Songs of Faith and Devotion Live


Songs of Faith and Devotion Live is the second live album by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 6 December 1993 by Mute Records. Recorded during the band's 1993 Devotional Tour, the album consists mainly of performances recorded in Liévin, France, with two other tracks recorded in Copenhagen and New Orleans, respectively. It was a track-by-track live duplication of Depeche Mode's eighth studio album, Songs of Faith and Devotion, which was released earlier in 1993.
The album was poorly received by critics and performed moderately on the charts, reaching number 46 on the UK Albums Chart and number 193 on the US Billboard 200. As of April 2006, it had sold 114,000 copies in the United States.
A near-complete concert of the Devotional Tour was released on the Devotional video album in 1993, and attained more commercial success.

Critical reception

In comparison to Songs of Faith and Devotion, Songs and Faith and Devotion Live received less acclaim from music critics; AllMusic rated the album two stars out of five.
The A.V. Club rated Songs of Faith and Devotion Live as the "Least Essential Live Album" of the 1990s, saying, "Depeche Mode has plugged in plenty of DAT and drum machines during its live performances, thereby allowing the band to crank out note-perfect versions of its studio hits. Featuring every track on Songs of Faith and Devotion, played live and in order, the album's live counterpart is monumentally unnecessary." In the same feature, the album was listed as one of ten nominees for "Least Essential Album" of the decade with the comment, "It's not like Depeche Mode is inclined to rely on radical instrumental improvisation live."

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Songs of Faith and Devotion Live.

Depeche Mode

Additional musicians

Technical

  • Alan Wilder – production, mixing
  • Steve Lyon – production, mixing, recording
  • Peter Brandt – recording assistance
  • Rob Kirwan – mixing assistance
  • Alex Firla – mixing assistance
  • Jeremy Wheatley – mixing assistance
  • Kevin Metcalfe – mastering
  • JD Fanger – album coordination
  • Daryl Bamonte – album coordination
  • Pepe Jansz – album coordination

Artwork