Battleship Potempkin on vinyl and cd (2023 remaster)

[leesmapman]

My order from the official site arrived yesterday. Looking slick. Watched the Hochhaussinfonie documentary yesterday and found it rather funny in some places.

[psbnyc]

My rarewaves order has not been shipped yet. Anyone received it already?

I received mine here in NYC yesterday, and I’m quite pleased with it - lovely booklet, am still reading my way through it. Looking forward to watching it, if my Blu-ray player will let me….

[dgraysn]

how much was it to ship the nyc?
im preparing to order but it looks to be $100USD?!?

[Parkol]

It's nice that they're releasing it on vinyl. In general, I've gotten used to the fact that most of the Pet Shop Boys' news is related to Russia, albeit in a negative way, but other events in the world don't bother them that much. I wonder if there's at least one English artist who wouldn't be afraid to receive a lot of negativity and sing a song about the Islamization of England and migrants. Will this be considered intolerance or freedom of speech in England?

[It can be two things]

Absolutely a song about the islamisation of England would be permitted, as would the reaction to it as being absolute bullshit based on disinformation and gutter politics.

[psbnyc]

how much was it to ship the nyc?
im preparing to order but it looks to be $100USD?!?

I ordered from Rarewaves, shipping was 8.99 USD if I remember correctly

[Spittingcat]

I've gotten used to the fact that most of the Pet Shop Boys' news is related to Russia, albeit in a negative way, but other events in the world don't bother them that much.

Plenty of PSB songs (and associated interviews and PR) about UK & USA (& other) politics over the years. Many more so than anything to do with Russia. We can run you up a list of songs to listen to if you haven't got around to checking out their discography. Their current consistent and obvious support for the people of Ukraine, and Russia, at threat from Putin is a reaction to the actions of Putin.

Try the latest album:

The Schlager Hit Parade (so much barbed political and social commentary on modern day Germany wrapped up in bubblegum music there).

Bullet for Narcissus (always has me thinking about all the non-Trump supporting public servants in the USA trying to keep working for their country).

[Dog]

It's nice that they're releasing it on vinyl. In general, I've gotten used to the fact that most of the Pet Shop Boys' news is related to Russia, albeit in a negative way, but other events in the world don't bother them that much. I wonder if there's at least one English artist who wouldn't be afraid to receive a lot of negativity and sing a song about the Islamization of England and migrants. Will this be considered intolerance or freedom of speech in England?

It’s ironic that you’re invading a thread about Battleship Potemkin - a film that critiques authoritarianism and celebrates resistance - to provoke your same well-worn talking points. Pet Shop Boys chose to score this film precisely because it speaks to the power of art to challenge oppression. Their continued engagement with Russian themes isn’t random - it’s rooted in solidarity with those resisting tyranny, whether in 1905 or today.

To suggest they ignore other issues is false. Their catalogue includes songs about migration, war and displacement. What they don’t do is pander to xenophobic narratives dressed up as “free speech.”

Britain has robust freedom of expression. What we also have - thankfully - is the freedom to call out intolerance when it masquerades as concern. By stigmatising migrants, you’ve misunderstood both Pet Shop Boys and the spirit of Potemkin.

[Future Lover]

Parkol hasn't been a good faith participant in these discussions for ages. Obviously, you have to be the vilest of the vile to get a ban around here, or else freeze peach will suffer, yadda yadda.

[lalolalo]

To suggest they ignore other issues is false. Their catalogue includes songs about migration, war and displacement. What they don’t do is pander to xenophobic narratives dressed up as “free speech.”

I agree with you on almost everything except for this point I’m quoting. The Pet Shop Boys DO ignore other issues. They haven’t said a single sentence, not even a single word, anywhere, about the genocide in Gaza. And this concerns me, considering how opinionated they are about all other global political issues, as you yourself say. I don’t think they only talk about Russia. What I do believe is that they only “don’t talk” about the Palestinian extermination in Gaza by the state of Israel. That’s the only thing they don’t talk about. And that worries me, but most of all, makes me very sad.

[Future Lover]

My opinion is that they're in the camp of considering most Muslim countries to be super-homophobic and therefore unworthy of support. The classic liberal trap. Israhell is seen as a bastion of progressivism, while also being full of homophobic bigots outside of large urban areas. Not to mention being one of the most insanely racist places on Earth.

[TallThinMan]

To suggest they ignore other issues is false. Their catalogue includes songs about migration, war and displacement. What they don’t do is pander to xenophobic narratives dressed up as “free speech.”

I agree with you on almost everything except for this point I’m quoting. The Pet Shop Boys DO ignore other issues. They haven’t said a single sentence, not even a single word, anywhere, about the genocide in Gaza.

That is not correct. Neil has commented on it verbally. I believe it was at the Guardian event in Manchester last year. Obviously they haven’t commented on it anywhere near the extent as they have about the war in Ukraine, but they are under no obligation to do so, any more than you or I are obliged to comment on North Korea’s concentration camps.

[lalolalo]

To suggest they ignore other issues is false. Their catalogue includes songs about migration, war and displacement. What they don’t do is pander to xenophobic narratives dressed up as “free speech.”

I agree with you on almost everything except for this point I’m quoting. The Pet Shop Boys DO ignore other issues. They haven’t said a single sentence, not even a single word, anywhere, about the genocide in Gaza.

That is not correct. Neil has commented on it verbally. I believe it was at the Guardian event in Manchester last year. Obviously they haven’t commented on it anywhere near the extent as they have about the war in Ukraine, but they are under no obligation to do so, any more than you or I are obliged to comment on North Korea’s concentration camps.

No, Neil Tennant has not publicly commented on or referenced the ongoing situation in Gaza as a "genocide" (or used similar terminology) in any statements, interviews, songs, or social media posts since the conflict escalated after October 7, 2023. Searches across web sources, news archives, and X (formerly Twitter) yield no results for such commentary from him or the Pet Shop Boys.

I don't know about you, but I am, as a human being, obliged to comment on Israel killing over 18000 children. 1 kid every 45 minutes since October 7, 2023.

[NotInvisible]

It is, of course, completely imbecilic to think that any artist is obliged to publicly comment on every issue (hello How can you expect to be taken seriously?) - and even more imbecilic to interpret the lack of public comment as an endorsement. Pet Shop Boys have a few songs about Russia because Neil is particularly interested in Russia. Those songs represent a minute fraction of their overall political commentary, which is - naturally - predominantly about the West.

Anyone who believes Neil and Chris endorse genocide has the media literacy of a gnat.

[oakey]

Finally got my copy of the bluray+cd, from Rarewaves. Took a while to get through customs but shipping was inexpensive, so worth the wait. Watched the movie but a bit disappointed the audio mix was not in surround, just plain stereo. And I expected the Hochhaussymphony to be the actual performance, but it is a documentary that I stopped watching after 10 mins, fast forwarded through the rest to see whether the actual performance is in it, but no.

The movie is an interesting Soviet propaganda piece of its time, still watchable, but I would not include it in my top 200 of movies though.