The negativity towards Bilingual

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Monty--
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The negativity towards Bilingual

#1 Post by Monty-- »

I haven't been on this board for long but one thing hasn't escaped me is an underlying negativity from the fans towards 'Bilingual' which surprises me. I think 'Bilingual' is their second best album aside from 'Very'. There are at least FIVE classics on that album!

1.Discoteca
2.Up Against It
3.The Survivors
4.A Red Letter Day
5.It Always comes As A Surprise

Why are fans SO against this album?

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DominoDancing
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#2 Post by DominoDancing »

I love the album as well. The only thing I don't like about it is that it takes a bit to take off, especially because of the terrible Metamorphosis and the mediocre Electricity. I love the rest of the songs, including Before. It's one of their most diverse albums, and that's something I always like. Track five to twelve are perfect.

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Pani
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Re: The negativity towards Bilingual

#3 Post by Pani »

Monty-- wrote:Why are fans SO against this album?
Dunno ...
I like 'Electricity', 'Metamorphosis',
'Single' and 'Discoteca' best ...
'Up Against It' is rather good too.

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glennjridge
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#4 Post by glennjridge »

I like it also, I just felt "red letter" and up against it" music wise...not lyrics.... were kinda amateurish. the chord changes are so basic. if you strip the songs down it sounds like the same chord change for both songs only a bit faster on one than the other.

before sounds glossy but for me its style over substance.

survivors,suprise,and electricity,sevida saturday night I love. the rest, ok.

DazzerUKUK
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#5 Post by DazzerUKUK »

The Survivors is great. To Step Aside is underrated imho and I like a couple of the others too: Single has its moments too!

However, Metamorphosis is so bad, its funny! What were they thinking?!
And you say you never believed in luck

Technotrancemix

#6 Post by Technotrancemix »

Everyone has their favourites, and Bilingual is my favourite. To the majority of fans, it's their least favourite. Their choice.

On balance, Nightlife is probably my least favourite album and I haven't listened to it since the Nightlife tour. My choice.

Only Electricity is what makes the album less than perfect.

Monty--
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#7 Post by Monty-- »

Technotrancemix wrote:Everyone has their favourites, and Bilingual is my favourite. To the majority of fans, it's their least favourite. Their choice.

On balance, Nightlife is probably my least favourite album and I haven't listened to it since the Nightlife tour. My choice.

Only Electricity is what makes the album less than perfect.
I know it's their choice. I'm not having a go, I'm just asking why there is an undercurrent.

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StevePSB
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#8 Post by StevePSB »

Each very much to their own. Not sure everyone isn't exactly in love with it, but I am firmly in that camp. My least fave PSB album by some margin.


StevePSB

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moxlox
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#9 Post by moxlox »

I love Bilingual, especially the first four tracks. Which is funny because many people seem to say they cannot stand metamorphosis and electricity. I can kind of understand the former for some people, but Electricty is great and quite different to their other stuff.

Nightlife is definitely my least favourite album...still got it's good bits though.

Syncratic
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#10 Post by Syncratic »

It's not negative not to like something. It's honest. I don't mind the album has a whole, just don't like Metamorphosis, Electricity, The Survivors and Before. The Survivors, I used to like, but the more I listened, the more sugary and awful it became, especially when sung by a millionaire popstar, and the more the music swells, you could just imagine it in a hudred hollywood endings. It's really, really bad.

Technotrancemix

#11 Post by Technotrancemix »

Syncratic wrote:It's not negative not to like something. It's honest.
It is negative to not like something withoutout having a logical reason, ie "just because I don't like it" where what they really mean is "I don't like it and it's crap but I can't think of a reason why so I'll say it's crap to try and be cool" :roll:

I didn't get into the album on the first few listens but there was something that kept making me want to play the album over and over again, and it wasn't just the production but the lyrics were beautiful too.

Syncratic
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#12 Post by Syncratic »

Well I've made my views known about at at length before.(on aimoo and sky) It's not a question of being cool or not. For me the tracks I didn't like didn't work lyrically and stylistically, they were in the anodyne-embarassing terriroty. I love Discoteca however, more so for the juxtaposition between the chords and the latin drums/percussion.

Now don't forget your ninja mask when you go out to buy Attitude. :roll:

Technotrancemix

#13 Post by Technotrancemix »

Syncratic wrote:Now don't forget your ninja mask when you go out to buy Attitude. :roll:
You mean my t-shirt?

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Northernerrj
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#14 Post by Northernerrj »

"The Survivors" is still the best Pet Shop Boys' song in my opinion.
" Many roads will cross through many lives, but somehow you survive "

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glennjridge
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#15 Post by glennjridge »

yeah its the type of PSB song I love most. midtempo with strings.I also like that middle section where neil shouts "the survivors!"


nice falsetto parts at the end also.

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