Other recommendations for your Spotify list: Psychological (also the Ewan Pearson remix), Flamboyant, She's Madonna (by Robbie Williams), Sorry (PSB Maxi-Mix, by Madonna), This Used To Be The Future, Axis, I Don't Wanna, My Girl, the Genuine Piano version of London (not released outside Germany until 2003), Girls Don't Cry
Their cover of We're The Pet Shop Boys is not as good as My Robot Friend's original, but is very fun, and their cover of Viva La Vida is 1000x better than Coldplay. They also did a cover of the song In Private that they wrote for Dusty Springfield in 1990, now as a duet with Elton John, that goes much harder than the original.
― Steppin' RZA (sic), Tuesday, 21 July 2020 21:08 (four years ago) link
djh see also POX Pet Shop Boys B-sides
― nashwan, Tuesday, 21 July 2020 22:52 (four years ago) link
Cool. Ta.
― djh, Wednesday, 22 July 2020 10:50 (four years ago) link
Their cover of We're The Pet Shop Boys is not as good as My Robot Friend's original
I think they did it better! Great track.
― LeRooLeRoo, Wednesday, 22 July 2020 13:30 (four years ago) link
"I Don't Like Much Really, do I? But What I Do Like, I Love Passionately - A PSB compilation"
Alternative title: "Drunk"
PaninaroSexy NorthernerThe Truck Driver and His MateIt Must Be Obvious.I Don't Know What You WantYou Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk.Violence (Hacienda)Euro BoyHome & DryWhy Don't We Live TogetherBetrayalYou ChooseEmail.
There's room for a few more perfectly poised tracks.
― djh, Wednesday, 22 July 2020 22:00 (four years ago) link
There's some great stuff in your suggestions - thanks.
― djh, Monday, 27 July 2020 15:36 (four years ago) link
:D
― Steppin' RZA (sic), Monday, 27 July 2020 20:40 (four years ago) link
"You Choose" is a minor masterpiece.
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 27 July 2020 20:50 (four years ago) link
It's great, isn't it?
It's a track I'd missed but I'm quite bad (good?) for just getting engrossed in a group for a bit ... and I love it.
― djh, Monday, 27 July 2020 21:27 (four years ago) link
Link to the (slightly mutating) playlist here:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/205aTQBpnwJEwUZzQMMS6W
― djh, Monday, 27 July 2020 21:29 (four years ago) link
You Choose meant a great deal during a period when I felt the stirrings of love for a guy who three years earlier hadn't returned it.
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 27 July 2020 21:53 (four years ago) link
Makes sense.
― djh, Monday, 27 July 2020 21:58 (four years ago) link
Compilation artwork, obvs.
First time I’ve been on a train since March! Hope you’re all keeping well. Neil xx#PetText pic.twitter.com/ASouFg5OaY— Pet Shop Boys (@petshopboys) August 1, 2020
― djh, Saturday, 1 August 2020 18:46 (four years ago) link
Might be of interest:
https://thequietus.com/articles/29906-pet-shop-boys-best-of-b-sides-album-tracks-beyond-the-hits
Contains Mr Raggett.
― djh, Wednesday, 28 April 2021 13:27 (three years ago) link
They praised the wrong version of "I Want A Dog"
― 80's hair metal , and good praise music ! (DJP), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 14:20 (three years ago) link
The great wars begin. Mr. Soto is also in there.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 28 April 2021 14:32 (three years ago) link
Excellent selection !
― LeRooLeRoo, Wednesday, 28 April 2021 14:37 (three years ago) link
It’s a dialogue between robots well before Daft Punk. Camp and terrifying, electronic exultation achieved at the expense of everyone and everything else — perhaps that’s the real European canon in the end
A terrific insight, Ned. Also, "Euroboy" and "Some Speculation" made my shortlist too. In the '00s my online dating profile name was SomeSpeculation. Only one dude got it.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 14:41 (three years ago) link
Credit to that dude. And thanks!
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 28 April 2021 14:44 (three years ago) link
re Mr Soto - oddly, I've only heard that Timmy Thomas song this year ... on a mix by ISAN.
― djh, Wednesday, 28 April 2021 17:13 (three years ago) link
Anyway, spent a happy hour or so compiling this into a playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5CH0dsOUoBVJ6kE9A1Rmp4
― djh, Wednesday, 28 April 2021 17:17 (three years ago) link
oooh thanks
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 17:18 (three years ago) link
Genuinely, that was a gorgeous read - full of love and affection (and, remarkably, some tracks I've missed and/or didn't know).
― djh, Wednesday, 28 April 2021 17:38 (three years ago) link
POX from the Quietus list:
DiscotecaDo I Have To?Dreaming of the QueenIt Always Comes As A SurpriseI Want A DogA Red Letter DaySome SpeculationThis Must Be The Place I've Waited Years To LeaveThe TheatreViolence
― LeRooLeRoo, Wednesday, 28 April 2021 21:34 (three years ago) link
"In the Night" really is a banger of the first order.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 21:36 (three years ago) link
I like the Quietus List
Personally, I would have added these:
Was That What It Was?I'm Not ScaredHit And MissAlwaysWe're The Pet Shop BoysFugitive
― daavid, Thursday, 29 April 2021 03:56 (three years ago) link
On a second thought, perhaps not Hit and Miss. It hasn't aged that well.
― daavid, Thursday, 29 April 2021 04:02 (three years ago) link
I love "Hit and Miss" and a few other b-sides on Format, but I imagine my POX would still be ten songs from Alternative
― Vinnie, Thursday, 29 April 2021 04:13 (three years ago) link
My b-side POX, that is
― Vinnie, Thursday, 29 April 2021 04:19 (three years ago) link
it seemed they skipped covers? so that would rule out We're The Pet Shop Boys and, kinda, I'm Not Scared
both megabangers ofc, as is Fugitive
― bobo honkin' slobo babe (sic), Thursday, 29 April 2021 04:44 (three years ago) link
I never understood the issue with the Instrospective version of "I Want a Dog". Possibly my favourite thing on it since I was a child. The b-side rendition feels like a less perfect iteration along the journey to the bitchin' housey endpoint. The Quietus OTM.
Perticularly good to see the likes of King's Cross, You Choose, The Theatre, Flourescent and Your Funny Uncle there too.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Thursday, 29 April 2021 05:05 (three years ago) link
pArticularly, obv.
Devastating lack of "A Man Could Get Arrested" though!
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Thursday, 29 April 2021 06:19 (three years ago) link
― bobo honkin' slobo babe (sic), T
Ned wrote about the Springteen cover.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 29 April 2021 09:34 (three years ago) link
Ah yeah! I even approved of his non-Boss-belief.
― bobo honkin' slobo babe (sic), Thursday, 29 April 2021 09:55 (three years ago) link
The issue with the Introspective version of I Want A Dog is that they took a wistful, delicate song and removed all of the personality from it with a boring beat
― 80's hair metal , and good praise music ! (DJP), Thursday, 29 April 2021 11:29 (three years ago) link
One could and should quibble with bits and pieces of that list, but it's at the very least a great reminder of the wealth of good stuff this group has released or, more shockingly, sometimes barely released.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 29 April 2021 12:42 (three years ago) link
xp It was entirely Knuckles's work according to the Introspective sleevenotes.
Neil: "We got back to London and played it to Trevor Horn and Steve Lipson and Trevor said 'See? Cheap gear sounds better.'"
― piscesx, Thursday, 29 April 2021 12:43 (three years ago) link
The Communards keyboardist plays the piano, I think.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 29 April 2021 12:52 (three years ago) link
He plays the piano on What Keeps Mankind Alive? but as far as i know that was it.
Confusingly, I did once play with the Pet Shop Boys #pointlesstrivia— Richard Coles (@RevRichardColes) October 4, 2012
― piscesx, Thursday, 29 April 2021 13:07 (three years ago) link
ah! That's it.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 29 April 2021 13:45 (three years ago) link
Vicar!
Listening again, the second half being dominated by the piano solo rather than (something resembling) dog bark samples has likely been a factor for me. Actual aural representation of dogginess threatens to undermine the wistfulness!
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Thursday, 29 April 2021 14:15 (three years ago) link
The dog barking is the most distinctive, singular component of the song. Removing it removes the song's identity.
This is the only remix of "I Want A Dog" that works and it's largely because it interpolates a good amount of "Atomic Dog" into itself while holding onto the dog barks, plus the beat doesn't sound like an extremely square preset:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB7mOdWk9hc
― 80's hair metal , and good praise music ! (DJP), Thursday, 29 April 2021 14:27 (three years ago) link
x-posts: Yeah, what Josh in Chicago said (though I realise there is joy to be had in arguing the detail).
― djh, Thursday, 29 April 2021 18:50 (three years ago) link
Had we posted this Tweet on here? (I can't see it but might be being an idiot).
Classic question from a taxi-driver in London today! “So are you still making music and is the other one still a vicar?” Neil x
― djh, Thursday, 29 April 2021 18:52 (three years ago) link
Fun to hear them do "Mr. Vain" on this '94 Rio show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl-nPbUSihQ
― too cool for zen talk (Eazy), Sunday, 2 May 2021 21:20 (three years ago) link
The covers were fun on that tour; Girls and Boys, Rhythm Of The Night, Mr Vain and I Will Survive
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/pet-shop-boys/1994/auditorio-nacional-mexico-city-mexico-6bd2faf2.html
― piscesx, Sunday, 2 May 2021 21:46 (three years ago) link
I read years ago that when Brett Anderson joined them for "Rent" he and Neil had been tootin' the nose powder.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 2 May 2021 21:50 (three years ago) link
Great list. I’d probably add End of the World. X-rated cover excepted, I’ve never seen the appeal of “Truckdriver”. I kind of think the A-Side, Before, is a great hidden-in-plain-sight deep cut
― Chuck_Tatum, Sunday, 2 May 2021 23:27 (three years ago) link
So many PSB threads. Anyway:
Ouch ! https://t.co/PQIfCwiZPu— Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) August 13, 2021
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 13 August 2021 16:11 (three years ago) link
That song doesn't feel like a single at all to me.
― LeRooLeRoo, Wednesday, 5 June 2024 12:35 (three months ago) link
It doesn't.
― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 5 June 2024 12:35 (three months ago) link
Not single material for sure. But being of a certain age, I have to admit that song (and video) got me.
― daavid, Wednesday, 5 June 2024 18:29 (three months ago) link
Still playing the new album a lot. Every time they put out something that doesn't really do it for me, they always win me back round with the follow-up. Fundamental after Release, Electric after Elysium and now this one coming after Hotspot which could be my least favourite album of theirs. Feels like they're a band I can never truly write-off and I was worried after Hotspot, that terrible EP and the never-ending Cricket Wife single.
― kitchen person, Thursday, 6 June 2024 00:45 (three months ago) link
Good b-side
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mffClF45eS0
― Chuck_Tatum, Saturday, 8 June 2024 13:45 (three months ago) link
(And the dance remix is much better than the single.)
― Chuck_Tatum, Saturday, 8 June 2024 13:53 (three months ago) link
Liking "I've Got Plans (Involving You)".
― djh, Saturday, 8 June 2024 18:07 (three months ago) link
A silver sliver of PSB cover of "Go West" passed through recent installment of Democracy Now---perfect placement of wistfulness x certainty---and I still can't get it out of my head, my head, not that I want to.
― dow, Saturday, 8 June 2024 20:11 (three months ago) link
Oh yeah, here 'tis:
Meet the Pro-Ceasefire MP Candidate Banned by U.K. Labour Party for “Liking” Jon Stewart Skit on IsraelSTORY JUNE 03, 2024Watch Full Show
― dow, Saturday, 8 June 2024 20:24 (three months ago) link
Has "A New Bohemia" got a hint of Oasis about it or am I imagining that? (I can't really describe why I think that).
― djh, Sunday, 9 June 2024 21:24 (three months ago) link
New B-Side, would be good around 3-4 a.m. at a club:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDUQbPKFeWs
― bratwurst autumn (Eazy), Wednesday, 28 August 2024 04:24 (four weeks ago) link
They still release CD singles don't they?
― djh, Wednesday, 28 August 2024 20:49 (four weeks ago) link
see, yet another B-side superior to the singles.
― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 28 August 2024 20:52 (four weeks ago) link