Depeche Mode 101

Co-directed by the esteemed D.A. Pennebaker (The War Room, Down From the Mountain), Depeche Mode 101 is a fascinating look at the backstage realities of art and business during the British synthesizer band's 1988 American tour. Viewers will see managers worrying over slow ticket sales for a Rose Bowl show, observe sound checks at concert sites, get a tour of the group's multiple keyboard banks, and listen with some alarm to singer Dave Gahan describe his steroid-based throat treatments. While there are plenty of performance clips here, for music alone, the bonus disc in this package features the uninterrupted Rose Bowl show, presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM stereo, with standouts including the plaintive "Blasphemous Rumours," the exultant drama of "Stripped," and the dreamy "Somebody." Additional DVD extras include Pennebaker's promotional video "Everything Counts," and recent interviews with the now fortysomething band members. Recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)