So why are the PSB's still around ?

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ArseSpanker · #16 Post by **ArseSpanker** » Fri 14 Apr 2006, 2:03 pm

Also, what would they do inbetween vanity projects if PSB didn't continue for so long?

*snigger*

Jareth · #17 Post by **Jareth** » Fri 14 Apr 2006, 2:11 pm

Neil has a very 'young' sounding voice which I think helps a lot. Listening to I'm With Stupid, it's hard to believe the vocals are coming from someone in their 50s.

GalataPSB · #18 Post by **GalataPSB** » Fri 14 Apr 2006, 2:17 pm

Jareth wrote:Neil has a very 'young' sounding voice which I think helps a lot. Listening to I'm With Stupid, it's hard to believe the vocals are coming from someone in their 50s.

+

They are very charismatic.

glennjridge · #19 Post by **glennjridge** » Fri 14 Apr 2006, 2:17 pm

yeah! his voice seems to be getting better while it seems everyone elses voice is getting rough sounding even alot of the younger guys. he has always had excellant production also. some groups think its ok to just put a bit of reverb on and thats it.

neil gets a different sound per song.

BlueSwan · #20 Post by **BlueSwan** » Fri 14 Apr 2006, 2:54 pm

Neils voice is also very distinctive. If you want longevity you have to have a distinctive voice. Some people (tonedeaf people, probably) don't like Neils voice, but I think it's better to have a singer who divides opinion, rather than a undistinctive, but generally pleasant singer.

Syncratic · #21 Post by **Syncratic** » Fri 14 Apr 2006, 3:00 pm

joe stalin wrote:Whilst watching the Live 8 videos a few thoughts struck me... why are the PSB's still around ? Neil isn't the greatest singer (during New York city boy he was absolutely awfully flat.. it was so painful it hurts to listen to it)... Chris isn't the best on the keyboards .... they don't have the looks.. the sex appeal (I know grandmothers younger than Neil !)...

Yet... they're still around... vs those who aren't (really)

Erasure... arguably better singer and undoubtably better keyboardist
Communards.. as above
Hue and Cry... as above
Dubstar... as above
St Etienne... sex appeal... amazing looks... great songs... better musicians

In my humle opinion... its simply that N&C have the amazing ability to reinvent themselves like Madonna & Cliff & Tom Jones... everytime theres a new pop star / craze around they kinda become attached... Blur...Ab Fab...Robbie... Catatonia... and now Little Britain. Perhaps they are just incredible marketeers or instead just brilliant people who others want to be around. Whats for certain... Jonathon King was right... They have made a little go a very long way. Good on them. Rant over. JS...

ps.. anyone else struggle to listen to New York city boy moscow stylee... its terrible !

And you base this on Live 8?

Since you menioned Hue and Cry I can't really take anything you say with any credibility or seriousness. There is no debate here. You haven't realy come up with any sort of revelation. Good night Moscow.

Janet Street-Porter · Fri 14 Apr 2006, 4:05 pm

Phwoar!

Technotrancemix · #23 Post by **Technotrancemix** » Fri 14 Apr 2006, 6:08 pm

BlueSwan wrote:Neils voice is also very distinctive...rather than a undistinctive, but generally pleasant singer.

I'd say Neil is more a vocalist than a singer

Technotrancemix · #24 Post by **Technotrancemix** » Fri 14 Apr 2006, 6:09 pm

Janet Street-Porter wrote:Phwoar!

Is that James Blunt?

stew · #25 Post by **stew** » Fri 14 Apr 2006, 7:25 pm

why dont the boys get a knighthood for there efforts in music? ? ?

i mean beckham got one cliff got one PSB are popular people dolike erm so why not ? ? ?

Pani · #26 Post by **Pani** » Fri 14 Apr 2006, 7:31 pm

DazzerUKUK wrote:Nice weather for the time of year isn't it?

No! Definitely not ... !

stew wrote:why dont the boys get a knighthood for there efforts in music? ? ?

They are not keen on knighthood as far as I know ...
Not that they aren't keen on, I think they are against
it.

dancemaster · #27 Post by **dancemaster** » Sat 15 Apr 2006, 1:35 am

If psb had quit after Very you could easily argue they are the best electronic pop band ever. To that point they had the perfect career. And i don´t just mean record sales but most of all the amazing overall quality of the music.

Sure, they still produce great songs sometimes, but sadly also many songs that never would have made it even to the B-side in the early days. As a fan i am happy they go on but on the same time it´s not fun say psb is my favourite group and people listen to the latest material think oh well nothing special. Then you want to scream out listen to the first albums up to Very. They made like 75 perfect pop song during this period, songs that most other groups would die for just to come up with one song like that.

My biggest hope with Fundamental is that they get their inspiration back. Because at their best they are still my favourite group. In fact no other group is even close in my opininon when you look at the overall quality of their music.

joe stalin · #28 Post by **joe stalin** » Sat 15 Apr 2006, 8:22 am

dancemaster I agree.

Syncratic... you got me there. Hue and Cry were crap .. point I was trying to make... which I think has broadly been accepted is that there have been more talented musicians in the pop world over the last 20 yeats but that hasn't given any of the other groups the longevity that the PSB's have had.

To that point... just how good is Chris ... listening to Your Funny Uncle whiich Neil wrote and entirely performed (whilst Chris was asleep on the Sofa)... it shows musical elements that Chris has not exemplified.... Tom Watkins told Neil to ditch Chris early on. Sure he's a great guy who's very funny but someone like Blueswan... do you actually rate him ?

Will Chris go down as the one of the great keyboardists ?

Janet Street-Porter · Sat 15 Apr 2006, 8:49 am

joe stalin wrote:Will Chris go down as the one of the great keyboardists ?

"He's certainly no Bobby Crush."

BlueSwan · #30 Post by **BlueSwan** » Sat 15 Apr 2006, 8:53 am

joe stalin wrote:dancemaster I agree.

Syncratic... you got me there. Hue and Cry were crap .. point I was trying to make... which I think has broadly been accepted is that there have been more talented musicians in the pop world over the last 20 yeats but that hasn't given any of the other groups the longevity that the PSB's have had.

To that point... just how good is Chris ... listening to Your Funny Uncle whiich Neil wrote and entirely performed (whilst Chris was asleep on the Sofa)... it shows musical elements that Chris has not exemplified.... Tom Watkins told Neil to ditch Chris early on. Sure he's a great guy who's very funny but someone like Blueswan... do you actually rate him ?

Will Chris go down as the one of the great keyboardists ?

Chris is not a great keyboardist in the sense that he'd survive for more than 5 seconds on the progressive rock scene. Someone like Jordan Rudess is a great keyboardist. But Chris Lowe is a brilliant pop composer and that's far more important. I don't believe that the Pet Shop Boys would sound very much like the Pet Shop Boys at all without Chris. Interestingly Neil thinks rather highly of Chris' musical abilities.

So yes, I definitely "rate" Chris. He will not go down as a great "keyboardist", but as part of a magnificent songwriting partnership.

So why are the PSB's still around ?

Re: So why are the PSB's still around ?