TS: Pet Shop Boys' "Opportunties (Let's Make Lots of Money)" vs ABC's "How To Be A Millionnaire"

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Two odes to filthy lucre, both released the same year, both great when played back to back. The PSB track is denser, harder, but ABC's is plenty fierce.

I vote for "Opportunities," a song that's got all the characteristic PSB touches with which we'd become so familiar: unexpected harmonies, a haunting middle-eight which sounds even better on the 12" (the piano is mixed higher), and jangly rhymes.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Sunday, 20 November 2005 23:38 (twenty years ago)

The ABC one had something very like sci-fi laser gun sound effects in it right? that was pretty cool.

― Kim (Kim), Monday, 21 November 2005 00:58 (twenty years ago)

"Billions and billions of payounds, billions of payounds..."

"Millionaire" is more uneven - lyrical clichés and a weak refrain bring it down - but the melody and minor-key counterpoint on the way to the chorus undo me.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Monday, 21 November 2005 01:17 (twenty years ago)

TIE.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Monday, 21 November 2005 03:09 (twenty years ago)

Well Opportunities isn't supposed to be an 'ode to filthy lucre', at least not according to the PSB. Anyway it's ace, as most of the early Pet Shop Boys singles were. Haven't listened to Millionaire so I can't compare.

― daavid (daavid), Monday, 21 November 2005 04:08 (twenty years ago)

Opportunities, by a long stretch; the production is really excellent, in my opinion, and the bridge is really wonderful.

― D.V. Caputo, Monday, 21 November 2005 04:33 (twenty years ago)

'Millionaire' wins because I just dug it out and put it on my corny 80's mix I did this weekend.

― tylero (tylero), Monday, 21 November 2005 07:31 (twenty years ago)

also: less falsetto.

― tylero (tylero), Monday, 21 November 2005 07:31 (twenty years ago)

"Millionaire"

"YAAAAAH'VE SEEN THE FYOOOCHAH! I CAN'T AFFOOOOR-DIT-UH!"

I like "Opportunities", but it doesn't begin with the above lyric, in that delivery.

― do knut (donut), Monday, 21 November 2005 07:33 (twenty years ago)

always liked "know how to break them, make or break them " in psb.

― retrogurl, Monday, 21 November 2005 12:15 (twenty years ago)

Well Opportunities isn't supposed to be an 'ode to filthy lucre', at least not according to the PSB.

Which is why I never listen to what artists have to say. This and "Shopping" are so clearly NOT satire.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 21 November 2005 14:11 (twenty years ago)

Because Neil Tennant really studied at the Sorbonne and truly wants Chris Lowe to join him in a life of crime?

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Monday, 21 November 2005 17:08 (twenty years ago)

It's an offer too delicious to refuse, really.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 21 November 2005 17:21 (twenty years ago)

"Opportunities"! One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands so no contest here.

"Millionnaire" is great though.

― LeRooLeRoo (Seb), Monday, 21 November 2005 22:17 (twenty years ago)

ABC wins this one for me, just because of the great (and NOT cliche) rhyme, "Larger than life, and twice as ugly / If I'll have to live there, you'll have to drug me."

P.S. They do the "come on, come on" whisper thing on the bridge in the exact same way that L7 would a few years later on "Pretend We're Dead."

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Tuesday, 22 November 2005 08:01 (twenty years ago)

"How To Be a..." doesn't quite work out for me. "Be Near Me" was way better, in a typically ABC kind of way.

"Opportunities" wins here, as it is one of the better early PSB songs. Great video (the second version) as well.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 22 November 2005 14:26 (twenty years ago)

ten months pass...

A much tougher decision than it was 10 months ago.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Monday, 9 October 2006 01:27 (nineteen years ago)

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