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Violator
Depeche Mode
1990
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!In a word, stunning. Perhaps an odd word to use given that Violator continued in the general vein of the previous two studio efforts by Depeche Mode: Martin Gore's upfront lyrical emotional extremism and knack for a catchy hook filtered through Alan Wilder's ear for perfect arrangements, ably assisted by top English producer Flood. Yet the idea that this record would both dominate worldwide charts, while song for song being simply the best, most consistent effort yet from the band could only have been the wildest fantasy before its release. The opening two singles from the album, however, signaled something was up. First was "Personal Jesus," at once perversely simplistic, with a stiff, arcane funk/hip-hop beat and basic blues guitar chords, and tremendous, thanks to sharp production touches and David Gahan's echoed, snaky vocals. Then "Enjoy the Silence," a nothing-else-remains-but-us ballad pumped up into a huge, dramatic romance/dance number, commanding in its mock orchestral/choir scope. Follow-up single "Policy of Truth" did just fine as well, a low-key Motown funk number for the modern day with a sharp love/hate lyric to boot. To top it all off, the album itself scored on song after song, from the shuffling beat of "Sweetest Perfection" (well sung by Gore) and the ethereal "Waiting for the Night" to the guilt-ridden-and-loving-it "Halo" building into a string-swept pounder. "Clean" wraps up Violator on an eerie note, all ominous bass notes and odd atmospherics carrying the song. Goth without ever being stupidly hammy, synth without sounding like the clinical stereotype of synth music, rock without ever sounding like a "rock" band, Depeche here reach astounding heights indeed.
God I love Depeche Mode. The three-album stretch from Black Celebration is the pinnacle of 80s synth pop. From the haunting vocals to the ominous and yearnful lyrics to the funky dance synths, this album creates an atmosphere that sets a mood you can only find in few other artists like Soft Cell. This album in particular is full of hits. Each could stand on its own as part of a dance or 80s playlist and fit right now. "World In My Eyes" is a great song is remind everyone this is indeed Depeche Mode, setting the mood for the rest of the album. "Personal Jesus" is a classic, and I can't believe my wish came true that it was an extended version of the single. The only track I wasn't crazy about was "Blue Dress." Note I am ignoring the bonus tracks in the remastered version, whose addition would have dropped this album's score to 4 stars.
Evidently my love for this album faded at some point because I was just underwhelmed this time around.
классика эз из. Печальный, тягучий, молитвенный синтпоп, облагороженный годнейшими поп-мотивами и цепляющими припевами (причем вышел в один год с Nowhere Райда и весьма напоминает его по синергии мелодий), 9/10
Dark, edgy, and moody, with great songwriting and even better atmosphere. But for me, the most astonishing part is how ridiculously clean and well produced the album is through and through. It is spotless. The musical equivalent of a black marble statue in a dramatically lit room.
Just a solid album front to back. Despite being in the early nineties, this record sounds ahead of its time, as well as being a culmination of all of the darker synth-pop that had been released up to this point. Real vampire rave music. Plus, the album versions of "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence" are fantastic. Favorite tracks: "Personal Jesus", "Policy of Truth", "Enjoy the Silence"
They feel very full of themselves and confident in the music they’re producing but I’m not a fan.
Not sure if this should be on a 1001 list. I kind of like a few songs, but the overall value of the album isn't very high. 2 stars.
Pathetic. Honestly I’ve had this shit, Morrissey and the Smiths nearly in a row. Make you wonder whether it’s worth persisting.
An odd territory of not being The Cure or Joy Division levels of depressing but also being far from standard pop fare. Great
My first full run through, despite hearing a few songs a million times. Really great. Not much else to say. Definitely will revisit.
I liked this more than music for the masses. Expanding their instrumentation made it a little more accessible
One of the best electronic pop albums ever made, it has a very clean sound and ambiance. It will definitely make you feel things.
Previously, I had only heard Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence from this album so it was great to finally listen to the complete album. I really loved this album!
Tätä on tullut joskus silloin aikanaan kuunneltua ei nyt raivolla, mutta useasti kuitenkin. Pääsi kuitenkin yllättämään positiivisesti. Ennalta tutut biisit tempasivat mukaansa ja herkkyyttäkin löytyi sopivassa suhteessa.
Dark synth waves lapping at the shore of a beach of black sand. Absolutely peerless and wonderful.
Simply stunning. A perfect pop album. Obviously some standout tracks, Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence are absolute classics among others, but there a no weak tracks on this album.
Ой бля, вроде дохуя культовая классика для сфер, в которых я не особо секу. Не, вроде по кайфу местами прям норм, но шишка не сильно встаёт. Просто дело в том, что если 4 ставить, то это всего на балл выше нигерского попса, что был до этого, Первый трек чёт интерес отбивает, второй уже тащит. Персональному Иисусу должное уже вполне отдаю. Признаю, что Енжоу Тхе Силенце мб ваще один из самых пиздатых треков в истории человечества. Ещё в бонусах там Дагероус маленько раскачала. Тут дело в том, что имхо вокальные партии порой тащат на порядок выше инструментала. Чего прям ваще в охуенных альбомах быть вроде не должно. Но я вроде остановился на том, что со своими взятыми из головы условиями 5 я буду ставить только альбомам, что слышал до этого, а это - полная залупа. Тут хотя бы ощущение, что слушаешь что-то охуенное и эпохальное. Так что пускай будет 5, похуй.
This synth-pop album from England at the start of the 90's was great easy-listening music while getting some work done! Every track seemed to be composed perfectly without a single noise out of place. I can see why this is Depeche Mode's most famous album. Would listen to again!
funny cause i listened to this recently after i read that it was an inspiration for pet shop boys' 'behaviour' which was also on the list and i kinda liked. i listened to violator twice and i'm liking it even more on this third listen. the hits are amazing but sweetest perfection is the best song here. honestly there are maybe 2 meh songs but im giving it a 5 cause of the replay value, i like it more with every listen.
If you listen to just the 9 track original this album is really really excellent. Great songs, slick production. The 2006 remaster adds a bunch of filler for no good reason...maybe to add "value"
Still super menacing synth pop; ghostly vocals and production with the cold future forward production... amazing record, aged well
This is definitely my sort of jam! Some excellent earworm tracks on here and peak Depeche Mode.
So far I like it! It's very interesting electronic album. I can see why a lot of people love this album. Sweetest Perfection is an amazing track that sounds like the album name. I recommend this track. The beat switches on this album have been astounding so far. Halo is giving me some Daft Punk vibes with that instrumental. The singing is gorgeous. I also really liked "Enjoy The Silence" That dark outro was eerie.
I've listened to this quite a few times. I'm a big fan, Love Personal Jesus, love Enjoy the silence, and everything else is just solid.
As my black candles burn in my otherwise pitch black room, illuminating the slow-motion rose petals falling from flowers, leaving only thorns, I purse my lips without smearing my dark purple lipstick, and I almost feel a tear well up on the corner of my heavily shadowed eyes, but I hold back, as I don't want to smear the ankh I drew with eye shadow under it. This captures 80s teen angst perfectly.
классический альбом, который до этого я слушал, но не мог расслышать переход с blue dress на clean - находка музыка бам синты во
The sounds, oh, the sounds... This album takes a synth machine, plugs it into your f***ing skull and turns it up to 11. Epic noises and catchy tunes that I'll definitely be revisiting
5 and beyond. I'm pretty much over Personal Jesus but there are so many hits on this one. Super super good.
I'm guilty of enjoying Depeche Mode through singles and never digging into their full albums. This one is loaded with mega hits but it's all incredible throughout, albeit short. This is another one of those albums that I would think people would describe as "I wish I could listen to it for the first time again" and I'm really enjoying that part of this experience each time that one of those rare gems comes up.
The rousing final instalment of the Depeche Mode Trilogy, before they went all Extended Universe
Another I'd have given 4.5 stars, but happy to round up. Musically strong, brilliantly produced, well presented album. Lyrics seem more a mood thing, but it was a ride I'd take again.
I have loved this album since it was originally released. It’s really great to hear it again. I love everything on the album, but here’s a shout out to my favorites: “World In My Eyes” - yummy Depeche Mode moodiness with their epic swells “Sweetest Perfection” - relentless beat that pulls this song along like the drugs it references “Personal Jesus” - absolutely amazing marching beat and guitars really expanded Depeche Mode’s sound while remaining firmly true to their style “Halo” - I love this lush, warm, bizarro love song “Waiting for the Night” - I’ve always been a night owl and have always felt a connection to this moody track “Enjoy The Silence” is an incredible masterpiece. A perfect song. It’s epic, the synths glorious, the vocals compelling… this could be Depeche Mode’s greatest song. What an opening… ‘Words like violence, Break the silence, Come crashing in, Into my little world.’ Incredible. “Policy of Truth” - Another contender for my favorite Depeche Mode song, this has such great lyrics on the virtues of lying. I love this song so much. All six bonus tracks on the “Bonus Tracks Edition” from 2006 were B-sides appearing on the vinyl singles. I enjoyed these a lot! Glad they were here.
Sure, I know Depeche Mode, but I had never listened to this album. I loved it all. I really dig the sound of the electronic music and vocals of this group. It is also a nostalgic sound for me that I think attracts me the most as I listen to it today. It's a keeper for my library.
Oh, I did enjoy this album when it came out. One of my last cassette purchases and one of my first iTunes digital album purchases from the iPod era. The opening song, "World in my Eyes" sets a moody synth pop tone which perfectly fit the soundtrack of my early 20s and is a sound that I still love. I may have blared "Personal Jesus" a number of times in the day, singing it loudly with friends, feeling a bit naughty as we were rejecting religious hangups and speculating that it referred to a phone sex hotline (how 1990 is that phrase?). It's still a masterpiece (which was made clear when it was covered by Johnny Cash). (This has become an exercise in nostalgia rather than a review. I apologize.) I never get tired of listening to "Enjoy the Silence" and "Policy of Truth" (which always have to be listened to together, I think, with their weird interlude between). They are constant favorites in my playlists. An all time favorite.
Nice Album. I don't like Depeche Mode too much, but this album is full of songs of my liking.
Already knew personal jesus and enjoy the silence, even the grp in general. Very good consistency through the album, love the old video games sounds very nostalgic
Such beautiful and dark album. I wrongly considered Depeche Mode a fluffy pop band before this and had my eyes/ears opened hearing Personal Jesus when it first came out. Nothing prepared me for Enjoy the Silence, how could it be so slow and so intense at the same time. Happy memories of this album as well. Of getting convinced to go to a Goth club by a workmate and after being scared of entering a room full of living vampires I had the delight of watching those mad kids pounce around so joyously to tracks from this album.
Absolute classic of the 80's (and one of my wife's favorite albums). Distinctive style
El synth pop sublimat a la categoria d'art. No només és una obra mestra, la primera dels '90, sinó que té un mèrit sobrenatural ser capaç de continuar un disc com 'Music for the Masses' i la seva gira posterior amb un àlbum que va més enllà, en tots els sentit i eleva la banda a una nova categoria. Himnes immortals com 'Personal Jesus', 'Enjoy the Silence', 'World in My Eyes' o 'Policy of Truth'. I els que no ho són, continuen sent peces d'orfebreria igual de fina
i'm feeling the dark dancey vibes depeche mode brought to the table with this album! nothing's really standing out but i would definitely put this on again to work to. these songs feel like vampire jams.
Very pleasant on the ears. I can see why Chester Bennington says this is one of his favorite bands. Had to listen to it twice. Only complaint would be that a lot of the songs are sort of depressing, but catchy melodies nonetheless.
I liked this more than I expected and there were some songs I would go back and listen to. This is not a genre I typically listen to. It feels like the midpoint between 80’s synth pop and the industrial synthy music of the 90’s and early 00’s. I can hear Chvrches, NIN, and Muse.
The voice seems like it's not in tune with the music. Singer has interesting tone but needs to be more in pitch. The synths and the drums are amazing and remind me of 70s, 80s music. Instrumentation rocks but voice needs some getting used to. 1st track is weird. 2nd is much better. 3rd track personal jesus is fire. 4 sounds like some synthwave with funk rock. Really enjoyed this track "Waiting for the night" what a soothing intro. Another good song +1 "Enjoy the Silence" +100 what a classic I never knew this was by depeche mode. Next two songs were very relaxing. "Blue Dress" is a beautiful catchy ballad with a haunting melody and beautiful tremolo guitars that swell. The last track "Clean" is a drums and bass driven rock anthem. Suitable powerful end to the album.
I ran away from this type of music like the plague/COVID when I was kid, but I’m happily in a very new wave friendly place in my life. Love how this record sounds. “Sweetest Perfection” is sooo good. Did KMFDM really stand for “Kill Motherfucking Depeche Mode”? Need to get to the bottom of this.
I bought this album way back in the nineties, I've probably listened to it a dozen or more times. It's not my favorite thing, nor was Speak & Spell, which I also owned on vinyl, in the early eighties. I did actually see DM perform once, in 1988.
Tres bon ! Je me suis surpris a connaitre quelque chpanson de cte album. Probablement parce que c’est des classique. Personnal jesus enjoy the silence. 4.25
Hell yeah. Let’s do this. It was a great listen definitely something that was ahead of his time and I can see the influence of the house on so much music that out today definitely worth a second re-listen once all this is
I already own a copy of Violator, it's an album I have great regard for. There are a couple of longeurs in the pacing I had forgotten about, but overall this crackles with a dark energy and sharp song craft. The production is pretty dated, but I can overlook that. Not a single person at either school or college liked Depeche Mode.
The vibe is strong in this album, and I like that vibe. Dark and brooding. Add some hits into the mix and you have a very good record.
First 6 tracks were banging. Tails off a bit towards the end. Can see how it has influenced a lot of music though
Very solid album, well written and executed. I don't know that I have specific praise, other than that I just really enjoyed it.
Saved Prior: World in My Eyes, Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth Saved Off Rip: Sweetest Perfection Cutting Edge: Halo, Blue Dress, Clean, Dangerous, Kaleid, Happiest Girl, Sea of Sin Overall Thoughts: Very good album, sinister/sexual vibes, 4 all-time bangers, ambient songs towards the end bring it down to a 4 star
Wonderful stuff, sags a tiny bit at points preventing a five for me however worth noting it contains one of my all time favorite songs
I wish there was a 3.5 option. I think this is a really cool vibe. Impressed that they kept the moody vibe interesting for 47 minutes.
Grupo inglés de electrónica, considerados los amos y señores del rock electrónico. Discazo con temas archiconocidos como 'Personal Jesus' o 'Enjoy The Silence'.
psicodélico, moody, cohesivo, excelente producción, buen ambientación, la mezcla de los vocals y la música te transportan, lo mejor es la instrumentación, los instrumentos se van y regresan en el momento correcto, y siempre añaden capaz a la musica que tre producen chills. Tracks favoritos: Personal Jesus, Waiting For Tonight, Enjoy The Silence, Personal of Truth
A bit too electronic overall, but after full listen can see lots of merits. Personal Jesus is fantastic. Has quite a few worthwhile tracks.
This album starts out amazing. The first 3/4 of the album is killer with some filler added to the rest. End of the album was nothing too exciting though not terrible. 4.5
The marriage of the driving electronic beats which, developed to their logical extreme, make synthwave, with more organic instruments and vocals is nostalgic but never dated or cheesy. In the repetitive sections are echoes of more dance-floor-focused music, which I'm bearish on here. There's a great deal of thematic consistency which would benefit from longer-form working-out. Religious language gives the text some weight, while it sticks pretty close to the music-corrupting-teens narrative suggested by the title. But it's an order of magnitude more subtle than Soft Cell, which I utterly enjoyed as well.
Wonderful stuff, sags a bit at points preventing a five for me however worth noting it contains one of my all time favorite songs
Lite ovanligt för mig men bra intro till new wave / synth pop. Efter jag vande mig var den najs.
I didn’t like them back in the day but this album is definitely better than I expected.
Two Depeche Mode records in two weeks?? My 20-yr old guitar-hero-worshiping self would be apoplectic. I really like it though; it's a great *sounding* album - great stereo spread - even if most of it is so painfully synthy. If there's any criticism, none of it *swings* at all; it's so on-the-grid and I'm sure at one point I would have hated that but that's the point. The songs are nothing overly complex, but they all sound so coldly clean that it makes them easy to digest and I've found it gets better upon repeated listens. Great moody and sorrowfully melodic album - I'll come back to this one. I love the obvious nod to Pink Floyd on the intro to "Clean" too! 7/10 4 stars
One of the best synthpop albums ever. 8/10 1. Policy of Truth 2. Enjoy the Silence 3. Waiting for the Night
Un discazo, empieza con tonos de notas oscuros y se desarrolla super bien, cada tema encaja con el anterior. Vale la pena escucharlo.
Some cracking tunes on this album, some of which were new to me. Not a massive fan of the "industrial" sound, but this is definitely worth repeat listens
Je partais avec un mauvais appriori, connaissant juste "Just can't get enough" qui m'agace. J'avais tort. Premiere musique ecoutée : Enjoy the silence. Franchement j'ai adoré. Le reste alterne entre le tres plaisant, le transcendant et le lassant. Je pense mettre 4/5, mais je le reecouterai pour fixer mon avis.
Moody electronic pop, and it’s great. Basically like if The Cure and Nine Inch Nails joined up, you’d get Depeche Mode. Really enjoyed the whole album, and it’s one of those where even if you didn’t know it, you’re going to recognize some of the tunes.
Violator was a major turning point: two guitar tracks like Enjoy The Silence (atmospheric riff over a pensive disco beat) and Personal Jesus (an energetic boogie that will remain their most aggressive track ever), Depeche Mode set themselves apart from the old synthpop. (7/10) Favourite Tracks: Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth
Had this CD a few times growing up from the library. Definitely feels like a greatest hits album at times as some of the best Mode songs are here. The quality drops a little outside of the singles but the instrumentation and Martin Gore’s incredible vocals keep it interesting enough Fave tracks: “Enjoy the Silence” “Personal Jesus” “Policy Of Truth”
I was enjoying this, then Enjoy the Silence came on. What a great song. It resonates with me so much and made the whole album more meaningful to me. Very Depeche Mode. Very 80s mode for the 90s. Very new wave new romantic.
Personal Jesus alone is enough to give this album at least a 3 but the rest of the tracks were pretty enjoyable as well. I think it's only the second 90s electronica album I've gotten that I actually fully enjoyed. Quintessential 80s sound. Fav songs: PERSONAL JESUS, halo, enjoy the silence
I've never been very into Depeche Mode and hadn't listened to Violator prior to today. It's good! It's really good and gets better each time I listen to it and I want to keep listening to it. In addition to the great Personal Jesus, I do enjoy Enjoy the Silence, Halo, Policy of Truth, and the very fine Clean. I'm not done with this one yet.
Good song after good song.- this album is fresh as ever and grooves madly. It’s also themed with what I think is David’s struggle with newfound sobriety - which gives it a layer of depth beyond the dark synth pop that makes this album
Very good album and an interesting listen with its layered Synth and Keyboard sound. The vocals had a nice range and accompanied the bands dark music style really well. Only heard Personal Jesus and Enjoy The Silence before but it was great to hear their extended versions. World In My Eyes, Halo and Policy of Truth were the newbies I enjoyed a lot. The last two songs I didn't like as much as the rest, but apart from that great listen.
Best Song: World in My Eyes. Groovy, bombastic intro that sets the tone for the rest of the album. Worst Song: Blue Dress. Weird and overly long outro. Overall: Better than I expected. Feels like an odd combination of dance music and Buffalo Bill style murder monologues.
Probably their best effort. It's certainly their most consistent. The three "hits" (the songs I knew before I heard this album) are unabashed classics, and a lot of this sounds like a healthy mix of The Smiths and Pink Floyd. Always a good sign: I kept listening after the album ended, and Spotify thrilled me with an epic live version of "Personal Jesus" that sounded like a fucking party.
Yes, this was great - it could have been a bit gothier for my taste, but it still hit the spot. I'm vaguely curious what fetish-wear "Blue Dress" was really about, but, uh, not enough to go digging. Fave track - "Enjoy the Silence" by a mile - that's a tune.
Un peu surcôté mais propre Prefs: World In My Eyes, Personal Jesus, Enjoy The Silence, Blue Dress Moins pref: Halo
Never a mix of Synth-pop, gothic rock and dance music worked so well. This is Depeche Mode's best album and has a lot of great songs. "World in My Eyes", "Personal Jesus" and "Policy of Truth" are all amazingly creative song, great efforts by Martin Gore. But "Enjoy the Silence" is at another level (but curiously, the single version is better - which is rare). An amazing listening, nonetheless.
Always enjoy throwing this one on from time to time. Very dark and very deep, this one touches on a lot of topics from drug addiction to religion. The precursor for a lot of moody shit you hear today.
This album already deserves 5 stars just for Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence (what a song!), which are the tracks I recognize (and love). The rest of the album does not reach those same highs, but is enjoyable nonetheless. Ultimately more enjoyable than all of the middle of the road "inoffensive to my ears" albums on this list, so a 4 it is.
This is what that Eurythmics album was missing. Super cool synth beats. They basically took what had been their style and tried to fuse it with something a little more rock. It works well. And sure, David Gahan is no Annie Lennox, but he's still got a silky voice. It's man sexy. And the lyrics are typical Depeche Mode - really f'n good. They make you think...a lot. I mean, the 3 big singles from this album (Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth, Personal Jesus) are just so biting and memorable. They're everyday life quotable - my wife was telling me a story the other day about someone screwing up (again) and I said "never again is what you swore the time before". And she doesn't know Depeche Mode but gave me an affirmative "right?" Their lyrics are sharp. "Reach out and touch faith", "pick up the receiver I'll make you a believer", "feelings are intense, words are trivial", "the delivery of proof in the policy of truth". Even just the titles are sublime! I'm not going to give it 5 stars because a few songs were just ok. But of songs I didn't really know before I quite liked World in My Eyes, Halo, and Blue Dress (it's Every Breath You Take creepy/addictive).
Je suis extrêmement fan du groupe Depeche Mode, et suis donc très satisfait que mon appel à l'aide publié dans la critique de l'album des ignobles Spacemen 3 hier ait touché le coeur de Robert. En espérant que cet album symbolise le début d'une nouvelle ère générateurienne, basée sur une augmentation du pouvoir d'achat et de la qualité de vie de toute la population générateurienne.
Un album à l'image de Depeche Mode dans le sens où il met en scène un défilé très agréable visuellement mais extrêmement rapide, la faute à un manque de temps caractéristique du groupe. Les mannequins présentent de ce fait les créations en marche rapide (pour ne pas dire en courant) et finissent par suer dans leurs tenues tant le rythme est soutenu. Tant pis pour les photographes qui repartiront chez eux l'appareil rempli de clichés flous.
Bueno obvio que el disco de Depeche Mode que tiene Personal Jesus y Enjoy the silence va a tener un excelente puntaje. Opinión impopular: Las canciones de DM que más me gustan son New life y Dreaming on me de su primer disco.
Day 16: Pretty good album, am always a fan of electronica and I guess that extends to older versions of it as well. Not all songs really stuck out to me but Personal Jesus and the start of Enjoy the Silence were absolutely amazing. Favourite Song: Personal Jesus
Some of these songs are ingrained in my brain from the countless times my parents played them throughout my childhood. The songs I didn't know going into this didn't do it for me. While I did enjoy "Waiting for the Night" it felt out of place on the album especially leading into "Enjoy the Silence". All in all I did really enjoy this album and the childhood memories it brought out. However the non-single tracks are a little harder to enjoy and at times are overboard with the synth. Though it is a Synth-Pop album so I should expect that, but I just am not the biggest fans of synths if they aren't used tastefully. With all that being said I am giving it a 4/5 because a 4.5/5 isn't a thing.
One of the things I’m really loving about going through this list is how I’m starting to see connections between different artists across different time periods. With this album, for example, I immediately heard the influence of Kraftwerk. The cold electronic production and the emotionally detached vocals remind me of the Kraftwerk album we listened to previously, “Trans-Europe Express.” And yet Depeche Mode does it in their own way. This album has a goth club vibe and a lot more pop hooks than that Kraftwerk album. I’m digging it so far. Here’s another connection: On “Personal Jesus,” the heavy breathing and drum beat that happens around 2:15 is almost identical to the bit on Kanye’s “Black Skinhead”! Kanye’s version seems like a deliberate reference to this song but I’m surprised there’s no songwriting credit given to Depeche Mode. It’s really similar!
Meh, I'm like 50/50 on these guys. Wasn't a huge fan, but they do have some good songs and their sound pretty much defined 80s new wave. When I listen I hear almost every 80s movie soundtrack. They get extra marks for that.
Альбом красивый, похоже, знаковый для группы, но не до конца им проникся, как хотелось бы. Но звучит мощно, ярко.
I can’t believe I used to think that stuff like Depeche Mode was lame. I guess that’s what the kids call a personal flop level. I’m really trying to be more discerning towards 5 stars though and hoard them like a dragon’s gold. And I do have the same problem with Violator that I do Rumours- it peaks with “Enjoy the Silence” and think that the last third is a step down. Where do you go from “Waiting for the Dark” and EOS? But it’s all still very good and I love the perfect balance between unforgettable synth hooks and terrific musicianship. And Martin Gore’s voice is incomparable. A-
I like this alright. There's some good singles, but the other songs don't do much for me. I am between a 3 and a 4, so I guess I'll put as 3.5 and round up 3.5/5
I never liked Depeche Mode growing up (always chuckled at KMFDM jokingly standing for Kill Mother Fucking Depeche Mode), but I actually enjoyed this album quite a bit.
Two recognizable songs and some of the rest have very good tunes, but the lyrics are hard to swallow if you are not connected to the BDSM scene and sound like they came off the mouth of a creep.
Solid middle of the road album- Personal Jesus is obviously great, but I really dig the earlier Depeche Mode stuff where it was a little lighter! "Policy of Truth" and "Enjoy the Silence" are good tracks, I def have listened to this album frequently before, prob from my Dad!
Bändejä joita en ole ikinä ihan osannut. Liian synkkää menoa omaan makuuni. Ennakkoasenteista huolimatta tämä oli ihan mukavaa kuunneltavaa. Hyvin vahvat kasarisoundit bassoissa ja syntikoissa vaikkei ihan kasarilevy olekaan. Hittibiisien lisäksi myös pari muuta ihan toimivaa rallia löytyi.
Overall album is ok, it's Depeche Mode so it ain't bad. Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth are definitively the best songs here, standing out from the rest which are just ok.
A very iconic album - definitely didn't realize I had heard some of these songs before. Not my preferred style, but I see it s appeal
They def got a certain vibe in this record. You can certainly hear its influence in many songs over the years. I feel like i need to be in a bar to listen to it.... is that weird.
Depeche Mode sind eine Singles-Band, das wird immer klarer. Und Martin Gore steht aus schwülstigen SM-Kram, der mir persönlich nix ist - no kink shaming! - und dem er gern zwischen den Singles den Sountrack aufs Band dudelt. Diesmal für meinen Begriff sogar etwas gekonnter/progressiver als bei MFTM, aber trotzdem. Puh. Aber auch hier natürlich wieder super Hits drauf, und so steht am Ende eine 3,4.
Fine, but a bit boring. Hardly a jamboree of joy. I used to always turn over when they came up on the music channels in the early 00s.
I quite liked this. 2 or 3 good songs, mainly the singles. The rest of the album is good.
This teetered on a 2* for me but I think there was just about enough enjoyable on there plus personal jesus and enjoy the silence I really like to make it worth a listen. 3*
It has a cool sound, I like the production style. The tracks were often a little hit and miss for me though
If the members of Kraftwerk went through a goth phase they would make this album. Very unique sound.
Not much to say other than great album and great band. Much more my kind of thing than a few of the previous albums. Enjoy the Silence and Personal Jesus the obvious standouts but even the album tracks make me want to dance around the kitchen annoying the shit out of Kajsa.
I've never heard this album as a whole before, but I've heard a few of the tracks many times. This album was so big when it came out, it was hard to avoid. Violator is a darker version of Depeche Mode than their earliest work. Their debut album "Speak & Spell" almost has a pop music sound compared to the somber and sometimes creepy tones of "Violator". The opening track, "World in My Eyes", is dark musically and lyrically. This song gives me the creeps. There are some tracks that I would listen to again (4 stars). "Enjoy the Silence" is my favorite track on the album. "Personal Jesus", and "Policy of Truth" round out a trio of tracks that I would repeat. On a side note, Johnny Cash's cover of "Personal Jesus" is worth checking out. His cover carries a portion of the same somber mood as this album. Even if I didn't find "World in My Eyes" so creepy (2 stars), this album would get the same score from me overall (3 stars, but solidly in the 3s).
A decent, clean, and consistent piece of synth pop, although a bit too breathy and gothic for my taste. When Depeche Mode uses more creative instrumentals, a slightly funkier sound such as on Personal Jesus and a stronger disco sound such as on Enjoy the Silence, they are excellent. The rest of the record sounds mostly the same, with lyrics that are unengaging to me personally and sometimes repetitive. A 3/5 is a good score.
Very retro vibe with video like synths and instrumentation. Vocals deeper and songs slow.
I enjoyed this album. My favorite songs were mostly ones I already knew, but I enjoyed a few others as well. I added Blue Dress to my current playlist.
Cool synth sounds and an iconic voice. I didn't realize this record didn't release in the 80s. Definitely, some tracks that are part of my musical consciousness, but I doubt I would get super into the rest of the catalog.
I understand why people enjoy Depeche Mode, and I am one of those people. Not my favorite album though
Aside from the 2 lead singles it’s all a big droning and monotonous. Nearly tempted to push it to a 4 on the strength of Enjoy the Silence.
Often, based on the band name I have avoided listening to them because I have a preconceived idea what the music will sound like. Depeche Mode, a perfect example! They sound just as I imagined, end of review...actually, I understand why they are popular. The music is infectious and quite dance-able and I don't hate the music, but I will probably avoid it in the future.
Decent album. Personal Jesus is the obvious standout, though there is a similar vibe to several of the songs.
I have a British mate who lists DM as his fav band of all time. I completely appreciate the high production standard of this album, but it's not for me. I just can't plug into it. Even fan favourite 'Personal Jesus' doesn't do a lot for me. Can hear where Trent Reznor got a lot of his inspiration from though.
Well, it's definitely a Depeche Mode album. Nice 80s vibe there. Very listenable. Personal Jesus noteworthy track.
It’s Depeche Mode. I took some time while listening to look into where and what this album meant in the grand scheme of things for the band and it states that is a “more stripped down” sound/production for the band but I do t hear it. It is solid, entertaining, rhythmic yet frightful at times yet at the end of the day it is what I expected it to be.
Electronic ain't really my bag, so doesn't really do it for me. Don't feel very well qualified to critique it. Personal Jesus is one cut I'm familiar with and I can get into.
The sweetest perfection To some listeners The slightest correction Not really my bag But some nice stuff going on
Very classic Depeche Mode. A very modern and polished sound, the quality of the production is excellent. I know many of the songs very well, and a few I know I've heard before but seemed new to me. Overall, I definitely enjoyed revisiting this one. 3/5
No soy fan de Depeche Mode, los he escuchado a menudo, reconozco su valía pero nunca compré sus discos ni fui a un concierto suyo. Este disco creo que es su mayor éxito comercial: Personal Jesus, Enjoy the silence y Policy of Truth. Se merece estar en esta lista.
Came into this without having listened to much Depeche Mode before. I'm generally not into 80s synth music. I think the only Depeche Mode connection I have is the Johnny Cash cover of Personal Jesus for this record. In general I enjoyed listening to this. I liked the first half better than the second half. Enjoy the Silence in particular was tough to get through for me for some reason. But the first few songs were pretty good. Probably not something I'll revisit too much if ever but interesting and enjoyable generally.
Varmasti ko. orkesterin ainoa levy jonka jaksaa kuunnella mielenkiinnolla alusta loppuun asti. Ei silti mikään mestariteos ja voisin kuolla kuulematta tätä(kin) levyä.
I remember when this album by was new and when "Personal Jesus" was causing a fuss. (And the American entertainment television reporter, did she still think Depeche Mode were "America's favourite rock 'n' roll band?") This is exactly the kind of goth rock the world needed to ease the way from the 80s into the 90s. Time to say goodbye to the rough and into the smooth disguised as the rough. There's also the irony of Dave Gahan singing about being "clean" but maybe he meant it in a spiritual rather than chemical way.
Rather boring, other than the 2 hit songs. It was only when Songs of Faith and Devotion came out that I started genuinely gravitating towards Depeche Mode.
much darker and weirder and deeper than I remembered it being - some great sounds and hooks and songs, but it fades towards the end
Initial thoughts: this album is what seeing neon colors at midnight sounds like Fav from album: enjoy the silence or personal jesus 3
The instrumental wizardry on this project would make the 80s club movement proud. However, my ears weren’t entirely satisfied. It seems Depeche spent so long fine tuning violator for electronic ears that it lost touch with its pop potential in such a way that makes it not quite worth revisiting.
It's good pop. I'd heard the hits, hadn't heard the filler tracks; really awkwardly written lyrics but they get the point across. I want to listen a bit more, I think. It didn't do much for me.
A few great songs on here but Depeche Mode never really did anything for me. This album is the same. Mostly forgettable with a few gems thrown in for good measure.
Die Singles sind geil, der Rest geht so bis ok. DM fand ich ja damals gar nicht so gut, weiß sie erst mit zeitlichem Abstand mehr zu schätzen.
I mean, Personal Jesus deserves 5 stars itself and Enjoy the Silence is one of the greatest songs ever recorded but, the rest of the record is a bit boring.
Fun stuff but I find with Depeche Mode it really depends on how I am feeling that day and today I wasn't really feeling it. Loved the production on it. 3.5/5
"Enjoy the silence" deserves its own place on this list. One of those songs that are so recognizable that is tough to forget. Maybe it's overused and that is the reason it is a classic, but listening to it in the context of the album makes much sense. It's an extremely nice song. The rest of the album? Well, it's nice. Sounds fresh even after more than 30 years and this is a nice thing, but it could be better if it had fewer songs. After all songs, it starts to sound repetitive.
Kolejne Depeche na liscie, ale tym razem bardziej kojarze album, ktory jest siodmym w ich studyjnej dyskografii, wydany w 1990, wiec troche minelo od muzyki dla mass i czuc wyrazna zmiane w stylistyce bandy, nadal popowo, bardziej rokowo i mocno elektronicznie, slychac takze influencje z muzyki muzyki klasycznej, jak kompozycja na traku clean, cos jak pimpf na poprzednim piku od nich, najbardziej jednak zaskoczyly mnie wokale pana Gore, tym razem o wiele bardziej pasujace do tonu krazka, ktory melodycznie celuje w spokojne uptempo, a lirycznie opowiada o hedonistyczym stylu bycia zycia, od dobrych dziewczym, po ladne narkotyki, wiec pasuje do podejscia bandy do nagran w tamtym okresie, work hard and party hard, a jednoczesnie lubic to co sie robi i sprzedac jako komercyjny sukces jest sztuka, ktora sie tutaj udala, hajlajtami jak dla mnie beda traki ktore gdzies juz mialem osluchane, wiec personal jesus czy enjoy the silence, ale na plejce ich nie bylo jeszcze, bo jednak dosc elektroniczne traki jak na moja liste
Enjoy the silence was good. The rest of the album wasn't bad, and I can see how people like it. I didn't mind it but also wasn't particularly drawn by this album, I found it a bit boring. I guess it's not really my style.
I liked this album, but I was a *bit* underwhelmed by the end of it. Don't get me wrong: I found quite a bit very enjoyable, but I don't think I enjoyed it AS much as 'Music for the Masses' when all is said and done. While the production was cleaner and the album had a couple of songs I had heard in the past ('Enjoy the Silence' is fantastic, but I am not a fan of 'Personal Jesus'), it just felt lacking in something that I can't quite put my finger on. I personally feel like there were more highs and a greater amount of variety in MftM which kept me interested throughout the entire listen. That album felt like peak 1980's synth pop; maybe this record just didn't grab me as much because it was now the 1990's which has a very different sound for the decade? I'm not entirely sure. While I don't have a ton to say, I did have a good time listening to this one. I wouldn't necessarily come back to it at the moment, but it could be a grower with time. 3/5.
Let me start off by saying: I do not like Depeche Mode. A comedian once said the lead singer is getting to the point where his skin was almost transluscent. Dude, go outside once in a while. So I was probably prejudiced to this album. The electronic percussion was particularly grating. Having said that... Personal Jesus is just a damn good song. It is undeniable. I have listened to that one song over and over again. It just runs over you like a freight train. The rest is decent, but that one song almost redeems the album for me. Almost.
Thought this was a pretty good album. Very 80s synth electronic feel to it but also had some good rock elements. Some of the songs I’ve heard before. This album is pretty complete as it’s not too long unless you add the bonus tracks. Would listen again. 6.9/10
Depeche Mode was an MTV staple back in its heyday, and since I was basically raised on MTV, the band figures prominently in my memory, especially the singles, "Personal Jesus", "Enjoy the Silence", and "Policy of Truth". I'm not actually a big fan of synthpop as a genre, but this album is just brilliant. It's not "dark synthpop", but the atmosphere evoked by the music--and even more by the vocals--is dark, not in the macabre sense but in the sense of it being urban and night.
Not fan of Depeche Mode but if you have to listen to one of their albums this is the one. Has a lot of their hits.
I dont love or hate any of the songs I just wasn’t interested the whole album so a bit meh for me
Personal Jesus & Enjoy the Silence are bangers, but the rest didn't do much for me at all 2.5
Personal Jesus is great. The rest doesn't come close. All electronic riffs and beats, trying to write another Personal Jesus, but unfortunately, they only managed it once.
Personal Jesus is a banger. Legitimate slaps. For me personally it brings back memories of being ~14 year old, playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, driving around the desert in a convertible, and blaring this song through the car speakers. Enjoy the Silence is also a genuine certified slapper. The ending is very weird. The rest of the album isn't as strong for me and doesn't offer anything in the same level of quality as Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence. Either way, the few tracks that stand out on this album warrant a 3/5 at the least as they are staples in this electronic genre.
I've never really listened to depeche mode but I know they're one of those groups with a cult following. Problem is those "cultists" are always people who say things like "oh I don't just listen to <metal subgenre>, I also like depeche mode and skinny puppy..." as if you're really stretching your musical legs branching out to the sisters of mercy, lol. Anyway this sounds like EBM with a bit more going on, like if EBM is the reinheitsgebot of electronic music, depeche mode isn't quite a craft beer, but also isn't a macrobrew - maybe something like coopers? I can't honestly say this album belongs on any list of must-hears. It just exists. I wouldn't say it sucks, but it doesn't go anywhere, there's no spark (even if that's kinda what they aim for?), no real bits that make me sit up and go "wow!". 2/5. Extra note: the song personal jesus is familiar. But like only the chorus, and then it must be from a cover? I'm sure I've never heard this original.
I wanted to like this more, I thought I would. It gets a bit samey over the whole album, though there are a couple of good tracks. I like Depeche Mode, I'm glad they exist, getting through a whole album like this is a little like hard work though. They're so very mood altering, draping everything in a dystopian melancholia that isn't that welcome right now.
I was never a big Depeche Mode fan, and it seems I'm still not. There were a few songs on this that I didn't hate, but overall just not my thing. 2.5 stars.
Gute teils sehr gute Songs dabei. Das Gros ist jedoch einfach wie bei „Music for the Masses“ nicht gleichmäßig stark; klar poppig, in der Struktur auch um Vielschichtigkeit bemüht, nur einfach für mein Gefühl nicht so irre relevant, wie DM wohl allgemein verehrt werden. Singles sind dafür unsterblich super. 2.3
apart from the 2 obvious bangers on this album I find the rest to be droney and yawnsome
I wanted to like this more, I thought I would. It gets a bit samey over the whole album, though there are a couple of good tracks. I like Depeche Mode, I'm glad they exist, getting through a whole album like this is a little like hard work though. They're so very mood-altering, draping everything in a dystopian melancholia that isn't that welcome right now.
maybe brexit was right. i'm clearly not european enough to appreciate Depeche Mode. its all part of the tories plan to destroy the EU. British people aren't allowed to live in europe and europe are making it a cunt for british bands to tour. what those 'unelected beurocrats' have failed to see is that by effectively banning Depeche Mode from playing in europe all of the EU will implode. thats my understanding of how big Depeche Mode are in the EU. Two massive singles on here surrounded by some utter garbage. those europeans don't know shit.
This is not really my kind of music, but there are melody's and sounds I do kind of vibe to. I like the funky degree the album has. The music also gives of some spooky vibes
Not much to write home about. A kinda boring synth-pop kinda thing. Not my style, never been a fan of Depeche Mode, but this hasn’t converted me
I want to like it. But it’s like new order without any of the urgency or excitement. Had some ok songs (Enjoy the Silence) but the rest are largely forgettable.
Not really a fan of this guy's voice and the whole angsty electronica from the 80's genre. Album got a lot better in the middle when it was just instrumentals, however and I probably would have enjoyed it more as an instrumental soundtrack to a bad 80s scifi action movie.
Really didn’t feel like listening to an hour of this. It sounded alright, but really not my style.
i think a lot of the songs were very repetitive and annoying. it just wasn’t really my vibe and i wouldn’t listen to it again.
Jäi kesken kuuntelu eikä mikään oikeen innosta kuunnella loppuun valitettavasti. Depechen tyyli lähinnä ärsyttää mua, mut ei se silkkaa paskaa ole
I am not a big Depeche Mode fan. There were known songs on this album. The album has some of the snythesizer sound of the 80s but I just don't find it entertaining. Thankfully it was not that long of an album.
I don't like Depeche Mode. A generous 2 as some of the instrumental bits were interesting
Just didn't get into this one at all. Never a fan of Depeche Mode but figured why not. Confirmed my distaste for this band.
Not nearly as cool as New Order, but not terrible. I could get down to this if I was a moody 80s teen.
Not really a fan of the poppy sound. Would have to really check it out when I am not busy.