1990
Articles,
reviews of concerts and releases, and band member interviews from
magazines and newspapers.
Singles:
'Enjoy The Silence', 'Policy Of Truth', 'World In My Eyes'
Album: 'Violator'
Video: 'Strange Too'
The year regarded by many as artistically their finest. Over 17,000 fans besiege the band at an instore appearance in Los Angeles. David's marriage runs into difficulty, and Andy's troubles with depression begin.
Sound
Of Silence
[Record Mirror, 10th February 1990. Words: Eleanor Levy. Picture:
Uncredited.]
A brief news item to promote the release of "Enjoy The
Silence", while recapping on the Mode's recent career and hinting on
the release of the "Violator" album. More worthwhile for the
gorgeous band photo than the text itself.
[197
words]
Sin
Machine
[NME, 17th February 1990. Words: Stuart Maconie. Pictures: A J
Barratt.]
A
fascinating piece which manages to remain lively and fluid while being
considerably in-depth, giving a resume of the band's development and the
popular view of them before running into an interview with Alan and
Martin. The author has an almost poetic enthusiasm for the band which
carries the piece along beautifully, and his gentle manner has the rare
gift of opening up Martin, who gives some of his most revealing comments
here. Delightful.
[3208
words]
Real
Gahan Kid
[Sky, March 1990. Words:
Paul Lester. Pictures: Kevin Westenberg.]
Engaging, detailed interview
with Dave in the light of the impending release of Violator. One of
the clutch of articles that came out at this time pleasantly surprised
by the maturity and sultry style of the album, and heading a
reappraisal of the band as dance pioneers. Unfortunately the author
has fallen into the usual temptation of describing the band's career
as if they spent the Eighties stuck as synth nancies before suddenly
waking up one morning to find themselves synth gods. Nonetheless a
thorough and intelligent article.
[2259
words]
Smash
Hits, 7th March 1990
[Words: Chris Heath. Picture: Uncredited.]
A
mixed bag of quotes, snippets and quirky facts about the band, many of
which have been recycled from earlier Smash Hits and other magazines.
After 1990 this kind of piece simply wouldn't be appropriate, in fact it
seems forced and regressive here, but harmless enough and enjoyable
nonetheless.
[1379
words]
Depeche
Mode Hip It Up And Start Again
[Melody Maker, 10th March 1990. Words:
Jon Wilde. Pictures: Uncredited.]
Outstanding
in-depth interview with David giving a potted band history, especially
in the light of how the press has perceived them, and looking at the
massive leaps forward they had made in the years before Violator.
Dave is on top form, very animated and humourous, openly discussing
the band's own view of their development. Essential - probably the
best article I have seen.
[4975
words]
[NME, 17th March 1990. Words: Helen Mead. Picture: Anton Corbijn.]
A rare instance of an undecided review (despite the high score) of Violator. The writer isn't certain if she's satisfied by the decidedly clinical sound of the album, and only half "clicks" with the ironies of Martin's writing style.
[381 words]
Breaking
The Silence
[Record Mirror, 17th March 1990. Words: Lisa Tilston. Pictures:
Uncredited.]
Fletch
talks in an undemanding but interesting short interview about how the
band's style has sat next to other chart music, and goes over the usual
public misconception. It's disconcerting that at times Andy seems to need
to explain and justify the Depeche Mode ethos, although a sympathetic
interviewer helps tease out an easy introduction to a public just
starting, in 1990, to give the band a second look.
[1526
words]
Record
Mirror, 17th March
1990
[Words: Tim Nicholson. Picture: Anton Corbijn.]
A brief review of Violator, clearly very impressed with what it sees
as Depeche Mode's coming of age.
[242
words]
Depeche
Mode: Violator
[The Times, 23rd March 1990. Words: Uncredited.]
A short review of the Violator album in a UK newspaper, which does in
beautiful language exactly what a review should do: i.e. tell you what the
album sounds like.
[206
words]
Spiral
Scratch, April 1990
[Words: Uncredited. Pictures: Uncredited.]
Run-of-the-mill and uninspired article for collectors, detailing the
various formats and contents of Depeche Mode releases throughout the
Eighties. The accuracy is a bit off the mark and the proofreader needed
shooting, so while there are some interesting tidbits, a new reader would
do well to try the much better Record Collector articles for
similar information.
[3603
words]
Depeche
Mode: The Top 100 Rarities
[Record Collector, May
1990. Words: John Reed / Graham Needham. Pictures: Anton Corbijn /
Uncredited.]
Listing
of the 100 items commanding the highest price in 1990, along with a
resume of the band's career with especial attention to the formats of
the releases, and advice to collectors on DJ remixes. Please note that
the actual listing has not been transcribed here although it is
included in the page scans.
[860 words]
[Words: Chuck Eddy.]
An interesting item containing reviews of four albums including Violator (the others being by New Order, ABC and The Beloved), in an attempt to compare and contrast the four. The comments on Violator are so-so and not particularly penetrating, and it's a shame the writer didn't take the comparisons idea further.
[700 words]
Violator,
Alligator
[NME, 7th July 1990. Words: Jeff Giles. Pictures: John Stoddart.]
Reprint of a Rolling Stone
article before the kick-off of the World Violation Tour in Florida. As
this is their first appearance since the band really made a name for
themselves in the USA, the article takes them to be very much an unknown
quantity, examining their misconceptions and cult appeal, and the fact
that even the fans don't know their names...
[3317
words]
This
Band Wants Your Respect
[Rolling Stone, 12th - 26th July 1990. Words: Jeff Giles.
Pictures: John Stoddart.]
American article interviewing
the band shortly before the kick-off of the World Violation Tour in
Florida. As this is their first appearance since the band really made
a name for themselves in the USA, the article takes them to be very
much an unknown quantity, examining their misconceptions and cult
appeal, and the fact that even the fans don't know their names...
[3317 words]
Staying
Mute
[The Face, August 1990. Words: John McCready. Pictures: Patrick
Harrison.]
Unusual article, describing Mute via the diverse lives of four of its
bands. Consequently most of the article is not about Depeche Mode, but
the article contrasts their big-league American success with the mixed
achievements of other bands and paints a compelling broader picture.
Seeing Depeche this way is a healthy corrective to anyone leaning too
far towards imagining them as misunderstood outsiders. A bit on the
fringe for Sacred DM, but fascinating nonetheless.
[3007 words]
Depeche Mode Show Is Study In Youth Culture, Marketing
[L.A. Life, 6th August 1990. Words: Bruce Britt. Pictures: Uncredited.]
A very media-oriented article approaching the famous Dodgers Stadium show from a completely different angle and examining, in a decidedly sidelong way, how the Depeche Mode "machine" works to market the band. Great if you're studying advertising or sociology, but a bit too analytical for the rest of us to enjoy.
[525 words]
[Melody Maker, 18th August 1990. Words: Ted Mico. Pictures: Kevin Westenberg.]
A review of Depeche Mode's Dodgers Stadium performance alongside Electronic that manages to sustain an immense vibe even while picking up analytically on lots of fine detail. The writer devotes as much if not more time to Electronic, but the article thrums with a sense of occasion and the main photo is one of the best I've seen.
[1766 words]
[Words: Craig Schmidt.]
Short but incisive and upbeat review of Depeche Mode's concert at Los Angeles' Dodgers Stadium, supported by Electronic. The writer, unusually, devotes to Electronic a respectable amount of space, and enjoys both acts as much as each other.
[427 words]
Depeche
Mode
[Published by HMV / Melody Maker, 22nd September 1990. Words:
Uncredited. Pictures:
Various.]
Magazine-format
band biography free with an issue of Melody Maker drawing heavily on previous similar publications. The facts
become heavily skewed by the author turning it into an opinion-piece (fine
for an article, a bit out of place for a biography), with the result that
the band are portrayed quite unfairly for most of their career. Given some
of Melody Maker's other work on the band, I would have expected much
better. If you are new to Depeche Mode, please use the "Try
also" links before reaching a conclusion.
[7374
words]
Success
All Areas
[NME, 3rd November
1990. Words: James Brown. Pictures: Stefan de Batselier.]
A journalist attends a
Depeche concert and becomes carried away. The following morning, he
interviews Fletch in detail. He then wakes as from a dream and runs
away like a ravished ex-virgin, stammering "They aren't really my
kind of thing, b-b-but..." A thorough interview and an intense
article from a journalist intelligent enough to appreciate a band's
worth even if they happen not to play his kind of music.
[3013 words]
[Words: Stephen Dalton. Picture: Stefan de Batselier.]
A singularly unimpressed view of the “Strange Too” video. The reviewer is fair enough when he comments on some of the more ludicrous aspects of the video, but as the reviewer clearly has no interest in Depeche Mode, his comments end up going overboard and becoming unreasonable.
[189 words]
Faith,
Hope And Depravity
[Select, December 1990. Words: Andrew
Harrison. Pictures: Ed Sirrs / Kevin Westenberg.]
Awestruck piece on the World
Violation Tour and the development of Violator. The article
paints a picture of the euphoric fan reaction in a Depeche Mode
concert while boggling over exactly how the band had come to create
such an intense reaction and following. Martin is interviewed with
regards to the changes in style and recent theories on the band's
contribution to house music. Violator era veterans may be left
either misty-eyed or grinning from ear to ear.
[3052
words]
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