What's wrong with that?, it makes it more exciting. What do you want?
For people to realise it's not 1987.
Yes and in 1987 Neil was 33. He's 69 tomorrow so maybe they just want some time off after touring before starting a new album campaign
It's nothing to with age, it's this quaint old notion that for a heritage act that don't sell much they must build a drip drip 'campaign' - they aren't big enough sellers to justify this nonsense any longer.
The 'revelation' that Neil said to a fan they are waiting til April just proves the nonsense. The music industry used to try and tell you people don't buy new records before spring and in summer or December. It's outdated nonsense and especially untrue of a fanbase act.
If they have a finished album they should just drop it out of the blue.
Nina wrote: Sat 08 Jul 2023, 10:28 pm
For people to realise it's not 1987.
Yes and in 1987 Neil was 33. He's 69 tomorrow so maybe they just want some time off after touring before starting a new album campaign
It's nothing to with age, it's this quaint old notion that for a heritage act that don't sell much they must build a drip drip 'campaign' - they aren't big enough sellers to justify this nonsense any longer.
The 'revelation' that Neil said to a fan they are waiting til April just proves the nonsense. The music industry used to try and tell you people don't buy new records before spring and in summer or December. It's outdated nonsense and especially untrue of a fanbase act.
If they have a finished album they should just drop it out of the blue.
There is an album design, new (lyric) and maybe proper videos on the way, promotion and talk to the friends of Radio 2 for the playlist (album and record of the week). You know, things like that.
There's also the possibility that just maybe Neil & Chris would like a break/holiday. Also, traditionally, any release by any band has always had a 'hype' period, regardless of format. PSB are very 'old school' which is a good thing. There are people nowadays who will write and record and release an album in a matter of days. Is it quality though? Neil & Chris make sure that what they release is of high quality, not just the music but the product itself/sleeve design etc. I don't know of any band that spends so much time in this regard. PSB put a lot of time, effort and money into what they do to please us ever-depleting (and some of us aging) fanbase and we should be grateful that a 'pop' band is still working and working well into their late 60's.
The future is the present now. Music must be played.
If they're touring til December then it's obvious the album will not be promoted til after then. They had a limited window to do the recording and that's done. I agree it could be released digitally and even on cd with the vinyl following later, but it's about having the time to promote it, finish the mixes, choose singles, artwork, remixers, etc. etc.
For me chart positions matter, and I don’t think it’s unrealistic that they could have another Number 1 album. So if doing the traditional album campaign helps a little, then I’m all for it. Also I love that all their studio albums have reached the Top 10. For a band that’s been around for over 30 years, this is some achievement, it’s not a massive list of artists/Bands that have done the same. So I would hate for this run to be broken, just because they decided to drop the album on a Wednesday
PopKid78 wrote: Mon 10 Jul 2023, 11:39 am
For me chart positions matter, and I don’t think it’s unrealistic that they could have another Number 1 album. So if doing the traditional album campaign helps a little, then I’m all for it. Also I love that all their studio albums have reached the Top 10. For a band that’s been around for over 30 years, this is some achievement, it’s not a massive list of artists/Bands that have done the same. So I would hate for this run to be broken, just because they decided to drop the album on a Wednesday
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People are living in the past.
Look at all the mass media column inches when people like Bowie and Beyoncé suddenly dropped a release out of the blue with no warning. That in itself is an event and gets people interested and talking.
PopKid78 wrote: Mon 10 Jul 2023, 11:39 am
For me chart positions matter, and I don’t think it’s unrealistic that they could have another Number 1 album. So if doing the traditional album campaign helps a little, then I’m all for it. Also I love that all their studio albums have reached the Top 10. For a band that’s been around for over 30 years, this is some achievement, it’s not a massive list of artists/Bands that have done the same. So I would hate for this run to be broken, just because they decided to drop the album on a Wednesday
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
People are living in the past.
Look at all the mass media column inches when people like Bowie and Beyoncé suddenly dropped a release out of the blue with no warning. That in itself is an event and gets people interested and talking.
Again, it's not 1987.
I don't know how old you are but most of us are in our fourties (some in their fifties and a few in their thirties) and we love that way and Pet Shop Boys too. It was done that way until 2010 (more or less) and you know what?, it is much better that way.
I miss the excitiness of the release of a new album from a big artist like Michael Jackson in the 80's and 90's with amazing music videos.
I know PSB don't have too much money to create a music video like it was a short film of 10 minutes but I'd love the idea for the main song of the new album.
PopKid78 wrote: Mon 10 Jul 2023, 11:39 am
For me chart positions matter, and I don’t think it’s unrealistic that they could have another Number 1 album. So if doing the traditional album campaign helps a little, then I’m all for it. Also I love that all their studio albums have reached the Top 10. For a band that’s been around for over 30 years, this is some achievement, it’s not a massive list of artists/Bands that have done the same. So I would hate for this run to be broken, just because they decided to drop the album on a Wednesday
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
People are living in the past.
Look at all the mass media column inches when people like Bowie and Beyoncé suddenly dropped a release out of the blue with no warning. That in itself is an event and gets people interested and talking.
Again, it's not 1987.
PSB are nowhere near the level of Bowie or Beyonce. If PSB released a surprise album this week with no pre-publicity it would bomb. It would barely scrape the top-40. The majority of people really wouldn't notice it at all. "Heritage" acts rely on physical releases to make any kind of impact. It's all front-loaded to the first week to get as high in the top-40 as possible.
Not quite sure what you thought was going on in 1987 that seems so relevant to the situation now.
PopKid78 wrote: Mon 10 Jul 2023, 11:39 am
For me chart positions matter, and I don’t think it’s unrealistic that they could have another Number 1 album. So if doing the traditional album campaign helps a little, then I’m all for it. Also I love that all their studio albums have reached the Top 10. For a band that’s been around for over 30 years, this is some achievement, it’s not a massive list of artists/Bands that have done the same. So I would hate for this run to be broken, just because they decided to drop the album on a Wednesday
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
People are living in the past.
Look at all the mass media column inches when people like Bowie and Beyoncé suddenly dropped a release out of the blue with no warning. That in itself is an event and gets people interested and talking.
Again, it's not 1987.
PSB are nowhere near the level of Bowie or Beyonce. If PSB released a surprise album this week with no pre-publicity it would bomb. It would barely scrape the top-40. The majority of people really wouldn't notice it at all. "Heritage" acts rely on physical releases to make any kind of impact. It's all front-loaded to the first week to get as high in the top-40 as possible.
Not quite sure what you thought was going on in 1987 that seems so relevant to the situation now.
That's just under-estimating the public. One only has to see the coverage the BBC and the Guardian give to PSB to see how in the 2020s people catch a headline and boom! - immediately they go on to their phones and stream.
Guess what? The same core fanbase will buy the physical edition(s) anyway, whether there is a boringly long campaign or not. They will *always* know the record is available
When Bowie released Where are we now? It was his first new music in nearly a decade, that was the headline. Let’s not forget Give Stupidly a chance, was a surprise release, and I don’t remember there being too much of a buzz about it
Nina wrote: Mon 10 Jul 2023, 1:41 pm
People are living in the past.
Look at all the mass media column inches when people like Bowie and Beyoncé suddenly dropped a release out of the blue with no warning. That in itself is an event and gets people interested and talking.
Again, it's not 1987.
PSB are nowhere near the level of Bowie or Beyonce. If PSB released a surprise album this week with no pre-publicity it would bomb. It would barely scrape the top-40. The majority of people really wouldn't notice it at all. "Heritage" acts rely on physical releases to make any kind of impact. It's all front-loaded to the first week to get as high in the top-40 as possible.
Not quite sure what you thought was going on in 1987 that seems so relevant to the situation now.
That's just under-estimating the public. One only has to see the coverage the BBC and the Guardian give to PSB to see how in the 2020s people catch a headline and boom! - immediately they go on to their phones and stream.
Guess what? The same core fanbase will buy the physical edition(s) anyway, whether there is a boringly long campaign or not. They will *always* know the record is available
You're overestimating the public. Ultimately, the Boys are never going to do what you suggest because they know it won't work in their favour. I'm quite happy to wait until Spring 2024 for a couple of singles and then the album. That's not a "boringly long campaign" at all.
PSB are nowhere near the level of Bowie or Beyonce. If PSB released a surprise album this week with no pre-publicity it would bomb. It would barely scrape the top-40. The majority of people really wouldn't notice it at all. "Heritage" acts rely on physical releases to make any kind of impact. It's all front-loaded to the first week to get as high in the top-40 as possible.
Not quite sure what you thought was going on in 1987 that seems so relevant to the situation now.
That's just under-estimating the public. One only has to see the coverage the BBC and the Guardian give to PSB to see how in the 2020s people catch a headline and boom! - immediately they go on to their phones and stream.
Guess what? The same core fanbase will buy the physical edition(s) anyway, whether there is a boringly long campaign or not. They will *always* know the record is available
You're overestimating the public. Ultimately, the Boys are never going to do what you suggest because they know it won't work in their favour.
Errant nonsense. The physical sales of the last few albums have generally been the same, so therefore if the same people are buying the records no matter how extensive the campaign there is absolutely zilch to be gained by the campaigns and their quaint 1980s thought processes.
It may seem quaint, but you only have to look at Smash and its attempt to emulate Discography in all senses (minus chart positions!) to realise that Neil and Chris (mostly Neil I suspect) still care about the good old days of proper album and single campaigns. It really doesn't matter these days, but they still like and choose to live in that world, at least when it comes to physical releases. And why not? When it's all looked back upon, their career will be seen as having a structure and coherence that so-called artists of today lack.
Nina wrote: Mon 10 Jul 2023, 2:23 pm
That's just under-estimating the public. One only has to see the coverage the BBC and the Guardian give to PSB to see how in the 2020s people catch a headline and boom! - immediately they go on to their phones and stream.
Guess what? The same core fanbase will buy the physical edition(s) anyway, whether there is a boringly long campaign or not. They will *always* know the record is available
You're overestimating the public. Ultimately, the Boys are never going to do what you suggest because they know it won't work in their favour.
Errant nonsense. The physical sales of the last few albums have generally been the same, so therefore if the same people are buying the records no matter how extensive the campaign there is absolutely zilch to be gained by the campaigns and their quaint 1980s thought processes.
They've sold similar quantities with their past few studio albums because they've put the effort in. Dropping an album out of the blue with no promo and no physical release and isn't going to work. There's nothing 80s about their album campaigns.
