Violator

by

Depeche Mode

Edit

When Violator hit the US, I was already a die-hard Depeche Mode fan, owning every album they had put out. However, with Violator, I gained an even deeper appreciation for their writing skills, both lyrically and orchestrally. Violator is an amazing piece of euro-alt-dance-pop that has a huge dance floor appeal while at the same time makes one think and feel. Hugely successful, Violator was one of those releases that crossed over from long-time fans to a new generation and audience.

The release starts in classic DM synth dance mode with the funky and "trip"-worthy "World in My Eyes." Released as a single, this sensual piece filled dance floors across the country. The remix single is especially appealing with not only great remixes of this song, but also two other non-album tracks, "Happiest Girl" and "Sea of Sin." [The remix cassette contains the bonus Dub In My Eyes Mix!] Turning darker and slower, "Sweetest Perfection" has a depth and dangerous beauty in its lyrics and orchestration that pull you deeper within yourself as you let the music flow over you. "Personal Jesus" is a the floor stomping first single released off Violator that was a smash hit on and off the dance floor with its country twang flare, driving drum beat hooks, and anthemic lyrics like "reach out and touch faith." The remix single for this one is especially awesome and features the phenomenal non-album track "Dangerous," one of the best b-sides DM ever released. "Halo" is an amazing song and is probably my favorite on the release. With bass, synth, and orchestral hooks that blow my mind, this masterpiece builds into an emotional catharsis that is released by its audience dancing and singing along wildly by the end. This, I believe, was released as a single only in the UK (it's a very hard to find release) - this easily could have been the fifth smash hit from Violator. Returning to ballad mode, "Waiting for the Night to Fall" is soft, ethereal, and again hauntingly beautiful. You just want to curl up in the dark and enjoy the beauty of solitude with this one. Get ready to hit the dance floor again; "Enjoy the Silence" was the second single and was an absolute smash with its awesome beat, orchestration, and yell along chorus. The remix single had 6 mixes and included the awesome instrumental non-album tracks, "Sibeling" and "Memphisto." [The cassette remix contains the bonus The Quad: Final Mix!] I especially loved the video which was predominantly deep blue (I love blue videos) and features Dave Gahan wandering through the English countryside as (I believe) King Richard. "Policy of Truth" was another single, though it didn't quite see the success of the others. The remix single contains the bonus "Kaleid" (a very funky techno instrumental). With an interesting guitar and ambient intro, the song soon moves into a groovy guitar and synth driven twanger that is quite sultry and seductive - definite dirty dancin' kinda music. Still sultry but much slower and more subdued, "Blue Dress" is a beautifully crafted piece of depth and emotion that sounds almost obsessive and compulsive. This somewhat short release comes to a close with "Clean" which continues the slower theme. However, it is much darker and hazy feeling, and it has a sultry pulsating rhythm throughout that pulls you closer inside yourself.

For me, Violator is the best DM album, and one of the best alterno-euro-techno albums ever released. It gets a strong 5 star rating and falls within my top 20 releases of all time. Not only is the album amazing in its danceability and its depth of emotion, but the additional pieces that went with marketing this piece (the remix singles and videos) were equally impressive. The remix singles were especially awesome, featuring not only killer remixes, but also a plethora of unreleased material that could have filled another album!

I recommend this album highly to any DM fan, late 80s/early 90s club music fan, or anyone who simply loves good synth beat music that can make you both dance and feel. Don't let the fact that the releae only has 9 songs bother you - there isn't a single song on this release that is less than perfect. Oh, and a bonus recommendation: if you couldn't tell, get all the remix singles you can from this one - they're worth having!

Some would perhaps argue that Violator was the point at which Depeche Mode sold out. It was a huge commercial success, spawning 4 hit singles (5 if you count the rare "Halo") that filled dance floors and concert venues all over the world. However, I call it justice and recognition due. Violator is a crowning achievement for Depeche Mode's brilliant lyrical and orchestral composition talents. Accessible to all with brilliant pieces of poetry, addictive dance beats and techno hooks, and beautifully crafted videos, Violator achieved a bonding between old die-hard fans and fans new to the group, a rare feat to accomplish in the complicated world of (at least then) "alternative" music.

Let me begin by saying that I love Depeche Mode, and this is one of their best albums IMHO. Unfortunately, this remaster is like so many others from the 80s with a bloated mastering level and squashed dynamic range. Compared with the original CD it sounds thin and fatiguing. Maybe this is a conscious effort on the part of record producers to make the sound more friendly to compression to MP3 format or to listening on a portable device with really poor earbuds. However, when played on a high performance system the sound really suffers. Listeners are encouraged to check out this phenomenon [...]. Do yourself a favor and hold on dearly to the original CD. It sounds much more potent and involving. The same goes for other remastered music from the great 80s. Regard the remasters with a healthy dose of skepticism. Rock on!