It's not quite in my top 10, but "A New Life" is pretty underrated (probably because the poignancy of the melody -- the chord change is stunning -- is a bit overwhelmed by those big drums).
― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Saturday, 13 May 2006 02:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― daavid (daavid), Saturday, 13 May 2006 02:15 (eighteen years ago) link
― daavid (daavid), Saturday, 13 May 2006 02:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― davidsim (davidsim), Saturday, 13 May 2006 02:30 (eighteen years ago) link
chronologically
― sotough, Saturday, 13 May 2006 14:43 (eighteen years ago) link
Indeed. Where is the love for A New Life? It would make my top ten. Apart from being a fine song, it's also notable for being one of the few compositions in the Boys' oeuvre that was jointly composed with an outside party - in this case, backing vocalist Helena "How far have you been?" Springs. IIRC, Chris remarks in the sleeve notes to Alternative that they went round to her flat, and "she had a few chord changes" which ultimately became A New Life. (For some reason, I really like that story.)
― Palomino (Palomino), Saturday, 13 May 2006 16:35 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 13 May 2006 16:37 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Saturday, 13 May 2006 16:38 (eighteen years ago) link
And I just like the "Stars collect overhead" verse, as well as the naked, plaintive question: "Where's the heart I was dreaming of?"
― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Saturday, 13 May 2006 16:46 (eighteen years ago) link
― kit brash (kit brash), Sunday, 14 May 2006 06:48 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dr. Joseph A. Ofalt, Monday, 15 May 2006 02:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dorian Lynskey, Monday, 15 May 2006 08:19 (eighteen years ago) link
PaninaroMiserablism Don Juan A New Life A Man Could Get ArrestedJack The LadDo I Have To That's My ImpressionI Get Excited (You Get Excited Too)Shameless
― wtin, Monday, 15 May 2006 11:30 (eighteen years ago) link
anyway..
paninaroyour funny unclea new lifei get excitedmiserablismin the nightone of the crowdDo I Have To?we all feel better in the darklosing my mind
― pisces (piscesx), Monday, 15 May 2006 12:26 (eighteen years ago) link
The truck driver and his mateIt is obvious (the KLF 'bleep and booster' remix)
― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 15 May 2006 12:31 (eighteen years ago) link
I can understand that it was seen as a bit too "up" to fit into the mood of the "Behaviour" album, but IMO they should have saved it for the "Discography" compilation and released it as a single from that one. It is a lot better than "DJ Culture" and "Was It Worth It".
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 15 May 2006 13:59 (eighteen years ago) link
― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Monday, 15 May 2006 14:46 (eighteen years ago) link
Heads up:
The Pet Shop Boys today revealed the tracklist and release date for Format, which will include 38 newly remastered B-sides and bonus tracks originally released between 1996 and 2009. The 2CD set will be released Feb. 6 on Parlophone Records, and will feature an interview with Tennant and Lowe in the booklet by Jon Savage.Tracklist: Pet Shop Boys, FormatDISC 11. “The Truck Driver and his Mate”2. “Hit and Miss”3. “In the Night” (1995)4. “Betrayed”5. “How I Learned to Hate Rock ‘n’ Roll”6. “Discoteca” (New Version)7. “The Calm Before the Storm”8. “Confidential (Demo for Tina)”9. “The Boy Who Couldn’t Keep his Clothes On”10. “Delusions of Grandeur”11. “The View From Your Balcony”12. “Disco Potential”13. “Silver Age”14. “Screaming”15. “The Ghost of Myself”16. “Casting a Shadow”17. “Lies”18. “Sexy Northerner”DISC 21. “Always”2. “Nightlife”3. “Searching for the Face of Jesus”4. “Between Two Islands”5. “Friendly Fire”6. “We’re the Pet Shop Boys”7. “Transparent”8. “I Didn’t Get Where I Am Today”9. “The Resurrectionist”10. “Girls Don’t Cry”11. “In Private” (7-inch mix): Pet Shop Boys with Elton John12. “Blue on Blue”13. “No Time for Tears” (7-inch mix)14. “Bright Young Things”15. “Party Song”16. “We’re All Criminals Now”17. “Gin and Jag”18. “After the Event”19. “The Former Enfant Terrible”20. “Up and Down”
Tracklist: Pet Shop Boys, Format
DISC 11. “The Truck Driver and his Mate”2. “Hit and Miss”3. “In the Night” (1995)4. “Betrayed”5. “How I Learned to Hate Rock ‘n’ Roll”6. “Discoteca” (New Version)7. “The Calm Before the Storm”8. “Confidential (Demo for Tina)”9. “The Boy Who Couldn’t Keep his Clothes On”10. “Delusions of Grandeur”11. “The View From Your Balcony”12. “Disco Potential”13. “Silver Age”14. “Screaming”15. “The Ghost of Myself”16. “Casting a Shadow”17. “Lies”18. “Sexy Northerner”
DISC 21. “Always”2. “Nightlife”3. “Searching for the Face of Jesus”4. “Between Two Islands”5. “Friendly Fire”6. “We’re the Pet Shop Boys”7. “Transparent”8. “I Didn’t Get Where I Am Today”9. “The Resurrectionist”10. “Girls Don’t Cry”11. “In Private” (7-inch mix): Pet Shop Boys with Elton John12. “Blue on Blue”13. “No Time for Tears” (7-inch mix)14. “Bright Young Things”15. “Party Song”16. “We’re All Criminals Now”17. “Gin and Jag”18. “After the Event”19. “The Former Enfant Terrible”20. “Up and Down”
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 16 November 2011 14:45 (twelve years ago) link
O_O
― sex-poodle Al Gore (DJP), Wednesday, 16 November 2011 14:52 (twelve years ago) link
Awesome. The first song in the track listing is one of my favorite of their B-sides.
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 16 November 2011 14:55 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah I'm already predicting I'm playing this into the ground. Along with Alternative once again.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 16 November 2011 15:18 (twelve years ago) link
Alternative is one of the few permanent CDs in my car.
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 16 November 2011 15:24 (twelve years ago) link
Still into this one after discovering it during that PSB song megapoll:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTvL1DUBNfA
― Love stream of mic checking (Eazy), Wednesday, 16 November 2011 15:38 (twelve years ago) link
This thread keeps popping up with the "Friday" thread, which leads me to imagine an autotune PSB cover...
"Fr-fr-fr-fr-fr-Friday"
― Love stream of mic checking (Eazy), Wednesday, 16 November 2011 15:44 (twelve years ago) link
Oh yes. Bilingual was the last of the special editions with B-sides so a lot of these songs are new to me.
― Science, you guys. Science. (DL), Wednesday, 16 November 2011 15:50 (twelve years ago) link
Oh hell yes. Been waiting for them to make this for years.
― Vinnie, Wednesday, 16 November 2011 15:53 (twelve years ago) link
8. “I Didn’t Get Where I Am Today”9. “The Resurrectionist”
Great songs.
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 16 November 2011 15:56 (twelve years ago) link
I have been waiting for this since Alternative was released
― sex-poodle Al Gore (DJP), Wednesday, 16 November 2011 15:57 (twelve years ago) link
"Always" is probably my favourite of the bunch. Never go the love for "Truck Driver" esp. compared to "Hit and Miss". Sadly though, I have to say Alternative was like a million times better than this.
― daavid, Wednesday, 16 November 2011 18:38 (twelve years ago) link
I'm so excited for this. I've only bought a few of their singles since 96 so lots of these will new to me. Truck Driver is one my favourite songs they've ever done.
― Kitchen Person, Wednesday, 16 November 2011 18:42 (twelve years ago) link
WILD TO THE POINT OF MADNESS
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 16 November 2011 18:44 (twelve years ago) link
They really should've included the 7" version of "Fugitive" which was only released as a b-side for "Beautiful People" and is an amazing song. Also missing for some reason are the "Together" b-sides, "Glad All Over" and "I Cried For Us".
― LeRooLeRoo, Thursday, 17 November 2011 20:49 (twelve years ago) link
the Format box is a different shape and size to the Alternative box
what the actual fuck, guys
― Θ ̨Θƪ (sic), Tuesday, 13 March 2012 12:24 (twelve years ago) link
TS: "Format" vs "Alternative"....
― Hongroe (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 13 March 2012 20:19 (twelve years ago) link
"Alternative" by a million miles.
― daavid, Tuesday, 13 March 2012 20:31 (twelve years ago) link
like, they tried to make it a companion by being white with nothing on the spine, compared to black with nothing on the spine
but it's not the same size on the shelf
― Θ ̨Θƪ (sic), Tuesday, 13 March 2012 23:03 (twelve years ago) link
(haven't compared but the sleevenotes seem much less chatty too?)
(also I guess ;_; that this means no likelihood of 2CD reissues of the post-Bilingual albums in this decade, thus probably ever. which, whatever, but I've never actually heard Nightlife.)
― Θ ̨Θƪ (sic), Tuesday, 13 March 2012 23:06 (twelve years ago) link
just picked up Format and god damn, I'd say it's as good as Alternative - at least from someone who hadn't heard a single one of these tracks before
― frogbs, Wednesday, 13 April 2016 21:07 (eight years ago) link
I love the B-side version of "A Man Could Get Arrested." It points to a kind of eighties production that PSB never chased.
― Your sweetie-pie-coo-coo I love ya (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 12 January 2019 17:45 (five years ago) link
DO IT!
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Saturday, 12 January 2019 18:13 (five years ago) link
It was probably my first favourite PSB song. My tape dub of a childhood neighbour's single got quite a work-out.
Certainly agree with praise for Format. I listen to it way more than I'd anticipated on release.
Having never seen this thread before, an unranked attempt:
A Man Could Get ArrestedBetrayedBet She's Not Your BoyfriendGirls Don't CryIt Must Be ObviousMiserablismNo Time for TearsThe Truck Driver and His MateWe All Feel Better in the DarkYour Funny Uncle
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Sunday, 13 January 2019 05:09 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex4VM6GupAc
― Your sweetie-pie-coo-coo I love ya (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 13 January 2019 14:02 (five years ago) link
I have a bunch of PSB songs on my gym iPod and I think like 2/3rds of them are B-sides
― frogbs, Wednesday, 16 January 2019 15:58 (five years ago) link
Do it now!
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 4 May 2020 00:33 (four years ago) link
I attempted to explain the appeal of PSB to someone recently with... "Your Funny Uncle", of all things! I think we'd been talking about the early AIDS era or something. Anyway, the response was "it's a bit depressing, innit." Not sure they even got to the end. Grrr.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Monday, 4 May 2020 08:54 (four years ago) link
Was That What It Was?, One of the Crowd, It Must Be Obvious and Music for Boys are all in the top half of Alternative tracks for me
― nashwan, Monday, 4 May 2020 11:24 (four years ago) link
Do I Have To? is straight up one of their best songs and one of the best B-sides ever. It does feel a little rushed production wise though. I often wonder what it'd sound like on Introspective with a luxurious big-budget makeover. Maybe like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWxOHwhkShY
― piscesx, Monday, 4 May 2020 14:01 (four years ago) link
Agree with Tennant that the middle 'faffs around' a bit, but it's one of their most devastating ballads.
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 4 May 2020 14:52 (four years ago) link