Violator (album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Violator
Type = Album
Artist = Depeche Mode


Released = March 20, 1990
Recorded = May 1989 - February 1990
Genre = Synthpop, alternative dance, New Wave, industrial rock
Length = 47:02
Label = Mute
Sire/Reprise (US/Canada)
Producer = Depeche Mode, Flood
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=A1s320rjac489 link]
*Robert Christgau (C-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=depeche+mode link]
*Pitchfork Media (7.9/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/37466/Depeche_Mode_Speak_and_Spell_Music_for_the_Masses_Violator link]
*Q Rating|4|5
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|2|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/125227/review/5945501?utm_source=Rhapsody&utm_medium=CDreview link]
Last album = "Music for the Masses"
(1987)
This album = "Violator"
(1990)
Next album = "Songs of Faith and Devotion"
(1993)

"Violator" is the seventh album by the English synthpop group Depeche Mode, released by Mute Records in 1990. Preceded by the hit singles "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence" (a Top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic), "Violator" propelled the band into international stardom. The album yielded two further hit singles, "Policy of Truth" and "World in My Eyes". This album is the first of the band to achieve the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 (number seven) and stand 74 weeks in the chart. RS500|342 It was supported by the "World Violation Tour".

2006 re-release

As part of Mute's 2006 reissue schedule, "Violator" was re-released as a hybrid Super Audio CD + DVD-Video package on 3 April 2006 which included 2-channel and 5.1 surround mixes of all "Violator" album tracks. The six B-sides to the "Violator" singles — "Dangerous", "Memphisto", "Sibeling", "Kaleid", "Happiest Girl", and "Sea Of Sin" — also appear, albeit without the surround sound treatment. The reissue didn't reach the US till 6 June 2006. The US version lacked the hybrid SACD and instead just had a CD, but the DVD was included, and was identical to the European DVD.

A 32-minute short film entitled "Depeche Mode 1989-90 (If You Wanna Use Guitars, Use Guitars)" and featured interviews with the band (including Alan), Daniel Miller, Flood, François Kevorkian (who mixed the album), Anton Corbijn (who directed the music videos and did the album's photography/cover), and others. It also includes news footage from the infamous "riot" in Los Angeles which gave the band media publicity the day before "Violator" came out. The band were scheduled to do autographs in an LA music store, and the line reached into the 10,000's. The event had to be cancelled shortly after it began due to problems keeping the line in order. Unfortunately, the documentary lacked footage from the "World Violation Tour", but did have information about it. For example, interviews regarding the soldout Dodger Stadium shows. There is also footage from "Strange Too", notably clips from the music videos for "Halo" and "Clean".

A caption at the end of the film reveals "Violator" has sold 7.5 million copies worldwide. Today, "Violator" has sold more than 8.2 million copies.

The remastered album was released on "deluxe" vinyl 2 March 2007 in Germany and 5 March 2007 internationally.

Violator had reached number 17 on the Billboard Year End chart of 1990.

Track listing

All tracks written by Martin L. Gore.

1990 release: Mute / Stumm 64

# "World in My Eyes" – 4:26
# "Sweetest Perfection" – 4:43
# "Personal Jesus" – 4:56
# "Halo" – 4:30
# "Waiting for the Night" – 6:07
# "Enjoy the Silence" – 6:12
#* "Interlude #2 - Crucified" – 1:52 (hidden song starting at 4:20)
# "Policy of Truth" – 4:55
# "Blue Dress" – 5:41
#* "Interlude #3" – 1:30 (hidden song starting at 4:18)
# "Clean" – 5:28

*It has been said that the original title for "Waiting for the Night" was "Waiting for the Night to Fall" and that the printing for the "Violator" cover accidentally erased the rest of the title. Alan Wilder claims it is not true. [http://www.recoil.co.uk/forum/qa/dmviol.htm] However, the band's [http://archives.depechemode.com/discography/albums/11_violator.html official web site] claims it is.

2006 Collectors Edition: Mute / DM CD 7 (CD/SACD + DVD)

* Disc 1 is a hybrid SACD/CD with a multi-channel SACD layer, with the same track listing as the 1990 release.
* Disc 2 is a DVD which includes "Violator" in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM Stereo [48 kHz/24bit] plus the following bonus tracks:

Bonus Tracks (in PCM Stereo [48 kHz/16bit] ):
# "Dangerous" – 4:22
# "Memphisto" – 4:03
# "Sibeling" – 3:18
# "Kaleid" – 4:18
# "Happiest Girl (Jack Mix)" – 4:58
# "Sea of Sin (Tonal Mix)" – 4:46

Additional Material:
* "Depeche Mode 89-91 (If You Wanna Use Guitars, Use Guitars)" [32'28" video]

Dave Gahan sings lead vocals on all songs except "Sweetest Perfection" (Dave Gahan can also be heard singing in last chorus) and "Blue Dress", which Martin sings.

ingles

# "Personal Jesus" (29 August 1989)
# "Enjoy the Silence" (5 February 1990)
# "Policy of Truth" (7 May 1990)
# "World in My Eyes" (17 September 1990)

Personnel

*Andrew Fletcher - keyboards, distorted vocal on "Interlude 2"
*David Gahan - lead vocals (except "Sweetest Perfection" and "Blue Dress")
*Martin Gore - keyboards, guitar, backup vocals, lead vocals ("Sweetest Perfection" and "Blue Dress")
*Alan Wilder - programming, keyboards, drums on "Clean"

*Mark Ellis “Flood” - Production.
*François Kevorkian - mixing, except track 6.
*"Enjoy the Silence" mixed by Daniel Miller and Flood.
*Pino Pischetola, Peter Iversen, Steve Lyon, Goh Hotoda, Alan Gregorie, Dennis Mitchell, Phil Legg - Engineering.
*Daryl Bamonte, Dick Meaney, David Browne, Mark Flannery - assistance.

External links

* [http://remasters.depechemode.com/07_violator.html Official Remaster Info]