Pet Shop Boys Community

PopArt wrote:I don't know why people always compare PSB to Erasure (beyond the obvious i.e. that they are an electro duo). PSB are in a totally different league. They have done so much more than Erasure and are just way more innovative and creative.

Erasure got stuck in a rut some time around their 1994 album 'I say, I say, I say' and have never recovered. PSB on the other hand have continued trying to do new things and have as a result gained the respect even of people who don't necessarily like their music.

So what if Erasure are releasing yet another Greatest Hits. They haven't had a 'proper' hit since 'Always' almost fifteen years ago anyway.

Who cares about whether they have had a proper 'Hit' or not. Have the PSB had that many? Don't think so and who cares.

They have still released a lot of good albums but are just not commercially viable like before. I thought their last remix cd called 'Star Chaser' was excellent and full of proper remixes and extended versions. Not like a lot of the shit remixes out there.

Are they as good as PSB, Well they are different to me and and it really does not matter at all.

PopArt wrote: So what if Erasure are releasing yet another Greatest Hits. They haven't had a 'proper' hit since 'Always' almost fifteen years ago anyway.

It bothers me not one whit that Erasure are releasing another' Greatest Hits. Though their chart positions give some food for thought.

1992's Pop! - The First 20 Hits was No.1, a year after PSB's Discography reached No.3.

2003's Hits! - The Very Best Of Erasure was released at the same time as PopArt. Erasure reached No.15 and PSB a lowly No.30.

You're quite correct in alluding to the fact that they effectively dropped out of pubic consciousness with their fifth No.1 album I Say I Say I Say in 1994, but, No.1 albums aside, a quick discography check has just revealed Erasure achieved something else that PSB have failed to do in the last 15 years, which you seem to have brushed aside:

Breathe was a top five hit in 2005. It reached No.4, though I'm buggered if I remember it. PSB last hit the top five with Go West in 1993.

Anyhow, chart stats aside, Erasure are to release a third singles compilation, and this time it's a double. It's their PopArt if you like, minus the diversity and creativity.

It's not inconceivable PSB may go the other way and release their single disc equivalent to Hits! in time for the Brits.

Ah yes, the Brits. The OP questioned the timing of Erasure's releases. I still think it's mighty suspect. And why would they feel the need to announce it just days after the BPI's statement?

I'd love to know how much autonomy Mute have within the EMI group, with regards to shifting releases etc. Anyone have a clue?

JSDOUVRES wrote:

skyhigh wrote:

pulse wrote:Someone paged?

I think February will be a great month for synthpop. PSB get well-deserved recognition, and Erasure release a comprehensive collection of amazing pop.

All good.

PSB get well deserved recognition and Erashur release a compiliation which shows why theyre not getting the Brit!

YAWN, Jesus you cannot stop going on about a group you apparently hate, Are you Ill or something?

Oh I forgot Erashur (Ha Ha Ha very funny ) Have only had 5 number 1 albums which pretty much proves how shit you claim they are.
If you really don't like them and you feel the way you do then why not ignorer the Erashur (Ha Ha Ha) threads?

I bet if Neil and Chris liked them then you would.

This is a pet shop boys thread. If it wasnt, it'd be in the off topic discussion. If i want to vent my anger at lazy bands like Erashur(hahaha) then i will do so whenever and wherever I like. I'd rather belittle them in off topic discussion but sadly they are trying to capitalise on the psb's success and again they are shown as lazy and devoid of ideas.

Neil and Chris are far too well educated to like the shallow sameness of erashur(hahaha)

Why does having a No.1 album automatically make you a wonderful band? It doesnt. All it says is that lots of people have bought it.

To be fair, the PSB v Erasure internet war has been done to death now. Erasure are being clever by releasing a hits package, using PSB's deserved sucess as a bit of cheap promotion. Clever but maybe a little desperate.

I think Erasure must mix their songs up. No use having them in order because any casual fan who buys it will simply not listen to the 2nd disc. The BBC performance dvd is a very good idea.

Undertaker wrote: I think Erasure must mix their songs up. No use having them in order because any casual fan who buys it will simply not listen to the 2nd disc.

The four-disc deluxe version has the two CDs in chronological order but I believe Total Pop! isn't. As I said, It's Erasure's PopArt.

They should have released a comprehensive singles collection with their previous greatest hits release. Having two best of compilations in the same decade just seems desperate and tacky. OK, they have had a couple of genuine hits since 2003, but still...

I had no idea there was such a strong sense of animosity between PSB and Erasure fans by the way. A bit of a shame to my mind.

DJ_Couture wrote:I had no idea there was such a strong sense of animosity between PSB and Erasure fans by the way. A bit of a shame to my mind.

Oh it's just a bit of fun, the synth-pop equivalent of the Beatles vs. Stones, Blur vs. Oasis and Simon Cowell vs. music. I love the original Pop! but Andy pissed me off when he called PSB 'middle class' as though him and Vince were NWA or something.

I seem to always agree with Mr. Bateman...there's always this x vs. y in music. Sorry but IMHO Erasure are a bit cheap. I don't know why, they're music is not bad, but they just look cheap to me. They would have been good if they were one of those bands like Gorillaz, where they make music but hide behind cartoons.
If they're using PSB success as publicity for themselves at least it proves they're smart.

Undertaker wrote:So they are using PSB's sucess to promote their new album? Quite clever i suppose but how many hits packages are Erasure going to release? The last 10 years haven't exactly brought many hits, so what they going to stick on it?

According to www.rubberybellend.com it's the following:

1. Who Needs Love Like That
2. Heavenly Action
3. Oh L'amour
4. Sometimes
5. It Doesn't Have To Be
6. Victim Of Love
7. Circus
8. Ship Of Fools
9. Chains Of Love
10. Little Respect
11. Stop
12. Drama
13. You Surround Me
14. Blue Savannah
15. Star
16. Chorus
17. Love To Hate You
18. Am I Right
19. Breath Of Life
20. Take A Chance On Me
21. Lay All Your Love On Me
22. Always
23. Run To The Sun
24. I Love Saturday
25. Stay With Me
26. Fingers & Thumbs
27. Rock Me Gently
28. In My Arms
29. Don't Say Your Love Is Killing Me
30. Freedom
31. Moon & The Sky (The Millionaires Radio Edit)
32. Solsbury Hill
33. Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) (Dave Bascombe Edit Mix)
34. Breathe
35. Don't Say You Love Me
36. Here I Go Impossible Again
37. All This Time Still Falling Out of Love
38. I Could Fall in Love with You (Jeremy Wheatley Radio Mix)
39. Sunday Girl
40. Storm In A Teacup
41. Always (Jeremy Wheatley Remix)

It's all breathtakingly exciting isn't it.

skyhigh wrote:
This is a pet shop boys thread. If it wasnt, it'd be in the off topic discussion. If i want to vent my anger at lazy bands like Erashur(hahaha) then i will do so whenever and wherever I like. I'd rather belittle them in off topic discussion but sadly they are trying to capitalise on the psb's success and again they are shown as lazy and devoid of ideas.

Neil and Chris are far too well educated to like the shallow sameness of erashur(hahaha)

Why does having a No.1 album automatically make you a wonderful band? It doesnt. All it says is that lots of people have bought it.

Erasure lazy? The have released more studio albums than the PSB! And how are they capitalising on the PSB's success? Do you think people are going to see them get the Brit on tv and then go out and buy the new Erasure album? WTF? It really is as stupid as that.

Try to realise that there is more to life than the well educated(?!?!?!?) Neil and Chris.

I suppose you didn't think the apparently highly educated duo were lazy when they released disco 4, did you?

JSDOUVRES wrote: Erasure lazy? The have released more studio albums than the PSB you FOOL!

That's a matter of some debate. Erasure have released 11 studio albums of new, original songs. PSB have just recorded their 11th - that tally includes Battleship Potemkin, as it was also a set comprising of original newly recorded material.

Closer To Heaven and Results were also Pet Shop Boys albums in all but name, effectively bringing the number to 13.

PSB have also released more non-album singles/EPs - four versus Erasure's two.

Nice try though.

Wow. Still a lot of animosity between various fans of both. As for laziness, I don't think either band can be called lazy - let's get real. Loins, if you want to really become mathematical, the you should also probably count the number of years both bands have been around. Erasure have been releasing albums since 1986. I think PSB was a couple years before that.

From being a huge fan, I know Vince Clarke is one of the most robotically hard-working people in pop, having been making music since the 70's when he was a teen. Now there's another worthy future Brit recipient. The man is always working on something, even if Andy isn't. First from No Romance In China, Vince then started Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly, then Erasure.

The bottom line is it's rather obvious that if either band were lazy, they wouldn't have withstood the test of time, both churning hits out (more or less) for almost three decades. Also, I highly doubt Vince and Andy have anything to do with EMI deciding to release around Brit time - nobody really believes that, do they?

Loins Of London wrote:

PopArt wrote: 2003's Hits! - The Very Best Of Erasure was released at the same time as PopArt. Erasure reached No.15 and PSB a lowly No.30.

Just to put that into perspective though, PopArt was released in the second week of December, right in the middle of the Christmas crush, some 5 weeks after Erasure. If memory serves me correctly PopArt sold something near to 30,000 copies to reach #30, the sort of figure that would see them comfortably in the top 5 just about any other time of year. It also hung around the middle levels of the chart for the whole Christmas period, and would have sold well over 100,000 copies by the end of the year. I'd be very surprised if Erasure's Best of sold anywhere near that amount to be honest.

Rusty wrote: Just to put that into perspective though, PopArt was released in the second week of December, right in the middle of the Christmas crush, some 5 weeks after Erasure. If memory serves me correctly PopArt sold something near to 30,000 copies to reach #30, the sort of figure that would see them comfortably in the top 5 just about any other time of year. It also hung around the middle levels of the chart for the whole Christmas period, and would have sold well over 100,000 copies by the end of the year. I'd be very surprised if Erasure's Best of sold anywhere near that amount to be honest.

Thats correct Rusty. PopArt sold a lot more than Hits and at the end of the day, Albums are released purely to sell.

I wouldn't say Erasure are lazy but i do think they have been half-hearted too often. Maybe they have rushed a lot of their latest work, i dunno. IMO, most of what they released since 1994 has been same old, same old. They have never really moved on when they needed to. The press don't care. The t.v doesn't care. Thats Erasure's fault though. This isn't a dig, it's just that they seemed to lack imagination and their releases suffered because of it. Apart from a few thousand hard core fans, everything dissapears without trace.

A 4 or 5 year break might be beneficial. Put in some solid work and come back fresh.