Pet Shop Boys ~ West End Girls

i've since heard most of the records but for a long time i was a person who had only heard very

Actually > Please > Behaviour > Very > Introspective

I won't disagree but if by weakest you mean a "3.5 or 4-star record," sure.

absolutely. It just occured to me that I forgot about Introspective. IMO Nightlife was their first substandard album. Even that one is very very good in spots.

Please is an incredible album (with the definite exception of 'Violence', which I've never taken to) ... I rate it much higher than Actually, come to think of it.

sometimes I do too because I don't care for "Hit Music"

Oh god, yeah, that's my least favourite track on Actually too. This thread has just reminded me I haven't given Introspective a spin in a while!

keep that streak up

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sometimes I do too because I don't care for "Hit Music"

― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, August 27, 2014 12:36 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

Many years ago I was listening to this with a friend who kept singing "It's a bbbb---siiiideee...on the allllbuuuumm"

I'd actually say 'Hit Music' is less than a B-side by Pet Shop Boys standards.

I'll never understand DJP's eternal hatred of Introspective... those long versions of 'Left To My Own Devices' and 'Domino Dancing', the best version of 'I Want A Dog' and the underrated 'I'm Not Scared'... great stuff!

I do like the single version of 'It's Alright' compared to the one on the album, though.

everything about Introspective is great EVERYTHING; the cover, the running order, the inner sleeve with their yellow t- shirts dyed to match the yellow background, the wee puppy, the fact that the running time printed on the sleeve isn't right because Neil 'forgot there were 60 seconds in a minute' EVERYthing.

and a cat's no help with that

The version of "I Want A Dog" on Introspective is a fucking travesty that destroys everything I love about the original song and it never, ever, ever, EVER should have happened.

Also "Domino Dancing" was terrible enough before it went on for 35 minutes

all day all day

24 hours with the domino dancing

"A chiwaahwaah"

sometimes when "I'm Not Scared" is unfolding and crashing and undulating -- this syncopated electronic melding of rue, disillusionment, and garbled history -- I think it's the greatest PSB track.

I basically love the Boys when they record long arpeggiated tracks like "Love Comes Quickly," "Don Juan," "I'm Not Scared," and "Some Speculation."

For years "I'm Not Scared" was the only Introspective song I would listen to. Alfred OTM.

IF I WAS YOU

(Although "arpeggiated" isn't the right word given that there aren't actual arpeggios in any of those songs; it's about those single-note syncopations.)

true

"It's a bbbb---siiiideee...on the allllbuuuumm"

Ha ha.

My fave arpeggiated song by the PSB for a while was This Must Be The Place I've Waited Years To Leave. Though maybe it's just more generally sequenced. Thinking of the synth/bass line.

this song is good, but i also like the flight of the concords parody of it *ducks*

sometimes when "I'm Not Scared" is unfolding and crashing and undulating -- this syncopated electronic melding of rue, disillusionment, and garbled history -- I think it's the greatest PSB track.

Disco Mix of the original >>> PSB version

Favorite PSB arpeggios: Felix Da Housecat "London" remix on Disco 3.

"I'm Not Scared" is actually my favourite off Introspective now, and I love that album.

yeah I'm Not Scared is incredible. it was given short shrift in the PSB poll. i wonder if the Eighth Wonder version puts some people off.

I like it too. It's impossible to fuck up.

started with Behaviour, gonna work my way back to Please

Behaviour is awesome of course

think Introspective might be even better? close-run thing

It's better.

(today at least)

yeah it's really elegant music, although Behaviour might be more vivid

this has some kind of indisposable charm, some hint at timelessness

'i'm not scared' was the tipping point into me posting that fwiw

basically every album is good to amazing aside from Release (which has a couple of amazing songs on it but ends up just being okay overall) and Elysium (which is hands-down the most embarrassing thing they've ever done)

― Star Gentle Uterus (DJP)

Agree that these are their only two weak albums but Release is still their lowest point for me. Think there are more embarrassing moments on Elysium but there are songs I like more than anything on Release.

Please is a fantastic album but Actually, Behaviour and Very are their three masterpieces. I wouldn't change a single thing about any of them.