Day 0669 - Violator

Depeche Mode "Violator" (1990)

 
After making several albums, and getting good at what they did, th'Mode decided to pare things back on their first album of the 90s.   Band-member Martin Gore described how the group had become bored with the extensive pre-production and discussions on album 'sound' that they would usually undertake before working on a release.  They decided instead to work things out on the fly in the studio with new producer Flood (New Order, Ministry, Smashing Pumpkins, PJ Harvey, NIN etc.)

Apparently Depeche Mode were a big influence on Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor, and I can hear it.  The synthline in first track "World in my Eyes" bears more than a passing resemblance to that band's sound.  The album mostly goes for sparse, but moody synth arrangements.  "Waiting for the Night" and "Clean" provide slightly fuller arrangements.

Oh it also has "Personal Jesus" on it.  Most people would at least be familiar with that or the so-so Marilyn Manson cover of it a few years later.

Day 0593 - Music for the Masses

Depeche Mode "Music For the Masses" (1987)

With this album, Depeche Mode changed producers and set about shedding their more fragile synth/electronic pop for a more robust sound.  The album has fingers in genres ranging rock, electronica, goth and even pop.

Great range of sounds, from the boomy-roomy opening track "Never Let Me Down Again" through to the eerie piano and choir of album closer "Pimpf".

The band named the album ironically (much like Faith No More with their release "Album of the Year") based on its perceived lack of commercial appeal, but it ended up faring reasonably well.  It eventually sold a million copies in the US.