Pet Shop Boys

I'm fairly confident that they know they've released a bunch of leaden almost-word-salad tracks. This isn't like Muse's Olympics song (I think they were trying to be clever?) or Prince's Vikings track (who knows what The Purple One was thinking there). It's just that the Boys can be subtle and clever and these tracks are neither, even if they were made with the best intentions.

xxxp they jumped the shark with Bilingual 24 years ago. they've jumped back the other way occasionaly though.

Their one-off between-album cuts have always sucked; that olympics thing (Winner), Together for the Ultimate comp, and Was It Worth It for Discography.

No fucking way. "Was It Worth It" is beautiful music as well as their first coming out song.

I think it's the Greek chorus bits; "WHAT?" "WHERE?" "HOW?!" etc that always put me off. I liked Chris's hat in the video.

Yes, 'Was It Worth It' is excellent and, please, Bilingual is actually a very super release.

This one is the best by far, but that’s not saying much, unfortunately. It threatens to get good at the end but it’s still too word-salady. Why such a rush, Neil? At some point I started thinking about late period Elvis Costello which is *really* a worry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Two6mcJGYCM

I never liked Was it Worth it as a kid (which is a shame, because if I’d noticed the coming out theme, it would’ve been extremely useful). I love it now, though - a very similar vibe to Before, and for once Neil is just as hot as the models in the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px1sxZKiokc

It also helps that I love this era of pop house

Yeah it’s their SAW-iest song by far (which is part of the appeal for me)

Oh hey, this one isn't completely terrible

I remember thinking "Was it Worth It" was the worst PSB single up to the point it was released. But in hindsight (and especially given the shoddy quality of their latest output) it sounds a masterpiece now. Its only problem is that it doesn't have a great chorus. But the "I don't know why/I never thought I'd fall in love" bit at the end more than makes up for that.

So, yeah, seconding Chuck_Tatum here

According to Popjustice, the new EP contains 3 satirical songs and a sad one. That's the only one I'm looking forward to, TBH.

update on this though

Yeah, exactly what I expected. "The Forgotten Child" is by far the best of the bunch. Still, very subpar for the Boys.

yeah, it would register as fine if the three others hadn't been so dire

I remember thinking "Was it Worth It" was the worst PSB single up to the point it was released. But in hindsight (and especially given the shoddy quality of their latest output) it sounds a masterpiece now. Its only problem is that it doesn't have a great chorus. But the "I don't know why/I never thought I'd fall in love" bit at the end more than makes up for that.

― daavid, Friday, February 8, 2019

Mishearing a key lyric as "Then he smiled/and I was lost" helped too.

What's the best PSB *London song*?

It doesn't actually have to name London but has to feel London (which is probably most of them).

the Carter USM version of Rent that changes "off Broadway" to "Fulham Broadway," obv

King's Cross?

I'm wondering "Violence"?

"Two Divided by Zero"

I thought this was an erronous eBay listing at first, but no, it is being sold as a valid bit of PSB history:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PET-SHOP-BOYS-Dairy-Book-Of-Home-Management-1980/113637460627?epid=1805382223&hash=item1a75520a93:g:BLkAAOSwBPxcZAFU

Ha! I mean, yeah, I knew Tennant was involved in stuff like this just before (and around the time of) his stint at Smash Hits, but I never thought I'd see this stuff being sold as PSB memorabilia. The seller's obviously trying to make more money by pointing out the PSB connection... I suppose there are a lot of opportunities if you know when to take 'em...

I was on the lookout for PSB books beyond Literally and Vs America. I suppose this will have to do.

Thanks for pointing this out! I just bought a copy via Amazon for a friend who's a big fan. Not bad: $15, free shipping, supposedly "very good" condition.

Seems like I mostly just listen to Pet Shop Boys on Thursday mornings when I'm getting ready for work.

And they have a song called "Thursday "!

Glad to be of assistance

that's why I only seem to listen to them on Thursday, Alfred. I assumed the connection would be made. good way to kick off the day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=angHvxq1XLU

Surely there's not just me thinking that we should have heard something more about a new album by now.

We got an answer! A new track featuring Years & Years (for their forthcoming album, I assume):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RokbHjyPbyk

S'alright.

Nice enough and certainly better than anything on that recent EP. I just wish the chorus hit harder. It seems quite uneventful.

Kinda generic but I like it fine.

I don’t know much about it, but I saw posters for this when I was up in Edinburgh:

https://petshopboys.co.uk/theatre-film/musik-2019#1

Dont like being cruel and hey we all get old but this would sound better if Olly Alexander sang solo

This song is a non-entity to me, much like everything else I've heard involving Years & Years

This song is a non-entity without Y&Y.

mind you, I'm not saying that taking Y&Y off would change anything

new video for single "Monkey business" ft. a dancing Chris at the end (which makes it a must-watch):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPx8P8pcrdA

It's a mediocre album, alas, thanks to tracks like this.

i like it

the way he says PAAH-TEE is enough to hate champagne and margaritas

yeah but Neil pronounces a lot of words in obnoxious ways, its part of the Pet Shop Experience

Makes me think I’d like to hear them cover “Margaritas at the Mall.”

Otm

Feels like either taking seven years to get around to finishing the JLC trilogy was a bad idea, or they should have made sure to do a boring album in between each one to refresh their banger tank.

Huh: turns out they have also been filling up the tank with other material to pump out later.

They wrote two songs and four pieces of score for a new stage version of My Beautiful Laundrette that was staged last year, and they plan to release the soundtrack this year - one song was used as a Dreamland B-side.

They wrote four new songs for a cabaret sequel to Closer To Heaven that ran at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, which they intend to release "at some point."

An extended orchestral production of their Turing musical is planned, which would provide an opportunity to finally release a recording.

And Neil has suggested a Disco 5 comp would be due once the Hotspot cycle is over.

They should have gone away for 10 years. Greatest Hits tour sounds.. ominously like a last hurrah.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jan/24/pet-shop-boys-the-acoustic-guitar-should-be-banned