Pet Shop Boys appreciation thread (2 Viewers)

[KeithDA]

Well, it’s arrived today and a very smart digibook it is. I did try to see this in the cinema in Gateshead in 1988, but on arrival, was told the film had split. So, 32 years later, I can sit down in the comfort of my own home and ‘join together’ all those snippets I’ve seen over the years...

 

[DaveF]

“Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls (New Lockdown Version) - YouTube”

 

[Sam Posten]

Any objection to moving this to the music forum?

 

[KeithDA]

Any objection to moving this to the music forum?

None - it was my mistake it was positioned here...

 

[Sam Posten]

So moved!

 

[English Invader]

My best friend is a Pet Shop Boys fanatic. He collects remix CDs and has literally thousands of them. He has the BFI film release on order from HMV and I'm looking forward to watching his copy with him.

I haven't got into the PSB in a big way but I spent a lot of time listening to their greatest hits compilation (Pop Art) in the early 00s and have some of their albums. I particularly like Behaviour and Very.

Another thing I'll say for them is that they did some great music videos as well:

 

[KeithDA]

'Discovery' - the Rio 1994 DVD arrived this weekend and very upbeat and party-style it is.
It was shown on TV in the mid 90s here, (probably in an edited version) but I still remember the scantily-clad go-go dancers. It now has a '15' certificate and I'm not sure why....?

 

[Mikael Soderholm]

My copy of Discovery is on its way, have listened to it a bit on Spotify, sounds very party.

The planned show in Stockholm which was moved from last year to this year due to the pandemic, is now moved to next year.
Good news is that my copy of Monkey Business CD single finally arrived, a full year after I placed my order.

 

[KeithDA]

It's nearly two months since we saw the 2022 'Dreamworld' show at Newcastle upon Tyne... I suppose it's because it wasn't one of my favourites means that I am late reporting it here. Back in 2020, the original Newcastle date was on a 'school night' and I knew my partner would not be up for it mid-week. When it was rescheduled (twice) to 2022, to a Friday night, attending was more possible. I managed to get some 'returned tickets' about 6 months ago and considering they were about 8 rows from the front, I thought we did rather well!

The show itself was stylish and predominantly upbeat (as you would expect from a 'greatest hits' set list). The background screen was used intelligently and extremely well and there were some live musicians on stage. The songs were great, but I did feel like I'd seen (and heard) it all before. The only major change was an unusual 'bouncy' rhythm added to the end of 'Go West'.

I do hope this is not a 'swansong' tour, particularly after it was delayed for two years. The Boy allegedly have a lot of new material that they haven't recorded or decided to release in advance of this tour. Sticking with the 'Greatest hits' theme has obviously prevented this and I do wonder what next? when they have just announced more 'Dreamworld' tour dates for 2023!

With all these thoughts, I'm very pleased we saw them this time around. The show was shown on TV when they they did Glastonbury last month and I wonder if the edited set list seen there will be the one they use on the 'Unity tour' with New Order in the Autumn....?

 

[Malcolm R]

I think the Gastonbury show is on YouTube. I watched bits and pieces of it last night.

Picked up the single collaboration with Soft Cell, "Purple Zone", recently. It's an OK track, but nothing unique. I like the remix/collaboration with Claptone, "Queen of Ice", better.

 

[KeithDA]

collaboration with Soft Cell, "Purple Zone"

I don't like it - it feels too 'pop by numbers' to me with clunky lyrics - yet there's three lyricists available......
I'm not surprised the remix is better..

 

[Malcolm R]

I don't like it - it feels too 'pop by numbers' to me with clunky lyrics - yet there's three lyricists available......
I'm not surprised the remix is better..

Agreed. I thought it was very generic given the talent involved.

 

[Mikael Soderholm]

It's nearly two months since we saw the 2022 'Dreamworld' show at Newcastle upon Tyne... I suppose it's because it wasn't one of my favourites means that I am late reporting it here. Back in 2020, the original Newcastle date was on a 'school night' and I knew my partner would not be up for it mid-week. When it was rescheduled (twice) to 2022, to a Friday night, attending was more possible. I managed to get some 'returned tickets' about 6 months ago and considering they were about 8 rows from the front, I thought we did rather well!

The show itself was stylish and predominantly upbeat (as you would expect from a 'greatest hits' set list). The background screen was used intelligently and extremely well and there were some live musicians on stage. The songs were great, but I did feel like I'd seen (and heard) it all before. The only major change was an unusual 'bouncy' rhythm added to the end of 'Go West'.

I do hope this is not a 'swansong' tour, particularly after it was delayed for two years. The Boy allegedly have a lot of new material that they haven't recorded or decided to release in advance of this tour. Sticking with the 'Greatest hits' theme has obviously prevented this and I do wonder what next? when they have just announced more 'Dreamworld' tour dates for 2023!

With all these thoughts, I'm very pleased we saw them this time around. The show was shown on TV when they they did Glastonbury last month and I wonder if the edited set list seen there will be the one they use on the 'Unity tour' with New Order in the Autumn....?

I was happy to finally see this, after two years of waiting. Agree with the use of the screen, and musicians. Also very happy to hear Can You Forgive Her, they haven't played that live ever, except on Pandemonium, AFAIK, in a trunctaed and remixed form.
So all the songs were there, the Boys in great shape, what more can you want?
A blu release, and then a new album.

 

[EricSchulz]

I was happy to finally see this, after two years of waiting. Agree with the use of the screen, and musicians. Also very happy to hear Can You Forgive Her, they haven't played that live ever, except on Pandemonium, AFAIK, in a trunctaed and remixed form.
So all the songs were there, the Boys in great shape, what more can you want?
A blu release, and then a new album.

They performed CYFH on the 1999 US Nightlife tour which I saw in Denver. There’s a live bootleg called Livenight (I think) from the Atlanta show that includes a 4 minute version but I can’t remember if they played a version close to the album version or the club remix (I love both). I also love the Swing Mix, done like a big band number!

 

[Mikael Soderholm]

They performed CYFH on the 1999 US Nightlife tour which I saw in Denver. There’s a live bootleg called Livenight (I think) from the Atlanta show that includes a 4 minute version but I can’t remember if they played a version close to the album version or the club remix (I love both). I also love the Swing Mix, done like a big band number!

Thanks, I didn't know that, I don't think it is available live on any official releases (except the previously mentioned Pandemonium), and I don't have any bootlegs from the boys.

Looking forward to some new material now, it's been over two years since Hotspot.

 

[Malcolm R]

Marking nearly 40 years of music, Pet Shop Boys release some new-ish music with the EP Lost. I say new-ish since they are newly released songs, but PSB said they were recorded in 2016 during the album sessions for Super. First single is "The Lost Room".

 

[KeithDA]

EP Lost.

Yes, this came with their '2023 Annually' package and the music here is much better than some of their recent 'free CD releases' with these annuals - particularly 'I will fall', which I love.
Also, the digital download of this EP includes their politically motivated song 'Living in the past'. The PSB website has YouTube links if you want to hear a couple of mixes of this song....

For the first time with PSB I think I'm going to miss their impending singles collection 'Smash'. I don't need these songs again and the only difference would be the extra Blu Ray set of the videos - how often would I watch these (again?) The album of new material they've been recording currently is another matter entirely..

 

[EricSchulz]

@KeithDA i agree! There’s nothing in the new release that would make me buy it. Hell, I still have my Essential CD!

 

[KeithDA]

Well, despite saying I wouldn't, I have bought it and as I suspected, I haven't even looked at the Blu Rays, but I am playing the CDs.

As I've said before, being a fan for so long, PSB are the soundtrack to my life. So playing this chronological set of singles makes me think of significant milestones - houses I've bought, a past boyfriend or two and seeing them play live.

This morning I'm playing 'CD 2 - 1993- 2004' and was brought up short by the transition from 'You only tell me you love me when you're drunk', where I went to see them play Newcastle Arena with a (female) friend to 'Home and Dry' where I had bought my future husband a copy of the 'Release' album this came from and we saw them together play Teesside University. What a life change between two singles!
On with the housework...

 

[KeithDA]

My replacement Blu Ray from 'Smash' arrived today. I checked out to see how the nudity on 'Being Boring' was censored on the first issue and then included on the new and replaced the discs back in the packaging (the 'old' can just about be squeezed into the box) As I have said earlier, watching videos of PSB is not something I can bring myself to do very often (should I admit to this on a HT site ...?)

I also need to report that I did buy the new release of 'Relentless' last month - just for completeness. My favourite track here remains 'Forever in love'. Talking of completeness, I already had 'Very Relentless' as originally released in the 'bubble-wrap' pack, but I didn't have the orange 'lego' Very release. Surprised at how cheap these are second-hand on Ebay, I ordered one and in the end ordered three to make up one good set (the first had a broken hub, the second a cracked back etc) So, the (re)release of Relentless sent me back to Very, as it should!