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Re: Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless
Posted: Sun 26 Apr 2026, 2:26 pm
by Birthday Boy
Vampires is not really a favourite of mine, and I tend to forget that it exists, but every once in a while when I remember that it exists, I am surprised by how much I actually like it. A solid album track I guess.
Re: Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless
Posted: Sun 26 Apr 2026, 4:17 pm
by telys
Vampires is a fine track but the subject of the song is too much CTH for me to make it a marvellous album track. On the other hand I never delete it from my versions of the Nightlife tracklist (I always delete In denial and The Only one and add PLaying in the Streets).
Re: Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless
Posted: Mon 27 Apr 2026, 3:51 pm
by Sammy Jenkis
One of the songs with the biggest disparity between the main body of the track (plodding) and the middle 8 (it's a reflex... euphoric).
Re: Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless
Posted: Mon 27 Apr 2026, 4:40 pm
by Gabby
Sandy Shaw wrote: Sun 26 Apr 2026, 10:24 am
davidctecno wrote: Sat 25 Apr 2026, 2:54 pm
Track 115: Vampires
Chronology: Nightlife, Track 6
Funny joke: "You´re a vampire, I´m a vampire too".It's not one of the best songs, but the nocturnal atmosphere and "vampiric" style fit the album's theme well. Neil's version is better than the overacted one from the musical Closer to Heaven.
I really like David Burt's CTH version as well as the Nightlife version - he sang the sh*t out of it!
The CTH versions fits well within the confines of the musical - pretty powerful stuff, but on it's own it's not an easy listen. The PSB version lacks that context and depth it really needs to work properly. It's OK but as has been much discussed, Nightlife was essentially the CTH teaser and didn't entirely work as a PSB album as a result.
Re: Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless
Posted: Tue 28 Apr 2026, 9:17 am
by rathound
There's a good song in there somewhere, but the end result isn't it. Nice melody, don't think the repetition of the chorus thing does it any favours.
Re: Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless
Posted: Tue 28 Apr 2026, 3:56 pm
by Sandy Shaw
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7moUY ... GhLfYQmi9U
I've sequenced all three versions of Vampires and added a couple of other vampire themed tracks. The Deep Purple track intro seems to be channelling It's a sin!
Re: Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless
Posted: Tue 28 Apr 2026, 7:29 pm
by Drico One
Vampires is very beautiful - a slinky nocturnal pleasure with layers of atmosphere. But good grief. What in the heck is it doing on what purports to be a pop album? Had it been the theme song to some bloodsucking Hollywood movie starring Keanu Reeves, I'd say it was a masterpiece of the form. But on a pop album? At this point, it's clear that Nightlife is completely off reservation. We've had trance, synth and strings, hip hop, and country by this point. We have glam rock, disco, and showtunes to come. Nightlife is nothing if not eclectic, a smorgasbord of styles that really don't hold together.
In other words, they are all over the place. In Bilingual they were all over the world. Now, they are all over the shop, flailing around to put together something that might congeal into a coherent album. "It's about what happens at night" is a bit of an affectation. If this is what happens at night, maybe we'd all be better off calling it a day before 12. Certainly by track 6, things are getting weird. It's bad enough Neil coming over all Hulk Hogan with his "brother" and "sister" talk.
And yet it's still such a beautiful production and deeply evocative. But I can't help thinking substances have definitely been consumed by this point.
Drico.
Re: Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless
Posted: Tue 28 Apr 2026, 11:05 pm
by NOBODY75
Drico One wrote: Tue 28 Apr 2026, 7:29 pm
Vampires is very beautiful - a slinky nocturnal pleasure with layers of atmosphere. But good grief. What in the heck is it doing on what purports to be a pop album? Had it been the theme song to some bloodsucking Hollywood movie starring Keanu Reeves, I'd say it was a masterpiece of the form. But on a pop album? At this point, it's clear that Nightlife is completely off reservation. We've had trance, synth and strings, hip hop, and country by this point. We have glam rock, disco, and showtunes to come. Nightlife is nothing if not eclectic, a smorgasbord of styles that really don't hold together.
In other words, they are all over the place. In Bilingual they were all over the world. Now, they are all over the shop, flailing around to put together something that might congeal into a coherent album. "It's about what happens at night" is a bit of an affectation. If this is what happens at night, maybe we'd all be better off calling it a day before 12. Certainly by track 6, things are getting weird. It's bad enough Neil coming over all Hulk Hogan with his "brother" and "sister" talk.
And yet it's still such a beautiful production and deeply evocative. But I can't help thinking substances have definitely been consumed by this point.
Drico.
I was amazed that "Vampires" isn't a pop song... Although, well, I had the same thought, "What's this doing on a pop album?" many years later with "Hold On"... although in that case, I don't have nearly as good a feeling about the song as you do about "Vampires".
Re: Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless
Posted: Wed 29 Apr 2026, 8:24 am
by Lleonard Pler
I think sometimes we may be too clinical and overthinking. Pop music is primarily to be enjoyed.
I just played Nightlife this morning and I didn't notice disjointment, outdated sounds, didn't care for CTH musical that just a few attended. It's a good album that mixes electronics, orchestra and choirs to bring together an eclectic bunch of songs about toxic relationships and liberation.
Yes there are a couple of dull songs, but like there are on most PSB albums (even in some of their masterpieces).
As for Vampires, I hadn't listened in a while. It's beautiful and haunting, a metaphorical song about a toxic relationship that solves their problems with sex. It doesn't get more nightlife or even pop than that.
Re: Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless
Posted: Wed 29 Apr 2026, 11:17 am
by withanattitude
I like the groove and easiness of Vampires, especially the lightweight piano riff. For me, it aged better then Happiness is an Option, which I really did like back then. Glad, I played it this morning again after years to get my opinion on it
.
Re: Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless
Posted: Wed 29 Apr 2026, 4:02 pm
by NotInvisible
NOBODY75 wrote: Tue 28 Apr 2026, 11:05 pmI was amazed that "Vampires" isn't a pop song... Although, well, I had the same thought, "What's this doing on a pop album?" many years later with "Hold On"... although in that case, I don't have nearly as good a feeling about the song as you do about "Vampires".
Hold On is a masterpiece. You're all in trouble when we get to Elysium...
Re: Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless
Posted: Wed 29 Apr 2026, 9:18 pm
by NOBODY75
NotInvisible wrote: Wed 29 Apr 2026, 4:02 pm
NOBODY75 wrote: Tue 28 Apr 2026, 11:05 pmI was amazed that "Vampires" isn't a pop song... Although, well, I had the same thought, "What's this doing on a pop album?" many years later with "Hold On"... although in that case, I don't have nearly as good a feeling about the song as you do about "Vampires".
Hold On is a masterpiece. You're all in trouble when we get to Elysium...
When Ellysium arrives, Not Invisible,I know you and I will be just as far apart in our opinions as we were with Nightlife—both the worst Pets albums for you and me…but that's what makes it good. If we all agreed, it would be more boring, and I think it would also imply that their music isn't as rich and varied as it actually is.
Re: Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless
Posted: Thu 30 Apr 2026, 4:59 pm
by davidctecno
Track 116: Radiophonic
Chronology: Nightlife, Track 7
Another song produced by the duo with Rollo. It's a trance/hi-NRG style track inspired by retro sounds.
The demo is reminiscent of the Doctor Who theme and has a Kraftwerk vibe. Both versions are really cool and fit the Nightlife theme perfectly. From the next track onward (except for NYC Boy), the album goes downhill.
Re: Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless
Posted: Thu 30 Apr 2026, 5:10 pm
by Capsigrany
An anthem. Trancey and euphoric, I don’t know why it has never appeared in any tour as it could be a high point (like it happens with Vocal). It is a personal favourite and I always think that Chris and Neil should explore more this kind of vibe. Love both Radiophonic and For your own good, a good pair.
Re: Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless
Posted: Thu 30 Apr 2026, 7:30 pm
by NOBODY75
The little brother of "For Your Own Good." A good album track. I never actively seek it out, but I enjoy it when it comes on. I think it's aged well.