Pet Shop Boys Community

Anyone who has a problem with the apparent "non-exclusivity" of the Undertow CD that comes with Annually is clearly missing what PSB has been about for 30+ years - other than making money that is - but a band that has always had an eye for details and packaging that goes along with the musical product inside.

Buying the digital music online just cannot compare to the CD and/or vinyl package when it comes to PSB. If it were just about the music and the remixes, I'd agree, but we're talking about the bloody Pet Shop Boys sweetie. I for one don't feel remotely ripped off for ordering Annually with the CD. I feel more ripped off when the exclusive tracks are "online only" releases.

I ordered Annually because I thought it looked smart and refined and because frankly I'd rather have the content of Literally (which I've never subscribed to ) in one shelf-friendly package. I also bought it for the CD and I have ordered the 12 inch single. I assumed they'd have more or less the same content but that's fine. It's just nice to have these things and to be loyal to something I get immense pleasure from. The EP will clock in at about 30 minutes and has good potential so I'm happy. It's also great that Undertow did get the release it deserved.

I have always enjoyed Literally, it's been a fantastic journey, over the years with Neil and Chris through Literally.

daveid wrote: Thu 16 Mar 2017, 8:59 am I also bought it for the CD and I have ordered the 12 inch single. I assumed they'd have more or less the same content but that's fine.

Actually the 12" has one remix more:
http://amzn.to/2nHFB38

agrasso wrote: Thu 16 Mar 2017, 9:22 am

daveid wrote: Thu 16 Mar 2017, 8:59 am I also bought it for the CD and I have ordered the 12 inch single. I assumed they'd have more or less the same content but that's fine.

Actually the 12" has one remix more:
http://amzn.to/2nHFB38

Yes I know. What I mean is I wanted to order both anyway regardless of tracklisting

I completely understand wanting the 12" from a completist's perspective.

Luke Colorado wrote:I completely understand wanting the 12" from a completist's perspective.

Sick to death of ebay scalping bastards

Wish wrote:Some hucksters can't even wait to get this pack in their hands and already trying to get long buck.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pet-Shop-Boys ... 2889549729

"There will be an exclusive 3 track promo cd with unreleased mixes which are only to be found on this cd."

Mwa-ha-ha-ha

"Please notice that shipping is 1 or 2 weeks after the release date, because I ship from germany when I got it from UK."

Curious to know what will happen if this seller won't receive his Annually package from OS (lost in transit or something else)? Goodbye long buck?

Gabby wrote:Anyone who has a problem with the apparent "non-exclusivity" of the Undertow CD that comes with Annually is clearly missing what PSB has been about for 30+ years - other than making money that is - but a band that has always had an eye for details and packaging that goes along with the musical product inside.

Buying the digital music online just cannot compare to the CD and/or vinyl package when it comes to PSB. If it were just about the music and the remixes, I'd agree, but we're talking about the bloody Pet Shop Boys sweetie. I for one don't feel remotely ripped off for ordering Annually with the CD. I feel more ripped off when the exclusive tracks are "online only" releases.

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daveid wrote: Thu 16 Mar 2017, 8:59 am I ordered Annually because I thought it looked smart and refined and because frankly I'd rather have the content of Literally (which I've never subscribed to ) in one shelf-friendly package. I also bought it for the CD and I have ordered the 12 inch single. I assumed they'd have more or less the same content but that's fine. It's just nice to have these things and to be loyal to something I get immense pleasure from. The EP will clock in at about 30 minutes and has good potential so I'm happy. It's also great that Undertow did get the release it deserved.

This.

I think a huge portion of fans would have bought Anually for Anually and its a massive bonus to get the cd. Hardly anyone will care if the tracks are released elsewhere. Infact, id applaud the tracks being widely available. Who the hell cares if a track isnt an exclusive to the chosen few?

We get Anually and not some crap download for $3

I think it's great they are doing this. We are essentially getting a 4th single from Super. Let's face it that hasn't really happened since Bilingual twenty years ago (unless you count either Fluorescent or Integral). So I am pretty pleased about this. Plus its good packaging and they are releasing a song from Super that should have been a single earlier in the campaign.

PopArt wrote: Sat 18 Mar 2017, 6:40 pm I think it's great they are doing this. We are essentially getting a 4th single from Super. Let's face it that hasn't really happened since Bilingual twenty years ago (unless you count either Fluorescent or Integral). So I am pretty pleased about this. Plus its good packaging and they are releasing a song from Super that should have been a single earlier in the campaign.

I fully agree. It's even the fifth physical single off the album!

I am also Duran Duran fan and they have not released any physical content since their 2015 Paper Gods album, no singles, no 12", nothing.

I'll be honest, I couldn't care less about Undertow getting a "release" as a tacked on accompaniment to Annually. Without a b-side, it's no single - at least not in the traditional sense. It's essentially a fan club only release - except the fan club no longer officially exists. But the point stands. That said, if the mix is genuinely good, then this will be seen as a boon. But the CD, to me, is nothing more than a curio, a nice extra to the main course: the book.

I can't help thinking that with the cancelled French show and the delayed reissues, Pet Shop Boys need to release a brand new standalone single to get a bit of oomph back into fandom. I miss the days when a new original single - out of nowhere - could re-energise the fanbase and make life exciting again. Think DJ Culture or Miracles. Right now, it's all become a bit predictable: an album services a tour, and a few singles service the album. Rinse and repeat. A one-off statement of artistic excellence - art for art's sake - wouldn't go amiss.

Drico.

DJ Culture and Miracles were great, for sure, but I'd honestly rather nothing than another Flamboyant or Together.

Drico One wrote: Sat 18 Mar 2017, 10:33 pm I'll be honest, I couldn't care less about Undertow getting a "release" as a tacked on accompaniment to Annually. Without a b-side, it's no single - at least not in the traditional sense. It's essentially a fan club only release - except the fan club no longer officially exists. But the point stands. That said, if the mix is genuinely good, then this will be seen as a boon. But the CD, to me, is nothing more than a curio, a nice extra to the main course: the book.

I can't help thinking that with the cancelled French show and the delayed reissues, Pet Shop Boys need to release a brand new standalone single to get a bit of oomph back into fandom. I miss the days when a new original single - out of nowhere - could re-energise the fanbase and make life exciting again. Think DJ Culture or Miracles. Right now, it's all become a bit predictable: an album services a tour, and a few singles service the album. Rinse and repeat. A one-off statement of artistic excellence - art for art's sake - wouldn't go amiss.

Drico.

Left to my own devices ( super version ) is a newly recorded b-side. Vocal was a single and that didn't have anything apart from remixes. Many artists don't / didn't release original tracks on singles...but they're still singles. Personally I'm delighted that Undertow is being released but I agree a stand alone single would be great sometime soon.

daveid wrote: Sun 19 Mar 2017, 8:13 pm Left to my own devices ( super version ) is a newly recorded b-side.

Not in the traditional sense. It's just another take on an old song. This is usually the province of "bonus tracks", more specifically the third or fourth bonus track on a multi-format package, but in this case it has been promoted to the "b-side" in the absence of anything original. I'm sure it'll be nice to have, but it lacks any great excitement factor for me. The cynic in me thinks they need the CD to justify the rather hefty price of Annually and won't waste something good on such a throwaway release, but I'm not complaining about that. I just don't see the tacked on CD as any kind of an event at all.

daveid wrote:Vocal was a single and that didn't have anything apart from remixes. Many artists don't / didn't release original tracks on singles...but they're still singles.

I knew there was a reason I didn't buy the Vocal CD. Now that you mention it, Vocal was one of the most disappointing releases of their career - even if I think the track itself is a classic. No, for me, a PSB single has at least one original accompanying track for it to merit the term. I realise that I'm completely out of date in holding such a quaint notion, but given the utter ridiculousness of a situation where even the record industry struggles to satisfactorily define the term "single", I'm comfortable in my curmudgeonly ways.

Drico.

I couldn't be happier if PSB maintain the old-fashioned single package format. I'm really grateful they kept it up to this day (with the exception of Vocal).