Well, I'm sure this will beget a "Things PSB did wrong with Fundamental" thread any second now, but I like to be positive if possible, so here's my opinion on the things PSB did right with Fundamental:
1. Work with a single, talented producer throughtout the entire album. It seems to me that the post-Very experiments working with several producers for Bilingual and Nightlife made for uneven albums.
2. Take extra time to write songs. Does anyone rememeber that they indicated they had written enough songs for an album during the PopArt sessions and were planning on bringing an album out in 2005, then changed their minds during 2004 in favor of writing more? Although, I'm sure Potemkin had something to do with this decision.
3. Release this album coming off of an acclaimed musical/art project that wasn't obesessed with sexuality. Even though I'm sure they probably didn't sell more than 40,000 copies of the soundtrack worldwide, the Potemkin project certainly raised their profile in a postive way after the whole CTH debacle and was something that everyone could enjoy.
4. Take extra time to prepare for the promotion. Although most of us were impatient at the time, the extra six weeks EMI took to role out Fundamental certainly allowed them to arrange tons of cool stuff like the BBC concert and allowed the boys to contribute to the Robbie Williams effort, both of which can only help album sales in the short and long terms.
Thoughts?
Things PSB did right with Fundamental
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Danimal
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glennjridge
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I dont know how much is trevor horn on this CD as far as input.
I feel songwise and production just going by my ears is its more blatantly beautiful than most of their CD's.
someone started a "skipping" thread ,and for me, its the CD where I do the least amount of skipping. and in some cases like luna park and minimal I find myself forward and rewinding alot listening to certain parts over and over and overagain. such as those beautiful quiet parts on luna park.
I think live, those parts are really going to shine with the lighting and such.they are kinda trippy for the PSB. I would like to hear most of these songs done in the tour. thats how much I like fundamental.
I feel songwise and production just going by my ears is its more blatantly beautiful than most of their CD's.
someone started a "skipping" thread ,and for me, its the CD where I do the least amount of skipping. and in some cases like luna park and minimal I find myself forward and rewinding alot listening to certain parts over and over and overagain. such as those beautiful quiet parts on luna park.
I think live, those parts are really going to shine with the lighting and such.they are kinda trippy for the PSB. I would like to hear most of these songs done in the tour. thats how much I like fundamental.
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psb-freak
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Drem
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Edited: Sorry, i'm just make mistake with title and first sentence... I'm disagree with a fourth point.
But as for the rest, i'm full of positive!
But as for the rest, i'm full of positive!
"I think it’s an amazingly good album, I’ve got to be honest with you. It’s one of the albums I feel most proud of. But for people who don’t really know us, and have a sort of an idea about us, ‘Electric’ is more what the Pet Shop Boys are meant to be."
(Neil Tennant, speaking about "Elysium" on the eve of "Electric" release.)
(Neil Tennant, speaking about "Elysium" on the eve of "Electric" release.)
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No Muscle Mary
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profile790
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1: They hired Trevor Horn to produce it: excellent choice.
2: They picked a good lead-single AND an even better second single.
3: Little Britain appeared in the video.
4: Farrow designed the sleeve.
5: There's a good promotion campaign in their target countries, with tv-appearances and the great BBC radio concert.
Good things left to do:
1: Make sure the tracklisting for Minimal is attractive
2: Also promote the album in other countries
2: They picked a good lead-single AND an even better second single.
3: Little Britain appeared in the video.
4: Farrow designed the sleeve.
5: There's a good promotion campaign in their target countries, with tv-appearances and the great BBC radio concert.
Good things left to do:
1: Make sure the tracklisting for Minimal is attractive
2: Also promote the album in other countries
They resisited electro-clash or anything painfully trendy
They release an album with a few strong high tempo tracks, but is centred on some lovely ballads
(Hopefully another Very-style album in the near future... they released Very when grunge was big... so a bright, back-to-basics album might similarly do well in the current gloomy climate)
They release an album with a few strong high tempo tracks, but is centred on some lovely ballads
(Hopefully another Very-style album in the near future... they released Very when grunge was big... so a bright, back-to-basics album might similarly do well in the current gloomy climate)
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retrofuturist
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I think more importantly they resisted electroclash because it is SO 2002 and now gets bagged by the music media. Early talk about the album was that it was going to be very electro.jasonjohn wrote:They resisited electro-clash or anything painfully trendy
I loved electroclash, but there was only so far that such a restrictive genre could go, especially as applied to pop music, which is the PSB modus operandi. Disco 3 and Flamboyant gave a nod and a wink to electroclash, but that's probably as much electroclash as we'll ever see from the PSB.
I agree with many of the "good things" outlined in this thread.
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stew