Playing the Angel is Depeche Mode’s eleventh studio album, released in
October 2005. It was
supported by the Touring the Angel tour.
Playing the Angel is Depeche Mode's first album to feature Dave Gahan as co
writer. He wrote
the lyrics to “Suffer Well”, “I Want It All” and
“Nothing's Impossible”, while Christian Eigner
and Andrew Phillpott wrote the music.
Gahan is the lead singer on all songs except for the instrumental
“Introspectre”, and Martin
Gore-sung tracks “Macro” and “Damaged People”.
Gahan also sings backing vocals on “Macro”, which was the first time he
had sung backing on
one of Gore's songs since Violator's “Sweetest Perfection”.
Singles from Playing the Angel: ‘Precious’, ‘A Pain That I'm Used
To’, ‘Suffer Well’, ‘John the
Revelator / Lilian’