What's the best track on "Actually"?

Voted "It Couldn't Happen Here". Would have gone for "Heart" had it been the later 7" version included.

Also, they did their most ill-adviced choice ever by using a very dodgy extended version of "One More Chance" rather than the brilliant re-recording of the original single version later included on the 2 disc version. It would have been so much better using that original version of the re-recorded "One More Chance".

Oh come on. It's GOT to be "What Have I Done to Deserve This?"

Runner up: "King's Cross"

"Rent," one of the best pop songs ever.. though "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" is close

Every time I see you, something happens to me........

I've always had a boner for "It's a Sin."

My favorite PSB album. Voted for King's Cross.

Is there a bad song? I can't find it. I don't particularly love the original mixes of "One More Chance" or "I Want To Wake Up," but they're wonderful anyway.

Anyway, "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" tonight, thanks to Dusty and the chord changes.

"Rent", although "I Want To Wake Up" is probably the right answer.

"What Have I Done To Deserve This?", because of Dusty Springfield's vocals, although I was obsessed with "It's A Sin" when it was in the charts. I even made a mix tape - recorded off the radio - which was only that song, and then played it over and over again. With Bruno Brooks going "oys!!!" at the start of every track.
"One More Chance" is probably the worst track on the album, and a terrible choice for an opener, as it highlights the problems with Neil Tennant's voice.

dunno, sort of thinking "it's a sin".

awesome sleeve, btw. anyone ever done a parody of it?

I think The Other Two might have done it for a Christmas NME? 1990ish?

Amazed at the distaste for One More Chance here!

Yeah "One More Chance" is fantastic widescreen stuff - if anything on this album exposes NT's voice it's "It Couldn't Happen Here" (which is still great) - but at this stage in his career he wasn't quite as hooked on writing ballads he can't actually sing.

Terrific record, very hard poll. I voted "What Have I...?".

One More Chance is one of THE great album openers. Once it gets going, it's rapturous.

Yes - but it's the amazingly long time it takes to get around to getting going that makes it so effective! Just clanks and cars and beeps for two minutes and then whoosh, the release of the glorious widescreen disco is not just the song getting going, but the whole album stretching out behind it and waiting to take its turn. I'm going to go put it on now.

"One More Chance" is completely brilliant and amazing. I remember the exact sensation of buying this album on vinyl and hearing that song for the first time; it was like the first time you got one of those Magic Eye pictures to reveal itself to you, only it happened immediately and the picture leapt off of the page and punched me in the face so hard I started dancing.

I may still vote for "Rent" but there are incredibly persuasive arguments to be made for this song, "I Want To Wake Up" and "King's Cross".

Easy, 'What have I done to deserve this', Dusty's contribution lifts the song from the merely great to the ecstatically brilliant.

The version of "One More Chance" on the bonus disc is really amazing.

Oh, I forgot about the one second of drums-then-glossy-piano-run at the start!

"king's cross". then "heart". then "it couldn't happen here".

i'm atypical, aren't i?

Oh, I forgot about the one second of drums-then-glossy-piano-run at the start!

The first 30 seconds are what make that song genius!

"It's a Sin".

The version of "One More Chance" on the bonus disc is really amazing.

It is. I used to like the original, was disappointed by the pointless version on "Actually", but then, the original re-recording - before becoming extended - was brilliant. Would have made the album way better.

rent

heart

I might've been tempted to vote for "Heart" if the single mix were on the album.

Despite my passionate defense of "One More Chance", the correct answer is "Rent".

Yeah, "Rent" is probably the best song ever written.

"Rent" is probably the best song on here, but I voted for "It's a Sin"--cause it actually impacted my life (prior to the release of the album, I believe) like a good single should.

how so?

You know, as an actual hit on the radio. Much as I love "Rent" I don't recall hearing it on the radio all that much. So I guess what I'm saying is that I had to put "Rent" on whenever I wanted to hear it, while "It's a Sin" was being aired all the time (for a while, anyway). You going to the song vs. the song coming to you, sort of.

oops, I guess that was probably a x-post, Alfred. Never mind then.

well, "Rent" never charted in America (I've no idea how often MTV played its video), so it was probably not as omnipresent as "It's A Sin" and "What Have I Done...?" which were played all the time.

Also: While the likes of "Rent," "King's Cross" and "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" may actaully be the better songs, "It's a Sin" is the better record/performance (IMO, natch).

I don't like "It's a Sin" too much. Not mainly because of the song, but because of the way it sound

That's my main issue about "Actually". It sounds very much of its time, and there is nothing sounding more dated today than the typical late 80s FM/PCM synth sounds.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

I'm kind of shocked no one voted for "I Want To Wake Up"!

I'm disappointed by the slavery of hit singles.

Other than "Heart" and "Rent", the hits are among the worst tracks here.

I hate disappointing Geir.

jesus i missed this. I WANT TO WAKE UP is their best EVER song.
also johnny marr's favourite dance record of all time. these polls are OFFICIALLY bunk i'm afraid.

No votes for "Shopping"???

wow, why the fuck don't i have this album??

remedy post-haste: the 2CD remaster (with new sleevenotes on every track by Neil & Chris) is often under $20 at JB.

johnny marr's favourite dance record of all time

See also:

Lemmy's favourite Hi NRG record of all time
Varg Vikernes' favourite Hip Hop record of all time
DMX's favourite Belle & Sebastian record of all time

The three tracks that got zero votes are all among the best on the album. (The best one is the one that only received my vote btw)

the 2CD remaster (with new sleevenotes on every track by Neil & Chris)

Those sleevenotes are genius, on the other hand, they are the reason why I have to keep those pointless paper covers that I otherwise would have gotten away with.

made away with, I mean

awesome sleeve, btw. anyone ever done a parody of it?

I think The Other Two might have done it for a Christmas NME? 1990ish?

Also: Vic and Bob, Select, October 1993.

gotta love the 'i don't mind...' at the very end fade on ONE MORE CHANCE. often wondered what that's about. at the end of TO FACE THE TRUTH he suddenly says 'i'm sorry...' and it's real disarming.

have we had a thread about spoken-bits-at-the-fade?

missed out on this poll :-(

nobody's repping Hit Music here? trouble is, it's ALL GOOD TO AMAZING innit.