Break 4 Love vs Tell Me Why (The Riddle)

[Patrick Bateman]

I know of some members (large contributers) that have left the forum and no longer post (think about it for a minute, you may be able to come up with them) who have just made their excuses and left.

Yeah, whatever happened to Zeus on the Loose?

[Drico One]

If I thought it was inappropriate for the forum, then it's something to report.

You can report what you like. We judge all reports on their merits. Some have more merit than others.

Either way, you should get back to me on the issue.

We read all reports and judge them on their merits. We reply when that is appropriate.

Gorsh, that is so much!

Once again, take it to PM with me if you want to continue this discussion. It's ironic that you are complaining about not getting a reply to your every report and here you are insisting on continuing this conversation with me and derailing your own thread instead of taking me up on my offer of contacting me by PM.

Drico.

[Radiophonic]

Love Dick x

Yeah, so do I.

[Drico One]

And just to be nice and not a dick - which, let's face it is asking far too much - I, like others, find it hard, ooer Missus, to compare two tracks as spuriously as you seem to be able to. Why not compare Leben (I Feel You) by Schiller mit Heppner to Tell Me Why (The Riddle)? They both use parentheses, and at least Heppner collaborated with Van Dyk as well. This niceness isn't working, is it? Okay, I'll try again...

*Takes deep breath*

Break 4 Love is, in my view, a bit of an after-thought, hardly something that lights up the PSB catalogue. Tell Me Why?, by contrast, is dreamy, ethereal, and among the best tracks of its genre. Saint Etienne fans can judge where it fits in their catalogue, but it's a classic trance record in my subjective opinion.

What the two tracks *do* have in common is they are both vehicles for a DJ. Neil's vocal and Chris's inconspicuous contribution hardly represent a Pet Shop Boys collaboration in the truest sense, and Tell Me Why? is clearly a Van Dyk record rather than anything that Saint Etienne would have released themselves at that time.

There. I've been as nice as I can be. I'm off to scrub myself down with steel wool and a wire brush.

Drico.

[Flaffer]

inconspicuous? he had as much to do with it as me ; ) the link between the two records is almost as bad as that between Beatles and The Ants

[York Minster]

Yep, both vehicles for DJ's and both came out at the same time, by bands that have a somewhat overlapping fanbase. I'm not saying the tracks sound the same, but both are way more "DJ" than any of the bands usual work. I didn't know the Dyk track was a "classic". Doesn't sound like one to me, but then again, I don't like trance. Break 4 Love is nothing special, but passable. I agree the Etienne track is "dreamy" and "etherial" in the same way that If Love Were all is "dignified" and "touching". It may be, but that doesn't make it a great track.

I like St. Etienne ok, they've had a lot of great songs. Perhaps I look for SONGS. There is no song in the Dyk track, there is no good catch hook (that the snow is falling isn't much of one). The synths are so thin that it's upsetting to me, like Erasure, but possibly worse. This all said, I really like Places To Visit. On that EP they did trancey songs that I felt worked.

Oh, and Break 4 Love went number 1 on the US dance chart. It must just be that good.

[skyhigh]

It's dreamy and ethereal but it's not a great track?

[Radiophonic]

I would love to be proved wrong as I like Saint Etienne almost as much as the Pet Shop Boys and often play their albums, but I don't think their fan bases overlap at all. And SE can only dream of the chart successes of the PSB.

[skyhigh]

To me ,the St. Etienne song is total garbage

I agree the Etienne track is "dreamy" and "ethereal"

You're a walking, talking contradiction.

[York Minster]

I would love to be proved wrong as I like Saint Etienne almost as much as the Pet Shop Boys and often play their albums, but I don't think their fan bases overlap at all. And SE can only dream of the chart successes of the PSB.

The proof is in the thread. There are plenty of St. Etienne fans here in the forum. Is there as much overlap as, say, New Order? No. But certainly a decent minority of PSB fans have a few St. Etienne albums (my brother and I do). I don't feel like proving you wrong with a poll or anything since to me, this is an obvious fact.

Oh, but just for a smidge of proof (not that it's proof): http://www.allmusic.com/artist/saint-etienne-p14155 PSB are listed as similar artists.

[skyhigh]

Where's the relevance when you're saying the SE track is garbage? Or are you now 'firmly' of the opinion that it is 'ethereal' and 'dreamy' and you're advocating that we all become fans of SE?

And for what its worth, I love 'He's on the phone'.

[Fugitive1979]

I don't feel like proving you wrong with a poll or anything since to me, this is an obvious fact.

Why? Are you afraid you might be proved wrong?

Oh, but just for a smidge of proof (not that it's proof): http://www.allmusic.com/artist/saint-etienne-p14155 PSB are listed as similar artists.

So are 808 State, and there is no similarity between them whatsoever. Likewise, Morrissey is listed as a similar artist to PSB.

[York Minster]

There are many fans of PSB who also like 808 State and Morrissey. And, no, I'm not afraid, because I'm certain a goodly number of PSB fans like St. Etienne. Not a majority perhaps, but a good minority like them.

[Radiophonic]

I don't think we should confuse 'obvious facts' with personal opinions and I am not sure this forum is a true gauge of the bigger pop music audience.

That list of similar artists is flawed. Often the artists on these lists are group together because they're English. M People similar to Saint Etienne? No.

[York Minster]

I don't think we should confuse 'obvious facts' with personal opinions and I am not sure this forum is a true gauge of the bigger pop music audience.

That list of similar artists is flawed. Often the artists on these lists are group together because they're English. M People similar to Saint Etienne? No.

Look, I already said it wasn't proof didn't I? But just like Pulp is not all that similar to PSB, there is a bit of an overlapping fanbase. I've been a PSB fan for a decade and a half and talked to many fans as well as being in this forum. St. Etienne have many fans that are also PSB fans. FACT. If you need proof, prove it to yourself whatever way works for you.