Depeche Mode's most foreboding album, leaning toward the gothic, is DM at their most bleak, black-armband, and nihilistic--no doubt played over and over by countless self-loathing teens as they dyed their hair black behind locked bedroom doors. The tracks are tastefully minimalist, yet the few sounds that dominate each song have a consuming, even overwhelming feel--like a big, heavy black cloud that descends upon and surrounds listeners until their knees buckle from the weight. Rhythmically, songs like "A Question of Time" are driven with moderately paced 16th notes pounded out on synths filling out the low end. Other tracks follow the path of "Stripped," an all-out lamentfest powered by David Gahan's overproduced baritone. --Beth Bessmer

Import edition of Depeche Mode's outstanding 1986 album featuring two bonus tracks NOT on the U.S., 'Breathing In Fumes' & 'Black Day', plus the extended remix of 'But Not Tonight' instead of the album version that appears on the American release. 14 tracks total, also featuring the hit singles 'Stripped', 'A Question Of Lust' and 'A Question Of Time'. EMI.

UK Edition Includes the Bonus Tracks "But Not Tonight", "Breathing in Fumes", and "Black Day".

This album was released in 1986 and for me it's their second best album. Three songs were released as singles: "A Question of Lust", "A Question of Time", and "Stripped". Those three are definitely highlights but in this case as with every DM album I think there is so much more to their albums than just the singles.
This is the album that has, I believe, the most songs sung by Martin Gore: "Sometimes" is a short memorable piano ballad, then there's "It Doesn't Matter Part II" which is the amazing sequel to the song from the previous album "Some Great Reward" although is musically very different. "World Full Of Nothing" is yet another excellent ballad and finally "A Question Of Lust" is the one they chose for single release.

Let's not forget Gahan's singing. He shows his great voice throughout the album. Especially on the dark sounding "Dressed In Black" but one of my favorites got to be "Here In This House" with great melodies throughout while Gahan and Gore share lead vocals, but my favorite part is the ending where the chorus keeps repeating. I don't know why I like this part so much and I also don't know why I like this particular song so much! It doesn't appear to be a huge favorite among fans!
Then of course I thought the rest of the songs were great too so this is a great choice to get if you like the electronic sounds and synth style of Depeche Mode.
Thanks for taking the time to read!
Later...

The reviewer describes this album as having a big black cloud that hangs over you and forces you to buckle down. Well, it does have a big black cloud, but It's a cloud that you will never want to part with once you savor it. Oh yes.

Despite that, this album really isn't gloomy. It still seems a bit sensual, you know how Depeche Mode can be. Maybe a bit like Violator's tone, only darker and tailor for solitude between two people, or something of that nature. The synths, effects, drums, and vocals are a lot more dark, and there are some really cool effects. The tracks aren't that dense, but there is not much happiness. All of this while being strangly catchy, though far removed from the poppier stuff of that era like Duran Duran and The Cure (Just like Heaven kind of material). -

I could say that the album peaks early. Black Celebration celebrates the darkness, and I couldn't agree more. There's nothing wrong with all times of day! I'd even say that there are six awesome songs in a row. The "death could strike us so let's do it" theme of Fly of the Windscreen and the two beautiful songs that follow suit. It Doesn't Matter Two, with it's creepy yet comforting choir of vocals, is a highlight for me, and A Question of Time asks that question that many fathers/brothers/sisters/maybe guys that actually love a girl and don't want to just _______ her because she's hot, are subconciously aware about but dare to hide it in them. The rest of the album fails to keep up the steady stream of awesomeness (not a word but I don't care), but A World Full Of Nothing is really good. Dressed In The Black is one of my favorites, either about BDMS (look it up), or maybe just how the color black (on girls) makes some people go insane, for some weird reason (I personally find black on girls really attractive, though not in a weird creepy fetish way). Maybe that's it, but the instrumentation is awesome on it's own, and one of the reasons why it kicks [...].

There are some gripes, not very big, but enough to bring down the grade (remember, just because there isn't anything naturally wrong with the songs, doesn't mean it's automatically brilliant or five stars). There are plenty of songs that pale in comparison to the better tracks. These tracks are Here is the House, Stripped, New Dress, and not Tonight. These songs are, though, listenable, but not awesome or anything like that. There is no sub-par song in Black Celebration, but those songs are just not as good as the rest of the songs.

Still though, it still sounds good listening to it the whole way through.
Great stuff with a dark edge to it. The remastered version with a DVD is great too (it's the copy I got), but it is missing But Not Tonight (because that song was not released on the album in the UK when the album was first released). I guess that's it.

8.5/10

I love this album more than any other by Depeche mode, simply because it is the only in their catalogue, where Martin gets to sing a significant proportion of the album. His contributions are outstanding and his best ever. 'A question of lust' has one of the best melodies ever written, same for the exquisite 'It doesn't matter two' and the sublime 'world full of nothing'. These are all ballads with exquisite melodies. 'Sometimes' is also lovely and nothing like 'somebody', except that it is a stripped down ballad. Martin also duets with David on the melodic and catchy 'here is the house'. I also don't understand the opinion that 'dressed in black' is a weak song. I instantly loved this song and like David's dark tones.
A fantastic album more focussed on ballads and this is not a bad thing.

If you like Depeche Mode then buy these 4 albums:

Some Great Reward
Black Celebration
Music for the Masses
Violator

These albums were released between 1985-1990 in consecutive order & have all of their best songs. Their other albums are also good but would only recommend for die hard fans. These 4 albums are their classic albums.

I just got the remastered disc with the dvd and extras. This will be a great purchase for the hardcore DM fan. Too many great reviews already on here to go into song by song specifics but I will add (my opinion anyway) that this album made DM. There is just something so beautiful, honest, bleak, emotional, naked, and truthful about this collection of songs. Sure they had made it big by this time with People are People and could have rested on their laurels and made Some Great Reward again and again (paging the Rolling Stones and bands like them...) but they really pushed themselves to new ground here. As Gareth Jones says on the DVD (he is great on the DVD) that this album was such a far cry from Just Can't Get Enough. I look at this album (and really all DM albums) as the alternative to so many things in society... guitar wanker bands, sappy love song bands (don't we have enough), hedonistic hippie love, boring overplayed top 40 music, etc. These guys have had one of the most inexplicable careers in music history. They sell out stadiums with next to no radio play in the US. Anyway thanks DM and thank you Martin Gore (the true anti-rock star) for the great, courageous music.