Nightlife: Unrequited Love and a Desperate, Euphoric Descent into Camp

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Drico One
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Nightlife: Unrequited Love and a Desperate, Euphoric Descent into Camp

#1 Post by Drico One »

There's a desperate euphoria to Nightlife, a creeping sense of hysterical despair that swirls around in its unfocused but intoxicating eclecticism. The love here is deeply and disturbingly unrequited.

I've always found this intense record fascinating. It seems to reflect the state of their career and the album itself seems to meet the same rejection that the protagonist of so many of its songs does.

For Your Own Good is a fantastically immersive, hypnotizing descent into pleading bewilderment. The throbbing masculinity of the music finds a stark counterbalance in the beseeching entreaties of our tortured narrator. The insidious Closer to Heaven continues the sense of passive, impotent victimhood. The soundtrack is muscular, but the sentiment is anything but assertive. "Where do you go? Did you lose your way? Tell me now you're coming home to stay" echoes "Life isn't easy, so why don't you stay with the lover you need?" This doormat seems doomed to tolerate the intolerable while posing self-evident questions to himself. It's unsettling.

While the album opens at quite a clip, I think it's possible to have reservations about the production of both tracks while thoroughly enjoying them. For Your Own Good is far too closely associated with Rollo's work with Faithless to be anything other than a bombastic curio grafted on to a Pet Shop Boys album, while Closer to Heaven seems strangely undercooked. Both are tremendously atmospheric, darkly foreboding tracks, but flawed nevertheless.

The terrible beauty of I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Anymore takes the album – and the psychological drama – up a significant notch or two. This is spine-tingling in its emotional dysfunction, and even more bleak than what has gone before. Here, Neil finally addresses the feckless lover that has plagued the opening of this album. To my mind, this is a hugely underrated single – and the version present here is the definitive one, with the heart-rending Moroder-esque denouement signaling the demoralising end of a hugely turbulent relationship.

In some ways, Happiness is an Option is slightly ludicrous in the oppressive gloom of Nightlife, but it works in spite of Neil's vaguely preposterous delivery. I always felt that this would have been an interesting choice of single at the time. It's impressively put together and progresses to a thunderous finale. Is it what you want from Pet Shop Boys, though? That question is more important than we might think, given that since Bilingual they had entered a period of experimentation and broadened their palette. They were changing. Were we?

Of course, each Pet Shop Boys album has it's classic, and on Nightlife that is You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk. The passivity is back again, but there is enough tragedy to alleviate the comedy and the plaintive sincerity of Neil's delivery makes this bitter-sweet number plausible. It's a lovely, witty, and deeply endearing song.

Now, however, things start to get a little trite. Vampires is far too trivial and unsubstantial for the over-wrought, evocative accompaniment of Craig Armstrong. Radiophonic, a hazy tale of hung-over paranoia, never quite takes us over the top like it promises to do. There's something a little stilted and stiff about it – and it's a huge failure in comparison to the revelatory demo contained on the Further Listening companion. The Only One is a nice pop song that doesn't really suit a 45-year old male singer and is therefore incongruous in this company. Neil does his best to make it unlistenable at the end. Boy Strange is just weird, but is worth its place for the ludicrous acoustic guitar riff that Neil comes in on before regaling us on a stool with a cautionary tale of yet more rejection. Almost every song here is about a love unrequited.

Weirdness now turns to a full-on freak show. In Denial has no business on a pop album at all. On its own terms, there's much to admire about this track, such as its haunting production, but the emerging musical has compromised quality. Its farcical subject matter renders this ridiculous even before Kylie Minogue makes as bizarre a cameo as Chris Lowe's appearance on Neighbours. We're deep in the ghetto now.

New York City Boy continues the rapid descent into easily-dismissed camp. As innocent as this fun frolic is, it's a novelty record that trades far too heavily on the past. Was this really the same band that released Rent and Left to My Own Devices? Perhaps, but it was definitely the same band that released Go West, A Red Letter Day, and Somewhere. Diminishing returns. The subversion had been replaced by camp parody.

Footsteps is too saccharine to change the feeling that they've lost focus, even if it has some stirring, windswept moments.

The sheer variety and dark euphoria on show makes Nightlife intoxicating, but their trajectory was clear. Nightlife took them further into camp. Closer to Heaven would be the nadir before the necessary correction of Release. Yet, the despair, darkness, and demented euphoria here lifts the record above its sometimes lowly inclinations. A dark, compelling, and occasionally bizarre hour before the dawn.

Drico.

Rambling, over-emotive, and ejaculatory Further Listening observations to follow.
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Re: Nightlife: Unrequited Love and a Desperate, Euphoric Descent into Camp

#2 Post by Nervously »

Nervously likes this. Very perceptive compared to the average professional review.

I agree with almost everything except with the slight underestimation of Radiophonic- to my mind the album version fully delivers on the demo's promise.

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Re: Nightlife: Unrequited Love and a Desperate, Euphoric Descent into Camp

#3 Post by glennjridge »

it was the prequel to Fundamental. orchestra with electronics theme which is my favorite kind of PSB.
although I will say, somehow the orchestra didnt really suit the "closer to heaven" track. it sounds over done. but Drunk and vampires,radiophonic are all time fav's. the montage version of "footsteps" is warm and beautiful where the nightlife version
sounds strange and creepy somehow. I hope they do a third album in this style.
I mean how long can they go on with this uber electronic theme.

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Re: Nightlife: Unrequited Love and a Desperate, Euphoric Descent into Camp

#4 Post by Sandy Shaw »

I love New York city boy. I think they do too. We know it's a tribute to The Village People, so of course it "trades heavily on the past". I've talked about camp on this forum before. At the end of the day, if you don't get it, you don't get it. I was at Brighton Pride yesterday and there were glorious moments of camp displayed by gay and straight alike! I also love Happiness is an option, and I know I could be in the minority there.
In Nightlife, some tracks are dark, some euphoric, some both, the ballads stretch one's patience to the limit at times and Kylie possibly makes a strange daughter for Neil. I agree with many of Drico's observations.
The Boys may have seemed to be stuck in a ghetto (are you referring to a gay ghetto?) but don't worry, they were also out there in our ears, our magazines, and under our beds beaming mixed signals that maybe only some were willing to pick up.
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Re: Nightlife: Unrequited Love and a Desperate, Euphoric Descent into Camp

#5 Post by panda magic »

Thanks for this. I just did the math and realized that my current age (41) is in between the ages Chris and Neil were (39 and 45 respectively) in 1999, and so I understand what it's like when you're becoming a Gay Of A Certain Age. You may still have the same desire to go out and dance and meet people, but now there's some problematic layers to navigate that weren't present in your 20s. We're a long way from the naivety of "Why don't we live together?" There's wisdom now, but also there's a need to assert the youthful vitality which is very much still present. It's a transitional phase for sure, learning how to be an adult because you can no longer pass for anything else. In some ways its as awkward as becoming a teenager. I hear a lot of that awkward push/pull between desire and wisdom on Nightlife - it's the sound of a group who's still trying to figure things out. By the time we get to Fundamental and beyond you get the sense that they're more comfortable with themselves and have a greater sense of their place in the world, but in '99 they were still fumbling around a bit, resulting in both triumphs and full on face-plants.

"I don't know what you want" is very under-rated, I agree. I can remember hearing it for the first time in a computer lab at university (with headphones on) and feeling that same instant gut-level, giddy excitement that I had with "Can you forgive her?" six years previously and that I would experience again with "I'm with stupid" "Vocal" and "The Pop Kids" years later. So obviously it bugs me that "New York city boy" was the one chosen to represent the album on Ultimate - very much a choice of flash over substance there.

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Re: Nightlife: Unrequited Love and a Desperate, Euphoric Descent into Camp

#6 Post by telys »

panda magic wrote: Sun 06 Aug 2017, 4:54 pm
"I don't know what you want" is very under-rated, I agree. I can remember hearing it for the first time in a computer lab at university (with headphones on) and feeling that same instant gut-level, giddy excitement that I had with "Can you forgive her?" six years previously and that I would experience again with "I'm with stupid" "Vocal" and "The Pop Kids" years later. So obviously it bugs me that "New York city boy" was the one chosen to represent the album on Ultimate - very much a choice of flash over substance there.
Spot on. Remember hearing I don't know what you want for the first time in a post office and I realised immediately that this was a PSB-classic that I would never be tired of listening to. The same feeling came with Minimal, Pop Kids and of course Leaving..... not to mention Domino dancing and So Hard... I did grow tired of Go West eventually but the first weeks watching it on video after recording it from MTV was amazing.
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Re: Nightlife: Unrequited Love and a Desperate, Euphoric Descent into Camp

#7 Post by telys »

Sandy Shaw wrote: Sun 06 Aug 2017, 4:48 pm I love New York city boy. I think they do too. We know it's a tribute to The Village People, so of course it "trades heavily on the past". I've talked about camp on this forum before. At the end of the day, if you don't get it, you don't get it. I was at Brighton Pride yesterday and there were glorious moments of camp displayed by gay and straight alike! I also love Happiness is an option, and I know I could be in the minority there.
In Nightlife, some tracks are dark, some euphoric, some both, the ballads stretch one's patience to the limit at times and Kylie possibly makes a strange daughter for Neil. I agree with many of Drico's observations.
The Boys may have seemed to be stuck in a ghetto (are you referring to a gay ghetto?) but don't worry, they were also out there in our ears, our magazines, and under our beds beaming mixed signals that maybe only some were willing to pick up.
Precisely. I agree almost completely with Drico here but I do think he goes too far bashing New York city boy.

Kylie is 14 years younger than Neil. In Denial is one of those tracks that should've appeared on the bonus discs but never before.
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Re: Nightlife: Unrequited Love and a Desperate, Euphoric Descent into Camp

#8 Post by Undertaker »

I've always loved Vampires. The demo is wonderful. Its a guilty pleasure. Boy Strange i also find a very under-rated record. It kind of reminds be of a sort of cousin to Fool on the Hill.

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Re: Nightlife: Unrequited Love and a Desperate, Euphoric Descent into Camp

#9 Post by Ramzy »

I must be one of the few who loves In Denial - yes, it's a bit strange having such a narrative exchange on a Pet Shop Boys album, and some of the lines are a bit on the nose, but I still find the strings, jittery half-speed beats and vocal melody really moving. 'Is that enough? My life is absurd; I'm living it upside-down' may have been written for the character of Vic Christian but Neil must have been drawing on something. It's one of the barest admissions on a record that otherwise only hints (heavily) at breakdown. I love it.
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Re: Nightlife: Unrequited Love and a Desperate, Euphoric Descent into Camp

#10 Post by goughsjd »

With the exception of the the only one , I love every track in this album !! I do wish they would play I don't kno what you want live again as it is a fantastic tune , as is for your own good!

People I know have always said that this album sounds dated which I must admit I suppose it does for obvious reasons !!

Love the demos too !!
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    Re: Nightlife: Unrequited Love and a Desperate, Euphoric Descent into Camp

    #11 Post by stussyboy »

    Agree largely Drico, although FYOG really works for me.

    I liked the costumes of the era, the video for I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more is great but the album suffers from the different producers for me. I think Rollo should have done the whole record.
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    Re: Nightlife: Unrequited Love and a Desperate, Euphoric Descent into Camp

    #12 Post by goughsjd »

    stussyboy wrote: Sun 06 Aug 2017, 8:54 pm Agree largely Drico, although FYOG really works for me.

    I liked the costumes of the era, the video for I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more is great but the album suffers from the different producers for me. I think Rollo should have done the whole record.
    :up: Rollo prob did the best bits of the album !!
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      Re: Nightlife: Unrequited Love and a Desperate, Euphoric Descent into Camp

      #13 Post by minimal »

      Undertaker wrote: Sun 06 Aug 2017, 7:09 pm I've always loved Vampires. The demo is wonderful. Its a guilty pleasure. Boy Strange i also find a very under-rated record. It kind of reminds be of a sort of cousin to Fool on the Hill.
      Ramzy wrote: Sun 06 Aug 2017, 7:22 pm I must be one of the few who loves In Denial - yes, it's a bit strange having such a narrative exchange on a Pet Shop Boys album, and some of the lines are a bit on the nose, but I still find the strings, jittery half-speed beats and vocal melody really moving. 'Is that enough? My life is absurd; I'm living it upside-down' may have been written for the character of Vic Christian but Neil must have been drawing on something. It's one of the barest admissions on a record that otherwise only hints (heavily) at breakdown. I love it.
      Well, just what you guys said.

      Have to say that overall I (still) love Nighlife and consider it one of their best albums. It's got a great theme and it's so dark. Quite obviously, The only one is a rather dreadful track and Footsteps is no masterpiece either but in spite of these two songs it's a fine, a marvellous record and it's aged so well I think. But then again it's the album I became a fan with. I got this by accident as I brought back another item to the shop. They wouldn't refund the cost so that I had to choose a different article instead. I couldn't think of anything particular but remembered that I loved New York city boy which I had seen on MTV and that made me ask the shop assistent whether there is a new PSB record out. He brought me to the shelve and pointed at Nightlife and that's how I got this. It was the first ever proper album I bought. Being 12 at the time, I was totally immersed in the whole package and studied the artwork, the lyrics, and 'that' look of Neil and Chris. I was totally fascinated by it all. It felt like I entered a whole new world. Thank God the back catalogue was included, too, so I saved all my pocket money thoroughout the following months and got my hands on earlier records. It's half joke/half truth when I say that the PSB have been my first studies. ;) It felt quite emotional holding the Nightlife FL in my hands 18 years on. What a great time it's been!

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      Re: Nightlife: Unrequited Love and a Desperate, Euphoric Descent into Camp

      #14 Post by Native »

      Enjoying the experience of revisiting ‘Nightlife’, despite its odd failings here and there.
      Was a weird time in the music industry (in fact, I think all three of the reissues have to be revisited with this backdrop in mind).
      For me, with this album, they became totally detached artists. I love the approach for ‘Nightlife’, I think the video of I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more is their best ever.
      I also think this album cemented them as true artist, and no longer pop stars.

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      Re: Nightlife: Unrequited Love and a Desperate, Euphoric Descent into Camp

      #15 Post by daveid »

      Undertaker wrote: Sun 06 Aug 2017, 7:09 pm I've always loved Vampires. The demo is wonderful. Its a guilty pleasure. Boy Strange i also find a very under-rated record. It kind of reminds be of a sort of cousin to Fool on the Hill.
      Yes I've always thought that too. It's probably helped by the line "He's often there where the sun meets the sky". Might be a semi-conscious influence.

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