Seriously, is there anything better than the Pet Shop Boys?

A funny PSB story (also from my teenage years):

When I was a senior in high school, I got good enough grades to take classes at UCSC. I was a nice kid, but pretty clueless. So one day I'm riding the bus up to UCSC, with a PSB t-shirt on (the one with Neil holding a giant bundle of long-stemmed roses), and this guy starts chatting with me about what a big Pet Shop Boys fan he is, and how I should come over to his dorm room and check out his collection of rare B-sides, etc.

Needless to say, I was very excited. We made plans, and I ended up in his suite, listening to Pet Shop Boys records and tapes for a few hours, before heading back home. He seemed a little confused and annoyed when I left, but I thought nothing of it at the time, and we never hung out again.

It took me about 4 years before I realized what a clueless straight-boy I was.

My favorite PSB song is "Being Boring."

I remember hating West End Girls when it came out. I didn't come around until later.

And is there a thread for "Electronic," my favorite supergroup of all time?

This is actually a direct reference to Lenin's famous itinerary during WWI. "

i always hoped it was a reference to finlandskii station in st petersburg. thanks for confirming!

The title of the book is as well. One in the same, Spence.

Or rather, is there something about the song that leads you to believe this is a specific reference to the book, and not just to the historical event? Did the book 'popularize' the event?

You may be on the money here, Spence. I was under the impression that it was the book that popularized the expression, but I might be entirely wrong.

Post- that release, probably lots that might be better. Their quality control seemed to go to shit & they became the joke that was always made about all their songs 'sounding the same'. They seemed to get lazy & much less inspired.

Sounded so clunky I remember though. It was like they ran out of gracefulness in musical and lyrical ideas really suddenly. Which was about the only thing that really saved them when paired with the thin and near-formulaic programming they had in their music.

Lest anyone forget that the negative effects of rockism are REAL!

wow, i had no idea....i always had to defend my love for psb.

I had no idea either. Never understood what people liked about them.

Pet Shop Boys >>> Morbid Angel

x-post

pre-1996 PSBs: probably not
post-1996 PSBs: plenty

I love the PSBs. I actually am a huge fan of "One and One Make Five", love the way the "people must be jumping" works as both Todd Terry style cheesey chorus line and actually part of the song too.

(PS "Domino Dancing" is fucking awful and you are all worse people for supporting it ok thx XOXOXOXO MWAH)

I don't really know where to start discussing the PSB, so many good songs, I like about 5 times more PSB songs than any other act.

Bobby O apparently wrote W.E.G. and then the PSBs 'stole' it.

Depeche Mode = music for teenagers
PSB = music for adults

As far as I understand, Bobby O went back and did another mix in the early 90s. So sez my friend anyway.

B-b-b-but Depeche Mode is all pop, surely, no?

I've really come round to DM's singles though, at least up until they went rock, a ridiculosity too far.