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Violator
Studio album by Depeche Mode
Released	March 19, 1990
Recorded	May 1989 - February 1990
Genre	Synthpop Synth rock Dark Wave Alternative Dance Industrial Rock
Length	47:02
Label	Mute Records(UK), Sire(US)
Producer	Depeche Mode, Flood
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Pitchfork Media (7.9/10) link Q Robert Christgau (C-) link
Depeche Mode chronology
101 (1989) Violator (1990) Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993)

Violator is Depeche Mode's seventh full-length album, released by Mute Records on March 19, 1990.

The album is notable for propelling the band into international stardom, housing four successful singles: "Personal Jesus" (actually released six months before Violator), "Enjoy the Silence" (a Top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic), "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 (#7) and stand 74 weeks in the chart.

Many view Violator as the third in the band's triptych of top albums and it is regarded as a watershed album in terms of both production and song quality by fans, critics and the band itself. In 2003, the album was ranked number 342 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

It was supported by the World Violation Tour.

Contents 1 2006 re-release 2 Track listing 2.1 1990 release: Mute / Stumm 64 2.2 2006 re-release 3 Singles 4 Personnel 5 External links

As part of Mute's 2006 reissue schedule, Violator was re-released as a Hybrid SACD/CD + DVD package on 3 April, 2006 which included 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 the 6th of June, 2006. The US version lacked the hybrid SACD/CD 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" sold more than 8.2 million.

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

Violator was placed on #17 on the Billboard Year End chart in 1990

All songs written by Martin Gore

1. "World in My Eyes" – 4:26
2. "Sweetest Perfection" – 4:43
3. "Personal Jesus" – 4:56
4. "Halo" – 4:30
5. "Waiting for the Night" – 6:07
6. "Enjoy the Silence" – 6:12
7. "Policy of Truth" – 4:55
8. "Blue Dress" – 5:41
9. "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.[1] However, the band's official web site claims it is.
• The album contains two hidden tracks: "Interlude #2: Crucified" appears after "Enjoy the Silence", in which Andy Fletcher utters the title, and "Interlude #3", which comes after "Blue Dress". "Interlude #1" appeared on Music for the Masses.

Mute: DM CD 7 (CD/SACD + DVD) / CDX STUMM 64 (CD/SACD)

• Disc 1 is a hybrid SACD/CD with a multi-channel SACD layer.
• Disc 2 is a DVD which includes Violator in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM Stereo [48 kHz/24bit] plus bonus tracks

1. "World in My Eyes" – 4:26
2. "Sweetest Perfection" – 4:43
3. "Personal Jesus" – 4:56
4. "Halo" – 4:30
5. "Waiting for the Night" – 6:07
6. "Enjoy the Silence" – 6:12
7. "Policy of Truth" – 4:55
8. "Blue Dress" – 5:41
9. "Clean" – 5:28

Bonus Tracks (in PCM Stereo [48 kHz/16bit]):

1. "Dangerous" – 4:22
2. "Memphisto" – 4:03
3. "Sibeling" – 3:18
4. "Kaleid" – 4:18
5. "Happiest Girl [Jack Mix]" – 4:58
6. "Sea Of Sin [Tonal Mix]" – 4:46

Additional Material:

1. "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" and "Blue Dress", which Martin sings. However, Gore's background vocals can be heard throughout the entire album. The interludes are instrumental.

1. "Personal Jesus" (29 August, 1989)
2. "Enjoy the Silence" (05 February, 1990)
3. "Policy of Truth" (07 May, 1990)
4. "World in My Eyes" (17 September, 1990)

• Andrew Fletcher - keyboards, distorted vocal on "Interlude 2"
• David Gahan - 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 - mixed, 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.

• Official Remaster Info

v • d • e Depeche Mode
David Gahan • Martin Gore • Andrew Fletcher Vince Clarke • Alan Wilder
Studio albums	Speak & Spell • A Broken Frame • Construction Time Again • Some Great Reward • Black Celebration • Music for the Masses • Violator • Songs of Faith and Devotion • Ultra • Exciter • Playing the Angel
Compilation albums	People Are People • The Singles 81>85 • Catching Up with Depeche Mode • The Singles 86>98 • Remixes 81 - 04 • The Best Of, Volume 1 • The Complete Depeche Mode
Live albums	101 • Songs of Faith and Devotion Live • Recording the Angel
Singles	"Dreaming of Me" • "New Life" • "Just Can't Get Enough" • "See You" • "The Meaning of Love" • "Leave in Silence" • "Get the Balance Right!" • "Everything Counts" • "Love, in Itself" • "People Are People" • "Master and Servant" • "Blasphemous Rumours" / "Somebody" • "Shake the Disease" • "It's Called a Heart" • "Stripped" / "But Not Tonight" • "A Question of Lust" • "A Question of Time" • "Strangelove" • "Never Let Me Down Again" • "Behind the Wheel" • "Little 15" • "Everything Counts (Live)" • "Personal Jesus" • "Enjoy the Silence" • "Policy of Truth" • "World in My Eyes" • "I Feel You" • "Walking in My Shoes" • "Condemnation" • "In Your Room" • "Barrel of a Gun" • "It's No Good" • "Home" • "Useless" • "Only When I Lose Myself" • "Dream On" • "I Feel Loved" • "Freelove" • "Goodnight Lovers" • "Enjoy the Silence 04" • "Precious" • "A Pain That I'm Used To" • "Suffer Well" • "John the Revelator" / "Lilian" • "Martyr"
Videos	The World We Live In and Live in Hamburg • Some Great Videos • Strange • 101 • Strange Too • Devotional • The Videos 86>98 • One Night in Paris • Live in Milan
Tours	"For the Masses" • "World Violation" • "Devotional" • "Singles" • "Exciter" • "Touring the Angel"
Tribute albums	For the Masses • Color Theory presents Depeche Mode
Solo projects	David Gahan: Paper Monsters • Hourglass; Martin Gore: Counterfeit e.p. • Counterfeit²; Alan Wilder: Recoil; Andrew Fletcher: Toast Hawaii; Vince Clarke: Yazoo • Erasure
Related articles	Discography  • Synthpop • Mute Records (discography)