Reviews (page 11 of 13)
- second song was like an annoying version of tron - personal jesus idk it's like tacky country - song 5 still not great - enjoy the silence kinda nostalgic
Depeche Mode somehow went from a squeaky clean and slightly effete synth pop band to a sleazy, leather clad, stadium filling behemoth honking out thumping diatribes against religion with Personal Jesus, and shimmering gloomscapes about depression with Enjoy the Silence. Turns out that all it took was lots and lots of those tasty, tasty drugs. The track ‘Clean’ is a little bit on the nose, although the Pink Floyd inspired bass line is excellent.
Different than my usual, but really vibing with it.
If every song is like missing the last 15% of greatness. Still good album but could be so much more.
The hits are hitty, everything else kind of falls flat for me personally
Not too bad for a new wave record. Favourite songs: Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, Halo, World in My Eyes, Policy of Truth Least favourite songs: Sweetest Perfection, Waiting for the Night 3/5
Um álbum com algumas influências inesperadas de alguma leve eletronica, especialmente na primeira cantiga, o World in my eyes. Mas de resto é um álbum expetável, nada de muito diferente do rock calmo e pacato que já esperamos da banda, mas tendo isto em conta o álbum por vezes torna-se semelhante a si mesmo e cansativo. Não sinto que tenha muito a acresentar sobre este álbum, para além de possivelmente ter as duas músicas mais famosas da banda, o Personal Jesus e o Enjoy the Silence. Destaco o, muito famoso, Enjoy the Silence e o Sweetest Perfection. Nota: 6/10 03/06/2024
it was okay
I listened on shuffle and loop so I’m unsure if I actually listened to the whole album or whether I listened to it multiple times. I will never know.
The more melodic numbers are fun, but most of the album strikes me as inoffensive, unremarkable background music blaring over your conversation in a cocktail bar in the 80s. It’s fine- I wasn’t saying anything important anyway
too much Sythn not my deal but a good album
Kinda samey, but it has its moments.
The well-known singles tracks are definitely the stand-out tracks, but there are other strong tracks too. If you like electronic music, which I do to a degree, then you'll enjoy this album, which I did.
Not my fave. Trippy dance music from the clubs .
It’s the iconic electronic 80s, black eyelinered group
maybe 3.5. hadn’t heard much depeche mode before this (except just can’t get enough and enjoy the silence). the songs on this album are quite long - kind of too the point where it feels like they are dragging. enjoy the silence is of course a classic and I really liked policy of truth as well.
Had some nice highs but some deep lows. 2.5/5
The instrumentals were great. Very unique sounds that I enjoyed. I wasn’t a huge fan of some of vocals in the songs, the lyrics is some were mid. Other than that good album.
A few great songs...but didn't think the rest of the album was anything special.
This album hasn't aged particularly well, but I can respect what it was in its time. Though the sounds are very much just a period of their time, the album is very well done and well produced. Probably not one I'll return to, but it was at least an interesting listen.
Personal Jesus!
Solid album.
I do enjoy this album, it’s a real interesting electro-80s styled album. Kind of like Joy Divison, it did take me longer to get into this album. I already knew ENJOY THE SILENCE and love love that track, a few others like WORLD IN MY EYES and POLICY OF TRUTH are fantastic. I genuine enjoy aspects of the album and see why it’s highly regarded, it’s just not entirely my vibe.
Synth-pop isn't really my thing but this had some good stuff on it and was OK overall.
As I said with their last album, I quite like the dark moodiness that sits across this, and I like some of the dramatic instrumentation. I way preferred this one to 'Music for the Masses', but it still doesn't quite hit 100% for me, and isn't something I gravitate towards in general. It IS slow and brooding, but not in a way that works for me. Enjoy the Silence is a great song, but even so it's still not really a song I would actively seek out or bop to.
Me gustan las dos canciones famosas.
Depeche Mode were always about on the airwaves back in 80’s and 90’s. I always enjoyed listening and they produced some good dance tracks but I never bought their music. Good to see that they are still producing music but now completely off my radar. Whilst streaming this album I strayed onto the 12” remix version. Bought a load of the 12” extended singles back in the 80’s as they were very often better than the 45rpm version. That holds true with this album although it extends the whole listening experience to 3 hours as there are numerous versions of the albums hit singles. All in all a pleasant album. Not great but good example of what was about in 1990. 3/5 3/5/24
An ok album
An odd coincidence about Depeche Mode, is that but my wife and I each dated someone that was obsessed with Depeche Mode. That being said this album is full of wonderful synths, heartbreak and longing. There are definitely some stand out tracks but unfortunately after a while it starts to become a little one note for me.
Solid album that has some all-time great bangers. Not exactly my favourite genre of music, but it's easy to see it's influence and the band has shown eminent staying power for 4 decades.
Meh, not bad, but nothing special. Certainly sounds dated, I'd say more 80s than 90s.
Some solid songs, but overall kinda meh for me
Oooh so 90s. Ooh nothing earth shattering... but giving a 3 because I'm nostalgic
It was OK
Bit of a mixed bag here but some really lovely tracks especially the ones that I’ve never heard before. Clean is very dark and powerful. Waiting For the Night is haunting and key changes and harmony and flirtations with chromaticism make it perhaps the most interesting track. It does super interesting things with the bass synth line offering weird little intervals. I think it is playing a minor third against the major tonality of the line. It makes the whole thing viscerally disturbing. Really good stuff.
Depeche Mode, over the years, has been pioneering in bringing a degree of drama, seriousness and hunger for meaning in the world of electronic music. These are musicians that obviously take their craft very seriously. Though I will never be mistaken for a fan, I really respect the path they took as writers, and I truly enjoy some of their songs. They know how to create an atmosphere. I remembered this record as sounding more dated than it actually was. Yes, all the tricks from the 80s are in and it feels very bip bip, but when you listen closely there are a lot more subtle arrangements pieces that make the songs interesting beyond the ones that everybody knows. Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth are the obvious hits that we all know, but even in these songs I heard things I had not paid attention too before, that give them depth and provide a window into the attention for detail that went into the writing and recording process. The themes that the record centres are far from easy, but these songs pass the test of time in surprising ways. This is a nocturnal record. Someone stands in the dark in front an open door, in an empty room, wondering if courage is staying behind or crossing the threshold. Wrestling with choices. Dave Gahan is a great singer for this - he really brings this charisma to carry the battle. I enjoyed my time here and found a new level of respect for them.
Hate me. I'm just not a Depeche Mode fan.
I knew what I was getting. My standout is policy of truth. Overall, I like Depeche Mode but I get bored. The whole album is very similar.
I felt like I was in a movie montage getting ready for the big game. The instrumental songs were a tad serious for my activities while listening.
Takes me back to the 80's
There’s some real great highs in this album but some parts just drag the album down a bit.
Sort of reminds me of the Soft Cell album -- seedy, electro, dirty. Like a glimpse into whatever 'scene' the writer was into at the time, but with a more industrial feel. "Personal Jesus" is still a banger. 3.6
::Shrug emoji::
I’ve never really liked Depeche Mode much. I’ve tried with this album before and didn’t dig it, but we can try again. And unfortunately it’s just as overwrought as I remember. Fine, just not my taste
I’ve listened to this album a million times it’s pretty good and it looks good on a CD rack in between Pretty Hate Machine and Disintegration. Like many DM albums the singles stand way taller than the album tracks, but luckily this album has 4 of them.
It's just Personal Jesus, Enjoy The Silence and I guess Policy of Truth that were okay, the rest of the songs were a bit meh. Nothing really too exciting, although these songs became quite popular, but hey, you can't have a whole album that's good.
A shining example that set the template for a lot of good albums to follow. But it's also not a template that I like as much as the one set by some of their electro and synth-pop contemporaries.
Cool synth pop. Not really my thing but likely inspired arcade fire
So personal jesus is the only song on here that I have recalled hearing before.. But eh- I don't know if this sound is just dated or overplayed, I just didn't get into it. Now, if we are talking 1990's standards, this seems like an album that would've pushed the envelope of what you "could and should" be able to do with music, and I am sure that garnered quite a crowd of supporters. Now, what I do like in this album, is that it sets a CLEAR tone- it sounds like a cohesive album, and it sounds like they clearly knew what they were doing going into it. I get urban boy at dawn vibes. This is yet another album that is a rollercoaster of different styles, and again-I quite enjoy albums like this when they can pull it off (Cohesive yet different enough from eachother to not get bored) I am in love with the synthy production here, i am just a slut for that in general though I suppose. This is a solid 6.5/10 for ME soley because although I see the vision and enjoyed the record, it's not something I would revist routinely
Enjoy the silence is an iconic 90s song come on but I think I am too harsh on Depeche Mode I need to be nicer and I need to be better about listening to old disco and electronic stuff. I think this will grow on me. I like the start I think World in my eyes and personal jesus are fun and interesting tracks I just help to feel like once you heard one you heard them all. I enjoyed but at the cost of kinda getting the jist of it 30% through
Meget groovy! Personal Jesus og Enjoy the Silence er meget stærkt associerede med Det lille Apotek i mit hoved, så på den måde er det her en perfekt plade at høre på en fredag. Får helt lyst til at smadre 40 små kolde
Ret mange gode sange som jeg har hørt riiiigtig meget hver fredag i en periode over 3 år, mens jeg gik på gymnasiet. Viva La Det Lille!
It was nice of 1,001 to give me my own personal Jesus on Easter Monday. The rest is meh.
There are a few classics in here, but listening down the album was a long journey where the songs started to run together.
I'm not going to lie... I wasn't looking forward to this album. I'm not very familiar with this band. I know they are highly influential to a lot of bands that I enjoy (NIN, APC, Matthew Good) to name a few. And after hearing this album, I realize that I know more songs than I thought. I swear the song Enjoy The Silence has to be one of the most covered songs ever. It's such a well written song. It has a great hook. And the lyrics are poetry. I cant forget Personal Jesus. Another song that's been covered by everyone and their dad. There's a gothic feel to this album... Released in 1990, it is coming off of the 80s synth wave that I highly dislike. I love keyboards, drum machines, and synths... But it wasn't until the 90s that it took shape into something that I like. I think I could give Trent Reznor a large amount of credit for this. He single handedly got me into that sort of electronic/industrial/goth type music. The vocals in this album aren't for me. Not terrible, they just don't resonate to me. This album grew on me as I listened through and it honestly has made me curious to hear more Depeche Mode. Although, I know their 80s stuff will be inferior to this album for sure just due to my preferences.
I had great expectations because I knew Depeche Mode was so big around that era, but this album didn't grab me as much as I thought it would. There were some classic, famous songs like 'Personal Jesus' and 'Enjoy the Silence', but other than that it was just an okay listen. I've never really been into synth pop so maybe I should know the context of that era better to understand the importance of this album.
Opening the nineties with a new wave sound that would feed into nineties industrial. A good listen.
Couple good songs. The rest was a lot of the same. Solid 2.5
- love the electronic elements - Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth were bangers - would maybe go back to this one - 3.5
This album sounds like they all were required to record it shirtless. Good amount of all-timers (Enjoy The Silence, Policy Of Truth, Personal Jesus), okay amount of other good songs, hearty amount of mid.
Seems to be a common theme of albums with some really poggers songs but then a lot of resident sleepers. I totally get why enjoy the silence has so many streams. it rips. Sweetest perfection & waiting for the night also rip
It's fine. There's a few cool songs but the last half of the album is completely forgettable.
Cold cold cold. Couple of really good songs but overall just not my thing.
Definitely sounds dated but it is a pretty solid album overall.
Started off good but really tailed off in that second half. Some good 80s synth pop in there (despite it being a 90s release). Not paid much attention to Depeche Mode, I reckon they'd have a decent greatest hits album but way too much filler on this. First half 4*, second half 2*
Depeche Mode ist viel Synthpop, aber zum Glück auch ein wenig Alternative Rock. So ist das Album alles in allem in Ordnung. Für mich nicht das beste Album der Welt, aber hörbar.
Not my style but a couple classic songs
Classic synth wave
had to stop reading about depeche mode bc it was making me insane. 3 bc its cool but the songs r sooo fucking long and arent attacking me enough for me to enjoy it casually
Pretty good, kinda gay.
Two big hits on this one, Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence. I can’t see myself putting the whole album on, but for sure, this thing is a whole vibe.
Pleasantly surprised by this album. Was on a long drive home and listened to it the whole way.
Good vibes.
Seemed like a pleasant listen but unremarkable outside of Personal Jesus. Didn't blow me away like I thought it would.
Love the sinister synths and dark vocals. I don't know this group other than "Personal Jesus". Overall great beats and arrangements. I actually enjoyed the bonus tracks more than the core album.
This is the genre that I can only describe as wuss rock. Similar to The Cure, Tears for Fears and later Simple Plan. Personal Jesus has appeared in about 100 movies, and the rest of the tracks are pretty okay. I don't hate it; I don't love it.
Depeche Mode is cool. Dave Gahan has a very recognizable voice and singing cadence. This album is the only album I've listened to by them, and they've had 139 albums, so they must be doing something right, but it's just not my favorite. The hit songs are good and have serious staying power, but some of the other tracks are just kind of boring.
solid album. catchy songs.
I mean, it's fine. It's not bothersome, but it doesn't really grab me either.
I understand the importance of this album, and loved it when it came out, but listening today left me a bit flat
Soms heb je van die albums die klinken als een decennium, maar die niet in dat decennium zijn uitgebracht. Dit is er zo eentje. Ik heb dit album altijd hoog zitten, maar hem daadwerkelijk luisteren doe ik zelden (of in ieder geval al heel lang niet meer). Vandaag was dan het moment om toch even goed te peilen of mijn mentale inschatting van deze plaat wel overeenkomt met mijn actuele beoordeling. Ik heb Depeche Mode altijd een beetje lastig gevonden, het is me af en toe een beetje te pretentieus, en de stem van Gahan balanceert op een koord tussen melancholisch en zeurderig. Maar zoveel elementen spreken me ook wel weer aan, vooral als de productie iets meer inspiratie haalt uit de goth rock/post-punk hoek. De productie op deze plaat is natuurlijk waanzinnig, en de mysterieuze vibe die het weet neer te zetten pakt me wel. 'Halo' is wel echt de poster child van deze stemming, en is een demonstratie van hoe synths, industriële, en goth componenten elkaar kunnen aanvullen. Een perfecte samensmelting van drie uiteenlopende 80s genres. 'Enjoy the Silence' flirt vooral met de synth-pop zijde, wat ook een grote reden is achter zijn succes. Maar ook hier heerst er een sensuele, mysterieuze sfeer die het album bij elkaar houdt. 'Blue Dress' kende ik nog niet zo goed, en was voor mij de verrassing. Deze laat een andere kant van de band zien die ik nog niet zo goed kende. De zang haalt duidelijk inspiratie uit Morrissey's werk, en zorgt voor een interessante wending op het album. Helaas kwam die wending pas één nummer voor het einde, en vond ik het ietwat te veel van het zelfde. Het voelde alsof de band er vrij makkelijk van af kwam door te schuilen achter het fenomenale productiewerk van Flood, waardoor er best wat nummers tussen zaten die een beetje flauw aanvoelden ('World In My Eyes', 'Sweetest Perfection', 'Waiting for the Night'). Het is een sterk album, maar ik had best nog wel wat meer 'left turns' willen horen die even de dromerige laag die over het album hangt doorbraken, zoals 'Personal Jesus' dat heel goed doet. 7/10 Highlights: Personal Jesus Halo Blue Dress
No me llamo mucho la atención, aunque para nada es malo. Hay un par de canciones buenas. Me parece un poco lento.
Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence were good, everything else was ok
This should hit right in my sweet spot of eminently sentimental snappy electronic dance music that is new wave and goth-industrial-adjacent. Of course I remember the cool kids in my high school having DM records and being intrigued with the edgy image and bouncy, compelling dance mind control rays. However, I could never get over how disjointed the tenebrous synth sequences and jarring programmed percussion were alongside David Gahan's serene, placidly operatic voice. From the instrumental aspects I would feel inclined to dial into a more pop-industrial frame of mind, but old Davide Ganglyvoice just barges in and belts his yodelling goat sissy crooning. Cut David's vocals out of this record, an instrumental remix if you will, and I would give this record a 4. To be kind and fair to DM, 'Ultra' got it right - with David singing as if he had just stepped out of being trapped in a clothes tumble dryer on a 60-minute extra searing and bludgeoning cycle. KMFDM had the right idea about giving Depeche Mode some much-needed tough love.
It was ok but too new wavy for my liking and a bit too long. I enjoyed the instrumentals.
Lots of familiar tracks here. Good listening 6/10
сначала хорошо пошло, но быстро устала, готический гламур этот долго не выдержать
I got Depeche mode two days in a row. I feel largely the same as music for the masses. I like this but it's still probably just a 3 with this scale. It just isn't music I can see myself putting on. It doesn't really capture a mood I'm ever in.
Harmi, että loistavat sinkut vievät kaiken huomion - Personal Jesus kantaa a-puolen, Enjoy the silence b-puolen. Toisaalta hyvä rakenne niin, että muu rakentuu noiden ympärille, täydentää. Äänimaailma on miellyttävä, angsti puree muhun. Kaipasin vain lisää mieleenjäävyyttä, en vain tunnelmointia.
Tämä taitaa olla paperilla parempi kuin kokemuksena: konsumeristinen synkkyys on tunnelmana riittämätön kannattelemaan albumia. Ei niin etteikö levyllä olisi hyviä raitoja - myös klassikoiden lisäksi. Jostain syystä en kuitenkaan näe itseäni kuluttamassa niitä kovinkaan usein.
Enjoyed this some fun synth and vocals. Can really see the influence Depeche Mode has had. Enjoyable throughout. 7
didn’t hate it, but wasn’t super jazzed by it. wouldn’t mind it if it was playing in a café, but probably won’t turn it on for myself.
3 great songs, 6 kind of boring nothing songs.
No me va demasiado el tecno. Alguna buena canción.
1. 4.1 2. 3.8 3. 3.8 4. 3.9 5. 3.5 6. 4.7 7. 4.2 8. 3 9. 2.8 10. 3 11. 3.4 12. 4.2 13. 4 14. 2.9 15. 2.4
Innovativ & abwechsligsriich, hett mi aber ned umghaue…
die ganz atmosphäre wo bildet wird findi sehr sehr nice sehr atmosphärisch aber trz rhythmisch zum sich dezue bewege? aberrrr leider sticht für mich kein song ussert enjoy the silence und vlt clean würkli usse vlt es album woni iwenn nomal muss lose aber momentan isches es 3
I like Personal Jesus. Others are good but weird for my taste
even though this album has really iconic songs, the rest was not as great.
It's great
A little more mellow/low energy than I'm into, but still an interesting album. I could see listening to this at the end of a Friday night, winding down after being out and about.
Enjoy The Silence and Personal Jesus continue to be amazing songs, but to me they’re the only ones I really loved from this otherwise uneven album. I’d give it 3.5 if I could.
I haven't listen to much synth pop. The instrumentals where pretty cool. A lot of kind of darker energy. Policy Of Truth was my favorite song off the album. But overall not for me.
Wave, synth, industrial, wide range of styles, electro, dark, well mixed - not my pair of shoes
This was Depeche Mode's first top-10 album but even so, they were popular enough and I find it a hell of a bold choice to end this album with 5 straight instrumental tracks. I can't imagine a popular band doing so these days for almost an entire half of an album. The album overall is a little too lacking in dynamics for me. DM knows their sound and they stay safe within those confides. They are however, REALLY, REALLY good at working with that sound that has gained them the notoriety over the years. Favorite Song: "Personal Jesus" (honorable mention: "Memphisto") Favorite Moment: The intros and outros of "Waiting for the Night"
Not bad, not good. Mozda mi je sam Depeche malo dosadan.
3.4/5
Violator by Depeche Mode is a compelling album that seamlessly blends sleazy and saucy elements, creating a dark and moody atmosphere. The album's clean and sparse moments enhance its appeal While sonically outstanding, the intensity of the themes makes it more enjoyable in bite-sized intervals. It's worth noting that no Depeche Mode = no Nine Inch Nails = heartbreak for Karen. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 5 STAND OUT TRACK - Enjoy the Silence
Not bad -- liked Policy of Truth the best.
Pari hyvää biisiä
Good hits. Lots of instrumentals.
Another positive surprise. I was expecting some hits and a lot of misses, but a consistent (the first half at least) and forward thinking album. Enjoy the Silence is such a great track, another song that I've heard plenty before but only really appreciated now in the context of the 1001. The second half is a decline in quality for me, with a lot of the tracks meandering towards nothingness. Fave Tracks: Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth 3.3/5
Sorry, it's good but so much of it has been so massively overplayed for so much of my life. Hate to downrate something for being so successful and game-changing but it's just not my vibe.
This wasn't bad but I don't think I'd listen again.
Fun but dated.
The album is a bit too synth-pop for my taste, it feels like it has a hard time letting go of the 80s, but it is not such a bad listen. Funny enough I found myself enjoying the more modern cover versions of their hits rather than the originals.
Opzich wel priem, meer bekende bangers dan ik dacht
Знаковый альбом, но мне не нравиться(
Found it hard to make a personal connection with this one
I do not particularly like electronic music and this album sounds weirdly dated to me.
Good
such a dark groovy vibe, I feel very in my emo girl bag with this, pretty cool
Mouais
Not my favorite Depeche Mode record, but still quite good
it was gonna be a 2 but it has personal jesus
Pretty good 80s album
Decent album. Good tracks. The hits are, of course, solid.
Well rounded album, great use of synths not just as instruments but also as soundscape devices to help deliver the feeling of a song. Earliest that I've ever heard of bands doing it in the way they have. I can now understand some Depeche Mode influence from in places like the work that Troy Van Leeuwen does for QotSA
Mi canción favorita fue "Personal Jesus" pero siento que le hace falta un poco de cambios ya que siento que es muy monótono, de igual manera es un buen album, el cual lo podría escuchar después pero no tan seguido.
Kinda bored, but I'm a big Depeche Mode singles guy so 3 stars overall 3
Three stars just for Personal Jesus
A very solid album. I like!
Eu gostei, tá bem na vibe das cosias que ando ouvindo recentemente, mas ainda sim, não ouviria duas vezes.
ihan menevä! luulin eka et ei hittais mut kyl tää släppäs yllättäen vaikkaki ei ollu ehkä ihan mun tyyline :)) it was giving bo burnham välil joka oli funny
Some poppy hits, but that can’t be all?
It’s fine! One or 2 good songs. Not. Huge fan.
Another Depeche Mode where I enjoy the hits but not the filler. I might go a star higher if Enjoy the Silence didn’t have the hidden track appended, which makes it much less playlist-friendly (and is bad in the flow of the album).
Enjoy the silence is an all time great, most of the rest of this not so much
Personal Jesus - A song that I already enjoyed a nice beat and good rhythm combined with interesting vocals makes me await the rest of the album
Some phenomenal singles and solid tracks but a little too boring to really be put over the top. Pleasantly surprised though.
Good music, kinda goth vibes??
Стиль кайф интерес. Пара хитов. Но под конец прям просел(
Moody, rhythmic, haunting. It’s a good album but apart from Personal Jesus nothing resonated with me strongly.
Interesting for sure. Very long indeed.
Ei ehkä parhaiten ikääntyneitä levyjä, vaikka Enjoy the Silence toki toimii aina. Sanotaan 3/5.
Ihan hyvä levy, mut jotenkin en voi olla suhtautumatta meeminä. Varmaan sen Tallinnan DM-baarin johdosta. 3/5
Why do we need more than one Depeche Mode album? It's all the same
Good vocal quality from Martin Gore, well recorded, some cool synth sounds and darkish themes. But I didn't like it in 1987 and I still don't really like it. It just doesn't have the energy I want. You can sing some dark ballads, but give it a little emotional depth, man! Catchy tunes nonetheless, and "Personal Jesus" is always good for a laugh.
Never heard much Depeche Mode aside from their hits so it was fun to check this out. Not really my cup of tea, but still enjoyable. Feels like an album to put on while driving around on a rainy day.
Dig the beats
Some incredible tracks (Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence are absolute killers) but too many of the others are just not working for me.
Alright
Got some classics on there, love a bit of Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence. Some other hidden gems in there too however few songs I didn't enjoy as much, just felt like they lacked a bit compared to the rest.
Very good album, World In My Eyes is a great starting track for the album but by far enjoyed the track Policy of Truth the most. Had me listening to Depeche mode for the past 24hrs!
This was definitely new for me, yet had songs I was familiar with. Kind of dark, and 80’s-ominous. Bet the concerts were great. Fun fact: “The album explores the heavy themes of guilt, religion, sexual fetishes, nihilism, misanthropy and drugs, but songwriter Martin Gore felt these issues were a realistic depiction of life.”
I'm somewhat coming around on Depeche Mode. Still not a huge fan of the style, but I enjoyed this album a decent amount.
I thought that I knew it well, but I don’t. The sound production is too heavy and there seems to be many fillers.
Like most, I only knew Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence from the album. After the first song I was almost ready to skip the rest entirely and thought I'd hate it, but as I continued listening to it it grew on me. By the end I was even getting into it. Good album overall
Another good album.
Few good tracks. Mostly not for me though.
It sounds great from a productional perspective, but i can´t really get into it. Not all songs are appealing enough for it. So therefore I didn´t "enjoy the album" as much as liked too, still solid 3.
This was ok. I wanted more singles, less droning.
Good vibes, synth forward
Kinda an odd vibe. Not my normal jam but can see the appeal
While some bits were quite good, others were somewhat boring. 3/5: acceptable
Solid album. I like the music, but find it hard to listen to the entire album in one sitting. All the tracks are relatively slow and plodding. I enjoy the lyrics but would appreciate more variety in tempo.
Pretty good but I'm not super into 80s synthetic music
Personal Jesus all the way. I forgot about the 80’s alt sound mixed with that decade’s synth pop sound.
When this hits, it's amazing. But I feel like it doesn't hit enough for the significance it receives. It's good. But a lot of filler.
Nice album, a bit depressing at times but some good songs here.
3 songs favorited
Half geluisterd oeps, vet album ga ik dit weekend nog even goed goed luisteren.
Solid album. The song “Sibeling” was surprisingly beautiful.
Good, not great
Some absolute rammers and some plodding 80s gear.
Do all the songs sound the same? Yes they do.
i found the first half of the song engaging, then i felt it wasn't the style of music am looking for, but it has some very good songs.
My sister's favourite band back in the day. Just a little dull for me.
Some cool trippy sounds going on in this one. Singer sounds like Bo Burnham. Didn't love the front half, but started getting into the groove later in the album. I think this album had some 3.5 star material in it, but it was outweighed by repetitive, emo sounds. Would probably be a 2.5 star for me.
Personal Jesus is a banger and it gave me instant flashbacks of running over hookers with a tractor in GTA: San Andreas. This album has a crazy amount of 80s synth. Especially on Enjoy the Silence there is so much going on. There are points in this album where he sounds like Bo Burnham to me and I was expecting some ridiculous songs
Kinda sad synthy banger
There were a one or two songs that stood out and I'd listen to again. Otherwise, it's not real I style of music I like too much.
Personal Jesus is the best song on the album. Although it's not an album I'd seek out, I enjoy that it's got a strong beats and flares of other instruments that keep it from being monotonous. It makes you pay attention to the songs again and helps to differentiate them.
A cool synth pop paradise, a few known songs to make it better, Saved a few songs to a synth pop playlist.
good sounds. vocals weren't great.
World in my eyes 7.5/10 - Captures what I like about 80's synth pop. It's better than a 7 not quite an 8. Sweetest Perfection 6/10 - A bit repetitive. Kind of like the violin (?) And guitar chords around the 2 min mark I guess. It's a slow build through the entire song but the payoff didn't really do a whole lot for me at the end. Personal Jesus 6/10 - It's personal Jesus. Everyone's heard it a million times. At this point you either love it or hate it or you think it's just OK. (It's just ok. Kinda boring) Halo 7/10 - It's just good. Much like world in my eyes is it Captures what I like about dark 80's synth pop. So far its the best vocal melody on the album. Waiting for the night 5/10 - if the ambience of this one doesn't pull you in then it's just going to be a boring forgettable song (ambience didn't pull me in) Enjoy the silence 7/10 - kind of a nice surprise. Didn't know that I knew this one but I've definitely heard it many times. Much like world in my eyes and Halo this is the kind of Depeche Mode I prefer. Not sure what was going on in the 90 sec. or so there. Didn't work for me. Policy of Truth 8/10 - man this one is an earworm. I like the synth melody and rhythm. Vocal melodies work well with the music. This one is solid. Best song since the opener. Blue Dress 5/10 - it's a moody balled in a genre that I'm already not very big on. Same issues with this one I had with waiting for the night. The last minute has another weird closing section thats different from the rest of the song like in Enjoy the silence. Clean 7/10 - it's an OK song. I like the driving build up of the backing melody and the atmosphere of it all but it doesn't really go anywhere. Dangerous 7/10 - another catchy song like policy of truth but unlike the previous song this one doesn't quite do it for me. Memphisto 4/10 - an instrumental that doesn't really do anything. Seems like it could be a cinematic background song maybe. Only works in context with the album I guess. Siblings 4/10 - Piano dominated instrumental that only works in context with the album. Kaleid 5/10 - a grungy synth instrumental that sounds cool. It's got a very outrun vibe to it. But like the other instrumentals it only works in context with the album. You aren't just listening to any of these as singles. Happiest Girl 7/10 - it's a decent 80's synth pop song. Doesn't really try to be anything other than that. Doesn't really need to be anything other than that. Sea of Sin 7/10 I like the backing music. The vocal melodies work well for this one and help to enhance the overall song. Feel like it COULD be one of the higher rated songs on the album but something about it, I'm not sure, just doesn't push it to that next level. Overall 6.5/10 - I didn't take the instrumentals into account when coming up with the overall rating as I didn't feel like that was fair. I'd go as far as to say 6.5 is an overall low rating for Violator as a whole. I'd probably give it a bias rating of 7/10. It's a good listen as a whole and I can see how these guys set the gold standard for dark synth rock of the 80's. I'm by no means knowledgeable on this genre but it works for me as a jumping off point for discovering more music in this style.
It was ok but based on the singles I already knew (personal Jesus and enjoy the silence) I think I expected more
Good
It’s a product of its time. This is 80’s synth incarnate, for better or for worse. Enjoy the Silence is always going to be good though.
Nice
Their big songs off this album; Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth are amazing songs. I was surprised that pretty much all the other songs I didn't enjoy at all.
Very awkward lyrics but I quite like the soundscape, a couple of standout tracks
I do struggle to get on with this style of singing, it's just a bit too electro/robotic for me. That said, it's a really good example of this kind of music - the production is really clean, there's not a bad song on it, some good beats and synth. Enjoy The Silence my favourite track on it, which is almost dance music - there's a decent amount of range here too. Not far off a 4, but we'll stick with 3.
2/9, 22%
the most 80s album ever shame it came out in 1990 personal Jesus and enjoy the silence are awesome, the rest of the album is meh 3.5
esperava um pouco mais porque o hit (sound of silence) é muito diferenciado, o resto nada de mais
Very dated production. A couple of catchy singles but feel like this probably sounded better at the time than it does now. A bit too clean in all respects, perhaps?
I didn't want to like this. I love poppy Depeche Mode, not dark Depeche Mode. I had written off Violator as being a bit of a downer. It has a bit of both. Enjoy the Silence is a great piece of electronica. Personal Jesus is still a banger. Uplifting, but also a downer as well.
pretty decent. elecronic music with vocals from 1990
Meh, it felt like it took itself very seriously. It gave me the same feeling that emo music gives me, but without the awesome instrumentals.
1st June 2023 Listened throughout the day while having another lazy sun day in the hotel. Crazy meal in the evening for Frankie and Gordon’s 50th wedding anniversary. Grungy and romantic synth pioneers. Enjoyed this. 3.5 if I could.
Mixed bag, but cool old school techno
beeps and boops. some beeps better than others but not bad.
I wasn’t a big fan when this would have been released but have learned to like Depeche Mode over time. This is another band where I’ve probably been spoiled by greatest hits compilations.
Electrónica
A nice listen all together.
Some decent tracks
Synth-pop. It was a good listen.
Not very bassy. Might be Spotify. Some good hits, some nice grooves, and some off kilter stuff
Love the instrumentals; not so sure about the vocals
Pretty solid record of 80s pop/rock filled to the brim with synthesizers, with the smash hit 'enjoy the silence'.
Pretty good not my favorite, liked a couple songs. Liked the synths
interesting, I thought that Depeche Mode had been international stars years earlier, in the mid 80s. The hit singles, Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth are all great songs. The rest was kinda meh... 3 star for those good songs but it really deserves a 2.5
Not as good as I remembered
I knew a few of the songs and I like them well enough. Rest of the album was ok. I liked the last song Clean.
It was alright. Just reminds me of why Depeche Mode is my least favorite of the trinity
This album sure did have a few hits on. The songs that weren't hits were usually kind of nothing though. It was okay. Some good and some not notable. I might like one of their other albums more than this one. My favourite songs were Personal Jesus and Policy of Truth.
9.5/10
Vabbè è un classico
Had its ups had its downs
Knew a surprising amount of these songs
Not typically my style of music, but it was nice to hear electronic music composed artfully. Still falls into the "background noise" trap that most electronic music does for me, but I quite enjoyed this more than most other similar albums. Favorite track: Kaleid
Some great tracks, very atmospheric. Might be a 4-star album upon further listening.
Always liked Depeche Mode, but I wasn't familiar with any of the songs on this album. Not bad, but not great.
Didn't enjoy the start. Some tunes later on though
not mine
I enjoy some Depeche Mode, but for the most part it just doesn't appeal to me. Some good songs, but ultimately I don't really care for the album.
Mixed opinions for me. The songs I really liked, I liked. The songs I didn’t like, I didn’t care for. Stand outs were Personal Jesus, Halo, Enjoy the Silence.
Just ok.
so fette Sounds und interessante produktionen aber ich kann mit dem gesang einfach nix anfangen das scheißt für mich komplett rein
Depeche mode ist für mich irgendwie ziemlich weit weg, auch wenn die sehr revolutionär waren. Trotzdem muss man credit geben für gute Songs
A band I adore for their elite list of synth-pop singles moving into their “serious” period to mixed results. I should like this record a lot more, but it actually marks the point where I check out of Depeche Mode’s discography. Besides the singles, which are again top notch, the deep cuts are very samey both sonically and melodically. The production definitely ties another feather to the band’s bow, but it just didn’t resonate with me at all. It’s simultaneously dense and sparse and to my ear just falls a bit flat and, dare I say, dated. Obviously their earlier stuff is incredibly dated in this regard but it’s still ultimately fun. Here, the brooding introspection just never lets up and it seaps into every element of this record. It’s a pretty dark listen but not all that engaging across the full album. Nevertheless, I’m glad it’s on this list. Albeit with a bit of confusion I’ll admit.
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Had not heard much of Depeche Mode but liked their moody/synth sound. Some of the songs go on too long, especially "Enjoy the Silence" which could have been cut in half. Highlights were: World In My Eyes Personal Jesus
The usage of the harsh 80s synth percussion was used in several songs, which I didn't care for but the rest of it was much better than i was expecting. Dark and very polished. This album as a whole was very good.
It's hard for me to remember to cultural context of this record as I was too young There are a few truly great tracks here (Enjoy The Silence, Policy Of Truth). It's def bold and experimental, and they mostly pull it off.
Oscuro, con sonidos que actualmente te llevan a otra década pero que en mí caso, siendo mí papá fan, lo tengo bastante incorporado y me gusta escuchar
overall ok with a couple good songs. very listenable though!!
Quite a lot of hits I recognized and somewhat enjoyed, but I think this album went on for about a half hour too long.
Some bangers, some must-skip-songs
Not my favorite Depeche Mode
It’s the holidays so I had time to listen to the songs 2+times. The hits Pers Jesus, Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth are quite good. As for the rest, the darker songs like Halo were harder to listen to the second time through. The three hits are good so, for a second, I considered rounding up - but only for a second.
By 1990 I had lost interest in this type of music. I was introduced to “Personal Jesus” and “Enjoy the Silence” when I heard remixes a decade letter and by the time I heard the originals, they sounded like they needed a little more punch. That said, “Enjoy the Silence” is a great song, and “World in My Eyes” and “Policy of Truth”. Dave Gahan’s voice isn’t that strong (normal for a synth pop band I guess) but it really brings down the slower tarcks. I like the Pink Floyd-ish bits in “Clean”. Between a 2 and 3 for me.
Too slow
Enjoy the Silence their best song ever, for the rest of album their darkness does not grip me as e.g. Cure/Sisters Of Mercy does. Seems fake to me. Like their early poppy work etter.
This album is pretty good. Some songs are better than others, but overall the songs are good. I honestly don't have many opinions about this album. Favorite song: Halo Worst song: Blue Dress
I don't know if I've run out of ways to describe my daily album a mere 70 days into this project, or if I just don't have much to say about Violator at all. Some songs like Sweetest Perfection, Halo, Enjoy the Silence (of course) and Policy of Truth were moody, atmospheric, and enjoyable enough to put you in a trance, but the other tracks were meh.
Im just not sure how i felt about this one. I started out not liking it but it grew on me. Im not sure if i would say it is one of the 1001 albums you MUST hear before you die... definitely some good songs. just not really my thing i guess.
Not a big new-wave fan; however, I was fond of some of the earlier tracks on the album. The combination of electronic sounds and traditional orchestration gave it a distinct feel. I might come back to this after I become more seasoned with the new-wave genre, however right now, I'm not terribly fond of it. Sort of underwhelming. Favorite Track: Memphisto.
Hooky but trite and overrated. “Enjoy the Silence” and “Policy of Truth” are not bad, but there's a silliness factor that one struggles to look past – just hard to take them seriously, despite (or because of) their becoming unaccountably huge. "Personal Jesus" is as annoying as an earworm can be.
I was expecting this to sound really dated and was very surprised that it didn't. However, I was never a fan, and this listen didn't change that.
Meh
World in My Eyes is very good and Enjoy the Silence is a masterpiece, but I gotta say that I didn't really care about that album outside of that. I respect them and all, but I don't really enjoy listening to them that much. Maybe the older albums will be more in line with my taste.
Not a big fan of Depeche Mode, but I got to admit that all the big hits are there!
Rollercoaster album - it means up an down. Like the overall genre and where they try to go, but not as good as average fan pretend
This album contains very strong moments and others rather average, even that I do not like at all. I think I'd be the kind of person to appreciate a Depeche Mode "Greatest Hits" compilation, but not an album.
I truly don’t get why people like deseche mode. Not the worst thing I’ve heard and It had a cool spooky atmosphere , but I don’t really see the appeal 5/10
Got bored during a lot of the songs. 5/10
Very, very good album. Dark, but in all the right places. Loved it
It was good! I don’t think Depeche Mode is as much my thing, but still a solid album.
Ik veer toch op bij de hitjes en dommel een beetje in bij de rest...
Eerste draaibeurt vond ik het wat tegenvallen, maar omdat ik er toch vertouwen in had dat er meer te halen was heb ik 'm nog een keer geluisterd. En inderdaad, tweede keer was al stukken beter!
Fijne, compacte plaat.
So I will assume if Violator made this list, which I enjoy, (mainly for Personal Jesus and World in My Eyes), but surely that means Black Celebration is on this list as well?
As much as I love quintessential 80s music I did find this a bit grating at times, particularly to begin with and then I grew into it more. The ones I liked I already knew I liked... so perhaps that says something
I did enjoy this quite a look, got some bangers
Some bangers on this piece
surprised me, just never really listened to techno music before though
I didn't like this as much as I thought I would. I'll give it another listen for sure but nothing really stuck out.
bu albumu kaydederken kullandiklari uyusturucu miktarini merak ediyorum cok
I’m not sure what to rate this because I didn’t enjoy at all and wanted to give it a 2 the first listen, but on the second listen I liked it more. I don’t think I liked it enough to give it a 4 though, because there were some songs I didn’t care for.
The production and synth work is amazing on this record. Great mixes and some really great sounds. I wasn't a huge fan of the drum sounds however, also not a huge fan of the lead singers voice. The influence of this record is hard to ignore, just based on some of the NIN and Marilyn Manson records that come after this. I'll probably listen again for production inspiration but I didn't really find myself enjoying these tracks too much.
Highlight? Personal Jesus. Overall, this is good, but not great.
i don't think this is quite my thing but there were some interesting aspects here
not bad honestly, it's got some good songs but also some boring and repetitive ones. personal jesus is my personal favorite, and yes, it's because of gta: san andreas. 6.5/10
Interesting new sounds but not something I’d go back to
this shit sucks
I used to hate this stuff. Now I appreciate it some but it kind of brings me down.
Only song I knew was Personal Jesus Lush goth electro synth, sounding ahead and of its time all at once. A bridge between the 80s and 90s
The overall aesthetic is not for me, but I can appreciate a lot of the sound design. Some of the outros are a bit too long. Second half is way stronger than the first half. Favs: Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth, Blue Dress
Haven’t listened to them much before but I was surprised by how many songs I already knew on this album. It gets a little same-y at times but there are a few gems.
Was a bit poppy and generally underwhelming tbh, but I did like a few tracks and will maybe give it another try at some point. Policy of Truth my favourite track.
The talking heads just not as good
Nae bad
Decent album, a couple of songs I've heard before
Parte un po’ così, poi si riprende Si sente che è un album degli anni ‘90 Alcune canzoni un po’ soporifere
I'm not super familiar with Depeche Mode, but this music feels a bit dated. The 80's synths, the goth / emo kid aesthetic. The instrumentation and arrangements are beautiful. Not really sure if I'm feeling the lyrics though. Still, fun to listen to. Might have to give it another shot. Stand out tracks: Personal Jesus, Halo, Policy of Truth
While an album I cannot deny as influential with its sound and design, and some of the songs are indeed classics to stand the test of time, but the album as a whole is obviously meant to be listened to as an album, never on it's own. Many songs lead directly into the next dong, which is fine for those with lyrics, but the instrumental songs that are three in a row feel strange, like they're supposed to be an intermission, but it comes at the end, just making it feel like a movie soundtrack. Iconic, but not that fun of a listen.
The sounds on this album are really pretty amazing. The breadth and depth of the synths, the vocal tones, even the synthetic drums, it's well produced for sure. I was never taken by the band's material, and on this album, while I found myself enjoying the ride more than I thought I might, I do not connect with the songs or the emotional pitch of Depeche Mode, which is why I've never really paid them much attention. Glad I listened, I appreciate the craft, but not an album or a band I'll dig deeper into.
This is another band I didn't care for when they were active. I've come to appreciate them more than like them, though they certainly have great songs that get stuck in my head for days. I admire how sneakily avant-garde they are, taking catchy melodies and dance beats and throwing all sorts of crazy sounds and discordant chords under it. Anyway, this was the first time I listened to an entire album by them, and I dug it. My one complaint was some of the songs tended to overstay their welcome, but I dug the darkness of this album. "Personal Jesus" is still just OK in my book, but the rest of it was all in all pretty great. I'm gonna give it a 3 even though I can see this one growing on me. But at the end of the day, there's something about their sound and their lead singer that will never fully connect with me. But I'm glad I heard it and Sweetest Perfection as a great new find for me.
Good as I recalled
I remember really liking "Personal Jesus" when it was getting a good amount of airplay, and hearing another track or two from this record, but I'm had not heard most of the rest of the album. Although it's more in the electronica/synth-pop style that I am not always drawn to, I like it. They have such a strong sense of melody, their vocal performances are compelling, and the rhythms and harmonies are very well-constructed. At first listen, one might miss how layered and dark (not in a negative sense, but in a rich sense) these songs are.
Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, and Policy if Truth, classic tracks off of Violator. Early 90s electronic music.
Never been able to get into this. Obviously very influential but don't think it has aged well at all. Compared to the yesterdays listen of Trans-Europa Express by Kraftwerk, this album is lacking any direction and just feels like they got way too excited on the synths but had no real interesting ideas. Kraftwerk meanwhile created an exciting world with a lot of purpose that has aged excellently and came out 12 years earlier. In reality I probably enjoyed this a 2 but I'll give it a 3 out of respect for it's influence and for Personal Jesus which is head and shoulders above anything else on here.
Seemed dated in 1990:and more so now. Too much production and bombast.
Pretty good
I never knew the name of "Enjoy the Silence," or knew to connect it to Depeche Mode. This is probably a line I keep repeating about 80's synth-pop and new wave. But I continue to learn that there are some songs from that era that I really enjoy, and many others that don't work the same for me. The first four minutes of "Enjoy the Silence" are terrific. Then they nearly blow it by stopping the song to ask me to "enjoy the silence" and then not actually deliver silence. It should have just flowed into "Policy of Truth," which is the album's second best song. "Personal Jesus" was a hit, but it's just ok. Beyond those three tracks, the rest is all downhill. "Sweetest Perfection" is groan-worthy, and "Blue Dress" ruins the momentum of "Enjoy the Silence" and "Policy of Truth" before the last three tracks eventually wander off into tangentially related electronica.
Today this album sounds primitive. It’s difficult to keep in mind the technology of the time when evaluating this. The music on several tracks holds up fairly well: Personal Jesus - I hear some future Marilyn Manson in there. Waiting For The Night - I can hear the opening to this as the driving layer in a Radiohead song. Enjoy The Silence - I can shimmy my shoulders to this. Clean - I dig the bass part. I can hear why these guys influenced so many bands. In a historical context, this album is likely a 4 or 5. For my listening pleasure, it’s a 3.
Good record, waiting for the night in perticular is a great tune.
Well produced with interesting synth sounds.
Millones de veces (ok, una estrella) más digerible que el Music For The Masses. Aunque no pierden el sello sexoso y darkillo, no se compara con la calentura puberta que hay en el otro disco. Además, este disco contiene dos sencillos que tooooodo mundo conoce y han sido tocados hasta el cansancio, pero que reconozco como muy buenas rolas. Creo que Depeche es una banda de un nicho muy específico y que ese público los ama, pero estoy seguro que no soy de ese grupo, así que sin ese cariño yo solo me quedo con las rolas que estan quemadas pero probadas.