Depeche Mode: Violator Album Review Part 7 - Sweetest Perfection

[@VaughnGeorge]

Part 7 of an in-depth album review series of Depeche Mode's 7th studio album , "Violator", released on 19 March 1990. In this part we analyse the chords structure, Vocals and production elements of :The Sweetest Perfection", as well as a piano improvisation. VG :-)

[@MrPomelo555]

Vaughn, if you were to record some of these DM improvs you have been playing, from Agent Orange to this, I would buy this album. I always end up with my eyes closed and my mind floating when listening to them. True beauty. You are a gifted man, brother. 👍

[@MSgt_0699]

I've been thinking the same thing, two years later. I just found Vaughn on KZbin. I would love a massive album of his piano renditions of Depeche Mode songs. So good.

[@mus31]

He's dressed in black again And I'm falling down again Down to the floor again I'm begging for more again But, oh, what can you do when Vaughn's dressed in black?

[@VaughnGeorge]

Hahaha bless you !! VG :-)

[@TourmalineFilms]

hehe nicely done. That's one of my favourite tracks.

[@Kaitlin267]

LOL! I love it.

[@fabfab2769]

Big thanks Vaughn for this number 7 episod. Your piano improvisation is a real pleasure.

[@VaughnGeorge]

Thank you Fab Fab!! VG 🎹👍😎

[@dafunkester]

Wow! Blown away by your great piano version brother, thank you for making these videos.👍

[@VaughnGeorge]

Anytime brother da funkster !! VG:-)

[@muesik1845]

Thank you for making/posting this. I'm getting chills down my spine as I type this listening to your arrangement at the end. You are a really great musician.

[@anitaklisovic7782]

when you just think about how young they were and how did they nailed it..in every possible way, harmony, lyrics, sounds, their voices, Alan's magic, EVERYTHING IS/WAS PERFECT

[@tilt94]

Loving the piano improvisations - just brilliant! :-)

[@VaughnGeorge]

Thank you Roger !! VG :-)

[@daverr423]

F*cking hell, Vaughn, you're like a machine on this Violator series! I'm seriously enjoying this!💙💙💙

[@VaughnGeorge]

Thank you Davey !! I appreciate that brother !! VG 🎹😎👍

[@rolanbc]

"The Sweetest Perfection" is a masterpiece. Wraps you around in an obscure, dark atmosphere where everything is just... Perfect! I got the same feeling with "Clean". Not as poppy as the rest of the album but once you get into the Depeche Mode sound these songs get you into the real Depeche Mode´s world

[@GeorgeDemin]

Once again, another beautiful piano version. I think that it was great to hear Martin perform this song himself in Astoria back in 2003 :)

[@grimlund]

Sweetest Perfection has never been a favorit song of mine. Actually Its one of those songs that I use to jump over. That song and blue dress is perhaps those two songs from Violator that I never really liked. But when I listen to Vaughs piano version and when I played the song on my piano my self back home I realize how beautiful the song really is. Its like the song gets a different kind of life when you play it as a piano ballad.

[@markplunkett5955]

Loved your piano playing at the end! When you’ve finished reviewing the album, it would be great to have a playlist containing all your piano interpretations of the album. Great work as always 😉

[@VaughnGeorge]

Thank you Mark!! VG :-)

[@guylainecormier330]

Yes think many would be interested in purchasing an instrumental piano interpretations compilation.

[@spootnik00]

I think the beginning, the sound is from drum brushes on a snare, they also used it in Death Door's Jazz Mix

[@VaughnGeorge]

Thanks Niko!! VG 🎹👍😎

[@andrewslovak9241]

Hello Vaughn. Thank you for your passionate and insightful analysis of this song and album. It was so instrumental when I heard it growing up for the first time it was really an awakening. As you said so poignantly, it is a revelation and the meticulous attention to every aspect really make it rise so high. Your rendition on the piano is beautiful. Thank you for drawing attention to the nuance and beauty amid a sonic masterpiece as you said!

[@ReginatorNet]

I just realized... "Sweetest Perfection" and "To Have And To Hold (Spanish Taster)" have similar melodies.

[@carlosgarcia9373]

Vaughn, your video has turned my soggy foggy enchilada day around into The Sweetest Perfection 🎶

[@VaughnGeorge]

Carlos, I am pleased to hear that brother !! VG :-)

[@MarkP1968]

The last 5 minutes have given me a whole new appreciation of this song, sublime

[@VaughnGeorge]

That’s the idea of the piano improvisations!! Glad you liked it and thank you !! VG 🎹😎

[@anitaklisovic7782]

fed days ago a radio from Zagreb hosted Mr Miller, show was called Black celebration for the masses and it lasted for 4 hours...and the interview with Mr DM, you see, DM like DM...it was sweetest perfection. What a gentleman, humble, kind, funny, I enjoyed it

[@sickharmsen]

great review from this awesome song from this masterpiece violator! Your piano improvisation at the end was absolutely brilliant! :-)

[@VaughnGeorge]

Thank you !! VG 🎹😎👍

[@petras6649]

There it is again! 😻 Piano interpretation of a song I absolutely love 😻 thank you Vaughn!! Well done

[@malyssa_]

It's GORGEOUS - I'm obsessed. Listening again...

[@gloraditch6915]

MFTM: 12 bit and chorus effects dreamy-ness. Violator: 16 bit digital clarity block party. By the way, I think the song key intro is C or C# minor...it reminds me of 'Holding out for a Hero' by Bonnie Tyler

[@modeman69]

Yes, I agree …. Violator is timeless!…. The music just takes the listener to another world. 🌎

[@ninawildr4207]

Just beautiful! 👏🏻I've always visualized some kind of beautiful ballet interpretive dance when I first heard this song and now when you stripped it I can understand why...

[@VaughnGeorge]

Thank you!! I am glad you enjoyed this!! VG :-)

[@theHYmaster]

Their most underated song without a doubt… this is magnificence

[@violator906]

This really was the sweetest perfection VG🥰. Im with you regarding the organic and earthy sound on Violator. Its a masterpiece. The sweetest perfection is so intense and hypnotizing, it blows my mind and soul every time i listen to it, even now, 31 years later💕

[@VaughnGeorge]

I totally agree!! VG

[@Electromozart]

Brilliant, apparently this song also works as an instrumental piano soundtrack. And it's both very unsettling and alive, which is Martin's trademark.

[@VaughnGeorge]

For sure!!! VG :-)

[@marleneperez1638]

That was a beautiful piano version of the song. It sounded like something Beethoven would have done.

[@nicolaslannoy3660]

C# minor - same :-)

[@andyry1269]

You are making me appreciate this track more, Sir. I was surprised by Dave's backing vocals here. -Andy Ry Denmark.

[@dazbarone]

As always, thank you VG really love your passion. Depeche rule!

[@VaughnGeorge]

Cheers Darren !! VG :-)

[@michamazurkiewicz6252]

Great analysis and improvisation :)

[@VaughnGeorge]

Thank you Kindly!! VG :-)

[@MartinidM]

9:50 not only to this song, another example is Macro from Playing The Angel.

[@MUSiC-world-20986]

Yes. Wikipedia says that he also did backing vocals on "It Doesn't Matter" from "Some Great Reward" album

[@Gonzzysound]

Beautiful piano version!

[@tgwindu1203]

Hi Vaughn... Wonderful piano impro ! Sweetest Perfection is such a great "album song"... Not meant to be an single, but a heck of a track for an album. Personally I prefer those "albums songs" which are usually less obvious than the singles one. I love Blue Dress and Waiting For The Night... But well... everything is so perfect on this album :) Take care

[@VaughnGeorge]

Wow, thank you!! I appreciate your kind words!! VG :-)

[@peterzoltangerhardt3952]

That song was growing in me from decade to decade - from a skip track to one of my favourite non-singles songs.

[@EmpressTouch]

A beautiful piano performance to climax this video - a subject of which loyalty to your channel is warranted, because (as you've touched upon in previous videos on adding new content to reinterpreting music or stripping down synthetic pyrotechnics to raw detail), great music that can move listeners is more than just a hard 'product'. Whatever genre of music you may enjoy listening to, being able to interpret it through piano performing, or even adding to it in certain ways, is something I would greatly encourage anyone gifted enough to do so, to do just this. In respect of Depeche music, I have a few pen pals across the world who share my joy for this artist. One of them in 2005 recorded a 16-track piano solo interpretation album of Mode songs. If I were to tell you that he's not too keen on 'dance' music, but loves Depeche, you'd probably be able to guess his nationality - if not his name, but that would still never put me off asking him to reinterpret into piano performing, some new music. And by "piano performing", an inspired music fan and music listener can then almost instantly inspire a musician, in many ways - when the popularity of all those piano albums of yesteryear suddenly becomes apparent. In other words: if what is said in this type of video analysis isn't new to you, the closing performance still makes the time to sit down for the duration worthwhile. (And yes Vaughn, it's only a matter of when, not if, I have to discuss hiring your services - in the appropriate way.) The beginning of this 'Sweetest Perfection' performance has echoes of the great Chris Reynolds' opening to 'Fur Michelle', the last track on the 'Naive Art' album. Much enjoyed.

[@TourmalineFilms]

Brilliant video Vaughn. I appreciate the level of detail you go into and this really is a magnificent track. It's always hard for me to choose favoutrites because there's something special in just about every song of theirs but this video certainly reminded me of my appreciation Sweetest Perfection. A relevant title 😉

[@anitaklisovic7782]

even how they breathe is amazing

[@pjohan74]

Not my favourite Violator track. But they are all so good, so I still really like it. Martins voice is magical.

[@Prodbystaymes]

Hey Vaughn! Loving the vids. Any chance you’ll talk about Alan Wilder’s Recoil stuff in the future?

[@Kaitlin267]

I'm amazed he hasn't, now that you mention it! Maybe it's because the ALAN WILDER FANBOY ALERTS would take too many hours to edit out? 🤪 I recently bought a couple of Recoil albums and I dunno, I'm giving them a few more chances to grow on me during my drive listening sessions...yes, my car is old as hell and plays tapes and CDs.

[@manuelortega7022]

I have to admit, I’ve never been a big fan of piano acoustic versions in DM concerts, I would prefer full instrumentation Gore songs, but oh man! You do a fantastic job! And you’d definitely play a million times better than Gordino, you have the passion he doesn’t have live! I dare say I would start loving those performances in concerts

[@VaughnGeorge]

Bless you Manuel!! Thank you !! VG :-)

[@anitaklisovic7782]

beautiful Vaughn, beautiful...

[@JackHekler]

Sweetest perfection almost has a "walking in the sand" feel to it

[@VaughnGeorge]

Well said!! VG :-)

[@marcandrebighetti9882]

Oki on commence par le 1 ! c'est Génial George

[@anitaklisovic7782]

Goreism in the end, like in a horor movie, creapy, yet wonderful, don't know still how he does it, but man is a real genius

[@Kaitlin267]

"A prisshuh cookuh," LOL...makes me nostalgic for the Kiwi accent. (Sometimes I pick up some Kiwi in the South African accent.) Sweetest Perfection was never a favorite DM song of mine. For some reason the rhyming and repetition seem too obvious to me and I can't ignore it. But I love Vaughn's notes about the transition into this song as well as Dave's backup/layered vocals. I'm encouraged to check out Sweetest Perfection again wih my good headphones on. Thanks, V! And I have missed the chicken moments; glad we had a few here. 😄

[@irynaspilnyk1010]

Thank you a lot! I ❤ your job! Good luck and success!

[@michamazurkiewicz6252]

What about the percussion in the song? Do we know anything about it? It sounds very original and even mysterious.

[@skinnkre]

Hello, my man Vaughn! First i like to say i really love youre videos. As a Devoty ive been missing these kind of videos. It would be verry cool if you could do an AIR video, or some of the solo stuff. Very big love from Norway. Sorry for my bad english

[@VaughnGeorge]

Hey bro , thank you for your kind message !! I do like AIR by the way !! VG 😎🎹👍

[@mus31]

YES!! lets go!!

[@robyoung9968]

I love your obsession.. Please learn how to cook, you can’t always depend on others for your food! A question, do you believe DM will be releasing a new album this year. I love how talented you are… I’ve forgotten how good this song is. I would have loved to have seen the Counterfeit tour. I could talk to you forever, … about your taste in music… Martin’s lyrics always made me analyze the songs even more…

[@VaughnGeorge]

Thank you for your kind words Rob!! VG 🎹👍😎

[@anitaklisovic7782]

you don't have to explain, we understand, it's a feeling...feelings are hard to describe

[@franciscogonzalezflores3557]

The jazz style drums is great

[@anitaklisovic7782]

Enjoying, liking, loving....

[@anitaklisovic7782]

world without music would be a very sad place. world without their music would be tragedy

[@StenSturesKanal]

"What key is it?" I know that feeling Vaughn. Martin uses so many chords that comes out of nowhere.

[@michaelkuchenbecker1688]

Well, it's C# minor in the verses and E major in the chorus, isn't it?

[@michaelkuchenbecker1688]

... or the other way round. Vaugn is right, probably the part containing the song title is supposedly the chorus.

[@michaelkuchenbecker1688]

C# harmonic minor actually, since it's got the G# chord which has the B# note (raised 7th).

[@anitaklisovic7782]

he spoke about Alan, Mr Jones, recording in Hanse studio in Berlin...pleasure little treasure

[@Esperluet]

The gem.

[@Esperluet]

13:54 This is where the music begins

[@GeorgeDemin]

Oh yes!

[@SOLDATT]

Another bit of perfection.

[@vinnyjones3]

This is one of my least favourite tracks on violator, at the time it didn't seem to fit in, but you have made me sit up & take notice of it. 👍

[@Substance242]

"Then I want the real thing not tokens" Martin L. Gore singing about NFTs back in 1990.

[@MrPomelo555]

By the way, here is the link to Dave Gahan’s backing vocals on Sweetest Perfection: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZKYZo1tqJqkd5Y

[@vlad161092]

I think Vaughn must have left a link to some video .. have I missed it ?

[@VaughnGeorge]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZKYZo1tqJqkd5Y The link has been added Vlad!! Cheers my friend !! VG :-)

[@Esperluet]

6:13 D-flat minor

[@civicmindedjimthehonest6389]

15 minutes in your listening to slide guitar, love it. Sorry, guitarist alert. Am I still in the club? 😂😂🤠

[@marcandrebighetti9882]

thanks a lot

[@VaughnGeorge]

You're welcome bro!! VG :-)

[@h1gh-arty774]

Ура! 👍🏻👍🏻♥️

[@anitaklisovic7782]

do you warch yourself after this videos? it's precious

[@Kozitaju]

Vaughn, did you manage to listent to the 5.1 version ? with all the sound layers ? And thanks for these piano improvisations :-D

[@VaughnGeorge]

I did!! Thank you!! VG :-)

[@AlanGonzalez-vq7bj]

THE DRUMS!!!

[@anitaklisovic7782]

what was the topic?

[@Esperluet]

17:24 Bass should be played on G at this very moment. This is a Gminor diminished basis : G - Bb - Db -E - G and so on.

[@Esperluet]

3:34 No doubt they are brushes for snare drum.

[@stipeninic2101]

That is not barithone, that is bass.

[@stipeninic2101]

And the intro for me sounds like snare drum

[@anitaklisovic7782]

it could be longer? 😁

[@Nyongoro]

"Call me a fanboy": Warning! Fanboy alert!!!! 🚨🚨🚨😂😆😅

[@lutchlutive]

The sounds at the beginning and throughout the remainder seem/sound just like brush sticks on a snare drum. Given that the rhythm is triplet based, that's very reminiscent of a jazz beat, especially since brush sticks are used often in jazz drumming. (Death's door from SOFAD too)

[@FredrikAndersson597]

The arrangement for "Sweetest perfection" is not the best - in my opinion. It sounds better, finer, stripped down. The song is beautiful, but the album version and arrangement tried to bring out something different from the song, rather than highlighting its beauty. The result was "interesting" - at best. Another example of this is, in my opinion, "Policy of truth". The song is fantastically highlighted in this piano version. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q2LTaYyjZ62rrLM

[@martincottone8088]

El tema mas flojo del album la version demo que oi sonaba mejor

[@commentspae]

The second half of this song is a synthesiser mess with a whole lot of phaser abuse.

[@daveschrdinger]

No.

[@VaughnGeorge]

Yes!!