Best Depeche Mode album to start with?

[FormerEnfantTerrible]

Well, I like DM. I love a lot of their singles, but I haven't really listened to any of their albums (aside from Sounds of the Universe, but the only song I like is Wrong...). To be honest, I like their recent stuff a lot more. I think I could start with Violator or Ultra, what do you think? I also like Exciter's singles, could that be a good start? And also, why does everybody seem to diss Exciter??

[Spittingcat]

Everyone needs Violator. Great songs.

Check out the VCMG album for bleeps and bumps.

[Danimal]

Black Celebration, Music for the Masses, and Violator are the the holy trinity of DM albums; you can't go wrong with any of those. If you ever decide to pick-up Songs of Faith and Devotion (sometime after the aforementioned three albums) do yourself a favor and buy Songs of Faith and Devotion Live rather than the standard studio album--this was DM's definitive "live rockstar era" and the live version of SOFAD improves on the studio version considerably.

[Danimal]

BTW, if you're really into DM's more recent material, of the four post-Alan Wilder albums Ultra and Playing the Angel are by far the best. Most DM fans diss Exciter because it's much more of a saccharine, touchy-freely affair than anything they've attempted before or since: Freelove, I Feel Love, Goodnight Lovers--not the sound or attitude DM fans have come to expect from their morose, pervy heroes. DM were the Nine Inch Nails before there was a Nine Inch Nails.

[retrofuturist]

Given what you've said, I agree with the Ultra recommendation.

[daveid]

Maybe start with their new album - out in March - and work backwards!

[le petit corbusier]

Maybe start with their new album - out in March - and work backwards!

It worked for me with psb back in the bilingual days.

[tottenhammattspurs]

Violator and Songs Of Faith And Devotion. Everything else is just filler for a new fan.

[Eldritch]

The 1986--1993 are the glory years. Don't believe tottenhamattspurs above: Black Celebration is even better than Violator, if you ask me. And half of Music For The Masses is sublime, but the filler count is bigger than on all other albums of that era.

[Undertaker]

Check out the VCMG album for bleeps and bumps.

Why not just record the ice cream van?

Violator for me as well.

[Danimal]

I essentially agree with Eldrich. In 1986, Black Celebration was ahead of it's time and sounds absolutely modern today and timeless at the same time. The only track that's slightly dated is "New Dress" and that one not so much if you substitute Angelina Jolie or Lady Gaga for Princess Di in the lyrics. This album is perfect in every way: sonically and lyrically. The remaster is pristine on a decent stereo with a sub-woofer, solid presence without being overdriven.
Music for the Masses seemed to be more of a rushed affair in the song writing dept. if not the recording dept. as it's sonically gorgeous. It's definitely an album where the chosen singles really stand-out: Never Let Me Down Again, Strangelove (the album mix improves on the single mix), and Behind The Wheel. I Want You Now is another top rank cut. Pimpf is rubbish and the rest are down to personal preference.
Violator is another no filler-affair like Black Celebration and is considered by most to be their magnum opus (although Eldritch and I would consider Black Celebration to be their masterpiece). Unusually for a Depeche Mode album this one even had solid b-sides in the form of Dangerous (Sensual mix), Personal Jesus (acoustic), Sea of Sin, and The Happiest Girl.
Songs of Faith and Devotion was certainly the height of their fame. At this point Depeche Mode were at their zenith as a live band . This album seemed at the time to consciously conform to the grunge zeitgeist and some of it sounds forced. However, eight months after the studio album was released a track-for-track live version was released and their live skill, the material, and the times really combined to make the live version of this disc the definitive version (I saw them three times during this tour and this WAS the tour to see them on AND the material from this album projected MUCH better live). If it were up to me there wouldn't even be a studio version of this album, they would have just toured the new songs and recorded the album live...this was where the band was truly at in 1993/94. I saw them for the Violator tour before and I saw them for the Singles tour after...Songs of Faith and Devotion was a completely live experience; it seemed at the time as if the album was only recorded to tour. Feel free to disagree with me, however you can buy the live version used-like new for $2.32 on Amazon so why not test my hypothesis?

[spooky]

when it comes to DM, you can't go wrong if Alan Wilder is involved. granted DM had their fair share of "fillers", but their best material was when Alan was on board.

[AdamDowds]

when it comes to DM, you can't go wrong if Alan Wilder is involved. granted DM had their fair share of "fillers", but their best material was when Alan was on board.

Completely agree. For me it's all about 1983-86 (Construction Time Again, Some Great Reward and Black Celebration). I love this sampled, electronic (I call it industrial) sound. This week I haven't been able to stop playing the 12-inch mix of Everything Counts, the song that confirmed their greatness (all I knew before was Just Can't Get Enough, so my view on them was a tad cloudy).

I find the documentaries on the remastered albums very fascinating, watching the production process of each album and the progression of the Depeche Mode story. How they started as teenagers on Speak and Spell (also a great start, but completely different to everything after), grew up with Black Celebration, Music For the Masses and Violator. How it started to go downhill at Songs in Faith and Devotion (released the year I was born), and the recovery on Ultra and Exciter.

Post-Wilder, I recommend Barrel of a Gun, Home, I Feel Loved, Wrong and Peace.

[Very Lucky]

Or you could just start from the Speak & Spell and go from there. Personally, I enjoy listening to an artists discography from the start to see how that artist has evolved; giving me a good overview of their career.

[rollo]

Depends entirely what you're into. I'd probably say Violator and Music for the Masses are the most immediately accessible. Songs of Faith and Ultra are excellent but they both require time to get into. And personally I love Exciter - its their most pop album of recent years which is probably why some people are funny about it.

I'd say Violator and/or Exciter based on what you said above.