POX Pet Shop Boys B-sides

the Format box is a different shape and size to the Alternative box

what the actual fuck, guys

TS: "Format" vs "Alternative"....

"Alternative" by a million miles.

like, they tried to make it a companion by being white with nothing on the spine, compared to black with nothing on the spine

but it's not the same size on the shelf

(haven't compared but the sleevenotes seem much less chatty too?)

(also I guess ;_; that this means no likelihood of 2CD reissues of the post-Bilingual albums in this decade, thus probably ever. which, whatever, but I've never actually heard Nightlife.)

just picked up Format and god damn, I'd say it's as good as Alternative - at least from someone who hadn't heard a single one of these tracks before

I love the B-side version of "A Man Could Get Arrested." It points to a kind of eighties production that PSB never chased.

DO IT!

It was probably my first favourite PSB song. My tape dub of a childhood neighbour's single got quite a work-out.

Certainly agree with praise for Format. I listen to it way more than I'd anticipated on release.

Having never seen this thread before, an unranked attempt:

A Man Could Get Arrested
Betrayed
Bet She's Not Your Boyfriend
Girls Don't Cry
It Must Be Obvious
Miserablism
No Time for Tears
The Truck Driver and His Mate
We All Feel Better in the Dark
Your Funny Uncle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex4VM6GupAc

I have a bunch of PSB songs on my gym iPod and I think like 2/3rds of them are B-sides

Do it now!

I attempted to explain the appeal of PSB to someone recently with... "Your Funny Uncle", of all things! I think we'd been talking about the early AIDS era or something. Anyway, the response was "it's a bit depressing, innit." Not sure they even got to the end. Grrr.

Was That What It Was?, One of the Crowd, It Must Be Obvious and Music for Boys are all in the top half of Alternative tracks for me

Do I Have To? is straight up one of their best songs and one of the best B-sides ever. It does feel a little rushed production wise though. I often wonder what it'd sound like on Introspective with a luxurious big-budget makeover. Maybe like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWxOHwhkShY

Agree with Tennant that the middle 'faffs around' a bit, but it's one of their most devastating ballads.