Pet Shop Boys

HS

Are people now offering Popart as a suggestion *instead* of the discography/singles collection? I've often wondered why they did so much overlap between the two - to me it would've made more sense to make a single-disc second volume of the discography/singles collection, as the first stands pretty mightily on its own.
(they put everything on from the first, save Was It Worth It)

it all just seems a bit unnecessary to me

Here's a TS for you -- buying them in that format vs. the double-disc reissues from Please to Very which include all the Alternative cuts.

i like how the first disc left the album intact and the second filled in with all kinds of neat mixes, demos and b-sides

so, naturally i'll say the double-disc versions

But if you're on a budget then I guess just go for the double-disc reissues.

both popart and discography are DEAD CHEAP, so there's little in it. pop art gives you a taste of the later stuff - which might be of use to someone who'd heard v little. i do prefer discography cos i'm not taken with the later stuff all that much :-(

Specifically: Se A Vida E (pure concentrated joy in a can), A Red Letter Day (it GETS me, man), I Don't Know What You Want..., You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk (dissing, punk, hee!), Home And Dry (makes me cry), I Get Along (it's about Blair-n-Mandy u kno).

And also because Discography's strictly chronological timeline gets a bit wearing; the "pop"/"art" split may border on the arbitrary at times, but the track sequencing is still intelligently done.

Most glaring omission from Alternative: the swing version of "Can You Forgive Her", re-recorded with a full swing band arrangement, and at least 98% as good as the original.

(oh and check the INGA 1990 cover of DO I HAVE TO? if u haven't).

It's odd because I really adore most of their stuff (I loved _Release_, for example, and think "Home And Dry" is genius) but there are certain things that really, really aggravate me, like "Domino Dancing", "Always On My Mind", "Can You Forgive Her?", and "Go West", but those things are greatly overshadowed by the fact that most of their tracks are as great as "Se A Vida E (Deep Dish Mix)" or "The Boy Who Couldn't Keep His Clothes On" or every version of "I Want A Dog" that doesn't appear on _Introspective_.

(xpost RAISE YOUR STANDARDS, PSB FANS)

(xpost HONOR THE FEY! Er.)

other favourites-
"Love Comes Quickly"
"So Hard"
"West End Girls" (obviously)
"Kings Cross"

I could go on, and on. best band ever.

WHAAAATTT??? This is madness. Holy shit, that track is so utterly great.

I also know that part of my issue with _Introspective_ is the super-heavy hand of Shep Pettibone.

(xpost HONOR THE FEY! Er.)

I have to hurt you now.

i smell heavy handed ILX racism at work

Six if you count me. Play With Me is a superb metapop album.

Is anyone else happy like I am that they've released the DVD of their Behaviour tour? Especially since I missed it. When they played LA. In 1991. When I was out of town that week. And couldn't catch them. WHEN THEY PLAYED WHAT WAS APPARENTLY ONE OF THEIR BEST SHOWS ON THE TOUR ACCORDING TO PET SHOP BOYS VERSUS AMERICA. But I digress.

A further update on that terrible cover -- Nate Patrin remembered the ad for the miniseries using it. You will note, how you say, a creative edit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4R_C2L4Wmk

Re: That Downy ad. I submit for consideration LG selling washing machines by reinterpreting "Got Your Money":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEwxtg35BUo

why are there so many street signs in that montage

Billionaire Boys Club was nominated for four Emmys: Outstanding Miniseries, Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or Special, Outstanding Writing in a Miniseries or Special, and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Special for Ron Silver

lol

Really speaks to the sheer paucity of quality around then. "It MUST be important, it's about wannabe rich assholes in LA like us!"

Whenever I think of the Pet Shop Boys in pop culture I always think of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW8TIAHyAE0

YES! on the Tag Team Geico ad being the #1 ad of the moment. I crack myself up inserting "Sprinkles!" mentally into conversations. The expression on the son's?/daughter's? faces are great, too.

One thing I like about the Tag Team commercial is that I (and I assume a lot of people) had idea what the guys looked like, and even if I did, it's kind of taken on faith that these are the same guys. And yeah, "Sprinkles!"

the tag team commercial also underscores the fact that "whoomp there it is" is a truly excellent song that we've taken for granted

I mentioned this piece briefly but it is worth a read

https://theundefeated.com/features/behind-the-delightful-success-of-tag-team-hit-commercial-with-geico/

AD WARS - tag team's "whoomp there it is" vs. pet shop boys' "opportunities"

bilingual then backwards and anything after bilingual is crap!

nah

Geico wins Mad Men Ace Award because visuals of Allstate spoiled by shitty singing hood ornament, looking like a sweetened-up Wicked Witch, but musically I find "Opportunities" more exciting.

I can't recall many good covers of PSB songs, except by Liza/Dusty etc, but this a lovely and summery, found by accident on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/track/4clr0ehfzrEKvLepw4WffW?si=9c65ffc509534d5c

I saw an announcement for Disco 5 and got very excited, then looked at the track listing:

https://shop.petshopboys.co.uk/eu/disco-5-1cd/5021732831224.html

*sad trombone*

Christ.

The fuck is that all about

Have always thought the music of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds was perfect for a remix

"What did you DO?" "It's our John Cage tribute."

Not seeing the problem tbh. I don't know these remixes but I can't imagine any of them are bad?

I mean I don't like Sleaford Mods at all but I can sort of tolerate them on those Orbital and Prodigy tracks, but idk.

the Weller one is fantastic.

Was always a bit let down that their supposed 'guitar' album Release wasn't rockist enough

Their version of "I'm in Love with a German Film Star" was a surprising failure. On paper it sounds like it should work brilliantly, but the actual results were as flat as a pancake.

PSB are excited to announce “Obscure Pet Shop Boys”, a special run of five intimate shows in April 
2026 at London’s Electric Ballroom. The concerts will feature a setlist of non-single album tracks, b-sides and fan favourites. Full details to be revealed here this Wednesday, 12th November.

sounds fun!

That would be so fun rather than a typical hit-leaning show.

yeah I would love that, when I saw Sparks it was that kind of setlist - not that they really have that many 'hits', but it was stuffed with deep cuts and so many tracks I'd never even consider they'd whip out, made it so much fun

That sounds amazing.

"Play 'Your Funny Uncle'!", the audience cried. "Searching for the Face of Jesus!", a small faction demanded.

Fingers crossed this becomes a small venues tour. Might live to regret not making the trip to London though.

Chris doing One of the Crowd would surely raise the roof.

I was just listening to Alternative this weekend and wondering why they didn’t do a tour like this so I of course take full credit for this happening

I get excited (ILM gets excited too)!

perhaps my favorite PSB chorus - "Miserablism...is is...and isn't isn't"

they really oughta repress the Alternative 3xLP, the people are clamoring for it, also as I recall the later B-sides collection called Format was pretty good as well?

There's been some speculation in this thread, I see

There were a couple deep cuts when I saw them on the Fundamental tour, "Shopping" a particularly fun one. This tour is a phenomenal idea

I would love to see Shopping, it’s been one of my faves since 1987! Occasionally used as background music on telly, over a montage of rampant 1980s consumerism.

Yeah, terrific version on the 2006 tour. They played "Two Divided By Zero" in 2009!

Nice, would have loved to see that! They played "Dreaming of the Queen" on the 2006 tour as well, which was the biggest surprise for me, but I don't think it fully worked live

Lost my shit when they played 'Two Divided By Zero' at Primavera 2010 (also for 'Why Don't We Live Together?')

The latter is my favorite PSB song.

Raisin' the literal negroni in my hand rn to you

idk why this is but every time I visit Mexico I hear multiple Pet Shop Boys songs out in the wild...while downtown or in restaurants or whatever...they really love 'em there

yes Format was also great, and not just because it opened with their best B-side ever

When I saw them in 1991, the deep cuts included "My October Symphony", "I'm Not Scared", "We All Feel Better in the Dark", "So Sorry, I Said" and yes, "Your Funny Uncle".

Also, the encore began with Neil arriving alone onstage with an acoustic guitar to perform the first verse of "Always on My Mind".

^^ released on VHS and laserdisc, remastered and expanded on DVD with a commentary track from Chris, Neil and Chris Heath

I get a zillion times more mileage out of Format than one might have predicted during the era covered, given that my attentiveness to even their A-sides had really dropped away through the post-imperial period. I was a fool around the turn of the century, basically.

Just tried to pre-order the announced book Volume as a means of getting priority for the gig but it's rejecting my payment details ugh.

there’s a no-purchase-necessary link here

https://npn.wmx.co/petshopboysobscurepresale

TY!

My favorite was when they played "Do I have To" on the Yes tour.