March 2010 Listening Thread

[Lucy]

Bilingual..all the way through without skipping any tracks. This album has really grown on me, played through headphones it really sounds good.

[Flaffer]

I never understand how anyone can prefer Nightlife and/or Release to Bilingual (or even Very). Very underrated album imho, contains some of their most emotional songs and an interesting change from the archetypal PSB sound

[York Minster]

I'm sorry Flaffer, but Very is NOT an underrated album. Regardless of how good or not it is, it is always in the top 2 of fan favorite albums with Behaviour when up for a vote. I'm not sure what the archetypal PSB sound is to you, but it's an incredibly PSB album, whereas Release could be described as not archetypal PSB. Yes, Very is early 90s cookie cutter dance done with more intelligence, but they do something different on every album.

Simply put, I've always thought Very was overrated. Songs such as Can You Forgive Her and Young Offender are indeed horribly brilliant, but there is plenty of filler (One and one make Five, One In A Million Men, To Speak Is A Sin). And for me, it does not hold up to repeated listens. Release for me, I can put on a loop 5 times, but Very, on the 2nd go, I'll feel quite sick of it. Very has also always seemed the "college record". The record that the straight man in America has if he has one PSB record that isn't Discography. There is something in it's homogenity, and it's overall sound, that is more easy to categorize for people then say, Bilingual or Fundamental. It's the album that crops up in people's best-ofs along side albums by Nirvana and Radiohead. Never Actually or Introspective, always Very. Very and myself have a strange relationship. I think the world would be poorer for not having Very, but as an album, it is the least pulled off my shelf (except for Disco 2 and maybe Disco, because Disco to me is just unnecessary).

[Pani]

Bilingual..all the way through without skipping any tracks. This album has really grown on me, played through headphones it really sounds good.

I like Electricity and Metamophorsis best!

I also like its singles and remixes.

[Corina]

Bilingual..all the way through without skipping any tracks. This album has really grown on me, played through headphones it really sounds good.

Fan of Bilingual listened with headphones on here too! The difference is I fell for (big part of) it almost instantly

[Corina]

Just saw the video for Sade`s "Soldier of Love". It`s beautiful, and she looks stunning for her age.

[GalataPSB]

pet shop boys---my girl

[Pani]

Recoil - 2

[Lucy]

I'm sorry Flaffer, but Very is NOT an underrated album. Regardless of how good or not it is, it is always in the top 2 of fan favorite albums with Behaviour when up for a vote. I'm not sure what the archetypal PSB sound is to you, but it's an incredibly PSB album, whereas Release could be described as not archetypal PSB. Yes, Very is early 90s cookie cutter dance done with more intelligence, but they do something different on every album.

Simply put, I've always thought Very was overrated. Songs such as Can You Forgive Her and Young Offender are indeed horribly brilliant, but there is plenty of filler (One and one make Five, One In A Million Men, To Speak Is A Sin). And for me, it does not hold up to repeated listens. Release for me, I can put on a loop 5 times, but Very, on the 2nd go, I'll feel quite sick of it. Very has also always seemed the "college record". The record that the straight man in America has if he has one PSB record that isn't Discography. There is something in it's homogenity, and it's overall sound, that is more easy to categorize for people then say, Bilingual or Fundamental. It's the album that crops up in people's best-ofs along side albums by Nirvana and Radiohead. Never Actually or Introspective, always Very. Very and myself have a strange relationship. I think the world would be poorer for not having Very, but as an album, it is the least pulled off my shelf (except for Disco 2 and maybe Disco, because Disco to me is just unnecessary).

Funnily enough, the ones you consider filler that you've put in brackets, are some of my favourites! Very was a real grower for me..There's maybe 2 on Very i'm not mad about, I love The Theatre, To Speak is a Sin (very classy) and actually prefer I Wouldn't Normally and Yesterday.. on the album over the single version..I'm not really sure why but I just do.
I just love the contrast when you compare it to the previous album, and then the subsequent album..it's brilliant really, how different the albums are. I'm so glad I gave Bilingual a listen last night, love every song..The Survivors (which I hadnt listened to much before!), It Always Comes as a Surprise and Before especially..brilliant album though. You notice much more playing stuff through headphones, and can really listen properly..it was a great album to play whilst I did my Spanish revision actually lol..

I think I just need to give Fundamental a few listens, that's the only one that I dont like anywhere near as much as all the others. I like certain songs from it but havent given it a real listen all the way through..I really should.

[Pani]

Marina & The Diamonds - Hollywood

[Lucy]

Minimal (Tocadisco mix)

[Corina]

I watched the other day a documentary about the great violinist Alexander Balanescu during which he proudly mentioned - in a perfect Romanian - that he toured with the Pet Shop Boys in the past (the 1989 tour, I think). I`m discovering now his work...

[Lucy]

A Red Letter Day (trouser enthusiasts mix)

[Pani]

Fettes Brot - Jein

[Pani]

Recoil - Missing Piece