This was written while listening to Sarah's copy of Discography - ta Sarah.

"Rent" is one of the greatest songs ever written.

i didnt rate 'Was It Worth It' tho

do people remember 'I Dont Know What You Want But I Can't Give ANymore' much - its probably their best post 'Go West' single, followed by 'Before' - 'Se A Vide E' is just too dam cheesy for me

blueski, i have 'idkwywbicgia' on douuble gatefold 12" with felix da housecat remixes. it's ace.

"Go West" is tremendous!

Blueski - I think it might be. It has stiff competition from ABBA Gold obv.

No way! New Order!

The best PSB album is _Alternative_; their b-sides are AWE-INSPIRING. And they are way better than New Order, sorry.

I berated Ned for not telling me how absolutely bonkers it is

Listen, you, I can't know what you have or haven't heard yet. You are right, of course. :-)

The expanded and rereleased versions of the first six albums are slices of heaven from on high. They are to be worshipped (and the liner notes rule).

but bloody hell, what was going on when they were on totp the other week? guitars, hollow anthemicism, crappy lyrics. i almost cried.

No it isn't, ^Tom. And, er, I love "Domino Dancing"!!

You're right about everything else, mind.

but Tom's right, 'Home And Dry' sucks - its just a pointless Johnny Marr advert

1) The definitive image of them is with Neil in a suit and Chris in the background somewhere with a townie/b-boy wardrobe and a computer (first time i'd ever seen someone use an actual computer in their performance)...tho you may also consider the pointy hats phase

2) They never toured

3) The fact that Tenant used to be a hack but also went and showed people how to really do it - a remarkable achievement

4) They never seemed camp at all (avoiding stereotypes is cool)

5) Good album artwork

? They've done tours on and off since 1989.

Have we had any hatas on this thread yet? Are the PSB another one of those rare ILM groups that everyone likes (at least a bit)?

The Universal Ampitheatre and Irvine Meadows, to name two venues they've played around here over the moons, are very very hoary indeed.

i bought psb, kate bush + madness compos on the same day - their albums SUCK

("State Of The Nation" is a fantastic song; better than "Ruined In A Day", anyway.)

**Go West” – fuck the video and the extra levels, on the levels (foot, hip and heart) that hit you first this is the best hi-NRG track EVER MADE**

Tom - I salute you!

a) I'm not sure how well they ever worked as perfect Hi-NRG, or proper go-mental-on-the-dance-floor disco, cos of NT's weedy vocals - the closest they got was probably 'Was it worth it?' - but it would have been better with Taylor Dane/Hazel Dean/Pete Burns/Divine/Marc Almond singing. The PSBs could never do abandon .

b) There has never been such a dismal fall from grace as the PSB's 'Absolutely Fabulous' single. This, coupled with NT's godawful pretentious pronouncements on the state of pop on every comeback promo tour of the last ten years, make me wonder how fondly I will look back on them. They've kind of ruined the spell, a bit, for me. That said, the first record I put on when I moved house last week was 'Behavior'.

You are so right about "Absolutely Fabulous", and it did actually 'infect' their surrounding stuff - one reason why the other upbeat singles off Very didn't do it for me any more is that they suddenly sounded like cousins of AbFab.

"I never dreamed that I would get to be the creature I always meant to be - but I thought, in spite of dreams, you'd be sitting somewhere here with me."

My life, as of October 2002, in a nutshell.

The PSBs - I can't really talk about them right now. They belonged to both of us, not just to me, like Northern Soul, Joy Division, Dexy's, Cocteau Twins, etc. It was OUR music.

????? I don't think I've ever heard the original mix of "Absolutely Fabulous" then, because none of the _Very_ singles remind me of it at all. I'd go so far as saying "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing" is one of their best singles, particularly when remixed.

And for all my talk about lyrics and what they generally don't mean to me, Marcello's comment reminds me about how that line in particular always was suffused with...I don't want to call it a 'perfect' grief, but the combination of delivery and words speaks to my heart more than a thousand screams at an empty universe.

Big surprise: John Peel show:

Thursday 10 October - Pet Shop Boys ! Is this the most mainstream pop artist ever to record a Peel Session?

The boys have been having a quiet one since the end of their massive 'Release 2002 Tour'. The next single they are set to release from their album Release is 'London'.

The Pet Shop Boys have adopted a 'back to basics' approach towards tonights set with fully live guitars, bass and drums on stage. They recorded two songs which they wrote back in 1983 but never got down to recording and they also recorded an old Bobby O song from the early 80's. Their next single is 'London' which has also been recorded for tonight's session.

The lads have tried to approach this Peel session with a view to doing something different and they hope that's what comes across.

I only have listened to "Please" and "Disco", taped "Actually" off my sister years ago back in the 80s. After that not listened to any PSB (albums) apart from a few chart singles on the radio that have not interested me.

The production on Disco - is superb.

I still don't like the descent into balladry, though, for me Behaviour was when they turned from the coolest band on the planet into a decent duo turning out one or two good singles per album. Those singles could still be astonishing, Tom says everything that needs to be said about "Can You Forgive Her?" far more eloquently than I ever could, but "So Hard" was their perfect single. The KLF remixed it while they were at their glorious best and the result is a pop Field Of The Cloth Of Gold, two titans in their pomp competing in splendour.

Random thoughts: Chris Lowe should release a hi-nrg spoken word album (cf "Paninaro", "One Of The Crowd") and promote it standing motionless on Top Of The Pops. I saw them play from the back of Wembley Arena, hoary rawk venue par excellence, and it was great, especially the baroque freakshow accompanying "It's A Sin". Introspective is perfect. Can you get the dance album that came with initial copies of Very anywhere?

I could go on.

In that sense, if no other, I am the inverse of the Nipper.

Ta!

Vaguely more seriously...well, this might be a dumb question, but what songs on Discography do you especially like? That'll help in determining a good starting point. :-)

Is it worth getting the rereleased versions of their older albums if you already have _Alternative_?

Nick, I got the piss taken out of me for having them, if that is any kind of barometer.

(This thread made me remember to download 'I'm not scared' by 8th Wonder - which, combined with the Minnelli lp, makes me think so much of their best work was with other people [see also: 'Getting away with it'].)

Never heard the album. I knew it existed but I couldn't be bothered, though it sounds like there's something there...

Is it worth getting the rereleased versions of their older albums if you already have _Alternative_?

They're expensive, yes, but as mentioned, plenty of goodies with the remixes and edits, some very radically different, as well as the B-sides. And I'm a sucker for the wonderful interviews for each, as well as the photos (and hey, even every last lyric! -- and I never knew until I read the Introspective booklet that he was singing "Roundhead general," I just thought it was some sort of random thing).

Thought is a labyrinth.

Wait a minute, it's one of your favorite bands, you have all the albums, singles, remixes and b-sides, advocate buying the reissues because of the "wonderful" interviews, photos and lyrics. They write and produce an entire LP for a very well-known vocalist, and you've never heard it?? Wow.

Actually, I'm not that big a fan, Sean, though I agree with what Jerry the Nipper wrote about Results. I just like her as a star/performer, she's got that gushy, needy, "like me! like me!" persona that I really go for. Nobody else does anymore. Also she was brilliant in Cabaret and New York, New York. And her cover of King Harvest's "Dancing in the Moonlight" is swell.

I don't recall the Pet Shop Boys getting much attention in the US at first, they were considered just another urbane British dance duo in the tradition of Eurythmics, Soft Cell, Blancmange, etc.--fine if you like that sort of thing, but nothing extraordinary. And I remember lots of Al Stewart jokes.

Not a silly question at all. Let me see..."It's A Sin" and "West End Girls" are my two fave PSB tracks evah, "Being Boring" onwards doesn't exactly get my heart racing (apart from "CYFH?" which I've always had a soft spot for, in spite of not really having paid much attention to the lyrics before yesterday - thanks Tom!), quite partial to "So Hard" and there's *something* about "Go West" I can't help loving - perhaps it's just cos it's THE GAYEST SONG IN THE WORLD and that can only be good...

That said, I saw them live in London in, uh, February was it?, and my lord were they awful...

a) thinking it's the best intro of all time
b) thinking of the phrase 'diamond beats'

Has anyone got anything new to say about the Pet Shop Boys instead of how great my thread is?

How wrong can you be?

They feel like comfortable furniture in my mind that will never be moved. But they'll never get dusty (ho ho).

I would agree if it weren't for "Can You Forgive Her?" -- I think it beats Opportunities for best intro by a slight margin.

the Basement jaxx mix of 'red letter day' > original version (not hard, i think its their worst single ever)

And I already said it upthread, but "Domino Dancing" roolz.

Can You Forgive Her?
Go West
Liberation
I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing
Yesterday When I Was Mad
Absolutely Fabulous
Before
Se A Vida E
A Red Letter Day
Bilingual
Somewhere
I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Anymore
New York City Boy
You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk
[another one from Nightlife?]
Home And Dry
[next one off Release]
[third one off Release]

Unedited it looks patchy Vic - edited it might be as much of a botch job as GHV2.

PSB = greatest pop band EVAH.

one of the great bits in 'Always On My Mind' is the repetition of the chorus line backed by the huge ascending string crescendo - really gives the sense of the whole audacity and epic scale of the sentiment and the importance of the message.

Can You Forgive Her, What Have I Done To Deserve This, Rent. Bloody hell. At the time Heart felt like such a let down, it was a weak album track, it felt like a weaker single. In retrospect I still think it was weak for the PSBs, but still pretty good. DJ Culture still baffles me.

Should I go back and get Bilingual? I've got Release now and it's, well, OK.

ABBA?
S.O.S
Mamma Mia
Fernando
Dancing Queen
Money, Money, Money
Knowing Me Knowing You
The Name of The Game
Take A Chance On me
Summer Night City
Chiquitita
Does Your Mother Know
Angel Eyes/ Voulez Vous
Gimme Gimme Gimme ( A man after midnight)
I Have a Dream
The Winner Takes It All
Super Trouper
Lay All Your Love On Me
One of Us
Head Over Heels
The Day Before Your Came

Or The Beatles?
Please Please Me/Ask Me Why
From Me To You/Thank You Girl
She Loves You/I'll Get You
I Want To Hold Your Hand/This Boy
Can't Buy Me Love/You Can't Do That
A Hard Day's Night/Things We Said Today
I Feel Fine/She's A Woman
Ticket To Ride/Yes It Is
Help!/I'm Down
We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper
Paperback Writer/Rain
Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby
Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever
All You Need Is Love/Baby You're A Rich Man
Hello Goodbye/I Am The Walrus
Lady Madonna/The Inner Light
Hey Jude/Revolution
Get Back/Don't Let Me Down
The Ballad Of John And Yoko/Old Brown Shoe
Something/Come Together
Let It Be/You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)

Kate Bush comes close too but her 19th and 20th singles aren't great.

Julio I really like the early Beatles = great!!! idea, I just don't like the sound of Merseybeat, it's so organic.

One. Of. US.

Great as the PSB's run of singles is, THIS BEATS IT!! Don't give me any crap about it 'tailing off after 1983'!!

1. Being Boiled
2. The Dignity Of Labour
3. I Don't Depend On You
4. Empire State Human
5. Rock and Roll/Marianne double 7"
6. Boys and Girls
7. Sound Of The Crowd
8. Love Action
9. Open Your Heart
10. Don't You Want Me
11. Mirror Man
12.(Keep Feeling) Fascination
13. The Lebanon
14. Life On Your Own
15. Louise
16. Human
17. I Need your Loving
18. Love Is All That Matters
19. Heart Like A Wheel
20. Tell Me When

(i admit between 1-12 it's a tough call.)

(that's 21!)

Agreed.

Strongo - you're right HL's 13-20 is weaker overall, but there's nothing as good as Tell Me When, Human, Louise, or Life on Your Own in PSB's 13-20.

PSB's 1-9 is almost overwhelmingly great, but what I like about the HL singles is that you get the progression from bedroom bleeps to monster hits to being Jam & Lewis's playthings to waking up one day in 1994 and remembering that they are in fact still the greatest band ever and PROVING IT BEYOND DOUBT AGAIN (Tell Me When). And it's all good.

Dr C - Can You Forgive Her? is better than anything the League ever did except maybe Love Action.

(Heh this is like a really stupidly high level D&D game - yeah well my 93rd level fighter could cream your 87th level cleric etc etc)

HL have recovered, but they did decline.

1.You Still Want Me
2. You Really Got Me
3. All Day and All of The Night
4. Tired Of Waiting For You
5. Everybody's Gonna Be Happy
6. Set Me Free
7. See My Friends
8. Till The End Of The Day
9. Dedicated Follower of Fashion
10. Sunny Afternoon
11. Dead End Street
12. Waterloo Sunset
13. Autumn Almanac
14. Wonderboy
15. Days
16. Plastic Man
17. Drivin'
18. Shangri-La
19. Victoria
20. Lola
21 Apeman
22. God's Children

If we can include Sister Sledge then Chic/Sister Sledge beats all.

Killing An Arab
Boys Don't Cry
Jumping Someone Else's Train
A Forest
Primary
Charlotte Sometimes
The Hanging Garden
Let's Go To Bed
The Walk
The Lovecats
The Caterpillar
Inbetween Days
Close To Me
Why Can't I Be You???
Catch
Just Like Heaven
Hot Hot Hot!!!
Fascination Street
Lovesong
Lullabye

And we haven't even gotten to "Pictures Of You", "Never Enough", "High", "The 13th", or "Cut Here"! (Fortunately we do miss "Mint Car" and "Strange Attraction".)

kinda falls apart in the home stretch

That's #s 3-22 of Madonna's UK discography - bloody impressive!

I think New Order only had about a 2/3 hit rate.

every one a winner!

Pete - has to be 20 - any old idiot can make 18 good singles in a row.

(i THOUGHT ll might do it...it kinda gets depressing after this.)

Yes 8/10/11/20/23/24 are below par

wtf is it with the "no more than 15" barrier?! i am beginning to think 20 is quite the achievement!

Probably missing a few, but that's 27.

yes yes ok only 14 but anyway, coming up fast behind missy!

Also, "Girlfriend In A Coma" is unforgivable rubbish that almost single-handedly wipes away the goodness of half of their singles.

http://www.boo-ga-loo.demon.co.uk/boogoo56.htm

?!

OI!

RAISE YOUR STANDARDS!
http://www.laganzua.net/discos/discos4/imagenes/thecure.jpg

Björk has 19 so far... she's ahead of Missy, one more and she ties with PSB:

Human Behaviour
Venus As A Boy
Big Time Sensuality
Play Dead
Violently Happy
Army Of Me
Isobel
It's Oh So Quiet
Hyperballad
Possibly Maybe
I Miss You
Bachelorette
All Is Full Of Love
Hunter
Alarm Call
Hidden Place
Pagan Poetry
Cocoon
It's Not Up To You

Sing with me. Sing for the years.

Seb

In the pub tonight we realised that even if you include songs the PSB wrote or co-wrote or produced for other people (or ESPECIALLY if) they reign supreme - "Nothing Has Been Proved"; "In Private"; "Getting Away With It"; "Losing My Mind"

Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose
Soul Pride
I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing
The Popcorn
Mother Popcorn
Lowdown Popcorn
World
Let a Man Come In and Do the Popcorn, pt. 1
Let a Man Come In and Do the Popcorn, pt. 2 (yes they were separate singles)
Ain't It Funky Now
Funky Drummer
It's a New Day
Brother Rapp
Sex Machine
Super Bad
Get Up, Get Into It and Get Involved
Soul Power
I Cried
Escape-Ism
Hot Pants
Make It Funky
I'm a Greedy Man
Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing
King Heroin
There It Is
Honky Tonk
Get On the Good Foot

Of those all, I think "World," "I Cried" and maybe "King Heroin" are the only ones I could do without.

This is so true, they were so good they could even make Patsy Kensit sound fab.

Tom, have you heard Love is everywhere by Cicero? Imagine if Bill Drummond had decided to make gay disco records rather than stadium house, but decided to keep the bagpipes.

Now if I can give my opinion about PSB, I think their list extends way beyond 20. Am I the only one who thinks "I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing" is the happiest song EVER MADE? And I can't believe how much hate "Liberation" is getting. To me, it's such a sweet and heartfelt love song. Plus the melody is gorgeous! Then you have "Yesterday when I was mad", which is the best song about being in a band EVER MADE!!!

I could go on, but you get my point. I think some of the singles off Bilingual were questionable choices, but the single mix of "A red letter day" redeemed it and "Single-bilingual" had great remixes of "Discoteca" which should have been the A-side.

Also, can I get some love for "Absolutely fabulous"?
Anyone?

(not quite as strong towards the end there, but an astonishing run nonetheless)

Not too shoddy,is it?

There's a big hairy wart there in the middle called "I Was Born On Christmas Day", about which I'd totally forgotten as they sensibly missed it off "Smash The System".

Also Tim you cheat slightly by including double a-sides, don't you? You can include 52 Pilot too if you want.

No, maybe not.

can we start a petition or something?

i can't believe i've never posted on this thread saying how great the first post is.

My car is parked outside / I'm afraid it doesn't work

First 20:

THE PRINCE
ONE STEP BEYOND
MY GIRL
NIGHT BOAT TO CAIRO (lead track on EP. If that doesn't count then add 'UNCLE SAM' to the end)  
BAGGY TROUSERS
EMBARRASSMENT
THE RETURN OF THE LOS PALMAS 7
GREY DAY
SHUT UP
IT MUST BE LOVE
CARDIAC ARREST
HOUSE OF FUN
DRIVING IN MY CAR
OUR HOUSE
TOMORROW'S (JUST ANOTHER DAY)
WINGS OF A DOVE
THE SUN AND THE RAIN
MICHAEL CAINE
ONE BETTER DAY
YESTERDAY'S MEN

For me, that beats the Pet Shop Boys' run, the 'my car is parked outside / I'm afraid it doesn't work' line notwithstanding.

'Tomorrow's Just ANother Day' - there's just something about it for me that feels like they've gone TOO formulaic and tired. but 'Wings Of A Dove' is brilliant

well, prince's first 32 singles (its starts getting iffy after that) you can choose where to make the break into twenty.

1 Soft and Wet
2 Just As Long As We're Together
3 I Wanna Be Your Lover
4 Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad
5 Still Waiting
6 Uptown
7 Dirty Mind
8 Controversy
9 Let's Work
10 Do Me, Baby
11 1999
12 Little Red Corvette
13 Delirious
14 Let's Pretend We're Married
15 Irresistible Bitch
16 When Doves Cry
17 Let's Go Crazy
18 Purple Rain
19 I Would Die 4 U
20 Take Me With U
21 Raspberry Beret
22 Pop Life
23 America
24 Kiss
25 Mountains
26 Anotherloverholenyohead
27 Sign 'O' The Times
28 If I Was Your Girlfriend
29 U Got The Look
30 I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man
31 Hot Thing
32 Alphabet St.

i wanna be your lover
1999
little red corvette
when doves cry
purple rain
i would die 4 u
1999/little red corvette
let's go crazy / take me with u
paisley park
raspberry beret
pop life
kiss
mountains
girls and boys
anotherloverholenyohead
sign o the times
if i was your girlfriend
u got the look
i could never take the place of your man
alphabet street
glam slam
i wish u heaven
batdance
partyman

Has anyone heard "Hit and Miss", a b-side to 'Before', I think --- the best PSB tune of the nineties?

kinda falls apart in the home stretch

I think you'll find it pitches head-first over its handlebars with "Hard Knock Life". Then gets back up, staples its bits together, and get creamed by a semi at "Anything".

"Now on the hit parade, Hicetots! That is how you pronounce it, right?"

1. Come On
2. I Wanna Be Your Man
3. I Want to be loved
4. It's All Over Now
5. Little Red Rooster
6. Not Fade Away
7. Tell Me (You're Coming Back)
8. Time Is On My Side
9. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
10. Get Off Of My Cloud
11. Heart of Stone
12. The Last Time
13. 19th Nervous Breakdown
14. As Tears Go By
15. Have You Seen Your Mother Baby Standing In The Shadow?
16. Paint It, Black
17. Let's Spend The Night Together
18. We Love You
19. Jumpin' Jack Flash
20. Honky Tonk Women

I wonder if the Fives (Pizzicato and Jackson) should be up in here.

Pete - has to be 20 - any old idiot can make 18 good singles in a row.

19. Suedehead
20. Everyday Is Like Sunday

Eh? Minor cheating? Who cares about that Marr fellow anyway?

Are you referring to the Disco mix?

Space Oddity
Changes
Oh! You Pretty Things
Life on Mars?
Ziggy Stardust
Starman
John, I'm Only Dancing
Suffragette City
Jean Genie
Sorrow
Drive-In Saturday
Diamond Dogs
Rebel Rebel
Young Americans
Fame
Golden Years
TVC 15
Be My Wife
Sound and Vision
Beauty and the Beast

and then

Heroes
Boys Keep Swinging
DJ
Look Back in Anger
Ashes to Ashes
Fashion
Scary Monsters
Under Pressure
Cat People
Let's Dance
China Girl
Modern Love
Blue Jean

So Mr. Bowie, then?

It pissed off Bono, why? Like the Negativland cover that came out the same year made him happy? What the fuck was/is wrong with that wingnut?

This is a very good question still. Has it been answered?

I really thoroughly enjoyed reading Tom's initial post here, PSB really are just beyond all other bands for me these days. In the last year I've hunted down as much of their stuff as possible and they've become one of those artists for whom you can even listen to the slightly worse stuff, because you enjoy their style so much.

I love "Love Comes Quickly" but their own "dance mix" I like even better, slightly tougher and a bit longer, magic. Probably their most "profound" moment, as Tom suggests.

It's like the vast majority of people just fall for the joke and then one day you actually listen to them and it's quite a shock how good they are, and yet people still think "but they're shit!" etc.

I must say when I read the Kompakt/PSB influence stuff I always think of "Violence", another one I think is really fantastic.

x-post "Kings Cross" is easily in my top 10 PSB.

Super Furry Animals? (except they've never made the top Ten, so let's say top 40 instead)

common traits:

-- defintely left of centre for their time
-- consistently in the top ten/forty
-- eclectic styles, excelling in all of them
-- not much in common lyrically, but both cover a lot of "serious" topics even though their reputation as far as the casual fan is concerned is that of a band making cheery pop tunes.

no way, it rulzzzzz!!!

x-post:

Bruner, you have lost your mind.

I would be a bit more understanding of this claim if you weren't the one also claiming how it's a sad thing that Blink-182 are breaking up. I fear we must be opposed on these varying points.

i just feel they possessed something thats lacking in today's hit parade...maybe its just that 'adult pop' thing - who makes what you could class as 'adult pop' now? (this doesnt mean the PSBs music couldnt appeal to children - cos i loved it as a child but only for the music, didnt pay much attention to the lyrics, but i'd say lyrically and conceptually and even technically their music was more sophisticated than much of today's pop)

"Adult pop" in the top 40? I dunno - times have changed. Putting ironic and clever lyrics to top 40 pop-dance tunes would not be ironic or clever at this point. The lyrics/music adult/child thing is a red herring too. I loved 'West End Girls' when I was 13 because of the lyrics, even if I didn't understand what they meant (still don't, actually). But they were even better to learn off heart than 'The Chicken Song'.

not claiming that this as good a list as a lot of what's been posted, but if you ignore the declining quality of overall albums - its a really solid singles list.

(* cough. There's my bit of self-promotion).

and Erasure have THIS year, with a single as weak as the charts sales benchmark itself

rockist til i die

Oh, I give up!

Outkast

Eh. If I was around in the late 70s, I'd be more upset if The Buzzcocks broke up than I would be if ABBA did. I understand that a lot of reasonable people on this board would disagree, though.

It doesn't seem like anyone makes much of a note of that anymore, in any event.

Wasn't he trying to do that in reverse? (Working with older acts -- Liza, Dusty -- than younger ones.) But then there is the Cicero conundrum.

It was a pop gap that the PSBs lucked into, kind of. I can't think what other major (British) pop acts started around the same time.

Eh. If I was around in the late 70s, I'd be more upset if The Buzzcocks broke up than I would be if ABBA did. I understand that a lot of reasonable people on this board would disagree, though

The Pet Shop Boys and ABBA are both stupendous pop bands. To make any such comparison between Blink-182 and Buzzcocks is a travesty of the highest order. It's like saying Conor Oberst = Dylan. But worse.

SO ANYWAY, of the first twenty singles there, which is the most underrated? My answer after dinner...

i would say the beach boys are definitely in the same league as the pet shop boys. the clash are several rungs below both those groups.(not that i don't enjoy some clash songs, i do. but if anyone on that sonic youth thread is still wondering who the most overrated rock band is...)

the pet shop boys should have a national holiday in their honour and several life-size statues placed wherever they would inspire the most public uplift in the U.K.

It's absolutely "Love Comes Quickly".

i would say the beach boys are definitely in the same league as the pet shop boys.

I am a big whore for amazing vocal harmonies and I can't think of a single Beach Boys song that's better than 90% of Actually.

Anyway, when I heard the Blank & Jones remix on PopArt, it finally clicked. Sooner or later, this happens to everyone. To everyone.

Meanwhile, which of the *videos* for those songs did you like the best? (Alternately, which of the sleeves?)

They tried to reprise the magic with Se A Vida E (which had its moments) and one of the last videos on PopArt whose name I forget (and which didn't).

It's not a very dynamic song, as I find the vocals flat and monotonous, with the melody lacking in punch and sparkle -- unlike, "Rent" for example. That's a similarly reserved-sounding song, but the melody is irresistably playful. Yeah, I know, "Rent" is a sardonically-told little love story, while "Being Boring" tackles far more serious issues, and a playful song would detract from that message. But the even-keeled melody they left behind doesn't emote at me in the least.

Pet Shop Boys have made great ballads ("Jealousy") and they can do the preachy, didactic thing ("It's a Sin"), but it needs to be *huge* and over the top.

Maybe being over-the-top isn't the most appropriate way to communicate a message like the one in "Being Boring". I certainly wouldn't object to that statement, but if that sort of melody is what's necessary for putting forth that message, then that sort of song doesn't necessarily make for interesting listening. At least not compared to what the PSB are otherwise capable of.

Definitely, Domino Dancing. I also think this is their most underrated single because it is a good example of how, as Momus would argue, you can get something fresh and original by not getting things 'right'. Clearly the PSB, by choosing to record this during the over-produced, synthesized late eighties, 'failed' to make it sound genuinely latin. Instead they created something a bit camp that sounded truly unique. When they did get it 'right' (Bilingual) it wasn't as good.

my favourite video is either 'Heart' (not just for stupid hottt bride) or 'Can You Forgive Her' for all the madcap gimmicky CGI

they should've produced a Kylie song

As for "Domino," it surpasses (just barely though) anything Lewis Martinee did with Exposé or the Cover Girls.

Also, the original b-side version of "I Want A Dog" on the "Rent" single is so infinitely superior to the Introspective version that it isn't even funny.

Dan is crazy! It's one of my favorite PSB singles.

I do agree that "Introspective" marks the point where Tennant starts to loosen up his singing. I love how his voice rides the synth-orchestra swells on "I'm Not Scared" (a lovely song that flirts with camp and succeeds).

ahhhhhh, that's right, you are the meat is murder absolutist. well, i can certainly relate to having non-poopular opinions about music. but you ARE crazy for not loving strangeways. as long as we both agree that an hour spent watching the amazing race is an hour well-spent then we will have no problems.

But surely it's better than "Hit Music," innit?

I think "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" deserves that honour.

BITE YOUR TONGUE

Dreaming of Me
New Life
Just Can't Get Enough
See You
The Meaning of Love
Leave in Silence
Get the Balance Right
Everything Counts
Love in Itself
People Are People
Master and Servant
Blasphemous Rumours
Shake the Disease
It's Called a Heart
Stripped
A Question of Lust
A Question of Time
But Not Tonight
Strangelove
Never Let Me Down Again
Behind the Wheel
Personal Jesus
Enjoy the Silence
Policy of Truth
World in My Eyes
I Feel You
Walking in My Shoes
Condemnation
In Your Room

Even if one dismisses the Vince Clarke years, there is still a run of 23 unbeatable singles in a row from Get the Balance Right to In Your Room, with Condemnation the only real turkey in the bunch. Depeche Mode's albums were not consistently strong, but what a run of singles. I also share the love for the Smith's run from Hand in Glove to Ask and New Order's from Ceremony to Regret.

They released "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing" before that (plus I quite like "Liberation" anyway). You also forgot about the Bobby O produced "One More Chance" single, which was released between the two versions of "West End Girls"

Basically, that is my main problem about it. Same about "In Your Room".

You are completely sleeping on "Never Let Me Down Again" for precisely the reasons I stated upthread.

(I'm not willing to argue about the others but I still like them, nyah nyah nyah.)

Hyper Hyper
Move Your Ass
Friends
Endless Summer
Back In The UK
Let Me Be Your Valentine
Rebel Yell
I'm Raving
Break It Up
Fire
The Age Of Love
No Fate
Now Much Is The Fish
We Are The Greatest
Call Me Manana
Faster Harder Scooter
Fuck The Millennium
I'm Your Pusher
She's The Sun
Posse (I Need You On The Floor)
Aiii Shot The DJ
The Logical Song
Nessaja
Weekend
Maria (I Like It Loud)
Jigga Jigga
Shake That
One (Always Hardcore)
Suavemente

The 7" was hardly House at all.

I think a list of the first 20 or so Vince Clarke singles (DM, Yazoo, that one he did with Paul Quinn, Assembly, Erasure) would be pretty darn great.

One possible reason -- "Never Let Me Down Again" contains some of the blandest vocal melodies in the DM canon. As for the contrary opinion, (for those seeking the root of the song's awesomeness) look no further than Dan's comment.

This is unforgivable. If recording a cover version within 5 months after the original has come out isn't arrogant enough, then adding extra soppy "caring" lyrics and bastardizing the original (flawless) melody with SAW-style drum machines and campy backing singers definitely is! This is the only PSB song I have a gripe with, and the only one for which I would willingly disembowel myself and then eat my own insides never to hear EVER again......

Well, what's stopping you? If you do disembowel yourself and eat your own insides I can guarantee you'll never hear the song again.

It was...?

(I've got the 2-part cd single set?)

When people say "Fundamental" is the best PSB album since "Very" they mean, "Well, it's got better songs on it than 'Bilingual'". (It is not, though, as good as 'Nightlife').

dreadful!

But the segue between "Discoteca" and "Single" is the best drumbeat ever!!

Or the most boring. There are enough slow songs on Nightlife already. "Radiophonic" is great! "Vampires", "The Only One" and "Footsteps" are just ok. Nightlife is good but very uneven.
Fundamental is disapointing to me, I like all the songs that aren't on the album better than the ones that are. I don't like "Numb" at all.
Bilingual is their best since Very, followed by Release.

but it was their first album released after Very!

Actually > Introspective > Behaviour > Please > Very > Bilingual > Fundamental > Nightlife > Release

Maybe.

Hopefully I will change my mind about Fundamental.

And I even *like* Nightlife quite a bit, so that's saying something about the quality of their albums, I think

I consider myself bilingual curious. (actually)

--------------------

Has It Come To This
Let's Push Things Forward
Weak Become Heroes
Don't Mug Yourself
Fit But You Know It
Dry Your Eyes
Blinded By The Lights
Could Well Be In
When You Wasn't Famous
Never Went To Church

Love Me Do
Please Please Me
From Me To You
She Loves You
I Want To Hold Your Hand
Can't Buy Me Love
A Hard Day's Night
I Feel Fine
Ticket To Ride
Help!
Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out
Paperback Writer
Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby
Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever
All You Need Is Love
Hello Goodbye
Magical Mystery Tour
Lady Madonna
Hey Jude
Get Back

I'd posit REM, because I'm very very fond of their early stuff and the Geffen-era singles have been played so often it's difficult to still tell whether they've been any good. I would posit Robbie Williams, but thinking about it he comes up with one classic single or so per album, and then follows it up with a dreicht 'It's so hard being me' type ballad.

Cry To Me
Dreamin'
Hit And Run
It's Getting Stronger
Runaway
Catch Me On The Rebound
That's What You Said
The Greatest Performance Of My Life
Relight My Fire
Love Sensation
Seconds
I've Been Loving You Too Long
We're Getting Stronger
Strong Enough
Crash Goes Love
Heartstealer
So Sweet
Gotta Be #1
Do That To Me (Set Me Free)
The Queen's Anthem
Stand Up!
I Survived
Shout To The Top
Lifting Me Up
No Apology

25 singles and really not a bad one in the bunch (though i'm not counting her pre-disco stuff) and others may feel differently about the mid-80s DJ International stuff

anyhow, fitting that the best contender I could come up with for the PSB title is another queen

also, the St Et one is a good call too.

and i HATE people who say 'i preferred the demo' about songs but there you go! it is better!

btw I saw them a couple of nights ago -- a MUCH better show than the 2002 supporting Release, despite the smaller budget.)

Pete Shelley was/is gay, MrSnrub.

I certainly didn't the Pet Shop Boys were gay, either. I always thought if they were gay, then why didn't they name their hit song "East End Boys"?

I remember when Tennant came out he quite hilariously said the real shocker would've been if he had declared himself straight.

Oddly, I had NO idea until probably the mid-80s that the Village People were gay (though I know that's not an uncommon reaction among people my age).

HI DERE LEX.

I was 16 and just thought it all sounded dramatic and big and not 'gay' per se. It wasn't until 1991 at UCLA when my roommate Steve's boyfriend talked about a paper he was writing on PSB and gay identity -- 'out' without being out, specifically -- that I twigged.

-- s woods (rockcritic...), October 20th, 2006. (sw00ds) (later)

Only one of the Village People were gay, the rest were lol straights.

astonishing to see this after so long. 1989 tour projection/backdrop by Jarman for KING'S CROSS.

the reason for reviving on this thread is that it would have been a single (WIKI confirms) in '87 after RENT, had it not been for what happened at King's Cross that year.

and why is the tracklisting weird? not being a total fan i like the way it revisits some classics, some non-PSB tracks (eg. the Dusty springfield collab and Frances Barber tracks), and a chunk of the new ones - i reckon its a good spread actually.

in actual fact - having listened i think the selection is based upon the originals having orchestral arrangements and so the band took the opportunity to give this side of their catalogue a full on airing as neil in between each song gives a rundown on who provided the original arrangements.

"I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing"
"Liberation"
"Absolutely Fabulous"
"Yesterday, when I was mad"
"Paninaro '95"
"Before"
"Se a vida é (That’s the way life is)"
"Single-Bilingual"
"A red letter day"
"Somewhere"
"I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more"
"New York City boy"
"You only tell me you love me when you're drunk"
"Home and dry"
"I get along"
"Miracles"
"Flamboyant"
"I'm with Stupid"
"Minimal"
"Numb"

That's exactly 20 singles since Tom's list. I'd say at least 12 are as strong as the first 20 ones.

That said, I still think it's a spectacular run, and I can't think of another singles band that matches them for consistency (it's just that now they're more likely to be consistently very good rather than consistently amazing).

The "very goods":
"Before" (borderline between great and very good--should listen to it again)
"Se a vida é (That’s the way life is)"
"You only tell me you love me when you're drunk"
"Home and dry"

The so-so (at best):
"Single-Bilingual"
"A red letter day"
"I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more"
"New York City boy"
"I get along"
"I'm with Stupid"

The others are forgettable or unfamiliar (I keep hearing that "Flamboyant" is great, but I think I've heard it once).

Brilliant
"I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more"

Very Good
"Absolutely Fabulous"
"Yesterday, when I was mad"
"New York City boy"
"Flamboyant"
"Paninaro '95"
"Integral" (fingers crossed)

Good
"Before"
"Miracles"
"I'm with Stupid"
"Se a vida é (That’s the way life is)"
"Single-Bilingual"

So-So
"A red letter day"
"You only tell me you love me when you're drunk"
"Home and dry"
"I get along"
"Minimal"

Boring
"I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing"
"Liberation"
"Somewhere"
"Numb"

As Good as Any in the First 20:
"I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing"
"Flamboyant"

Excellent:
"Liberation"
"Paninaro '95"
"Before"
"I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more"
"Home and dry"
"I'm with Stupid"

Fine:
"Absolutely Fabulous"
"Yesterday, when I was mad"
"Se a vida é (That’s the way life is)"
"You only tell me you love me when you're drunk"
"Minimal"

Meh:
"Single-Bilingual"
"I get along"
"Miracles"
"Numb"

Atrocious:
"A red letter day"
"Somewhere"
"New York City boy"

Here's my rating:

Amazing
"I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing"
"Liberation"
"Absolutely Fabulous"
"Yesterday, when I was mad"
"Before"
"I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more"
"You only tell me you love me when you're drunk"
"Miracles"
"Flamboyant"
"Minimal"

Great
"Se a vida é (That’s the way life is)"
"A red letter day"
"Home and dry"

Good
"Paninaro '95"
"Single-Bilingual"
"Somewhere"
"New York City boy"
"I get along"
"I'm with Stupid"

Poor
"Numb"

(x-post)

and "Flamboyant" is arguably one of the best singles they've ever put out.

"I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing"
"A red letter day"
"New York City boy"
"Miracles"

this thread needs to go to the next level of obsessive silliness: favourite 20 pet shop boys album cuts that aren't singles (and this does not include b-sides--album cuts as album cuts only). here's hoping things get slow at work today.