Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless

[leesmapman]

Yeah, great, great track. Like people said before: the Peel Sessions tracks were great. This is probably the best. It's very energetic.

[petshopgrrl]

Another vote here for the John Peel Aggro Mix. It's a darker version of Rent, isn't it?

[Kompakt&Bijou]

It is wonderful they did a Peel session. Many underground artists consider a Peel session one of their greatest validations, and its nice that Pet Shop Boys honoured that tradition by accepting the invitiation.

[Lleonard Pler]

I think this was one of the first songs that I downloaded back in the Emule days. At that time I didn't know what a "John Peel session" was so I thought it was sort of a remix. It's an alright song. Nothing to write home about. One of those songs they can record with their eyes closed.

[davidctecno]

Track 163 : If looks could kill ( John Peel version) Chronology: Release FL CD1:17
if looks could kill Chronology: Release FL CD2 : 3

Once again, I prefer the John Peel version. On the other one, Neil's voice is too distorted...

[leesmapman]

The Peel version is more laid-back and a great live track, but I also like the electroclash vibe of the Disco 3 version. Hard to chose a favourite so I won't. It's a great track whatever version you listen to.

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

Disco 3 version for mine... good song.

Retro.

[rathound]

Excellent track. Works really well on Disco 3. the Boys are returning to form

[Patrick Bateman]

Excellent track. Works really well on Disco 3. the Boys are returning to form

Yes, it is salient that when they began to revisit their old songs from the early 80s, that everything started to click again.

[Sandy Shaw]

I Didn't Get Where I Am Today has all the ingredients of a fantastic pop song - cohesive lyrics, bristling with energy, and a slight giddiness that's held together through strong transitions and mastery.

When you hear that Pet Shop Boys are making a "guitar album", this is exactly what you'd hope to hear on it. Yet, amazingly, someone thought The Night I Fell In Love would be a better inclusion.

Agreed. Simply mind-boggling!

Anyway, this song... I love the subversion of the phrase "I Didn't Get Where I Am Today" - usually said as a celebration of one's own successes ("super, CJ!") but in this case prefacing a series of perceived failures. Brilliant lyric, but somewhat discomfiting to find that there's anything remotely autobiographical about this one, even if it was written in jest.

I'd love to know why they used this riff in particular. It's a very different setting to the original. The comparison to the Monkees is definitely justified, not just for the jangly guitar but also the whole song has that wry Monkees humor.

Yes, I think Neil said it an interview that in a sense the character DIDN'T achieve the things they hoped to, which is paradoxical...

[davidctecno]

Track 164 : Try it (I'm in Love with a Married Man)
Chronology: Release FL CD2 : 1

A cover of Bobby O. Another great track! Disco 3 highlight.

[Lleonard Pler]

Vocoder done right. Neil sounds like a different person altogether and the robotic voice adds to the melancholy and loneliness of the track. A standout in the great Disco 3.

[rathound]

Fantastic track. I'd definitely lost a bit of interest around this time due to the second half of Nightlife, then not particularly liking Release when I listened through - but when I heard this one it certainly got my interest back. Exactly what I thought they should be doing at the time, and I was really thinking they should have done a full on Electro/Electroclash album (as Neil later said they had originally set out to do) rather than what they ended up doing on Release. Disco3 was sort of it, but didn't go far enough I didn't think and kind of lost focus towards the end

Only on listening to Release FL did I realise they did actually create all the tracks to make a fantastic electroclash album, but either gave those tracks away (J&J party, Baby) or scatter them on B-sides later on when they didn't really make sense (Blue on Blue for example).

Anyway - Try It - cracking tune and they lyrics desperately sad. It's not a million miles from a track I was obsessed about at the time - Felix Da Housecats version of Dot Allison's Substance. Did wonder if that had an influence on the production, esp as Felix later contributed to Disco 3

[leesmapman]

Another wonderful track played on the Peel Sessions. Quite a great little set that was.

[Disco.]

A nice little ditty.