Saw them at Villa Park yesterday, supporting Take That. Short set. They opened with Heart - then we had, in approximate order, Love Etc, Always On My Mind, Go West, Left To My Own Devices, Together, Suburbia, Se A Vida E, It's A Sin and West End Girls.
― mike t-diva, Tuesday, 28 June 2011 09:11 (twelve years ago) link
The Battleship Potemkin soundtrack is an unexpected treat
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 28 June 2011 10:36 (twelve years ago) link
Seems strange that PSB were supporting Take That, even though I know the latter were/are huge in England. Maybe the Boys wanted to go to bed early?
― LeRooLeRoo, Tuesday, 28 June 2011 13:46 (twelve years ago) link
Not so very strange: the current Take That tour is a UK record-breaker in terms of seats sold, so around 1.76 million people will be seeing the PSBs live this summer.
― mike t-diva, Tuesday, 28 June 2011 15:12 (twelve years ago) link
Also the PSBs are at least 10-15 years past their commercial peak while Take That are still huge. But yeah that support slot will give them mad exposure.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 28 June 2011 15:56 (twelve years ago) link
Latest update, just tallied the 12th ballot. 101 songs have been voted so far. Currently something with 30 points will make it to the top 50.
― The multi-talented F.R. David (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 19:13 (twelve years ago) link
Seriously tempted to place "Paninaro" at the top.
― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 19:16 (twelve years ago) link
you wouldn't be the only one...
― skip, Tuesday, 28 June 2011 19:17 (twelve years ago) link
― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, June 28, 2011 7:16 PM (4 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
DO IT!
― daavid, Tuesday, 28 June 2011 19:21 (twelve years ago) link
Paninaro is incredible and deserves to be at least top 5. I went with one of the 'boring' options for no. 1 but surely wouldn't mind to see Paninaro steal the top spot.
― daavid, Tuesday, 28 June 2011 19:26 (twelve years ago) link
If you wanna walkDon't walkDO IT!
― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 19:27 (twelve years ago) link
Only 12 ballots so far?!
― the presidential candidate inside me (WmC), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 19:28 (twelve years ago) link
― the presidential candidate inside me (WmC), Tuesday, June 28, 2011 7:28 PM (4 hours ago)
It's so hard narrowing things down when The Pet Shop Boys' first twenty singles... ...are the greatest run of singles in the whole history of pop music & like Dan I could happily vote for most of Alternative (I will probably be the only for for "The Sound Of The Atom Splitting", mind). Ta for the Yes/Fundamental/b-sides cherry-picking above, Kitchen Person!
I've DJed this nearly every Halloween. Trip-hop PSBs:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAA2yUrKle0
― etc, Tuesday, 28 June 2011 23:39 (twelve years ago) link
any more votes today?
― skip, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:33 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmAHwvxvFrU
I kept trying to think of reasons not to vote for this track and couldn't come up with any.
― skip, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:41 (twelve years ago) link
I endorse voting for practically anything that appears on Alternative except "If Love Were All"
― DJP, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:43 (twelve years ago) link
With all the B-Side voting I'm not going to feel too bad about tossing some singles some pretty high votes.
― Gukbe, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:44 (twelve years ago) link
I shall add a ballot shortly. This poll comes at a good time, having just reaquainted myself with their first decade or so very recently. Oddly enough, PSB have a similar status for me as Pavement, just shifted maybe six years earlier: both school-era #1 favourite bands that I've barely listened to in the new millenium.
Saddened to find that Nightlife and Release are mostly still not especially compelling. Totally down with the Alternative love though. Several of those tracks are no-brainers.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 22:08 (twelve years ago) link
To my ears Release started the decline.
― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 22:09 (twelve years ago) link
There's never been enough love for the Swing Version of "Can You Forgive Her"...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tNINKfP_Lw
― mike t-diva, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 23:13 (twelve years ago) link
...or the Unicorn Kid mix of "Did You See Me Coming"...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV7YtpgRVoY
― mike t-diva, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 23:17 (twelve years ago) link
Swing Version of "Can You Forgive Her"...
AFAIK this is the only PSB-produced Parlophone track left off the Further Listening discs. Which is INSANE because it is GREAT.
― undeɹrated ærosm?th b∞tlegs I have pwned (sic), Wednesday, 29 June 2011 23:51 (twelve years ago) link
I had never heard it before. Pretty fantastic. Original version is probably going to be on my ballot already.
― Gukbe, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 23:57 (twelve years ago) link
I'm spending a ludicrous amount of time on this poll. Not helped by the fact that those copious Further Listening notes are so friggin' enlightening and hilarious.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Friday, 1 July 2011 01:05 (twelve years ago) link
is there any pop artist that has done so much public analysis of its own music?
― skip, Friday, 1 July 2011 02:59 (twelve years ago) link
I've always wished there was a collection of Neil Tennant's writing for Smash Hits! How does Pet Shop Boys vs America compare with Literally?
"I stood at the kitchen-sink, my radio playedSongs like "Tainted Love" and "Love Is Strange""
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj6zSmayyeQ
― etc, Friday, 1 July 2011 03:20 (twelve years ago) link
I Want To Wake Up should win this poll. Why it was never a single i'll never know.
― I'm A Genius, Too! (Jamie_ATP), Friday, 1 July 2011 08:05 (twelve years ago) link
Bump for the Friday update.
Now had 18 ballots in and 117 different tracks voted for. 43 points will make the top 50. There's a clear leader but nothing which can't be caught with one or two high scores.
You've got the weekend to get your votes in. I got the date wrong in the opening blurb. So if you haven't voted get your ballot in by 2359 BST on Sunday 3rd July i.e 52 hours from now.
― The multi-talented F.R. David (Billy Dods), Friday, 1 July 2011 18:58 (twelve years ago) link
I hope this clear leader is "The Truckdriver and His Mate."
― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 1 July 2011 19:01 (twelve years ago) link
I just made a list of my 12 automatic favourites--I'd have to start re-listening to expand the list. Can I send that in? I read the rules and I'm not sure.
― clemenza, Friday, 1 July 2011 19:14 (twelve years ago) link
if any of the songs I've been babbling about aren't on your list, I strongly recommend listening to them and considering them
also, "Love Inc" is great
― DJP, Friday, 1 July 2011 19:16 (twelve years ago) link
xpost
If you can only manage 12 that's ok, they'll get the same points as the top 12 from someone's top 20. I hope that makes sense.
― The multi-talented F.R. David (Billy Dods), Friday, 1 July 2011 19:27 (twelve years ago) link
Fill it out with 8 from the Battleship Potemkin soundtrack. I'm not kidding, it will mildly enrich your life.
― Ismael Klata, Friday, 1 July 2011 19:29 (twelve years ago) link
Incidentally for UK Ilxors BBC 4 are showing at this moment 'The Most Incredible Thing', which of course features a score by the Boys. If you miss it I guess it'll be on iplayer.
― The multi-talented F.R. David (Billy Dods), Friday, 1 July 2011 19:29 (twelve years ago) link
For those who may not be all that aware of post-Alternative B-sides, consider this one:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obLQksYWjQg
― daavid, Friday, 1 July 2011 19:41 (twelve years ago) link
^Prob. my favourite track of the "Release" era.
― daavid, Friday, 1 July 2011 19:46 (twelve years ago) link
I only have a few of their singles so don't know all of their later B-sides, I would love them to do Alternative volume 2.
― Kitchen Person, Friday, 1 July 2011 19:58 (twelve years ago) link
― Kitchen Person, Friday, July 1, 2011 7:58 PM (24 minutes ago) Bookmark
http://www.discogs.com/Pet-Shop-Boys-Beside-Pet-Shop-Boys/release/1179576
Unofficial fans edition of the so-called Alternative Pet Shop Boys second installment, compiling singles b-sides / extra tracks from "Before" (1996) to "Numb" (2006) as well as the fan-club exclusive "It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas".
― etc, Friday, 1 July 2011 20:25 (twelve years ago) link
"I Didn't Get Where I Am Today" is a helluva B-side -- one of their few rockers.
― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 1 July 2011 20:31 (twelve years ago) link
A latter-day b-side that samples Father's Name Is Dad by Fire:
I’ve been called repressedA poet, a pestI didn’t get where I am todayQithout getting in someone’s wayI live my life on a stagePut it down on the pageI didn’t get where I am todayWithout writing a resume
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6R7Ym4w4oQ
XPOST DAMMIT
― etc, Friday, 1 July 2011 20:43 (twelve years ago) link
Listening to "Lies" - are there any other tracks where Chris sings rather than sing-speaks/raps?
― etc, Friday, 1 July 2011 20:46 (twelve years ago) link
He's got that bit in the coda to "Go West" ("I believe in ecstasy...").
― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 1 July 2011 20:46 (twelve years ago) link
Probably not eligible (not a PSB track), but there's also this:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuRNSB8CYp4
― daavid, Friday, 1 July 2011 21:05 (twelve years ago) link
Also, something on "Yes," iirc?
― daavid, Friday, 1 July 2011 21:07 (twelve years ago) link
Hey, I like that "I Didn't Get Where I Am Today"...but then I love "Father's Name Is Dad," so maybe that doesn't count for much.
― clemenza, Friday, 1 July 2011 21:08 (twelve years ago) link
That's a seperate song, not a coda (generally called "Postscript")
― undeɹrated ærosm?th b∞tlegs I have pwned (sic), Saturday, 2 July 2011 00:22 (twelve years ago) link
Bump, another 3 in today. No doubt I'll get 50 ballots tomorrow.
― The multi-talented F.R. David (Billy Dods), Saturday, 2 July 2011 17:23 (twelve years ago) link
Can I just take a moment to boost the 50s poll as well, which only has a week to go. You can vote for songs like 'Tainted Love'* and 'Love Is Strange'.
* well almost, it's just a few years out
― Ismael Klata, Saturday, 2 July 2011 17:44 (twelve years ago) link
Ballot submitted but it's still basically impossible. Hope some of my stragglers got picked up in other people's ballots.
― Strictly vote-splitting (DL), Saturday, 2 July 2011 19:23 (twelve years ago) link
Oh wow, why have I only just heard the Original New York Mix of Why Don't We Live Together post-ballot? It's the first of their Latin Rascals-related tracks that's lived up to the shimmery "One Way Love"/"Tears Will Fall" (or even the LR rmx of "Notorious") promise I'd hoped for:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-i1lHMMX_c
& ta for that Stop Modernists track, Daavid - wow, Chris Lowe might be the first person to out-everyman-voice Barney on a New Order cover!
― etc, Saturday, 2 July 2011 21:06 (twelve years ago) link