A New Bohemia - 3rd single fr Nonetheless

[Deschanel]

The two b sides have really captured something very PSB, in my opinion. Nestled in a playlist of 80s b sides they're great. Both throwaway old tracks and weirdly current new tracks.
Maybe its just me but I'm a little obsessed with the non-rhyming in the chorus...
"I've got plans involving you, gonna put them into operation just you wait and see". The off-kilterness of that compared to their current rhyming feels oddly very PSB.
Oh, and it ends too soon.

Yeah. Reminds me of a lot of early 80s dancefloor tracks of the Bobby O sort that I now realize were done super-quickly, hastily scribbled lyrics given to inexpert singers so the cadences and phrasings were sort of off. Kind of charming now.

Listening to I've got plans (involving you)- forgive me if this has all been discussed before, I did look for any thread on it, failed to find- it reminds me immensely of Violence. The melancholy descending synths (Violence was always a bummer, depressing). Production-wise it specifically sounds closer to the re-recorded version (?) from 1994 -ish. And listening I sensed some production flourishes that reminded me of Some Speculation around the same time. Gleadall was the programmer, Neil's voice sounds as wonderful as it did then (still quite good now!). My question is, when was this I've got plans (involving you) recorded? I feel around 1994 and put in the vault; not recently.
Again, apologies if this has all been discussed already. Happy summer to everyone.

[MartinWright66]

Yep, I definitely get "Some Speculation" vibes. In fact, both songs had so many little flourishes/snyth stabs that I've been listening to Alternative to remind myself which songs they sound like (apart from the Sound of the Atom Splitting, I skip that one).

[leesmapman]

My question is, when was this I've got plans (involving you) recorded? I feel around 1994 and put in the vault; not recently.
Again, apologies if this has all been discussed already. Happy summer to everyone.

According to Annually, september 2021.

[rashomon]

My question is, when was this I've got plans (involving you) recorded? I feel around 1994 and put in the vault; not recently.
Again, apologies if this has all been discussed already. Happy summer to everyone.

According to Annually, september 2021.

Makes sense …. I can’t help but hear echoes of Monkey Business in this one.

[Gabby]

I've been listening to Alternative to remind myself which songs they sound like (apart from the Sound of the Atom Splitting, I skip that one).

Heathen!

TSOTAS is like Marmite isn't it?! I think it's great - just the right side of bonkers for my tastes.

[leesmapman]

I've been listening to Alternative to remind myself which songs they sound like (apart from the Sound of the Atom Splitting, I skip that one).

Heathen!

TSOTAS is like Marmite isn't it?! I think it's great - just the right side of bonkers for my tastes.

It's so much weird Art of Noise combined with weird Pet Shop Boys.

Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk

[bongsteve]

I've been listening to Alternative to remind myself which songs they sound like (apart from the Sound of the Atom Splitting, I skip that one).

Heathen!

TSOTAS is like Marmite isn't it?! I think it's great - just the right side of bonkers for my tastes.

I was just mentioning on another music board that TSOTAS is the only PSB track I find unlistenable all these years later.

[daveid]

It's a tough listen but way easier than The night I fell in love which is pure cringe

[bongsteve]

It's a tough listen but way easier than The night I fell in love which is pure cringe

Musically, good. Lyrically, oof.

[Patrick Bateman]

TSOTAS complements its a-side perfectly though. In an era where a b-side was that, rather than a series of bonus tracks, it makes most sense. In a way, it's the sound of the protagonist of Left to my own devices tripping at 3am.

[alternativeformat]

I still need to post a celebration of Nonetheless as a whole, but on the subject of "A new bohemia", I wanted to celebrate this stanza:

Hot on the heels
of the absolute last chance
I watched them trying out
something new from France
Kamikaze eyes
locked in a trance
Improvising
a wild hypnotic dance

It's a perfectly constructed verse for me, and the scene is perfectly painted for the mind's eye. I'm trying to think of when Neil has ever crafted such visually evocative lines before. Maybe "King of Rome" comes close? I love it. I love this album.

[daveid]

I still need to post a celebration of Nonetheless as a whole, but on the subject of "A new bohemia", I wanted to celebrate this stanza:

Hot on the heels
of the absolute last chance
I watched them trying out
something new from France
Kamikaze eyes
locked in a trance
Improvising
a wild hypnotic dance

It's a perfectly constructed verse for me, and the scene is perfectly painted for the mind's eye. I'm trying to think of when Neil has ever crafted such visually evocative lines before. Maybe "King of Rome" comes close? I love it. I love this album.

Bet the kamikaze reference went down well in Japan

[Nickname]

Pet Shop Boys’ new single, “A new bohemia”, is
@BBCRadio2
’s #RecordOfTheWeek!

Rotation of the song, which has been added straight to the A-List, starts this Saturday, 15th June.

---

Not the best single of PSB to be Record of the Week, to be honest.

It's not the kind of song that could call the attention of many people outside the fanbase. I'm not saying PSB could get any attention of a massive public again but "Nonetheless" had better options.

Anyway, this promotion is just because of the concert.

Parlophone did a good job.

[MartinWright66]

Nickname, A New Bohemia is a beautiful song. And, actually, it *is* the kind of song to grab the attention of people outside their fanbase. It's not a "Go West" Hi-NRG song, it's not got a load of synth stabs in it; it's an ageless song that could have originated from many eras and it's different from what "duh generul puhblic fink" PSB are capable of. So, actually, it will grab the attention of those outside the hardcore followers.

They're at the stage of their careers where they can go, "yeah, we're not getting hits anymore - so that's no longer a constraint. Let's release songs that we love - not songs the general public expect."

[Gabby]

Nickname, A New Bohemia is a beautiful song. And, actually, it *is* the kind of song to grab the attention of people outside their fanbase. It's not a "Go West" Hi-NRG song, it's not got a load of synth stabs in it; it's an ageless song that could have originated from many eras and it's different from what "duh generul puhblic fink" PSB are capable of. So, actually, it will grab the attention of those outside the hardcore followers.

They're at the stage of their careers where they can go, "yeah, we're not getting hits anymore - so that's no longer a constraint. Let's release songs that we love - not songs the general public expect."

That's what I've been saying as an advocate for releasing "Secret of Happiness" as a single. It's so NOT like what people perceive to be a PSB-esque song.

I'd say A New Bohemia is reminiscent of some of their slower, ballad style releases, so probably not as jarring a contrast to Secret of Happiness.