The Pet Shop Boys' first twenty singles...

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Also, "I Feel You" rocks balls.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

IMO Depeche Mode have only released five weak singles: "Never Let Me Down Again", "Behind The Wheel", "I Feel You", "Condemnation" and "In Your Room". Everything else has been perfect!

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, "I Feel You" rocks balls.

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

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay, "Condemnation" isn't the greatest song in the world. I completely concede that.

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.)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 20:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd say Depeche Mode had a pretty good run of two singles (from "Get the Balance Right" to "Everything Counts") - the rest I could mostly take or leave.

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 20:12 (twenty-one years ago)

You're fired. (But I love you.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 20:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Well that's nothing, let me see you find one dud in this list:

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

― Siegbran (eofor), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 21:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Ha, nice.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 21:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Siegbran: I cannot find one classic in your list. Sorry.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 22:33 (twenty-one years ago)

“It’s Alright” – The PSBs jump fully into house with a Sterling Void cover. I didn’t get it at the time, now I do, mostly because it’s a lovely song. House was in part the undoing of the Pets because while Tennant’s voice curdled Hi-NRG in interesting ways it never really got to grips with the deeper and more rigorous beats of house, and also remix culture meant the PSB’s mastery of the 12” format ebbed. But the sweetness of “It’s Alright” endures.

The 7" was hardly House at all.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 22:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't understand how anyone who likes Depeche Mode could not like Never Let Me Down Again. I do understand if I Feel You and In Your Room are too rockist for your synth-pop-loving tastes, but Never Let Me Down Again is a contender for their single greatest moment, imho.

― John Hunter, Wednesday, 15 June 2005 17:33 (twenty-one years ago)

"Never Let Me Down Again" is basically "Fly On The Windscreen" amped up to 11.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 18:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Even if one dismisses the Vince Clarke years

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.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 18:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't understand how anyone who likes Depeche Mode could not like Never Let Me Down Again.

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.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 18:18 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

“It’s Alright” – The PSBs jump fully into house with a Sterling Void cover.

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......

― JTS (JTS), Sunday, 2 July 2006 12:45 (nineteen years ago)

It's no "Domino Dancing"!

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Sunday, 2 July 2006 14:20 (nineteen years ago)

"Discoteca/Single" should've been a single.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Sunday, 2 July 2006 14:42 (nineteen years ago)

tom's first post=ultramegaclassick!!!

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 3 July 2006 03:27 (nineteen years ago)

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.

― Andrew (enneff), Monday, 3 July 2006 03:36 (nineteen years ago)

"Discoteca/Single" should've been a single

It was...?

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

― rentboy (rentboy), Monday, 3 July 2006 10:31 (nineteen years ago)

"Single-Bilingual" was released as a single with a video. "Discoteca" was the "B-Side". I thought it should have been the other way around too.

― LeRooLeRoo (Seb), Monday, 3 July 2006 22:18 (nineteen years ago)

"Single-Bilingual" should never have been a single. That one and "Se a Vida e" are the two worst Pet Shop Boys singles ever.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 00:41 (nineteen years ago)

I prefer "Single-Bilingual" to "Before", which I thought was a total damp squib. "Se A Vida E" isn't fantastic but it does have the marvellous "How I Learned To Hate Rock'n'Roll" on the B-side.

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').

― edward o (edwardo), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 01:45 (nineteen years ago)

If "Minimal," "Luna Park," and "Numb" were on Nightlife instead of "Radiophonic" and "Happiness is an Option," it'd be the best album, ever, period.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 02:09 (nineteen years ago)

actually my least favorite PSB single ever is Liberation. And I actually liked the album version, but the single version was pap and the remixes are possibly the worst set of remixes I've ever heard of any song ever, period.

dreadful!

― rentboy (rentboy), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 13:56 (nineteen years ago)

The E-Smoove of "Liberation" is awesome!

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 14:21 (nineteen years ago)

"Single-Bilingual" should never have been a single.

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

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 14:44 (nineteen years ago)

If "Minimal," "Luna Park," and "Numb" were on Nightlife instead of "Radiophonic" and "Happiness is an Option," it'd be the best album, ever, period.

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.

― LeRooLeRoo (Seb), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 21:46 (nineteen years ago)

"Radiophonic" is SO underrated. Any song with the line "like a sub dub sonic boombox beating bass under the bed," thereby mimicking the sound in a club that is also the sound of your heart as you fall in love, is in my book a work of genius by default.

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 02:44 (nineteen years ago)

Bilingual is their best since Very

but it was their first album released after Very!

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 12:28 (nineteen years ago)

nothing from NIGHTLIFE in the live show.

― pisces (piscesx), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 13:30 (nineteen years ago)

"Bilingual" has way too many of those failed Latino attempts on it to be considered among their best. Some tracks such as "Red Letter Day" showed they were still able though.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 18:08 (nineteen years ago)

Let's put an end (or a beginning?) to this:

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

― daavid (daavid), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 19:32 (nineteen years ago)

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

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 21:20 (nineteen years ago)

actually > please > behaviour > introspective. the rest i'm equivocal about. i saw the psbs on sunday and i have to admit "rent" left me a little (very) teary.

― michael wells (michael w.), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 21:40 (nineteen years ago)

Bilingual = Behavior > Actually > Very > Please > Fundamental > Nightlife > Introspective > Release.

Maybe.

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 21:56 (nineteen years ago)

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

Hopefully I will change my mind about Fundamental.

― LeRooLeRoo (Seb), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 22:56 (nineteen years ago)

Behavior = Very > Please > Actually = Bilingual > Fundamental > Introspective > Release > Nightlife

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

― rentboy (rentboy), Wednesday, 5 July 2006 22:59 (nineteen years ago)

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

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 6 July 2006 00:10 (nineteen years ago)

I love seeing PSB album titles in a row. Not sure if I like "Actually Introspective Behaviour" or "Very Fundamental Behaviour" more.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 6 July 2006 07:32 (nineteen years ago)

Fundamental Nightlife Behaviour Please!

I consider myself bilingual curious. (actually)

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Thursday, 6 July 2006 09:14 (nineteen years ago)

(i know it's early days but...)

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

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

― pisces (piscesx), Thursday, 6 July 2006 16:02 (nineteen years ago)

This one isn't too bad either:

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

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 6 July 2006 22:35 (nineteen years ago)

try August 19th, 2003, Geir.

― kit brash (kit brash), Thursday, 6 July 2006 23:25 (nineteen years ago)

Have I been skim-reading this, or has nobody mentioned Yesterday When I Was Mad?

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.

― Mippy (Mippy), Friday, 7 July 2006 11:00 (nineteen years ago)

I did, probably multiple times.

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Friday, 7 July 2006 11:03 (nineteen years ago)

also, this one occurred to me today while I was driving in listening to a mix i'd made sometime a while back:

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.

― rentboy (rentboy), Friday, 7 July 2006 12:20 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

just heard the demo of I GET EXCITED from around '88 and i honestly can't believe a) how amazing it sounds and b) that i've never heard it before. supposedly they were originally working on it as a track for their the imminent album (INTROSPECTIVE, then going under the working title of BOUNCE) but they suddenly needed a b side for HEART and that's where it ended up. the demo has more excitement and urgency than the finished product and i think they rushed the recording in the end as it could have been a number 1 from the sound of it.

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

― pisces (piscesx), Wednesday, 30 August 2006 09:37 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

Question: prior to 1993 was the PSB's homosexuality (Neil Tennant's, that is; Chris Lowe still won't affirm anything) an open secret? When I discovered them in 1990 during the Behaviour period -- the hits had dried up but they remained a strong presence on college radio -- my friends and I sort of "knew," without confirmation. Did the pronoun game (the use of "you") as much a giveaway as it was for the Buzzcocks and Husker Du?

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 19 October 2006 22:14 (nineteen years ago)

In retrospect, after that late 1990 "Being Boring" video, it'd be hard for Tennant to hide his homosexuality anymore.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 19 October 2006 22:29 (nineteen years ago)

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