Reviews (page 12 of 15)
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.
I bought this on cd when it was released, and am happy to report that it still fuckin slaps.
LOVE
This wasn't bad but I don't think I'd listen again.
Just not good. Uninteresting. The best part was when it ended.
Iconic album. Don't have much to add, it's such a great listen and impeccable vibes.
Fun but dated.
I have always loved the their huge hit “Personal Jesus” from this album! I had no idea how much I was missing by not listening to rest of the album. The album gives off the vibes of the 80s but the use of synths makes it sound more futuristic. Definitely the best album Ive heard from this generator so far!
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.
Enjoyed this more than silence
I always find it funny that Depeche Mode are so popular because their music is very dark and eerie - it’s great but I don’t understand how it broke the mainstream That being said, this record does have a couple of their most obvious hits with the irrefutably catchy Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence, and the overall experience is pretty great
Depeche Mode. A few chart hits one knows from the radio. Nothing unexpected discovered.
Opzich wel priem, meer bekende bangers dan ik dacht
Знаковый альбом, но мне не нравиться(
This is very good. I liked it. I'll probably check out more of them. I've heard of them quite a bit lately. They seem to be going through a bit of a renaissance. 5 stars.
I didn't enjoy their music in the 80s and I still don't.
4 absolute classics on here and the rest is their unique sound, an easy thumbs up
Found it hard to make a personal connection with this one
Don't care for this
The gothic - kind of low and narrow ranged vocals somehow fit really well with the electronic beats. Very solid. 4.5
I do not particularly like electronic music and this album sounds weirdly dated to me.
Already knew: Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence. Enjoyed: Policy of Truth, Clean, Dangeroys Enjoying the back half of this album more than the front, which is fairly rare.
Good
such a dark groovy vibe, I feel very in my emo girl bag with this, pretty cool
One of my favorite records of all time. All the singles are amazing and still sound modern today.
Mouais
Did we line dance to “Personal Jesus” at school dances in the 90s? Is this album in our vinyl collection? Have we sung the song “Clean” so often to our six year old when she gets out of the bathtub that now she sings it herself when she’s done with her shower? Do we love Depeche Mode and especially Violator in this house? A resounding yes to all. A dark turn for an already dark new wave band, this album confronts the band’s abundant drug use in a chilling and incredible way. Not a single miss on the whole thing. Contemplative and weird. I love it and know my rating without having to put the needle down…but I happily will.
Not my favorite Depeche Mode record, but still quite good
it was gonna be a 2 but it has personal jesus
Kinda got a bit bored with this one tbh. Personal Jesus obviously a banger.
Pretty good 80s album
Decent album. Good tracks. The hits are, of course, solid.
Music For The Masses was the second album I received when I started on this journey. It was also the first album I rated one star. And in some way I’ve been waiting for this day to come ever since. Violator, the other Depeche Mode album. The opportunity to prove me wrong, or to confirm my suspicions. I do not like Depeche Mode. Their music is consistently both incredibly overwrought and abysmally dreary. Violator is supposed to have taken a break from their usual writing style but that doesn’t come through because it sounds exactly the same as Music For The Masses, same dull electronics, same boring string quartet droning the same few trills midway through the song, same boring lyrics that just repeats the one verse over and over again. Fucking hell. I really can’t stand it. Even the ‘good songs:’ Personal Jesus and Enjoy The Silence have been both played to death and done better by other people. So… I am not going crazy. I do not like this band. What I’m now left to go crazy over is why you fuckers do like them so much
Good mix of electronic and pop/rock. 4/5
This is Depeche Mode's best album, in my opinion.
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
Loved it, this album probably best encapsulates their sound
1.5
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.
It’s a fun one
This is one of my top 20 albums of all time. It was literally on auto repeat for about a decade.
This has been a favorite since the day it came out. Amazing album. 10/10.
Kinda bored, but I'm a big Depeche Mode singles guy so 3 stars overall 3
The hits are great but I found the album tedious and boring overall.
Recognized 3 songs: Personal Jesus, Enjoy The Silence, Policy of Truth. Like the latter 2 but not enough to add to a playlist or consider relistening to the album.
This is a brilliant album, right up my street! It's not legendary status in my collection so it will get a 4 star, but I have been tempted to raise it to five. It is such a well produced, punchy album with solid songwriting and uniqueness. I love it.
3 songs with 4 different remixes each :/
Like this band. They have a distinctive sound - electronic, Euro-pop, 80's rock - that endures through all decades of their music. It's fun to listen to with a great beat, but all their songs run together for me.
Having listened to a few Depeche Mode tracks growing up, I never got the hype outside a few songs. Having listened to Violator, now I know.
Singles great. Some other good tracks. Few meh.
Surprising: honestly this really shocked me. From the start it had recognisable songs. It's weird to me why I haven't heard of this album before today. Could 100% see myself listening to the best tracks on this again.
Three stars just for Personal Jesus
There is nothing like the feeling you get when listening to this album late at night with headphones and just letting it permeate.
Too slow and ambient. Was too sleepy.
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.
Primeira vez que paro para ouvir um álbum inteiro do Depeche Mode, sempre achei legal mas nunca senti a vontade de ir atrás da banda. Mas esse álbum é muito bom, foi o começo perfeito pra ter mais vontade de conhecer os outros álbuns Fav: waiting for the night, enjoy the silence
Dope
Darkness can be beautiful. And Depeche Mode’s Violator is a perfect example of that. It is largely considered to be the definitive synth pop album. Before listening to this, I wasn’t really sure where I stood on Depeche Mode, but I found that there is undeniably some excellent songwriting on this record. It's brooding and moody, but in an elegant and intelligent way. And every song is so deeply layered, with all of these moving parts. The only way I can describe it is like there is this constant swirling mix of noise going around your head. That is kind of the beauty of music that is more synth and electronic based. You can add so many different unique sounds and textures, and just keep adding more and more, and as long as you know how to pace the music, it will sound good. And that is something they absolutely mastered on this album. The average track length is between 4 and 6 minutes long, but they don't feel that long, and they don't drag their feet to reach those lengths. I'll admit that for the longest time, I didn't think I would like this group, largely due in part to Dave Gahan's vocals. I was kind of put off by them. It reminds me very much of Robert Smith's vocal style. Staying in one register for most of the songs, and not deviating from it. It took some getting used to for me. But I've grown to like it, and I think it fits this style of music better. It's colder and more solemn, but also adds more emotion to the record. Rating: 8/10
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
Didn't care for it. I can't article why, but it didn't grab me on any level.
Started of pretty well, but then just ended up being kind of boring. Just the same "sound" repeated every song, with rather mediocre lyrics. Significant 16/42 Liked 7/42 Added 1/42 Not significant, didnt like (overall), didnt add
Depeche Mode. This is a great album. Standouts: Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth, World in My Eyes, Sweetest Perfection, Waiting for the Night Others: Halo, Blue Dress 4.5 / 5
Certifiable classic
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).
i actually liked it a lot more than i thought i was going to
Enjoy the silence is an all time great, most of the rest of this not so much
Depeche Mode are very good at doing two things: Creating music that is intriguing and finding ways which cause the listener to feel uncomfortable. With Violator, it seems the band had captured the sound they had been chasing and building up to from the beginning. On previous albums, at least what I'm familiar with, there seemed to be moments of disconnect. Either song elements didn't land very well or they may have felt slightly distasteful. Perhaps that was always the point but in contrast, everything about this album feels very concise, even relaxed. It still creates an uncomfortable space but it does so in a more artistic and refined way which intends to challenge. I'm sure this was due to changing up how they wrote and recorded but it's also the presence of Flood, which helped pave the way for groups like Nine Inch Nails. The atmosphere and attitude of this album definitely points to things such as The Downward Spiral. And similar to said album, Violator's selling point is the mood it paints. Curious thing though... Am I the only one who feels like the songs on Violator, with the exception of a few singles, don't always stick? What I mean is once one song is over, I almost immediately forget what the previous song sounded like. Perhaps this is a mark of an album which works very well as a singular piece or it could be my brain focusing on the details of the current song while it works to compartmentalize and compress the details of the previous. I have a growing consensus this is due to a collection of songs that have hooks but focus more on building layers rather than relying on usual song structure. Let me be clear, in the brief time spent with this record, every song hits in a special way, and I think each one seques perfectly into the next. I really enjoyed this album and believe it deserves the praise it receives. One final note which I find interesting. Personal Jesus, possibly their most recognized song, and probably sung by a good number of evangelical Christians, may have assumed the song advocates the importance and freedom of a personal relationship with Jesus. If you simply read the lyrics, it's easy to make that connection and definitely holds some ambiguity. However, Dave Gahan's vocal delivery, the samples used, and the darker instrumental passages should queue you into a deeper and more challenging purpose. Disquiesed as a dancy pop song, Personal Jesus seems to address a concern of how easily we make God into our own image, feeding our insecurities, leading to damaged relationships, and fueled by corporate greed and power. To think Depeche Mode wrote a "Christian" song might come from someone unfamiliar with songs like Blasphemous Rumors. I believe, however, this was Gehan's and Gore's attempt to caution their listeners to be mindful when it comes to religion and relationships rather than to blatantly reject a benevolent creator. It's also probably about herion, too. Summing up. I was really glad to finally hear all of this. A solid Gothic synth art pop album that is successfully engaging in it's ambiguity and texture.
Something about the kitschy, 80s electronica that I love! It always feels like I’m living in an 80s movie when I listen to it. Listen again: yes Purchase for my collection: yes Favourite Song: Policy of Truth
Bangers
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
First time with a Depeche Mode album! I had my preconceptions about “goth” music, but I really enjoyed this!
Dancing monsters
3.5/5 I don't like that this rounds to 4 but 3 seems low. Best track: Personal Jesus
So many songs I recognized, great :)
Another moody album that didn’t suck.
Love Depeche Mode...this album is all killer no filler. 4.5/5
Definitely fun.
Some phenomenal singles and solid tracks but a little too boring to really be put over the top. Pleasantly surprised though.
quite ok!
Good music, kinda goth vibes??
Стиль кайф интерес. Пара хитов. Но под конец прям просел(
Policy of Truth, Enjoy the Silence
Not really my cup of tea but i can really notice a lot of effort went into this, everything sounds very coherent, and good, personally i give this a 3 but bias aside this is crearly a 4-4.5
Moody, rhythmic, haunting. It’s a good album but apart from Personal Jesus nothing resonated with me strongly.
Kind of strange industrial pop music. Not really my kind of thing. 2/5 Probably won’t listen again
Interesting for sure. Very long indeed.
Didn't like it at all. Even skipped some songs.
The three hits "Personal Jesus", "Enjoy the Silence", and "Policy of Truth" are catchy well-crafted tracks. The rest of the album is good not great.
One of the sexiest albums I've heard in a while. I listened to the 2006 remaster and it's sooooo gorgeously produced -- dark, brooding, glittering. Synth pop isn't really something I reach for, but I enjoyed this album very much and would wholeheartedly recommend it to enjoyers of the genre. Tracks that stood out to me upon 1st listen: 1 - World in My Eyes; 3 - Personal Jesus; 4 - Halo; 5 - Waiting for the Night; 7 - Policy of Truth; 8 - Blue Dress Would I revisit this album? Maybe!
Violator is the first Depeche Mode album that I have listened to, and I was blown away by it. The album has a dark and captivating atmosphere, with lyrics that are powerful and provocative. The production is also superb, blending electronic and rock elements in a unique and innovative way. The album reminded me of The Cure’s Disintegration (probably because I reviewed it yesterday), which I also loved and gave a perfect score. Violator may not be flawless, but it is definitely one of the best albums of the 80s (even though it came out in 1990). I would give it a 4 out of 5, one I’ll be coming back to.
Wouldn’t have picked it on my own. Impressive and a good listen.
Hyvä levy mutta mielestäni tää on jo kuunneltu? Hmmm. 4/5
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
This is a decent album with some very good tracks on it, but I'm afraid it doesn't grip me in the way I'd want it to. Despite a couple of tries at it, I remain ungrippered.
I really don’t like this band lol
I really liked this! It's got a really sleek cool factor to it. Like a calm electro something. But more 80s synth poppy at times than I expected. Don't know how to explain it, but I like it. Great use of dissonance. Side note: this guy sounds like Bo Burnham sometimes (track 2). Also, I never knew Personal Jesus wasn't actually by Marilyn Manson.
Cracking album. Much fun. Bonus tracks on extended version are worth a listen as well.
Wonderful surprise. I was only familiar with the hits, but this was in general a really strong album as a whole. Perfect for the rainy autumn afternoons.
Boring as fuck. Had one nice song and I guess made a song I like covered by someone else.
Very sleepy album probably good for background noise but that's about it. Only one good song and it's the bands best one "enjoy the silence"
All around a really great album.
Puf, qué rollo. Menos la canción conocida.
I wasn't sure I would be a big fan of this album going into it, but I was very pleasantly surprised by just how much I liked it. There's something about this album compared to other synth-heavy albums I've listened to already (i.e. Behaviour, both LCD Soundsystem albums, etc.) that just really clicks with me. The sound is synthy, but also quite a bit darker than the others. I feel like I shouldn't have liked the sound much given my current track record, but it just works for me for some reason. The vocals stuck out to me as being quite good. The lyrics and subject matter are somewhat connected throughout each song without it seeming too repetitive. I don't really know what else to say. I think this album is pretty cool. Very high 4/5. EDIT: This might actually be one of my favorite albums of all time. 5/5.
Night core but actually *night*core
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.
My favorite DP album. Depeche Mode, not Double Penetration.
Personal Jesus is an all time banger. Pretty sure this album got dudes laid in the early 90s.
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 great hits on here! The sound gets a little old after 1 listen.
Some incredible tracks (Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence are absolute killers) but too many of the others are just not working for me.
Alright
Iconic banger after iconic banger.
3/1001 I’m afraid I’m finally turning into my mother. I’m convinced this album is good. Really good, actually.
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.”
Very distinct sound, but makes it feel a little monotonous. Somehow feels slow even on the more upbeat stuff. Despite that, a really enjoyable album start to finish, with a couple of particular standouts.
I'm somewhat coming around on Depeche Mode. Still not a huge fan of the style, but I enjoyed this album a decent amount.
Very moody for the time. Their synths are so unique and I can hear their influence in a lot of contemporary artists.
I thought that I knew it well, but I don’t. The sound production is too heavy and there seems to be many fillers.
Depeche Mode was my very first concert. It's not something of listen to regularly though. +1 for Personal Jesus, enjoy the silence, and policy of truth. 4/5
Pretty good, in fact
It’s hard to tell when Depeche Mode was in their prime but this album might be it. Lyrically, not very strong, but their unique synth-electro-laced sound, anchored by one of the best male pop voices of all time, this album is hard not to like.
I liked it! Good vibes, good beats, good lyrics
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
Not ideal
Ok
not my thing
Another good album.
Few good tracks. Mostly not for me though.
There's a famine in my heart to hear something else.
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.
The best Depeche Mode album where they perfected their sound and production. One of these albums were all the songs are placed in the right order, the perfect flow. Their b-sides from this period are also very good, but below the songs that made it to the album.
Outstanding album. Strong vocals, catchy songs, great production.
This is a great record containing a very solid set of songs. It's a bit restrained though and therefore not completely convincing.
Great album, good memories
This is more of a 4.5 for me but I think it will go up with more listens. If I were a teen when this came out I would have totally been goth because of it.
I've always loved Enjoy The Silence. It's like this otherworldly song to me. The rest is quite good too. They're very good at creating an atmosphere.
I find the genre intriguing and the album does a good job of sticking to a singular sonic theme. That said I don't know if I envision myself replaying many of these tunes as I don't often listen to "darker" music. I keep getting the feeling that this could be the soundtrack to a James Bond movie which I don't think has a lot of overlap with my daily life. Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Personal Jesus Other Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: World In My Eyes, Sweetest Perfection, Halo, Enjoy the Silence
the fun songs were a lot of fun but the early synth sound stuff always drags a bit for me. But still had lots of fun and super infulential
This was ok. I wanted more singles, less droning.
It is hard to get past the absolute cliche of Depeche Mode as 80s synth rock. but after I do I realize this album is full of absolute bangers. I don't even know what most of these instruments are but they sound great.
TIL Policy of Truth did not, in fact, come out in 1985. Loved it.
A dark synth pop album was a bit interesting to begin with, but really nothing that captured my attention in the end.
A classic. I've never listened to a full Depeche Mode album and I definitely enjoyed listening to this one. Depeche Mode set an example for what 90's electronic music was going to sound like.
Classics, some of the songs are just pure joy to lesson to and others have some nice touches to em. Also love the transition on the last 2 song
Good. Surprise songs I'd heard before.
Back to college
Un 4 por el Personal Jesus.
Bro I forgot to hit save. I ain't retyping all that.
Good vibes, synth forward
Kinda an odd vibe. Not my normal jam but can see the appeal
sounds like what i would have listened to if i had a cool older brother or cousin.
#1. Let's be honest, the hits are doing a lot of heavy lifting here. The rest of the album isn't really all that great. But since it's the first album, I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt and give it 4 stars. 4/5: fantastic Song added to playlist: Personal Jesus I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Really enjoyed this one. I’ve heard many of the singles many times, but for some reason I never got around to listening to the whole album. While listening, I could see clearly how this album has influenced so many of the bands I love. It felt like a very polished album that I am sure will require many passes to truly digest. Standout tracks were “Enjoy the Silence”, “Policy of Truth”, and “Clean”. Will listen again. And again and again.
Have heard this one quite a few times. Couple of songs I love. The rest were pretty good as well.
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 is an absolute banger!!
10/10 Always loved this album! A darker turn for DM.
Cool
Personal Jesus all the way. I forgot about the 80’s alt sound mixed with that decade’s synth pop sound.
First listen Saved 7/9 Top track: Personal Jesus
Awesome been a huge fan for a long time. This album front to back solid.
very very moody, gives me Ludo vibes, Paul would love this, extended songs, a lot that are instrumental
Liked a couple
I enjoyed the sound of this album. I describe it as sci fi rock. It was a good listen!
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.
Okay not great
Nice album, a bit depressing at times but some good songs here.
3 songs favorited
Sad and horny British lads have done it once again.
Half geluisterd oeps, vet album ga ik dit weekend nog even goed goed luisteren.
Depeche Mode is one of the few bands that I still like since my youth. This album is one of their best. A lot of memorable songs, and a few fillers. That is true for most of their albums. Here everything is just better than most of their other albums. Good memories.
Een jjjjaaarennnn tachtiiiig-plaaaaattt.... Het is een bepaalde klank die je meteen herkent. Dominante rol voor het keyboard, laag tempo, synthetische percussie, als het even kan een lage, lijzige stem. In Nederland hadden we onder andere Frank Boeijen en Het goede doel die zich in deze regionen ophielden. En ook al vonden wij dit vroeger niks, achteraf klinkt het nog best leuk. We hebben in deze lijst inmiddels zoveel bij elkaar geklungelde bagger uit dit decennium gehoord, dat je het gaat waarderen als mensen wél iets konden neerzetten, ook al is het dan onbedoeld vooral héél typisch voor de tijd dat het gemaakt is.
Hij zal onder de '90s in de statistieken komen. Maar dit is natuurlijk extreem '80's. Depeche Mode doet dat wel in eigen stijl. Dat hoor je al direct in het eerste nummer. De zang heeft een aanzet als in een minder krachtig Doors-nummer. Daar zetten ze dan hardcore-80's muziek achter. Daarmee verbinden ze twee werelden met elkaar. Niet dat elk nummer geniaal is. Er staat af en toe ook wat sufs tussen. Maar dat wordt makkelijk gecompenseerd door de hits Personal Jesus en Enjoy the Silence.
Van de dystopische jaren 90, gaan we terug naar de duistere jaren 80. Al kwam dit album dan wel net in 1990 uit. Veel synthesizer en drumcomputer geweld, een bezwerende stem. Absoluut geen muziek om vrolijk van te worden, maar wel een absolute klassieker en terecht een notering in de 1001, of het nu je stijl muziek is of niet.
Solid album. The song “Sibeling” was surprisingly beautiful.
I saw Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service last night and for their final song both bands came out and played a cover of Enjoy the Silence so this is a surprising but fitting pick. Some thoughts: 1) Drums were invented to sound like this 2) The genre is described as new wave/synth pop, and that is technically correct, but what it really is, in its soul, is music for weird sad people (me) to listen to in their basements or in clubs before sulking off somewhere else. Every generation gets one. 3) The Smiths if their drums were for fucking gladiators. 4) Probably could have done without three instrumental tracks in a row to close the album 5) This, to me, represents people truly internalizing that synths and drum machines are actual instruments rather than whatever was going on in songs like Simply Irresistible
Didn't plan on actually writing notes here, but got to Sweetest Perfection and caught myself surprised by how much I was enjoying the first couple tracks. Then Personal Jesus punched me in the throat. Felt very out of place but really liked the sound; continually layers in instrumentation, which I'm always a big sucker for. Mixing - particularly the layering and fading is fucking crazy. Everything is really clear IMO, but still a ton of dimension to seek out. Idk why I like Blue Dress so much. Vocals and writing remind me of the Smiths? lmao Spotify randomized into a Smiths song at the end of the album
Good, not great
Some absolute rammers and some plodding 80s gear.
Love it. Classic.
Love Enjoy the silence - is in Vampires diaries
Do all the songs sound the same? Yes they do.
This album has been failing to arouse the slightest emotion in me for 30 years now. Spectacularly dull.
TURN THIS SHIT UUUP
fine. Personal Jesus is the best song on here by a lot 4.5
I've been a fan of Depeche Mode for awhile now, but only really knew the greatest hits. They're one of those bands whose discography I've wanted to deep-dive, but just haven't made it a priority. It's nice that this is helping me along with that. I love 80s new wave synth pop and I already knew I love Depeche Mode, so of course this was great.
An all time classic. What can I say except it still sounds amazing
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.
Great synthpop album. I am usually not such a big fan of synthpop, but this album felt different. Great production without the synths sounding tacky. Key tracks are; World In My Eyes, which could almost be a late talking heads song, Personal Jesus, just a great classic pop song, that guitar is just so driving and the production on it is so good, Enjoy the Silence, fantastic song where the guitar really adds to the vibe, superb writing and instrumentation, Policy Of Truth, another song where the guitar stands out and when the saxophone comes in, it just takes it to another level, Clean, a song where the bass stands out and a great closer.
One of my roommates from college properly introduced me to Depeche Mode in the early '90s and they have become one of the stalwarts in my collection. This album is probably their most successful and most accessible and helped get me over my aversion to electronic music (especially percussion). Out of the 9 tracks on this album, there might be one that was iffy for me. 8/9 solid tracks is a pretty amazing achievement for a tough grader. Consistent feel with a range of emotion. For those skeptical, I would start with "Enjoy the Silence" and "Policy of Truth". For those who rather a good driving song, "Personal Jesus" would be your thing. There's something for everyone on this album.
Depeche Modes break thru. No filler, and an artistic and commercial peak. Love it.
Pretty much a perfect album, although I probably err in favour of the later Ultra due to Mark Bell's production. All the tracks are great, with a perfect balance of strange experimental noises and perfectly written, arranged songs. In particular, World in my Eyes and Enjoy the Silence are two of the greatest synth-pop songs ever written. Definitely one people should experience for themselves.
My sister's favourite band back in the day. Just a little dull for me.
OS MAIORAIS
Brilliant
I gotta stop listening to these albums before I’ve had coffee. Violator is a classic, and probably falls in the top 10 of new wave albums. But I've said it before, new wave as a genre in general is just so tough for me to crack into. I don't know what it is. I want to be a bigger fan! Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, and Policy of Truth are all timers for the genre, and legitimately great tracks. But I'm not rushing to throw them on any personal playlists. I'll leave my own biases out of this rating as much as I can, because I understand I'm fully in the minority here, and I want more people to listen to this record. There's no doubt influence here that would go on to inspire a lot of bands I really love.
Probably a 3, but my fond memories of frequenting a club with a weekly goth/industrial/new wave night are paving the way toward generosity.
I remember my mom had this CD, but I never actually listened to it. Deep, moody synth with shoegazey vocals; this is exactly what I expected with Depeche Mode. I didn't realize this album was so deep in their discography. If Spotify is to be trusted this is their ninth album -- they don't make em like this anymore. Personal Jesus is a great song. Always used to think it was "reach out and touch face" growing up; gives the song a different feel. Really dig the vibe out of Halo. Deep synth bass line with a drum machine clap + tambourine. Lot of depth as the song progresses. Actually get some Lotus vibes from certain elements of this. Waiting for the Night is a really cool atmospheric song. Sparse electronic instrumental with almost Pink Floyd Echoes vibes around the 4 minute mark. Hard to believe this was created in 1990 -- if this were released today it would still feel novel. Production is on point; lot of space between the instruments and textures without feeling disjoint. 5 songs in this has the makings of a strong 4 leaning 5. I'm really feeling this one. And track 6 being Enjoy the Silence doesn't hurt their argument. Great song that always gets my head bobbing. Just realized that hte drum break at the 1:03 mark is what Lotus sample during the intro of Grayrigg -- or at least it sounds identical when played live, their studio recording doesn't sound the same (probably for a reason). Clean starts with a bass line that once again reminds of Echoes. This isn't exactly an album to get hype to or anything, but I really enjoy it. Apparently this is the last song of the actual released album; really hate that Spotify doesn't denote that in any way, or make available the non-remastered version. At any point, the subsequent instrumental tracks are a nice addition even if they do feel out of place relative to the rest of the body. All said, I'm a surprised 5 / 5 on this album. I knew there was a large following for Depeche Mode and some significant respect in the music critic community and I totally see why. This is a 33 year old album that would feel fresh if released today.
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
FUCK yes I love this album. So synthy and dark. Got into this last year when Andy Fletcher died and decided to give em a listen. What a great way to start an album. Immediately screams 80's but goes into a sweet synth-poppy loop reminiscent of Kraftwerk. So much going on here. Sweetest Perfection is such a pretty song. Especially when the strings come in and then bounces right back into more sounds. Then that solo(?) at the end. Whew. Personal Jesus is probably the one I know Depeche Mode by the most. Heard it tons of times on the radio but is one where if you listen to on purpose fucking slamajamma's. Halo. Very easy song to bob your head to. Love the build up. Waiting for the Night might be my least favorite song on this album but still is pretty groovy. Does a really good job of keeping me in though even though it doesn't necessarily go anywhere. Enjoy the Silence is sooooo fucking good. Words are veryyyy unnecessaryyyyy. Bangin my head to this bad boi. Also the end of the song is straight out of a Pink Floyd album. Policy of Truth has that insane bass or synth or whatever that sounds sick. Love this song. Blue Dress has that music stop and just awesome background sounds. Like every song. Yeah, if that end of Enjoy the Silence didn't convince you Clean absolutely proves these guys love their Floyd. Straight out of One of These Days. Fuck yes. This is an incredible sounding album and actually makes 80's music sound fucking awesome.
Couple of memorable songs but some of the sounds were a bit dated. I didn’t really like it overall.
Finally something good. The list has been in the doldrums for a while, languishing between 1 and 2 stars
Bom álbum, um dos melhores do genero synthpop 4.0.
Meh
Wow, this one seems like a big jump over the last one. Much bigger, better production. More interesting and accessible. Personal Jesus is really catchy, obviously. Waiting for the Night has some really nice ambiance to it. I would totally listen to this without vocals. The vocals are solid, but not really my thing... but that slow build into Enjoy the Silence is great. Enjoy the Silence is just a very very solid hit. I don't remember this outro... kind of cool. Seriously great sounding album.
11
A fav of high school me.
Maybe the most overrated band that appears in this book. I never got Depeche Mode and I still don't get Depeche Mode.
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.
да
Couldn't get past the second song. Just not for me sorry.
I don't think I hated this as much as everyone else but it's definitely a one and done
Pretty boring apart from the singles
One of My Dear’s favorites. Maybe absolute favorite.
This album has always sounded antiseptic to me, there is no spare note or phrase, it’s basically perfectly executed, but somewhat robotic, like music a machine or maybe a serial killer would truly enjoy. Sweetest Perfection gives me straight up Jeffrey Dahmer vibes. Personal Jesus is a jam, that twanging riff with the stompy beat is timeless. Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth are also great singles. Overall not a bad or even mediocre song on this album. If it didn’t come out in 1990 I would’ve said it was one of the best albums of the 80s, but I’ll say it’s one of the best albums recorded in the 80s.
A cool synth pop paradise, a few known songs to make it better, Saved a few songs to a synth pop playlist.
One of my favorites, almost an entire album of absolute bangers.
This music was different, but entertaining. It makes for fine background music, but not something I would put on a playlist.
good sounds. vocals weren't great.
Fantastisch album ouwe, echte bangers zoals Enjoy the Silence en Personal Jesus. Persoonlijk favorietje was ook Happiest Girl in de Jack Mix
Tijdloze synth-pop/rock klassieker. Productie staat nog steeds als een huis. Soms een beetje te duister/zielig voor mijn smaak. Favorieten: Personal Jesus, Halo, Waiting for the Night
Did not enjoy
BANGERS
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.
I like the vibes of this album
It was ok but based on the singles I already knew (personal Jesus and enjoy the silence) I think I expected more
Depeche Mode's masterpiece. A perfect, stripped down synth-pop album. It's hard to pick a favorite song.
Good
Quite honestly the best one so far. There wasn’t a single song that I didn’t like or wanted to skip. Very surprised too!
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.
turns out 80s synth pop doesn’t have to be super corny. this really impressed me overall.
Very unique sound. One that I like? ...not really. The vampy, theatrical aesthetic is not for me. I feel like this is what the goth kids of the 90s were listening to. Every other song was good enough to persuade me to give a 2, but then the next song would feel like it was just clamoring for a 1. I'm going w/a 2 for now bc I know worse albums will be on here, and I could at least sing along to some of it. Everything about it was just way too long though. Every song and the album as a whole.
I really enjoy this album. I hadn't heard this band before!
Dark and emotional atmosphere with a few absolute classics.
1/5. Just awful. An abomination of an album. I cannot believe 90s kids enjoyed this New Wave garbage. I skipped many songs half way through and funny enough, enjoyed one of the bonus tracks better than any song on the actual album!
Professor of rock covered this album, so I just had to listen to it.
Depeche Mode is a band I need to be in the mood for when I listen, but when I'm in that mood, they're some of the best. I really like this album, and it has so many solid songs. "Policy of Truth" is probably the one that ends up stuck in my head the most.
One to definitely listen to again. I had heard a few of their songs before so I was rather glad to see this album ('Enjoy the Silence', my favourite Depeche Mode song, is on here).
A dark, edgy, gothic, Synth-Pop masterpiece. The only songs I knew from this were Personal Jesus and Enjoy The Silence, but this album was a joy to listen to. Extremely well-produced and polished, like an obelisk of smooth black obsidian. Very very good. Favourite: Personal Jesus
Their best
The songs that I did find interesting didn’t hold my attention. Prefer Bo Burnham any day
Genre-defining synth pop with the dark/gothic vibe, classic
Nice
I'm starting to think that they wasted a lot of these slots. I know 1001 Albums seems like a lot but you can't pick every album from every band ever and I'm sure some real classics are left out for Albums like this. It's both annoying AND boring which is interesting because usually it's one or the other so good job. I find it annoying because the Instrumentation is fucking nails on a chalkboard and boring because the vocalist can only really sing in the droning dull kinda way. I don't know who this music is for but I'm glad I don't know them.
Going to be honest, it just didn't do anything for me. I didn't feel anything either way towards this album.
Absolutely timeless. Every song on this album is at least good, while most are excellent.
This is the album where Gahan goes full BDSM and Depeche Mode took their rightful place alongside the pantheon of 80s Brit alternative superstars - and in 1990, too! So much to love here and such lurking threats hanging over every track. Well well done.
Cant remember the last time i enjoyed an album this much
instrumentation/production, top notch. lyrics, hit or miss. vocals clean. pretty great record.
Excellent darker synth-pop. So many good songs on the album.
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.
I’m totally biased, but I love this album. Enjoy the silence is an all-timer for me.
i knew i’d like the hit but wow the rest of this album is even better. i’m gonna listen to more depeche now
two nice tracks, other than that just synth crap
Very awkward lyrics but I quite like the soundscape, a couple of standout tracks
This was a great synth pop album with some goth rock touches that added a driving ominous feel. This genre is not one I'm too familiar with, but it is one that has grown on me the more I listen to it. This sound can be heard in a wide range of artists that came after ranging from rock artists like Muse and NIN to pop artists like Lady Gaga.
Man, I’m dumb. I wasted an “Enjoy the Silence” joke on my review of Music for the Masses, not realizing that I’d have to review the record that the song is actually on. I think would enjoy Depeche Mode more if they were an instrumental band. They do some great things with synths on this record, but the lachrymose vocals from Dave Gahan really hamper my enjoyment. In fact, you could probably even say, “words are very unnecessary, they can only do harm”…to this record. Fuck yes, I managed to pull off an “Enjoy the Silence” joke after all.
‘World In My Eyes’ is a strong opener, Enjoy The Silence’ is the best song New Order never wrote, (in fact for many years I thought it was by them), and ‘Policy Of Truth’ is also great. I find the rest of the album middling, and much of the production feels like it lacks depth and melody. It just struggles to hold my attention for long parts.
Sólo conocía los singles, pero el disco entero me ha gustado
First song is not that great, the rest of the album is. Even the bonus tracks. Favorite song: Enjoy the silence
I think as far as 80s synth music (I know this is 1990) goes, you can do a lot worse than Depeche Mode. This album has a couple super well known singles on it and the rest of the album is good enough. No issues with this like I do a lot of similar music.
très bien !!
Decent 7
Personal Jesus, Enjoy The Silence, Policy of Truth, 2/5
Banger
Another Depeche Mode album that leaves me not wanting to listen to them. This is worse than the others, 1.
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.
Depeche Mode is an excellent band, and this was a great album. It’s not my favourite of theirs, though. Best tracks: Enjoy the Silence, Personal Jesus, Blue Dress Worst: Sweetest Perfection, Waiting for the Night
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
Never been really a fan of this band, even thought I've been listening some of their songs during a long time. This is the first full record I listen from them, and it was really good. Full with a lot of bangers and comercial hits from the 90's, starting with the classic "World in my eyes", a song that at first I didn´t liked, but now it's one of my favorites. Then come "Personal Jesus", such a good song. Being followed by "Halo" probably my favorite song of the album, and one of best Depeche's songs for me. "Waiting fo the night" is beautiful, but too long for me. Then comes the timeless "Enjoy the silence" this record version is two minutes longer than the single one, honestly I like both, this is a timeless song. Followed by "Policy of truth" all I have to say is BASS. Next "Blue Dress" I don't get this song, but it's really beautiful to listen, so I guess I liked it. But what takes the credits, its the bridge with the next song "Clean" almost feeled like a Pink Floyd brige, and I love it. Even though I felt the song kind deep. Then "Dangerous", is more easy to digest, and I liked it. Then comes "Mephisto" which made me feel like if I was entering a dark and magic dimension. And the ending track "Sibeling", I believe the most boring track here. Anyway, this is truly a classic 90's album, a totally must listen. Fav Track: Halo, Enjoy the silence, Blue Dress, Policy of truth, Mephisto, Dangerous.
Fuck yeah, Violator is one of the best all time albums. Heard it front to back many times. Easy 5 stars from me.
The album is too "electronic" for me, and many of the songs are "dark" and a bit monotonous.
I have to take a moment here to gripe yet again about how fucking stupid it is that Spotify doesn't have the originally released version to listen to. I HATE that I'm always stuck with these remastered versions or expanded editions. I don't want all this extra shit. I want to hear the album as it was originally released and originally intended to be heard. FUCK SAKES!!! Why won't they give listeners that option?!? Anyways... this album is a masterpiece, everyone knows it. This is the pinnacle album of Depeche Mode's career, the high watermark of their artistic output if you will. This is as good as synth pop ever gets or will ever be. Personal Jesus is still the standout track, it hits every time I hear it.
Enjoy The Silence is an all timer song for me. Love the darkness throughout but still catchy as hell. 4/5
Album of the summer for me two summers ago. Start to finish a complete and solid album. I'm pretty sure it got me into synth-based music. After listening to other Depeche Mode releases this one stands out as superior.
Ominous and haunting vocals. Awesome synths.
esperava um pouco mais porque o hit (sound of silence) é muito diferenciado, o resto nada de mais
Carried hard by Personal Jesus
What the hell happened at the end of this lol I can understand why it's included, it's quite unique, and not bad, but it doesn't do too much more than that for me.
I've heard a lot of Depeche Mode's singles over the years, and I think I may have listened to all of Violator at some point last year, but this was my first time to listen to the whole album with directed attention. This album is a great follow up to Music for the Masses, where Depeche Mode cemented their sound, and really hit their stride. Filled with awesome synth sounds, great drum machines, gloomy keyboards, and David Gahan's rich vocals, this album captures the spirit of the eighties, while still moving the band forward into the nineties. "Enjoy the Silence" and "Policy of Truth" are my favorite tracks on this album, but "World In My Eyes" is the only song that could be the opening track, setting the tone for the sounds and lyrical elements to come. "Personal Jesus" is a great song as well, but it's been overplayed and overused to the point where I don't even really want to listen to it anymore (I don't hold the band at fault for that). As great as the singles on this album are, I wasn't terribly impressed by the rest of the tracks on it. However, the album works really well as a whole, and its influence on the future of music is wide in scope.
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.
Very tasty some absoulte bangers
Very pleased to have been reminded how great this album was
Got some really good songs in here. I enjoyed it very much.
Great album.