Pet Shop Boys Community

#26 in sales this week, holding up quite well.

TallThinMan wrote: Thu 23 May 2024, 8:45 am Depending on mood, ‘The secret of happiness’ is frequently my favourite song on this album. I’ve never understood this idea that all Pet Shop Boys’ songs should follow the same template.

Schlager and Secret of Happiness were always going to be the two tracks that generally divided opinion on the album, I think.

With Secret of Happiness, the song is completely unique to anything they have done before, so I think it is understandable that some of the Pet Heads are not going to be as keen on it. I don't think it makes them any more or less of a fan. You like what you like.

Great album. But Secret of Happiness sounds like I'm standing in a lift.

Pinhead44 wrote: Sat 25 May 2024, 12:13 pm

TallThinMan wrote: Thu 23 May 2024, 8:45 am Depending on mood, ‘The secret of happiness’ is frequently my favourite song on this album. I’ve never understood this idea that all Pet Shop Boys’ songs should follow the same template.

Schlager and Secret of Happiness were always going to be the two tracks that generally divided opinion on the album, I think.

With Secret of Happiness, the song is completely unique to anything they have done before, so I think it is understandable that some of the Pet Heads are not going to be as keen on it. I don't think it makes them any more or less of a fan. You like what you like.

True, but it sometimes feels like some people on here just want them to keep making ‘Always On My Mind’.

TallThinMan wrote: Sat 25 May 2024, 5:01 pm

Pinhead44 wrote: Sat 25 May 2024, 12:13 pm

TallThinMan wrote: Thu 23 May 2024, 8:45 am Depending on mood, ‘The secret of happiness’ is frequently my favourite song on this album. I’ve never understood this idea that all Pet Shop Boys’ songs should follow the same template.

Schlager and Secret of Happiness were always going to be the two tracks that generally divided opinion on the album, I think.

With Secret of Happiness, the song is completely unique to anything they have done before, so I think it is understandable that some of the Pet Heads are not going to be as keen on it. I don't think it makes them any more or less of a fan. You like what you like.

True, but it sometimes feels like some people on here just want them to keep making ‘Always On My Mind’.

Maybe they do, but not me. I simply LOVE almost all of their stuff. I just don’t like “Secret of happiness”. It’s probably one of about 6 PSB songs I don’t like, and considering the amount of output from the Boys, 6 is quite incredible.

It’s the song off this album I keep finding myself singing.

le petit corbusier wrote: Fri 24 May 2024, 8:35 am

vincenzosz wrote: Fri 24 May 2024, 6:33 am
Cheap is the difference between the music of Sega Genesis games (known to be inferior) and the music of Super Nintendo games (known to be superior due to a Sony sound chip).
Cheap is the difference between the karaoke covers of Michael Jackson songs versus the original Michael Jackson song.
Cheap is the difference between the sounds on any Pet Shop Boys demo versus the studio version.

Sega Genesis known to be inferior? SNES came 3 years later but had tons of bad games, just as the Mega drive had bad games too. They had very different sound technologies. The sound of the Snes was based on sampling, which gave it its unique sound signature. The Mega drive had a Yamaha YM2612 FM chip (a synthesizer), and a certain Yuzo Koshiro (even Michael Jackson) would strongly disagree with the assessment that it was inferior. I mean, Yuzo Koshiro performed the Streets of Rage soundtrack at Sónar festival and it was glorious. He has been touring for years now with that old Sega Mega Drive sound system.

Furthermore, the original hardware is still being used by small creators online and you can even download an official Sega Mega Drive package on Korg Gadget for Nintendo Switch or iOS so you can use that iconic sound chip on modern platforms.

Different or older doesn't mean inferior.


Yuzo Koshiro live:
https://youtu.be/mW03QgubN0M?si=LWD4J3EN3qfdIjMg

Streets of Rage music analysis:
https://youtu.be/2cx73EOaGWU?si=ZlxmkBfPz25Rnta0

Michael Jackson and Sonic 3 soundtrack:
https://t.ly/G7Fn5

Korg Gadget and Sega:
https://youtu.be/bnEVlQ4xolA?si=whXxu9nYulQZe9PL

Some guy turned a Mega Drive into a huge synthesiser:
https://youtu.be/V0kq0yCTpNE?si=Z6xE4X4oMX9ASyd_
https://youtu.be/S-02iH6l308?si=BqCjsQfL50N3aT4m

Triggered Sega fanboy here.

Ha ha! Sincerest apologies. That was not the best example, and I doubted myself a bit when writing it.

I so appreciate the passion for the subject.

I think regardless of this one poor example my point is made.
I just have to use my ears to differentiate the “quality”, fidelity, or whatever word one wants to use to differentiate the synths on this album from any number of synths I’ve heard past and present. I listen to a lot of similar styled synth music and if I were to rate the appeal of the sounds this album is CLEARLY an example of lazy, tinny and uninspired sounds. And the argument of “no they arent” doesn’t do it. Again, compared to decades of their own work and numerous electronic artists Feel, A new Bohemia, and Schlager Hit Parade sound basic.
I like the lyrics, the melodies and the orchestrations but I’m not hearing what I’ve come to expect from the Boys.

Anyways, I’m dropping this topic because I know no one agrees and that’s fine. Enjoy the album, I’m holding out for some remixes.

Gave the album another listen today. Admittedly it wasnt given my full attention but it breezed by beautifully as I did some stuff around the house.

I am starting to feel it's greatness though. There's some lovely stuff buried in the songs, and it really does have a Behaviour vibe to it. Not quite on that level imho but yep, it's starting to "click".

TallThinMan wrote: Sat 25 May 2024, 5:01 pm

Pinhead44 wrote: Sat 25 May 2024, 12:13 pm

TallThinMan wrote: Thu 23 May 2024, 8:45 am Depending on mood, ‘The secret of happiness’ is frequently my favourite song on this album. I’ve never understood this idea that all Pet Shop Boys’ songs should follow the same template.

Schlager and Secret of Happiness were always going to be the two tracks that generally divided opinion on the album, I think.

With Secret of Happiness, the song is completely unique to anything they have done before, so I think it is understandable that some of the Pet Heads are not going to be as keen on it. I don't think it makes them any more or less of a fan. You like what you like.

True, but it sometimes feels like some people on here just want them to keep making ‘Always On My Mind’.

I disagree.
I like the Secret of Happiness for the most part, but I can’t deny it verges a bit too much on kitsch and camp at the risk of a modern pop song. I get the intention, but work could be done here to avoid alienating listeners.

For example, on Elysium Give it a go is a song I want to like but the production is just way too cheesy and doesn’t sound like the same genre, let alone artist, as Invisible.
I’m all for sonic variety but if I buy an album I expect something different from Frank Sinatra as I do Pet Shop Boys.

Monkey Business for example attempts a funky sound, almost Bee Gees disco kind of thing, and sonically it succeeds. It sounds like an electronic track with a unique flavour, instead of a funky track with Neil’s vocals.

The Secret of Happiness is borderline.
Just because people’s ears are noticing something is off doesn’t necessarily mean they are being purests. Sometimes artists attempt an idea and it doesn’t quite work.

Glad all over for example. I get the Boys intention with that cover, but they didn’t land it.

I think the Boy’s are superb composers and songwriters, but i believe (by their own admission) they struggle with production. Their output has proven that they can indeed produce great songs, but on more than one occasion they miss the mark and (as noted by Trevor Horn) make very questionable decisions on the sonic landscape of their songs. I believe the Boys sound the best when paired with a third member who truly understands them. Someone who appreciates their unique style and knows how to best present that style for modern listeners.

I think Trevor Horn is one of the producers that brings out the best in the Boys. And I strongly believe Stuart Price does also, which is why i imagine the Boys made three albums with him and continue to work with him on their live shows.

Straight_Talker wrote: Sat 25 May 2024, 8:42 pm

TallThinMan wrote: Sat 25 May 2024, 5:01 pm

Pinhead44 wrote: Sat 25 May 2024, 12:13 pm

Schlager and Secret of Happiness were always going to be the two tracks that generally divided opinion on the album, I think.

With Secret of Happiness, the song is completely unique to anything they have done before, so I think it is understandable that some of the Pet Heads are not going to be as keen on it. I don't think it makes them any more or less of a fan. You like what you like.

True, but it sometimes feels like some people on here just want them to keep making ‘Always On My Mind’.

Maybe they do, but not me. I simply LOVE almost all of their stuff. I just don’t like “Secret of happiness”. It’s probably one of about 6 PSB songs I don’t like, and considering the amount of output from the Boys, 6 is quite incredible.

I love everything they've done, but just quietly I generally prefer their newer stuff. Elysium is a personal favourite.

Ah, Give it a go… the song of that album I still can’t stop singing!

Both deliberately have a style (song writing and production wise) that predates the time PSB started in music themselves… timeless classics both of them, in my opinion. “Not what people expect for the Pet Shop Boys” doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with the songs, arrangements or production… they should never allow themselves to wear that straight jacket anyway. And that’s coming from someone who normally most likes their “banging with lasers” material.

As it has been a month since release I have given some of my own thoughts on the album. I haven’t done it track by track as I will leave that to the forum members who can do it far more eloquently than I can !

Nonethelesss

It took me a while to appreciate how unique it was to have the consistently high quality output of songs that PSB provided from ‘85 to ’93 !

My assumption, naively, after their biggest triumph, which for me was Very, was that their music would always be this good, because everything that had come before had been !

Then from Bilingual through to Elysium, I came to accept, and be happy with, the fact that actually, no band could keep up that level, I had just been spoilt for all those years ! There would still be moments of brilliance on their albums, but also songs that I was not going to be as keen on. And that was the case, to varying degrees across all those albums.

Then out of the blue they hit me with Electric ! The perfect combination of a brilliant set of dance songs, produced by the prefect dance producer in Stuart Price ! For me it was the first time in 20 years that I had loved an entire album of theirs, and I wanted more !

When Pop Kids was released from Super, I thought they were going to nail it again, with shorter poppier songs like that, and then the rest of the album was, for me, a general disappointment. I don’t think it was Stuart Price’s fault, I just though that he didn’t have the same high level of quality songs to work with .

Hotspot was again a bit hit and miss for me, and so I was back again in that thought cycle, that Electric was a one off, and it will revert back to just having moments that I will love on each album.

Then came Nonetheless

Like Very and Electric, I knew within 1 week that I was going to love this album forever ! To release an album this good, 40 years into their career, is simply amazing !

John Earls, who gave one of the first reviews of the album said that Schlager Hit Parade was the track every PSB critic would say sounds like every other Pet Shop Boys song. I disagree with him on that, and I think, along with Secret of Happiness, has the most infectious chorus.

What I do agree with Earls on though is how good Neil's voice sounds on this album, the layering of his voice on some of these songs is beautiful.

Like Electric, I think that we have the perfect combination of brilliantly written songs, married up with the best producer to produce them in James Ford, and he has done an amazing job on this album !

To these ears, and at this moment in time, there is nothing worse on here than good (Schlager), rising to excellent (Loneliness, Why am I dancing?, Dancing Star, A New Bohemia, Secret of Happiness) and peaking at essential (Feel, New London Boy, Bullet, Love Is the Law).

‘You make me feel like, nobody else can’ and still doing it after 40 years !

Lovely review, thanks for sharing! Wow, has it been a month already…

Re: Japan release
If any of you are thinking about removing THIS sticker from the sleeve of the Japanese edition.
DON'T.
It is not easily removed.
Heir & Spare remain intact.

Give It A Go is fine the way it is, for me. It's got the show-tune style, and Neil's vocals are so well recorded and close to the listener, it's hard for me not to falls for it's charm. Very endearing.

Elysium and Nonetheless are similar albums to me, love both of them