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Dope has a habit of putting out consistently excellent music. We all know that. But which albums are the ones we’d recommend to those starting out in the fandom? Which ones are the best of the bunch? The bar is already shockingly high, and with seven studio albums to choose from, the question is difficult to answer.

Today on The Essentials, edseldopefan.org attempts the monumental task of ranking our favourite Dope albums. Links to listen to each release are included, via Dope’s official Youtube channel. (You know the drill: sub if you haven’t already – it really does make a difference!)

A disclaimer: I’m not a professional reviewer by any means, but I am a long time fan. What all reviews have in common is they are just one person’s opinion. If you would have chosen differently, great! Differences of opinion make conversations about music more interesting. What a boring world we would live in if everyone agreed on everything all the time.

With that out of the way, let’s hop right into it!

American Apathy

• I admit, the fact that this album is so nostalgic for me is part of the reason why it’s ranked so high. Truthfully, this record was what made me fall in love with the band! American Apathy is often overlooked in the conversation about Dope’s albums, and that’s kind of a bummer. This is the album responsible for No Way Out, I’m Back and Survive – and all three are pretty essential Dope tracks. (Always is also on this album, which remains one of my absolute favourite Dope songs) In interviews from the time, Edsel stated American Apathy is an album that doesn’t take itself so seriously, which actually makes me like it even more. I’m dying on this hill: this album doesn’t get enough credit, it’s awesome. In fact, you should go listen to it immediately. Or at least… after you read the rest of this article.

Blood Money Part Zer0

• To hear me talk sometimes, one might think I listen to nothing but Dope all day. This is not the case, but I digress. We were all waiting a long time for this album, and in that time I listened to a lot of music from other artists. Some awesome, some lousy. When Blood Money Part Zer0 finally dropped, I listened to it from start to finish for hours without skipping a song. I genuinely do not remember the last time I did that. One of my favourite things about Blood Money Part Zer0 is how the record goes for it with new ideas while still remaining true to Dope’s style and aesthetic. Of particular note to me are Dope’s take on “Lovesong”, along with “Parasite” and “Row”, with all three songs feeling both fresh and familiar. People change and grow, that’s a good thing! We love to see it.

Blood Money Part 1

• When asked to name Dope’s most iconic album, many fans point to this one. It might arguably be the band’s most well known work: Blood Money Part 1 was Dope’s highest charting album in the US (ranking at number 27). It also produced some of their best known songs: Selfish, Hold On and of course, Blood Money were all on this album. To this day, the videos for these three songs are some of the most popular videos on Dope’s official Youtube channel. Blood Money Part 1 also has low key bangers like Lexipro and Numb alongside the eternal classic 1999, making it a must listen for any Dope fan.

No Regrets

• The fact that I named my hosting domain undevoted.org might be a clue to this album’s place in my heart. (undevoted.org is what hosts EDF.org, after all…) I’ve found that if people don’t name a song off Blood Money Part 1 as one of their faves, it’s usually something from No Regrets. And with good reason – this album has a lot of great stuff. Violence, Addiction and My Funeral were standouts on this album, as were the title track and Best for Me (both personal anthems of mine). Its simplicity is its strength. No Regrets is the kind of balls to the wall rock that Dope is known for: put it on and crank it up loud.

So, what do you think? Were your favourites on this list? Have your say at any time by contacting me. Until next time!

Nailing a cover song is hard for an artist. You’re performing a song that was written to be right for someone else, not you. Picking the right song is incredibly important, but equally important is taking what was awesome about that song and putting your own unique twist on it. Or else, what’s the point? Dope knocks it out of the park with their covers every single time: producing cover songs so natural and effortless, you’d believe they were original compositions.

In our last Essentials, I mentioned doing an article just on Dope’s cover songs. Today’s the day: welcome to The Essentials: Dope (The Cover Songs). And yes, this is an ordered list.

Curious? Read on!

Rebel Yell
Original Artist: Billy Idol (from the album Rebel Yell)
Appears On: No Regrets

Bet you thought we’d choose You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) for the top spot, huh? Don’t worry, you’ll see it in the countdown for sure. Part of what informs my decision is being a Billy Idol fan, admittedly. Dope’s version of this classic has all the style, snarl, and swagger of the original while still remaining consistent with Dope’s aesthetic. A good cover that pays tribute to the original while keeping the artist’s own point of view is hard to come by, and Dope not only knocks it out of the park with this one… they send the ball into outer space!

Lovesong
Original Artist: The Cure (from the album Disintegration)
Appears On: Blood Money Part Zer0

The addition of Drama Club on this track adds a fun twist to Dope’s interpretation of The Cure’s timeless classic. Edsel’s vocals are full of passion and longing, but there are also times where his voice seems to reflect a sense of urgency. That’s a take that’s not present on the original, and it’s an intriguing way to interpret the song. It’s almost a lonelier version, a viewpoint enforced in the video by the scenes of the bleakness of winter and the isolation of the video’s protagonist. This is of course, my subjective opinion – and that a song can be interpreted different ways is what’s great about covers. They can with just a few stylistic changes bring a new depth or a different point of view to the song.

You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)
Original Artist: Dead or Alive (from the album Youthquake)
Appears On: Felons and Revolutionaries

This is a mainstay at Dope concerts for a reason. It’s an absolute blast to hear live! To be honest, I believe this cover version to be one of the few out there in all of music that actually surpasses the original. Don’t get me wrong – both songs are incredible. But Dope’s arrangement of the song fits better with the lyrics, in my opinion. This total 180 in attitude and style still keeps the original cheek and fun of the song while clearly expressing Dope’s artistic point of view. Plus… you put either version of this song on, and I’m dancing. No questions asked.

People are People
Original Artist: Depeche Mode (from the album Some Great Reward)
Appears On: American Apathy

I’ll be honest with you… I *almost* put Dope’s cover of Thieves (originally done by Ministry) in this spot. The most important reason this won out? Dope’s version of People are People takes everything great about Depeche Mode’s original and makes it bigger and better. That’s not to say Thieves doesn’t do this, but People are People ever so slightly edges it out in this regard. A great cover should also harken back to the original while still presenting a new and fresh take. This cover does that and more.

And that’s our list of the essential Dope cover songs. What do you think of our rankings? Would you have said something different? You’re always welcome to contact me! I love hearing what you all have to say.

I know I said I would do a Flashback Sunday this week, but with this post being completed I didn’t see the sense in waiting. Flashback Sunday will return next Sunday, and recur every two weeks.