The ILM thread asking for <a href=ilx.p3r.net">songs in the vein of Depeche Mode's Enjoy the Silence inspired me to listen to some Depeche Mode, one of those bands I have never really been too much into but which I still kind of like. There are only two albums by them in my possession, firstly 1987's Music for the Masses which had an excellent ILM thread started by Ned Raggett and then 1997's Ultra. Ned also wrote for the Allmusic guide about the song I chose for the first installment of a series about covers and/or remixes which work for me, Useless from Ultra.

The original of Useless (mp3) isn't a song I am crazy about. It's a dark, brooding, heavy track, especially considering the quite uplifting slightly experimental open ambiance of Ultra. The strong hook which often dominates DM's great singles can't be found on Useless. It's meandering around ominously. The lyrics accuse someone of being a dreamer:

and not listening to a friend: