5 Track Maxi CD Single

"It's Called A Heart", is an okay song by DM, it might not be their most breakthrough work, one can see why it never appeared on any of the DM album line-up, it only appeared on "Catching Up With DM" and "Singles 81-85" albums. The reason why i gave it 4 stars is because there is not enough here, i do like the "Fly On The Windscreen" tracks (Single Version, Extended, and Death Mix), but the Death Mix could have been better. As for "It's Called A Heart" the Single Version and Extended Version are cool, but there is no remix for it, I don't really consider the Extended to be the actual Remix here. But overall "Fly On The Windscreen" saves the single from being pointless. Overall Average DM material.

Average, typical mid 80's Depeche Mode Stuff.

I wasn't too impressed with this song when I first heard it. In fact I'm still not totally blown over by it (like I am with most DM singles and other good songs). I felt that the song became too embelished with sampling. The "bongs" and other sounds are nice at times, but too much samples like that tend to distract me from the lyrics (which are most often amazing if written by M. Gore). Although the music itself is nothing extraordinary, the lyrics have their moments. I especailly like the line, "Hearts can never be owned / Hearts only come on loan / if i want it back, i'll take it back" or "Theres a lot to be learned / and you learn when your heart gets burned". This isn't their best, but it isn't their worst. I found that I enjoyed the song only after listening to it several times.

I believe there is a listing error for this single, I'm pretty sure there is more than just the one track. I'm also sure there is a B-side to this song called "Flexible" which is again, a song I only liked after listening to it often. But you will realise why its a B-Side after listening to the intro. Its not an exeptional DM track, but somewhat tolerable. It seems almost "honky tonky" if such a term exists. Its the type of song you don't let someone who is sort of interested in DM listen to first. :)

Although it isn't mind blowing or ground shaking, these songs (along with Shake the Disease and some others) represent that time where Depeche Mode were moving from the pop band they were currently known as, to the darker, deeper band we know of today. I always get amazed thinking that right after these songs, "Black Celebration" (1986) was released. It must've been an awsome time for DM fans all over the world. I envy the fact I'll never be able to feel what they felt when it was first released.

Preludes to Space Age

"Shake the Disease" and "It's called a Heart" were the two singles released (at least here in Europe) before what I consider Depeche Mode masterwork, the album "Black Celebration", a concept album painting an alienated "war of the worlds" society of the future where love and the spirit of man have been smashed down to earth, but where there's still a flebile hope, the so-called "Space Age", in many ways a sort of premonition for the contemporary dark times in which we live.

"It's called a Heart" is a great single that, together with "Shake the Disease" can be considered a prelude to the album.
The song marks an evolution in DM music, towards an inner exploration and the videoclip, showing a moody walk of the group in a corn field between some strange fetishs and fires, above which are suspended enigmatic TV screens, gave me an unique sensation of familiarity (my childhood at my grandparents' country house) and strangeness.
Highly recommended, what can I say?