There are albums that defined a year and albums that defined a decade. Violator from Depeche Mode did both. The songs they created were dark, emotional, and in the end also highly entertaining. It was with this album that I discovered the talented band. I was not alone in my discovery. It was that album that exposed the young MTV generation to the mysterious world of Depeche Mode.
I wouldn’t say I’m a massive fangirl of the band. That said, I can certainly understand the appeal and every time I pop one of their discs into my stereo I am swept away to their aural landscape. It’s beautiful, melancholic, and wonderful. Dave Gahan’s throaty vocals only bolster the music’s quality. Violator was as good as rock music got in 1990. The sound, the swagger, the videos—it was the perfect link from a decade of decadence to a decade of self loathing.
Originally rooted in synth-pop, dance, and “new romantic,” Depeche Mode formed in 1980 but actually began to come together a few years earlier. When everything shook out and they started to make musical waves, it was clear that this was a band that had a great deal more to say than what was evidenced by the passing musical fads they embodied. Gahan (vocals) along with Andrew Fletcher (keyboards), Martin Gore (guitar/keys), and eventually Alan Wilder (keys) unleashed a string of outstanding albums beginning with 1981’s Speak & Spell through 1986’s Black Celebration, 1987’s Music for the Masses, 1990’s Violator, 1993’s Songs of Faith and Devotion, and most recently the surprisingly well received Playing the Angel (2005). Still it is Violator that earned the most kudos.
Boasting no fewer than four hit singles (Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth, and World in My Eyes) it was hard to not notice Depeche Mode. In honor of their accomplishments and continued fan base, a new remastered version of Violator (in addition to other albums) was released this year. The two disc ‘Collectors Edition’ set includes the original nine songs in remastered form on the first CD and the original album in 5.1 digital surround sound on the second. Additionally, the second disc is DVD format and includes a half-hour film (If you wanna use guitars, use guitars) and six bonus tracks. All-in-all this is the perfect buy for both huge and modest fans of Depeche Mode. I personally recommend the release for the cleaned up, modern sound—it is definitely the way this music should have always sounded.
The electro tweaks, whirrs, and thumps of World in My Eyes opens the album. Haunting, melodic, and gorgeous the song is packed with drama. Gahan is cool, calm, and collected. He however takes a back seat to Gore who sings with great emotion on Sweetest Perfection. What is really striking about these songs is that they are perfectly arranged. This is in no small part a tribute to the band’s combined greatness. Gore has a fabulous poetic knack while Wilder is able to piece together striking songs and even more importantly to the MTV generation singles. Filtered through famed producer Flood’s (U2, Smashing Pumpkins, etc…) nimble fingers the resulting work is nothing short of perfection.
If the first two songs aren’t enough to grab your attention, Personal Jesus will do the trick . As far as the popular songs on this album go, this one is probably the best known. It is soulful, funky, grinding, and very cool. Depeche Mode proves with this outstanding track that they are more than just a passing fad. Electronic melodies, rhythms, and noise can clearly be artistic and provoke emotion. I could ramble on for eons about how great Personal Jesus is but if you haven’t heard it that is reason enough to buy Violator immediately. Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth were also hits. The former actually reminds me of some of my more favorite New Order tracks (True Faith in particular). The comparisons are only based on the beats—Gahan’s smooth, masculine voice adds the special something to DM’s music. Policy of Truth is a different kind of song with upbeat, groovy beats paired with a lovely melody and Gahan’s voice. It is definitely a pleasant offering.
I don’t want to concentrate on the hits and neglect the less known songs. Violator really is full of lots of special bits. Listen to all the songs. I love the industrial dance slant of Halo, the soft ballad Blue Dress, and vivid album ender Clean. Fans of the band however will be overjoyed to get the six bonus tracks all of which are b-sides from the now scarce singles. Check ‘em out. Happiest Girl was intented for inclusion on Violator and the Jack Mix is definitely dark yet sharp. In contrast, Gahan is vaguely gentle on Sea of Sin. Listen to Memphisto and Sibeling for some outstanding lead piano.
This new release of Violator is definitely worth the money and is definitely exceptional. If you loved the original pick this disc up. If your disc is scratched beyond playability buy this disc immediately—you’ll be pleased.
Track Listing:
01. World in My Eyes
02. Sweetest Perfection
03. Personal Jesus
04. Halo
05. Waiting for the Night
06. Enjoy the Silence
07. Policy of Truth
08. Blue Dress
09. Clean
Bonus Tracks:
01. Dangerous [Personal Jesus, 1989]
02. Memphisto [Enjoy the Silence, 1990]
03. Sibeling [Enjoy the Silence, 1990]
04. Kaleid [World in My Eyes, 1990]
05. Happiest Girl (Jack Mix) [World in My Eyes, 1990]
06. Sea of Sin (Tonal Mix) [World in My Eyes, 1990]
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