Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless

[ype]

Not only do i love E-mail, i think the bridge is the most beautiful and haunting piece of music the psb have ever written.

[Patrick Bateman]

One of the things that happened as the vault dried up and albums were no longer wall-to-wall genius was bland songs like this started popping up. See also, Beautiful People on Yes. Send me an email to say I've come into a legacy - please forward £1,000 to Prince Umberto Heffalump to release the millions.

[NOBODY75]

It’s a pleasant enough album track. For me, it’s not the biggest problem with *Release*. Let’s just say it’s not one of the songs I’ve replaced in my own version of the album.

[telys]

Track 142: E-mail
Chronology: Release - Track 5

It’s not a bad song, but it is a bit weak and lackluster. The first letdown on *Release*.

This is another problem with Release. When doing this type of album they chose several songs with weak lyrics, an album like this needs strong lyrics. Neil certainly knows how to write lyrics so the inclusion of Email is baffling.

[Patrick Bateman]

Jesus, I thought the charts were bad in 1999 (they've just finished the TOTP repeats on BBC Four ) but they're nothing compared with 2002. I assume Home and Dry came out the week after Pop Idol finished.

https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/s ... 0324/7501/

[Gabby]

Jesus, I thought the charts were bad in 1999 (they've just finished the TOTP repeats on BBC Four ) but they're nothing compared with 2002. I assume Home and Dry came out the week after Pop Idol finished.

https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/s ... 0324/7501/

Those shows have a lot to answer for. I do feel there's been a homogenization in music because of them. A good singing voice doesn't equate to talent.

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

A good singing voice doesn't equate to talent.

Agreed. The ability to hit outrageous notes does not equate to an enjoyable listening experience.

Which, to bring us back to the topic, is probably one of E-Mail's more redeemable features - it's easy on the ears.

Retro.

[VRIDD]

I think that the Chris Zippel Radio Version of E-mail is very interesting!

Does anyone know the history of this version and why it was never released?

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

I think that the Chris Zippel Radio Version of E-mail is very interesting!

Does anyone know the history of this version and why it was never released?

Probably because no radio station would touch it with a barge-pole. Chris Zippel was a mistake and I'm glad they bailed out when they did.

Retro.

[NotInvisible]

Catching up here...

London is a beautiful track, which has aged pretty well aside from the vocoder. The song would have been stronger without it. Absolutely lovely delivery from Neil on this one. Most bands would kill to have written this melody. This is the sort of song they should be rerecording for things like Furthermore, rather than the hits. Just a great run, the first four tracks of Release.

E-Mail is the first swing-and-a-miss on Release; the Chris Zippel version fits much better, but it's definitely one of the weaker tracks in their catalog. It's to their credit that these are noticeable in the first place, though. With most artists we're noticing the brilliant exceptions; with Pet Shop Boys the exceptions are the songs that aren't brilliant.

[NotInvisible]

Of course it's not about London, it's about reaching a dream land they've been dreaming of and finally getting a sense of freedom and release there, something that was only an idea in the place were they came from. The law they're breaking is not London's law but "the Far North" law, ie they're doing what they couldn't do at home.

In a way it's like the protagonists of Go West finally reached the West.

This seems to fly over the head of a lot of fans, although they're also breaking the law by jumping their visas.

[Morse]

I pretty much agree with your opinion. For me, those were the four singles, and in that order. However, I would never have left out Between. Nor The Samurai. It's true that it doesn't fit the album's sound as well, but I don't think Sexy Northerner does either.
I would definitely have removed the last three and included I Didn't Get, Between Two Islands, and Always. For the tenth, I'm torn between Here and Sexy.

But in short, we agree that it could have been a much better album because they had the songs to be.

As fabulous as those songs are, I can see why Neil and Chris (and Parlophone) kept Always, Sexy Northerner, and I Didn't Get Where I Am today off Release. Always and Sexy Northerner aren't guitar sample driven, and I can see why Parlophone queried the inclusion of I Didn't Get Where I Am Today on it as it doesn't quite fit the mood of the album. Sexy Northern and Always are very Pet Shop Boys songs.

Neil and Chris openly say that Between Two Islands should have been on the album. I happen to agree with them. Release sounds good as it is. A moment in time for me.

Are you saying it was Parlophone that vetoed the inclusion of "I Didn't Get..." on the album?

Well, that's what the Release Further Listening notes suggest.....

[Morse]

I pretty much agree with your opinion. For me, those were the four singles, and in that order. However, I would never have left out Between. Nor The Samurai. It's true that it doesn't fit the album's sound as well, but I don't think Sexy Northerner does either.
I would definitely have removed the last three and included I Didn't Get, Between Two Islands, and Always. For the tenth, I'm torn between Here and Sexy.

But in short, we agree that it could have been a much better album because they had the songs to be.

As fabulous as those songs are, I can see why Neil and Chris (and Parlophone) kept Always, Sexy Northerner, and I Didn't Get Where I Am today off Release. Always and Sexy Northerner aren't guitar sample driven, and I can see why Parlophone queried the inclusion of I Didn't Get Where I Am Today on it as it doesn't quite fit the mood of the album. Sexy Northern and Always are very Pet Shop Boys songs.

Neil and Chris openly say that Between Two Islands should have been on the album. I happen to agree with them. Release sounds good as it is. A moment in time for me.

If they made Samurai fit, I don't see why any of the other songs wouldn't fit too.

The mood and tone of The Samurai in Autumn (wistful) fits Release...albeit it's the one track which sticks out.

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

The mood and tone of The Samurai in Autumn (wistful) fits Release...albeit it's the one track which sticks out.

Since we're there anyway, time to turn the record over...

Track 143: The Samurai in Autumn
Chronology: Release - Track 6

It's more a sensory experience than a song. I like it, but the 'chunking' bass sections that permeate much of the song are a bit intrusive.

Retro.

[Birthday Boy]

I like The Samurai in autumn in the context of the album. The "chorus" sounds really beautiful and the lyrics seem like a poem to me, which I would say makes them quite strong. However, I would agree that the instrumental sections in between are a bit forgettable and perhaps don't fit in with the rest of the song.

Like E-Mail before, it is overall not a song that I would actively play, but unlike E-Mail, I always enjoy it a lot when it comes on. (I don't dislike E-Mail though, it's just one of those few songs that I really don't care about.)