Pet Shop Boys - Tracks Poll

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.

I endorse voting for practically anything that appears on Alternative except "If Love Were All"

With all the B-Side voting I'm not going to feel too bad about tossing some singles some pretty high votes.

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.

To my ears Release started the decline.

There's never been enough love for the Swing Version of "Can You Forgive Her"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tNINKfP_Lw

...or the Unicorn Kid mix of "Did You See Me Coming"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV7YtpgRVoY

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.

I had never heard it before. Pretty fantastic. Original version is probably going to be on my ballot already.

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.

is there any pop artist that has done so much public analysis of its own music?

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 played
Songs like "Tainted Love" and "Love Is Strange""

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj6zSmayyeQ

I Want To Wake Up should win this poll. Why it was never a single i'll never know.

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.

I hope this clear leader is "The Truckdriver and His Mate."

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.

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

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.

Fill it out with 8 from the Battleship Potemkin soundtrack. I'm not kidding, it will mildly enrich your life.

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.

For those who may not be all that aware of post-Alternative B-sides, consider this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obLQksYWjQg

^Prob. my favourite track of the "Release" era.

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.

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, 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".

"I Didn't Get Where I Am Today" is a helluva B-side -- one of their few rockers.

A latter-day b-side that samples Father's Name Is Dad by Fire:

I’ve been called repressed
A poet, a pest
I didn’t get where I am today
Qithout getting in someone’s way
I live my life on a stage
Put it down on the page
I didn’t get where I am today
Without writing a resume

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6R7Ym4w4oQ

XPOST DAMMIT

Listening to "Lies" - are there any other tracks where Chris sings rather than sing-speaks/raps?

He's got that bit in the coda to "Go West" ("I believe in ecstasy...").

Probably not eligible (not a PSB track), but there's also this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuRNSB8CYp4

Also, something on "Yes," iirc?

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.

He's got that bit in the coda to "Go West" ("I believe in ecstasy...").

That's a seperate song, not a coda (generally called "Postscript")

Bump, another 3 in today. No doubt I'll get 50 ballots tomorrow.

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

Ballot submitted but it's still basically impossible. Hope some of my stragglers got picked up in other people's ballots.

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!

"Why Don't We Live Together" will score very high on my ballot (coming shortly).

Also: guys, please listen to "Decadence."

starting to feel like Album Trax are going to get shunned in this poll. Just B-sides and Singles.

rong

Love that original NY mix--another new one to me. This thread is a great mix in itself.

Luckily I found twenty other songs better than "West End Girls."

ballot submitted!

wasn't even considering voting for "west end girls" but then it came up on my playlist and...it's really pretty great, isn't it?

it's perfection. don't front on the hits people.

I haven't been pumping up the singles because I assume people know and will vote for them. WEG's Disco Mastermix, Dance Mix and 10" Version are all worth having.

Morning bump, just over 14 hours to go. Only 12 points seperates the top two, so every vote counts.

I'm going to send in my flimsy ballot before the deadline. That's the plan, anyway.

Okay, sent.

Sent!

23.59 BST = British Summer Time no? Just checking :-)