Track 14 - “Enjoy the Silence” by Depeche Mode (1990)

From the album Violator

Music and lyrics by Martin Gore

 

Performed by:

Dave Gahan – lead vocals

Martin Gore – guitar, backing vocals  

Alan Wilder – keyboards, drum machine  

Andrew Fletcher - keyboards

 

US Billboard Hot 100 - #8; US Billboard Alternative Airplay - #1; US Billboard Dance Club Songs - #6; US Billboard Year-End - #66; Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time - #415

 

Vows are spoken

To be broken

Feelings are intense

Words are trivial

Pleasures remain

So does the pain

Words are meaningless

And forgettable

All I ever wanted, all I ever needed

Is here in my arms

Words are very unnecessary, they can only do harm

 

 Whether or not we care to admit it, we are all creatures of habit. From our morning routines, or our favorite coffee and eating spots, or our go to places to take a vacation, or right down to that beat up old hoodie we put on when it’s raining outside, we all need those places, things and other beats in our lives that keep us on the rails every day. If your coffee spot is closed for renovations or your hoodie is in the laundry and you were planning on wearing it that day, it can throw everything off. Even buying a new car, which could be seen as an achievement of sorts, is a replacement of something you were used to; you know where all the gadgets are in your old car and there’s a nifty hideaway compartment for your sunglasses, so why would you want to replace all that and get used to something else? That new car may look great and smell even better, but there is something to be said about the reassurance of what’s familiar. I’ll be the first to admit that I love new stuff, but I also love getting used to that stuff; it’s tough for me to let go of things that are worn out, or just taking up space, especially if it was a gift from someone or holds some other sentimental value. But in the end, there’s nothing like something shiny and new, no matter how attached you are to the battered and old. Since this is a journey about music, you may be wondering where I’m going with this. When it comes to music, calling me a “creature of habit” would be putting it lightly. I get stuck very easily on what I like, and I am often reluctant to give new bands and artists a try. Just look back a few tracks to “Colors” by Black Pumas; giving my wife the third degree about a new radio station was probably not my best moment! But the result of that was discovering not only Black Pumas, whose album I listen to all the time, but other great new artists as well. The same could be said for Of Monsters and Men, who I discovered by accident, but came at a time when I was definitely in a rut of listening to the same old stuff for months and months. So, over the years I’ve gotten more open-minded about what I listen to. I have my go-to bands for sure, and playlists full of the songs I grew up with, but I also know there’s a lot of great new artists out there, waiting to be discovered. I just keep telling myself that even my favorite bands and songs of all time were completely new at some point, and I had to hear them for the first time; they were all shiny and new before they became comfortable and familiar. There was a period in my life though where I was so stuck on what I liked and what I listened to, that other people started to take notice.

 

When I look back at what I was listening to in 1989 and the first part of 1990, I wonder how my taste in music ever evolved at all. If it wasn’t hard rock or metal, then I wasn’t interested in it, at least in terms of becoming a real fan. Sure, there were songs I heard on the radio that I liked, but in terms of buying music and following the bands, if it wasn’t loud and obnoxious then it was beneath me. I had developed my preference for hard rock and heavy metal in high school, and I was actually quite proud of it. I loved the volume, the dark themes and verbose lyrics, and back then, those bands were everywhere. Def Leppard, Guns N Roses, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Dio and even Bon Jovi were on heavy rotation in my car and at home. I’ve touched upon how I became a fan of this music when I wrote about Def Leppard and their song “Animal” a few months ago, but I haven’t mentioned yet how much I loved metal music specifically. I’m sure my parents were worried about the demonic posters I had on my walls back then. We will talk more about this down the road, so get your black t-shirts and devil horns ready because it’s coming. 😉 Anyway, 1989 saw releases from most of the hard rock bands I loved in high school, including Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, and Aerosmith. Other artists I would categorize as classic rock artists also released great albums that year, like Tom Petty (Full Moon Fever), Eric Clapton (Journeyman), and The Rolling Stones (Steel Wheels). I was also listening to the debut album by a new hard rock band from New Jersey called Skid Row that summer, and glam metal band Great White had a hit on the radio, “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”, that made me go out and pick up their CD. Aside from my brief obsession with a British goth band and their new album (who we’ll talk about in greater detail down the road), and an amazing song called “Buffalo Stance” by a Swedish rapper named Neneh Cherry, there was little else besides rock and metal in my CD player and cassette deck that year. Meanwhile, as 1990 rolled around, there were some changes coming at my part-time job. The person I would call my first real mentor, Martin, who you met a few tracks ago, was moving his new family out of state and a new manager would be taking over. Like when Martin arrived, I was curious but less apprehensive this time around since I now had tenure and experience. The new manager, hailing from Pennsylvania, brought an assistant with him, and a new full-timer as well, so now there were three new personalities to get used to. They promptly rented a house on the South Shore of Long Island, and started throwing parties right away, printing up flyers and handing them out in the mall, mostly to the retail establishments that were geared towards females. I couldn’t argue with their approach; the parties were a huge success and before we knew it, we had people stopping by the store (mostly girls), asking us when the next party would be. And these guys were heavily into alternative music. This was back when “Alternative” music was truly alternative, meaning artists that were not played on Top 40 radio, barely on MTV, and whose music you had on a tape of a tape. They listened to a lot of Nine Inch Nails, The Replacements, Morrissey (and his old band, The Smiths), The Pixies, Jane’s Addiction…all artists I was not familiar with and had only heard sparingly at best. They played this music at the house parties, and everybody loved it. Others at the store knew some of it as well. How was I missing out on this? Was I that closed minded? In the coming years, I would become obsessed with these and other artists, and when alternative and grunge really exploded in 1992, it became what I listened to almost 100% of the time. In 1990 though, I had no idea that would happen. In 1990, I couldn’t talk about these bands with the new guys, and it was tough to form bonds and friendships at first, and I can remember them asking why I still had Great White and Motley Crue tapes in my car, and why I didn’t listen to “new” music. I went to the parties and heard this great music, but when I was on my own, I stuck with the familiar power chords of my beloved hard rock and metal. That year though, there was an alternative album that even Top 40 radio started to play, and that I began to hear all the time. Of course, the guys from Pennsylvania played it at their parties, but in 1990, you would have heard Depeche Mode and their album Violator just about everywhere.

 

In the late 1970’s, UK schoolmates Vince Clarke and Andy Fletcher were playing in various bands together, with Clarke on keyboards and vocals, and Fletcher playing bass. By 1980, heavily influenced by UK band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, they decided to scrap their traditional instruments and focus on electronic music. They soon added guitarist Martin Gore, and vocalist Dave Gahan, and this became the original lineup of Depeche Mode. The name is taken from a French fashion magazine and translates to “fashion news” or “fashion update.” In 1981, they released their first album, Speak and Spell, which featured their first single, “Just Can’t Get Enough”, now considered a synth-pop new wave classic. While reviews were mixed, Depeche Mode began to build the army of loyal fans they would become known for around the world. Vince Clarke abruptly exited the band after just one album and went on to form Yazoo (or Yaz in the US), and Erasure; more on these bands in a few minutes. He was replaced by keyboardist Alan Wilder, and in 1984, they achieved success outside Europe with the release of the single, “People Are People.” The track would chart in the US and Canada in 1985, the first time a Depeche Mode single charted in either country, and become an LGBT anthem as well. The band also gained tremendous support on college radio and alternative radio stations in the US, including WLIR on Long Island.  In 1988, Depeche Mode wrapped up their tour in support of 1987’s Music for the Masses at the Pasadena Bowl, in front of over 60,000 fans. The show was captured live for a concert film and live album entitled 101, marking the 101st and final show of the tour. It marked a breakthrough in the US and emphasized the relationship Depeche Mode had with their extremely rabid and devoted fans. Most notable is the final track, “Everything Counts”; as the song ends, the band stops playing, and it’s just 60,000 fans singing the chorus for almost a minute. Its truly amazing, and something you should listen to. So, by the time Depeche Mode was ready to release their follow up, Violator, in 1990, and with the rising popularity of alternative music, they were poised to become one of the biggest acts in the world.

 

Now, I knew who Depeche Mode were back then. I had seen their videos for “Just Can’t Get Enough” and “People Are People” on MTV, and liked them well enough, and but I would hardly call myself a fan. In fact, when it came to bands like Depeche Mode, The Smiths, or The Cure, you were either an obsessive fan or you weren’t; there was no in-between. You couldn’t say, “Yeah, I like that one song they have….” You would quickly be dismissed by whoever you were talking to, and you would not be taken seriously. These alternative bands represented a departure from the mainstream and the devoted fans were proud of that fact; posers need not apply. And someone like me, who was a fan of predominantly heavy metal and hard rock, well forget it…those two groups did not mix at all. So, here I was, with the 1980s behind us, and me seemingly holding onto my musical preferences. Remember back in 1980 when I moved, and wanted to fit in so bad I made my mom go out and buy me a Queen tape? Well, those instincts began to kick in again. Except this time, I didn’t have to go to such deceptive lengths to make an impression on the new group I was working with. I simply asked one of the new guys, Kerry, if I could borrow his copy of Depeche Mode’s new album, Violator. Kerry was the most approachable of the three new guys from Pennsylvania; relatively shy with spiky hair, he always had this sheepish look about him. We used to talk a lot when we worked together, and I knew he had a stash of cassettes in his duffle bag. So, one night after we closed the store, I asked him to borrow his copy of Violator. Kerry was a perfect ambassador for alternative music and was more than happy to lend me the tape, and let me know I was welcome to borrow anything in his collection. Released that spring, Violator already had two huge hits I had heard on the radio: “Personal Jesus” and “Enjoy the Silence.”  By the time I asked Kerry to borrow it early that summer of 1990, it was already a hit, and even Top 40 radio was playing the two popular singles from the album. I listened on the way home, and within two days, had purchased the CD for myself and was playing it all the time; I even recorded a copy for my car. I loved the album from beginning to end, but “Enjoy the Silence” really stood out. I thought the pulsing beat and the guitar riffs over the verse breaks were genius, and at the time, the lyrics were some of the best I had ever heard. So, this is what I was missing all this time!

 

As the summer of 1990 progressed, I ended up buying two more Depeche Mode albums, Black Celebration and Music for the Masses, and wore them out. Other bands followed, as I discovered The Smiths, went back to The Cure’s 1989 release Disintegration (an album I had given up on – more on that!), and my friend Rich lent me New Order’s Substance, another alternative classic. And Kerry, true to his word, lent me Pretty Hate Machine by Nine Inch Nails, and Doolittle by The Pixies, two more bands I would listen to all the time in years following. As alternative music began to get bigger, there was more of it on the radio and featured at local record stores, and once I knew what to look for, it began to dominate my collection and all those heavy metal bands I loved in the 1980s got pushed aside. I still listened occasionally, and when metal and hard rock had a resurgence in the 2000s, I picked up right where I left off in the 1980s. Nowadays, it’s all one big pile of great music that I go back to. I still return to Violator and it remains one of my favorite albums ever. More than that, it’s the gateway album that started my obsession with alternative music, much like Lloyd Cole opening the door to the singer-songwriters I listen to now, and Def Leppard and a certain Australian metal band leading me down the hard rock road. I suppose there’s nothing wrong with being a creature of habit, and while I’m still skeptical about new music sometimes, Depeche Mode helped me become more open-minded when I was a know-it-all twentysomething. Here’s the surreal video for “Enjoy the Silence”; enjoy! 😊

 

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Next time…Flannel! Doc Martens! Brooding over coffee! Seattle grunge makes its first appearance on the playlist.

  

P.S.

 On September 25, 1993, I saw Depeche Mode live for the first time at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. They were supporting their #1 album, Songs of Faith and Devotion, the follow up to Violator. I was able to score seats five rows from the stage, and during the encore when they played “Enjoy the Silence”, I turned around for a few seconds to watch the crowd behind me. Everyone in that audience was moving in one undulating wave, singing every lyric with the band and literally making the arena shake. It remains one of the greatest concert experiences of my life and something I will never forget. I’ve seen them live a total of three times, and I’m hard pressed to think of fans that are more devoted than Depeche Mode fans. And all three of the performances I saw were truly incredible; they are an amazing live act, and they can capture their studio sound perfectly when they’re on stage.

 

Alan Wilder left the band in 1995 to focus on solo projects. Depeche Mode have released six more studio albums since Songs of Faith and Devotion, despite band turmoil and Dave Gahan’s battles with addiction. In November of 2020, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

 

After leaving Depeche Mode, Vince Clarke went on to form Yaz with jazz singer Alison Moyet, and they recorded two albums together. Yaz was responsible for the new wave hits “Don’t Go” and “Only You”, among others. He then formed Erasure with singer Andy Bell in 1985, and they have recorded 18 albums together, and a string of hits I’m sure you’ve heard: “Oh L’Amour”, “Chains of Love”, and “A Little Respect” being the most popular.

 

In 2002, Johnny Cash recorded a cover of “Personal Jesus” in 2002 for his album American IV: The Man Comes Around.  There’s also a cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt”, which earned him a Grammy and rejuvenated his career shortly before his death in 2003. You can check out his video for “Personal Jesus” here.

 

Longtime Depeche Mode band member and founder Andy Fletcher died suddenly on May 26, 2022. Gahan and Gore released a statement stating they were “shocked and filled with overwhelming sadness with the untimely passing of our dear friend, family member and bandmate…”

 

Few new wave bands from the 1980s have remained as relevant as Depeche Mode. Modern EDM would not exist without their influence, or other bands like New Order, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys and Yaz. Listening to them now still brings me right back to that summer in 1990 when I first became a big fan of alternative and new wave music. I know I’ve already mentioned this, but I’m grateful for the friends I’ve made through the years who love music and who continue to get me to break old habits and listen to something new. Like Genesis, Depeche Mode has spawned other bands, so here’s a “family tree” playlist you can check out; I’ve included my top 20 DM tracks. And while I was researching this piece, I realized that 1989-1990 were amazing years for Alternative music. They were probably the last two years when Alternative was truly “alternative”, before it was everywhere in the early to mid-1990s. Here’s a playlist of some of the great stuff I discovered and other alternative icons from that time.

   

See you next time…

 

JS

7/20/2022

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Track 15 - “Even Flow” by Pearl Jam (1991)

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Track 13 - “Don’t Look Back” by Lloyd Cole (1990)