"What Have I Done to Deserve This?" wasn't an old demo.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 December 2016 13:41 (seven years ago) link
no but they had it by the Please sessions so i mean.. early demos and early sessions covered a massive chunk of albums 1 and 2 and attendant B sides. so if one were to make the point that the very very early stuff was The Best then the point stands IMO.
i mean they're aware of this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLBN6CAs8oY
― piscesx, Tuesday, 20 December 2016 14:57 (seven years ago) link
You've got your whole life to release your first album, and 6 months to release your second.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 20 December 2016 15:16 (seven years ago) link
Proud history of bands like Cheap Trick, Pixies and Van Halen burning through their backlog.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 20 December 2016 15:17 (seven years ago) link
The thing is, though, I really really dislike the idea of the Pet Shop Boys discography ending with Actually. At one point I would have said Bilingual would have been a great place to leave it, but I'd hate to be without Fundamental or Electric, so...
― Working night & day, I tried to stay awake... (Turrican), Tuesday, 20 December 2016 22:58 (seven years ago) link
Saying their first two albums are the best is not the same as saying that they shouldn't have recorded their subsequent albums, many of which are great.
― ¶ (DJP), Tuesday, 20 December 2016 23:09 (seven years ago) link
Of course not, but as much as Please is one of my favourite PSB LP's, and one of my favourite synthpop albums of all time, I don't really rate Actually as high. I'd reach for Very or Introspective (*hears the faint sound of DJP combusting*) over it.
― Working night & day, I tried to stay awake... (Turrican), Tuesday, 20 December 2016 23:25 (seven years ago) link
Actually also contains 'Hit Music', which is probably one of the only "imperial phase" PSB tracks that I actively loathe.
― hey look, I can copy and paste - next week I'm learning bowel control (Turrican), Tuesday, 20 December 2016 23:41 (seven years ago) link
It's the only song from this period that's HEY WE'RE THE PET SHOP BOYS LET'S WRITE TO CHARACTER
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 21 December 2016 05:52 (seven years ago) link
Hit Music is great, wtf
― ¶ (DJP), Wednesday, 21 December 2016 14:05 (seven years ago) link
another excuse to post the 7" mix of this B-side:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS7-j4Wnw4k
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 21 December 2016 14:11 (seven years ago) link
^^^ one of their best full stop
that said I think Behavior/Very >> Please/Actually
― frogbs, Wednesday, 21 December 2016 14:40 (seven years ago) link
xp - Yeah, also the Please/Actually-era B-sides is yet more proof of how on fire they were during this period.
I like plenty of later era PSB songs, but had they stopped at Actually (OK, let's say Introspective), their status of legends would stay intact in my book.
― daavid, Wednesday, 21 December 2016 15:48 (seven years ago) link
1986 to 1994 is a good run imo
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 21 December 2016 15:49 (seven years ago) link
xp -I am aware that, for me, part of the appeal of these to albums is the mid-80s sound, which I've always been partial to, above any other era.
― daavid, Wednesday, 21 December 2016 15:53 (seven years ago) link
'Hit Music' feels like more of a B-side than the B-sides of the period.
― Working night & day, I tried to stay awake... (Turrican), Wednesday, 21 December 2016 19:21 (seven years ago) link