Pet Shop Boys Community

Drico One wrote: Sat 13 Apr 2024, 8:49 am Lovely to see what Neil gets up to of a Friday night.

He looks marvelous, by the way, giving the impression of a man content with his world. Johnny is rocking those songs. Tremendous.

Drico.

Neil really does look amazing and totally bossing it he looks really confident and chuffed to be on stage with the fantastic Johnny Marr

Getting Away With It complete with added lyrics !

https://youtu.be/jMYbSdNxbeU?si=y8s2KJyBjsqtZ2Ti

dbaseboy wrote: Sat 13 Apr 2024, 9:06 am Rebel Rebel is amazing. Why the hell didn’t the boys cover this for R2? Way better than the car crash cover they did. Chris could’ve turned this into a right electro stomper.

It's funny, but for a band that had the Midas touch with cover versions for years (Always on my mind, It's alright, Where the streets have no name, and Go West - three of which are astounding records, one merely great), I tend to glaze over when I hear they are covering something these days. It's been like this at least since the Coldplay/Madness thing 15 years ago. Actually, scratch that. Somewhere was the moment the magic had gone. Karaoke to a disco beat.

Drico.

Well, in my honest opinion, their "My girl" cover is wonderful. Maybe it helps that I don't remember the 80s and it's the first version I've heard. Ta! Doom and gloom begone!

Future Lover.

Last to die was great.
I started a joke was all right.

Future Lover wrote: Sat 13 Apr 2024, 9:31 am Well, in my honest opinion, their "My girl" cover is wonderful. Maybe it helps that I don't remember the 80s and it's the first version I've heard. Ta! Doom and gloom begone!

Future Lover.

I too like their cover of My Girl, although like some other examples, I prefer their demo to the polished studio version.

For a cover to be worthy of recording, I think it has to bring something new to the composition. Three of their four covers up to and including Go West certainly did that. Even It's alright added a pop sensibility to a house classic. It's been diminishing returns since. The last one I genuinely liked was I cried for us. I wasn't aware of the original - and that usually helps. But the truly great covers are thrilling precisely because you are aware of the originals and find yourself marveling at the audacity or sheer effrontery of taking something almost sacred and making it more interesting.

My theory about why the quality of their covers have - in my opinion - deteriotated over the years is that when they used to cover a track in the 80s and 90s they tended to release them as singles. Not always, but mostly. They might not have started the cover with the intention to release it as a single - Always on my mind started out as something for an Elvis TV special, of course - but, in general, if they covered something they did so with the idea of having a hit.

Now that they know hits are beyond them due to the Logan's Run nature of commerical pop, their covers are more throwaway - for the odd live performance, etc., and then shove the recordings out as bonus tracks if they ever do see the light of day.

That said, at this stage in their career they've earned the right to be as throwaway as they like.

Drico.

That was awesome !

How wonderful, what a lovely, lovely surprise!

So damn good — I LOVED that entire middle bit of "Getting away with it" where Neil sings about 1989...so moody, so melodic, his voice sounding so wonderful backed by Johnny's dreamy guitar... wow!!

I love the added lyrics to GAWI. Almost like an update similar to the Full Story of The Pop Kids..

Future Lover wrote: Sat 13 Apr 2024, 9:31 am Well, in my honest opinion, their "My girl" cover is wonderful. Maybe it helps that I don't remember the 80s and it's the first version I've heard. Ta! Doom and gloom begone!

Future Lover.

I love their cover of My Girl too. I also like I started a joke, but I agree that it makes a difference if you haven't heard the original, which is why we probably prefer their earlier covers, as a lot of us would have been too young to know the original version. had never heard It's Alright, or Always on my mind before the PSB versions.

Anyone hear it differently to this?

1989, Manchester calling down my line
1989
1989, House piano and a new bassline
1989
1989, A change of mood for a different time
1989
1989, Manchester calling down my line
1989
1989
1989

I’m really hoping something like this happens, when Johnny supports New Order in Manchester


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It’s as great as it gets. Amazing rendition of Getting away with it. I want to hear it in studio version but it couldn’t be done without Bernard I guess?..