Pet Shop Boys - Release - 2001

When this album came out, I was drowning in depression.  DROWNING.  9/11 had just happened, I had quit my job in the heat of passion, my son had just been born, and my wife and I were struggling together.  The depression was the worst.  It was my pre-medicated years, and I would try anything that I came across to self-medicate (use your imagination.)  I hadn't started seeing a shrink yet, and I would come home from work and have this strong urge to go into the kitchen, get out one of my large carving knives, and plunging it down into the suprasternal notch of my neck (look it up.)  I would get tunnel vision a lot and severe panic attacks.  I would curl up in a ball on my knees and scream.  This contributed to, and worked hand in hand with my quitting my job.  And, with 9/11 happening, I had this overwhelming feeling that the world was crashing around me, too.

For this reason, there are specific albums I can no longer listen to.  They remind me too much of that time lost to fear and anxiety.  They take me to a dark place.

But, musically, there was one shining spot of piece for me.  One album that I could listen to that helped calm me, and helped me recuperate.  Obviously, it was PSB's Release, otherwise I wouldn't be telling this story now.

Home and Dry and London, to this day, are two of my most favorite PSB songs.  Samurai In Autumn and You Choose stand out, as well.  It was a very mature and peaceful album that captured the Boys at their best, personally, since Very.  I remember it well, listening to it at home or in my car, and it being snowy, cold and overcast outside.  It would make those dark days more bearable, soothing and warming, even in the dark nights of winter.

Any doubt about my 2001 nightmare, remember these two posts - Here & Here

Anyhow, one of their best, always will be. Remix Discs to come later....

Disc One  &  Disc Two

 

Pet Shop Boys - Additional Listening - 2017

It would appear that I will have to reschedule any further PSB versions I have planned and re-organize and re-track the new releases as they come out....

Pet Shop Boys - Additional Listening - 2017

Regardless, I'm thrilled to see this happening!!!

Pet Shop Boys - Behavior Remixes - 1990-1991

Back on December 28th, I posted my deluxe version of PSB's Behavior, with the promise that I'd get to the mixes eventually.  That time is now.

I had to stretch everything over three discs, and even put So Hard and How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously? on their own "cd singles" as there were too many different mixes to do otherwise.  I'm pretty sure I got them all, but who knows.  Again, they had so many pro mixes and amateur mixes, it's hard to tell.

SO, add these three on the backend of the official "Further Listening" version, and you should have it all.  It makes for an interesting set.

Enjoy,

Disc One    Disc Two    Disc Three

Pet Shop Boys - Behavior - 1990

This was actually the first PSB album I ever purchased.  I did it at the behest of my best friend, who said it was the BEST ALBUM EVER.  Only knowing the few tracks (that now make up their Discography compilation disc), I bought it with high expectations, even though I wasn't really the biggest fan at the time.

I'm sorry.  This album was a bummer the first time I listened to it.  In fact, I only listened to it a couple times before I filed it away as a waste of money.  Can you believe it?

So, then Discography came out, and I got that, and enjoyed it.  Then Very came out, and I was fixed.  THEN, the chain record store in the mall (it's name was 3 letters, I can't remember what it was called...) and they kept getting in all of these sleeved singles (from a variety of groups, but) of the PSB material from West End Girls all the way through Behavior.  Suddenly, I had almost two dozen PSB CD singles, and I knew that I was in it for the long haul.  I finally found Very Relentless at that same record store, and I was in seventh heaven.

After getting all these singles, I decided to go back and actually listen to all of their previous albums, including Behavior.  It was as if my eyes had suddenly been opened, and I was hearing it for the very first time.  With the mixes and the b-sides, I found this album to be essential PSB material from beginning to end.  It's not my favorite PSB album, but it is one of their albums that you must include if you are talking about the volume of their work.

On my version, all of the b-sides are included.  I added in Miserablism, as this is where it rightfully belongs.  I also replaced the two songs with excessively long names with versions that I found preferable to the album mixes.  I had made this cover probably 3 years ago, without knowing I was going to eventually post it, so the versions I replaced aren't noted on the cover, unfortunately.  The track files are, though, so if you don't like the mixes I put in the set, you can easily replace them with the originals without fucking up the album art.

I have a disc of remixes that I've aptly entitled "Excellent Behavior", but I haven't made a cover for it yet.  I dropped it in a folder for Feb 14th, so you'll get it then.  Until that time, enjoy this wonderful album!

Pet Shop Boys - Behavior - 1990

Pet Shop Boys - Elysium - 2012

A fairly tranquil album, this was PSB's last album with Parlophone.  After Yes and the myriad EPs, Comps and Soundtracks, this album seemed to be the Boys in a different form.  They were mature, laid back, having a good time yet oh, so serious.  It seems somewhat morose, and a little forelorn, but yet it still is warm and lush.  I'll never get over their synths.  They are oh, so pretty.

Honestly, I've only given this one a play though about 4 or 5 times.  The singles are always tops, but most of the track melodies seem somewhat forgettable.  I will say that this is the last album of theirs in which they are writing songs their age, rather than writing songs for a much younger audience.  Electric and their newest album, Super, really seem to be written for a bunch of club kids and seem somewhat superficial and formulaic.

Once you get into the singles, though, things really seem to get good.  All of their b-sides (which I plugged right down the middle of the album) are terrific, with possibly the one exception being I Started A Joke.  I don't like that one only because I don't care for the original song, let alone a cover version.  The remixes are also fantastic, especially the tracks that the Boys remixed themselves. Not super strong dance hall jumpers, but strong enough to keep you interested and impressed.

I made this cover a long time ago, long before I learned of The Way Through the Woods, the short version.  The album disc was too long, as it is, so I had to put it on the remix disc, at the end.  As I said, the covers have been done for a while, so there's no listing on the cover for the short version, it's just the "invisible" track 10.  Deal with it.  If it bugs you that much, get your Biro out and pen it in below the other tracks.

No personal connection to this album other than I was working as a regional distributor for a company covering 2 states at the time, and I remember listening to this one while sitting in my car in the parking lot of a grocery store about 300 miles from home doing paperwork.  It was a pretty good job, and I loved traveling for it.  But, alas, the business folded shortly after Obama's second win.  That's alright, though.  I'm on to another job I can't wait to get away from...

Pet Shop Boys - Elysium - 2012

PSB - Elysium Remixes - 2012 

Pet Shop Boys - A Man From the Future - 2014

While looking for new and interesting material for the blog, I happened upon these PSB tracks that I never knew existed.  Wow.  Who the hell is Alan Turing?  Well, the Guardian had an article about it, here.  An interesting story, but lacking in any sort of traditional PSB trappings.  Yes, you have Neil's nasally, whiny vocals (don't get me wrong, I like them) but as the article said, not enough Chris.  And the narrator was boring as well.

BUT, it is some more PSB.  I'd almost like to see a studio version of this album with just Neil and Chris, and nix the orchestra and the narration.  Then, it would be so much better.  Either way, though, it really shows how the Boys (especially Neil) have always tried to broaden their abilities beyond the synthpop genre that they usually do their work.  It gives them a sense of depth, intelligence and maturity.

As for the track listing, I'm not sure exactly how many tracks there are supposed to be, as I found to different sets, with different numbering.  I'm not sure yet if whoever posted this "Prom" cut it into tracks at different moments, and more parts, or if there's portions missing, or whatever.  To be honest, I haven't listened to the whole thing all the way through in one sitting yet, so I'm not sure about it.

Regardless, it's another fine example of PSB work that you can confidently place right between Electric and Super.  Who knows, you may love it more than I did.  And I have no problems including it in my PSB collection.....

Pet Shop Boys - A Man From the Future - 2014

PSB - Disco 3 - 2002

Disco 3 was released the year after Release and two years after the Break 4 Love single. It was also released before PopArt, the Best of... Collection.  I had a great time listening to this one.  BUT....

I didn't like the fact that when they released Disco 3, they had these great new tracks on there, but then a bunch of mixes from Release.  Well, you know me.  That couldn't be.  The mixes from Release need to go to Release.  So, I've switched up D3 to make it it's own album.  Between the singles released for PopArt and the new tracks from the original D3, there were plenty to fill it up.

Track 00 is a Radio One Jingle that opens this collection PERFECTLY.

Tracks 01, 02, 03, 05 and 08 were the new tracks for Disco 3

Tracks 04 and 06 were the singles from PopArt

Tracks 07, 09, 10 and 11 were the b-sides from the two PopArt singles

Tracks 12 through 16 were some of the remixes from the singles, including the Break 4 Love single.

Plenty for a fabulous PSB set that is lightyears better than the original.  Yes, there were some great mixes from the Release singles, but we'll get to those when I do the Release album.

And again, a great collection of tunes to listen to at about 1:30am in the morning....

PSB - Disco 3 - 2002

Pet Shop Boys - PSB Mix Compilation

Here's a nice little mix from the past two decades that you might like.

Whenever PSB release new singles, I always go for the mixes that they make of their own songs.  They have a heart and vision for them, so they know best how to reinterpret them and "spice" them up.  With the exception of the Trouser Enthusiasts remix of Somewhere and the Beatmasters mixes of IWNDTKOT, the PSB mixes are always the best.

I've collected all of them, with the exception of one or two due to disc restraints (I ensure that whatever I post here will all fit on one disc or be appropriately seperated), we have all of the post-Discography mixes by the PSB.  The definite highlights for me are Discotecha, Integral and Did You See Me Coming?

For the cover, I saw this picture and knew exactly what I wanted to use it for.  It is spot on, especially Tennant's smirk.  I think it fits the compilation perfectly.

Anywho, enjoy the mix and see you tomorrow....

Pet Shop Boys - PSB Mix Compilation

Pet Shop Boys - Electric - 2013

So, the Boys split from their old record label, see?  And they decide to release an album on their own new record label.  And so, you had two PSB albums about 10 months apart.  Less than a year.  And, it would appear that they saved the best tracks of the last 5 years for this album.  What's great, is there's still plenty of b-sides and a billion great remixes.  So much so, I had to make it two discs.  I've got an album disc, and a mix disc.  Both are fantastic, I love Example, and the Boys sound as fresh as ever.

Disc One is the album plus the b-sides packed down the middle.  Disc Two is nothing but the best mixes of the bunch.  All of them fantastic.

Great thing about it, there was plenty of promo pics available for this album, so making a new sleeve was a piece of cake.  It's a little more commercial than your average PSB cover art, but it still works fine.

Give them a spin....

Pet Shop Boys - Electric - 2013 - Album Disc

 Pet Shop Boys - Electric - 2013 - Remix Disc

Pet Shop Boys - Very Relentless - 1993

Before Very, I had dismissed PSB to a remnant of the 80s.  I had lumped them in with Johnny Hates Jazz and Wang Chung and Glass Tiger.  Dated, dull and beyond their lifetime.  So, of course, when you hear of a new album, you wonder first "What are they thinking?!" Followed quickly by a question of whether they are beating a dead horse or not.

Alternative music was now mainstream.  Grunge was playing on every radio.  Why did anyone think a couple of guys noodling on a synth would be of any interest?  As I've said in previous posts, I was growing very tired of the Grunge and Techno thing, and looking for new stuff to listen to.  We had a record store in town called Twisters that had developed this little program called "Buy It & Try It"  You buy the album and try it, and if you didn't like it, you could bring it back and exchange it for something else.  It was only on a few select albums, usually in their second or third week of release.  One day, I was in there and they had Very on the program.  So, I got the cassette to TRY IT.

It really is a great album, from beginning to end.  They seemed to reinvent themselves a bit, as the songs just weren't the same formula as the previous albums.  The dull, forlorn look and sound were gone, and there seems to be this life and energy that infects every track.  Every single is great, and even the album tracks are worthy of long term attention.

The singles are chock full of b-sides and remixes.  Some are good, some are not.  The mixes are done by the best mixers of the time, including one of my favorite mixing teams, the Beatmasters.

Several months after getting the cassette, I found this floppy vinyl-cased set of discs called Very Relentless.  Okay, some more material, b-sides, mixes whatever...  right?  No.  Relentless has the feel of a completely different album.  It's colder, more electronic, less moody.  My only thought is that they had so many tracks during their Very sessions that were good, and the ones on Relentless just didn't sound right on the main album, or didn't mix as well with them, or mixed better with the ones they chose for Relentless...  I don't know.  Maybe I should look it up on Wiki to see if there's ever been an explanation as to why.

When they remastered this set years ago with additional materiel, I was pissed that they left off a bunch of b-sides and all but one Relentless track.  What the hell?!  Yeah, they had a couple more unreleased tracks that I am eternally grateful for, but the set still left a little to be desired.  This set is the best one out there.

Great discs, wonderful set, and I haven't even really touched the remixes.  Maybe another disc later on?  I don't know, we'll see.

Pet Shop Boys - Very Relentless - 1993 - 1 

Pet Shop Boys - Very Relentless - 1993 - 2

Pet Shop Boys - Relentless - 1993