Nightlife - time for reappraisal?

[Tom Angel]

With the exception of the singles I was never a HUGE fan of this album (save for the singles and first two tracks) - in fact, for a long time I thought that 'Release', 'Nightlife' and 'Fundamental' were their three weakest albums for the longest time. But this thread has had me re-evaluate 'Nightlife' all over again. As part of this I've re-sequenced to my own tastes and came up with the following. I've jettisoned 'Vampires, 'The Only One' and 'Boy Strange' (which have always felt like filler to me) for 'Positive Role Model'. It makes for a tighter and more upbeat LP.

A1 I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give It Any More
A2 Closer to Heaven
A3 For Your Own Good
A4 You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk
A5 Happiness Is an Option
=
B1 New York City Boy
B2 Radiophonic
B3 In Denial (with Kylie)
B4 Positive Role Model
B5 Footsteps

I agree that would make a far superior album - although Footsteps is SO boring. The only one is drivel too - these songs compared to Behaviour - which is the mood they echo (ie. Only the wind and To face the truth.


A1 I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give It Any More
A2 Closer to Heaven
A3 For Your Own Good
A4 You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk
A5 The Ghost of Myself
=
B1 New York City Boy
B2 Radiophonic
B3 In Denial (with Kylie)
B4 Positive Role Model
B5 Vampires (demo)

It's a period of uncharacteristically shit b-sides too. Although The Ghost of Myself is bloody amazing - it seems to get better with age and definitely should have been on the album

[Eleven]

Nice lists guys, leaving out 3,4 songs it automatically wouldve manage to be a little up in my chart of PSB albums

I sometimes think that they should have saved Somewhere for Nightlife instead of wasting it, not having that on an album is something I dont understand, quite similar to Always on my mind where it wasnt on Actually but later on with a different version entered on Introspective. To my mind Somewhere would have made Nightlife better and even released as first or second single.
So add that song to the list !

[glennjridge]

I felt there were a few great songs let down by the orchestra arrangement like Closer to Heaven and Drunk and some weak songs propped up by a nice arrangement such as For your own good and Radiophonic. and then just some cringey stuff sprinkled in like Boy Strange and the only one in denial.

[tottenhammattspurs]

Nice lists guys, leaving out 3,4 songs it automatically wouldve manage to be a little up in my chart of PSB albums

I sometimes think that they should have saved Somewhere for Nightlife instead of wasting it, not having that on an album is something I dont understand, quite similar to Always on my mind where it wasnt on Actually but later on with a different version entered on Introspective. To my mind Somewhere would have made Nightlife better and even released as first or second single.
So add that song to the list !

They didn’t have Somewhere on Nightlife as it wasn’t recorded until seven years later.

[TallThinMan]

They didn’t have Somewhere on Nightlife as it wasn’t recorded until seven years later.

‘Somewhere’ was released in 1997, two years before ‘Nightlife’.

[Kaputnik]

Nice lists guys, leaving out 3,4 songs it automatically wouldve manage to be a little up in my chart of PSB albums

I sometimes think that they should have saved Somewhere for Nightlife instead of wasting it, not having that on an album is something I dont understand, quite similar to Always on my mind where it wasnt on Actually but later on with a different version entered on Introspective. To my mind Somewhere would have made Nightlife better and even released as first or second single.
So add that song to the list !

They didn’t have Somewhere on Nightlife as it wasn’t recorded until seven years later.

Little bit out with your timings there

[before]

Nice lists guys, leaving out 3,4 songs it automatically wouldve manage to be a little up in my chart of PSB albums

I sometimes think that they should have saved Somewhere for Nightlife instead of wasting it, not having that on an album is something I dont understand, quite similar to Always on my mind where it wasnt on Actually but later on with a different version entered on Introspective. To my mind Somewhere would have made Nightlife better and even released as first or second single.
So add that song to the list !

The only reason their cover of Somewhere exists is because of their Savoy Theatre residency in 1997.

[NikacP0kac]

Nobody including Somebody Else's Business in their adapted tracklist for Nightlife? Sorry if I missed it, skimmed the topic quickly.

Personally I love all the techno/rave tinged tracks and also the trip-hoppy stuff from the album, so the tracklist is more than fine from tracks 1-7, from 8-12 is where it starts getting questionable.

Positive Role Model, Somebody Else's Business, The Ghost Of Myself, Nightlife, Silver Age and Lies are all noteworthy B-sides, the first three being particularly good.

The best thing to come out of this era is the Extension Mix of IDWYWBICGIA, absolute heartbreaker.

[Dog]

This would be my reworked Nightlife tracklisting:

1. For your own good
2. Closer to Heaven
3. I don’t know what you want but I can’t give it any more
4. Somebody else’s business
5. You only tell me you love me when you’re drunk
6. Vampires
7. Radiophonic (demo)
8. Silver age
9. Playing in the streets
10. For all of us
11. New York City boy
12. Positive role model

[tottenhammattspurs]

Nice lists guys, leaving out 3,4 songs it automatically wouldve manage to be a little up in my chart of PSB albums

I sometimes think that they should have saved Somewhere for Nightlife instead of wasting it, not having that on an album is something I dont understand, quite similar to Always on my mind where it wasnt on Actually but later on with a different version entered on Introspective. To my mind Somewhere would have made Nightlife better and even released as first or second single.
So add that song to the list !

They didn’t have Somewhere on Nightlife as it wasn’t recorded until seven years later.

Little bit out with your timings there

Oh yeah! Absolute Brian fog there. Had nightlife as 1989 in my head for some reason even though I knew it was 99.

I’m blaming old age.

[petshopgrrl]

Ooh, Nightlife, my beloved! I see your tracklistings and raise you this one:

1. For your own good
2. Closer to Heaven
3. I don’t know what you want but I can’t give it any more (Thee Maddkatt 80s whateverthaheckitwas mix)
4. Somebody else’s business
5. You only tell me you love me when you’re drunk
6. Vampires
7. Radiophonic
8. Lies (do NOT piss off Chris Lowe!)
9. Nightlife (gasp, yes, I know, an actual TITLE TRACK)
10. Positive role model
11. New York City boy (one of the Lange trancy mixes, sorry, never loved the original)

And in honor of today being Great American Eclipse Day, and since it didn't get enough love down in Cornwall in 1999,

12. Casting a Shadow

[ahafan02]

With the exception of the singles I was never a HUGE fan of this album (save for the singles and first two tracks) - in fact, for a long time I thought that 'Release', 'Nightlife' and 'Fundamental' were their three weakest albums for the longest time. But this thread has had me re-evaluate 'Nightlife' all over again. As part of this I've re-sequenced to my own tastes and came up with the following. I've jettisoned 'Vampires, 'The Only One' and 'Boy Strange' (which have always felt like filler to me) for 'Positive Role Model'. It makes for a tighter and more upbeat LP.

A1 I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give It Any More
A2 Closer to Heaven
A3 For Your Own Good
A4 You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk
A5 Happiness Is an Option
=
B1 New York City Boy
B2 Radiophonic
B3 In Denial (with Kylie)
B4 Positive Role Model
B5 Footsteps

I agree with this tracklisting but I love "Vampires", I would have removed In Denial (sorry but I think it's cheesy) and replaced it with "Vampires". I would have called the album Vampires as well. I think I would have added Screaming between New York City Boy and Radiophonic (I like the track but it's not well liked by the boys and alot of the fans.

[NotInvisible]

It's a period of uncharacteristically shit b-sides too.

This. I tend to think of 1996 - 2002 as Pet Shop Boys' creative wobble. Bilingual and Release have brilliant b-sides supporting them, and some incredible album tracks, even if on average the albums are weaker than before (or since). But Nightlife didn't even have the benefit of this b-side support, and the tracks shunted to the musical are even worse.

I revisit very little from this period, the songwriting is just so lackluster that it's not surprising to hear Neil suggested they pack it in around this time. Luckily they were able to reinvent themselves with Release and really break the notion of what the Pet Shop Boys were, and we've benefited ever since with increasingly eclectic material. IMO from the new PopArt tracks onward they're back in top form, and have continued to impress ever since.

I'm hard-pressed to put together a solid album from the Nightlife tracks, but it says so much about Neil and Chris that even at their lowest creative ebb they still managed to record You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk, which is one of the best things they've ever written.

I love them so much.

[Lleonard Pler]

It was my favourite PSB album until Electric arrived so I can't make many changes. But maybe something like this could have worked, with a darker second half where New York City Boy would stand out as a melodic piece, not as cheesier than the cheesy In denial as in the original tracklist.

For your own good
Closer to Heaven
I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more
Happiness is an option
Drunk
Vampires
Radiophonic
The ghost of myself
Boy strange
Casting a shadow
New York City boy
Footsteps

Footsteps I don't adore but I read a comment from Neil that the lyrics depict the same character from For your own good and I reckon the song closes the longing, uncertainty and jealousy themes present throughout the album, while fitting the Night setting, so I keep it there.

As much as I love Somebody else's business and Positive role model I never envisioned them as part of this era. I prefer them on Disco 3 (and had they included the original Sexy Northener instead of the remix, that EP would be some of their strongest and most solid material).

[Discoteca]

Always been surprised by the lack of love for ‘The only one’. It’s a favourite of mine. Excellent lyric and production.