Thank you x