Pet Shop Boys Community

greenmile wrote: Thu 05 Mar 2026, 7:58 pm Just wondering about the short piece of intro music right at the beginning before Suburbia.

Is this an unkonwn PSB written track? Presumably they didn't include 'Babel' for licensing reasons.

The music in the intro is from the last seconds of It's a sin (the Latin spoken part) - without drums and other instruments.

daveid wrote: Thu 05 Mar 2026, 6:08 pm There's something up with the sound during Left to my own devices on the Blu-ray. It suddenly goes muffled during the pre-vocal intro. Anyone else getting this? I'm wondering if I need to return my copy.

I didn't notice this but I must say I lost interest quickly because of the poor sound mix, so I did not watch the whole thing. Watched Left to my own devices again, both the surround mix and the stereo mix. I think what you are referring to is the generally muffled sound of eg the bass line, it's all droning low in the mix indeed in the beginning of that song. IMO just another example of how poor this mix is.

It's digital sound anyway, so if there would have been something wrong with your disc, you would not get muffled sound, but hiccups and dropouts.

Haven't seen other reviews yet.

I'm appalled by the picture quality.
I'm speechless, seen much better for Blu-ray.
Some parts are blurry, and distant shots are even pixelated.
The image is noticeably unsteady in time with the bass.
The whole thing feels like a poor download.
Also no extras, nothing...
And why the blue tint?
Also the price.. about 35€!! Really???
I'm returning it! I‘m out..

The Blu-ray of Inner Sanctum is light years better!
And that one's already 7 years old.

young.offender wrote: Fri 06 Mar 2026, 7:25 pm I'm appalled by the picture quality.
I'm speechless, seen much better for Blu-ray.
Some parts are blurry, and distant shots are even pixelated.
The image is noticeably unsteady in time with the bass.
The whole thing feels like a poor download.
Also no extras, nothing...
And why the blue tint?
Also the price.. about 35€!! Really???
I'm returning it! I‘m out..

Unfortunately you are correct.
TBH the poor sound bothers me even more

Official German album charts: new entry at #8.

oakey wrote: Fri 06 Mar 2026, 10:07 pm

young.offender wrote: Fri 06 Mar 2026, 7:25 pm I'm appalled by the picture quality.
I'm speechless, seen much better for Blu-ray.
Some parts are blurry, and distant shots are even pixelated.
The image is noticeably unsteady in time with the bass.
The whole thing feels like a poor download.
Also no extras, nothing...
And why the blue tint?
Also the price.. about 35€!! Really???
I'm returning it! I‘m out..

Unfortunately you are correct.
TBH the poor sound bothers me even more

I don't agree.

Yes a few shots are blurred. I noticed that as well but it seems to be only one camera angle which is not used very often.

I also noticed some pixelated shots during Love comes quickly where Neil walks in front of the screen. That something that happens on digital compressed shots of pictures with a lot of information (every other pixel is lit and every other is dimmed). A blu-ray displays these pictures much better than DVD but I agree that it looks bad.

The only time I noticed unsteady shots is when the heavy drums set in at the beginning of West End girls but I got the impression that that was done on purpose in post production to add a visual effect that underscore how heavy the bass is.

I don't see a blue tint, but much of the show has a sterile look to it. Not only on the Blu-ray but also when experienced live.

The overall majority of the shots are super crisp and look great.

I think the sound is great.

Neil's voice is in tune and clear.

I have only listened to the stereo mix and I can't hear muffed sounds during the intro of Left to my own devices.

The only thing that I don't like about the sound on this live recording is the echo of Neil's voice during Jealousy. I noticed that myself at the Royal Arena but the echo was also there two nights later at their show at the Scandinavium arena in Gothenburg. I am wondering if the echo is part of the mix or an unfortunate effect of how sound bounces back from the back of the arena.

oakey wrote: Fri 06 Mar 2026, 10:07 pm Unfortunately you are correct.
TBH the poor sound bothers me even more

I haven’t bought the blu-ray yet, but the stereo mix available on streaming services is really bad. Vocals and pad sounds are the most prominent, the drums barely audible in some songs and the bass lines also kind of comes and goes.

I’m boycotting the censored version. The only copy I intend to own is the original release with Go West.

Den wrote: Sat 07 Mar 2026, 7:18 am I’m boycotting the censored version. The only copy I intend to own is the original release with Go West.

Ok well good luck in that mission

Towa wrote: Fri 06 Mar 2026, 11:26 pm

oakey wrote: Fri 06 Mar 2026, 10:07 pm Unfortunately you are correct.
TBH the poor sound bothers me even more

I haven’t bought the blu-ray yet, but the stereo mix available on streaming services is really bad. Vocals and pad sounds are the most prominent, the drums barely audible in some songs and the bass lines also kind of comes and goes.

Compred to the surround mix the stereo mix is excellent.

This long anticipated release is a missed opportunity.

The two TV broadcasts of the Dreamworld tour have so much more atmosphere and the downloads I have are even better than this bluray in terms of picture quality (Glastonbury and a show in Spain I believe)

Greetings,

Yes, there's something slightly off about the audio, even in the stereo mix (which I assume is what's on the CD I am listening to presently).

The mixing makes it all feel more like "Pet Shop Boys Karaoke" than it does an actual music concert. Sure, when you watch it, the visual elements tie things into a nice enough "stage show", and I appreciate the narrative of the spoken segues, but there's something a bit hollow and flat about it as if it were mastered for AM radio. Guess it wasn't a problem with the cinemas after all?

It all just reinforces my preference for Pet Shop Boys as a studio act, and why I don't feel entirely aggrieved that due to living in Australia, I've only managed to see them live twice.

Retro.

retrofuturist wrote: Mon 09 Mar 2026, 12:15 am It all just reinforces my preference for Pet Shop Boys as a studio act, and why I don't feel entirely aggrieved that due to living in Australia, I've only managed to see them live twice.

As excited as I am for Obscure I'm kind of with you on preferring PSB as a studio act. I've enjoyed them live many times, but do not rate them among my most favourite concerts.

I just received my Dreamworld Bluray and I really wish they'd stop with these cardboard sleeves. Aesthetically pleasing, sure, but practicality goes straight out the window. I've ripped the CDs and probably won't dare open it again.

The omission of the Nonetheless videos and the Imagine documentary could have elevated this to an unmissable release (dare I say even a classic in the realm of all concert DVD/BluRays).

Ho hum!

The Blu-ray sound is decidedly off for sure. Really not overly thrilled by this release but I got it for the CDs which I haven't listened to yet. TBH Id rather have a Blu-ray of the Glasto performance when the screen went tits up and Neil almost tripped over the lamppost.

Indeed a pity that the documentary is not on it. They probably did lose a lot of money on this release, with the Go west lawsuits and having to repress all CDs and blurays and the cases and destroy the original release that was likely pressed in full (as single items have surfaced on the Dutch record fare just days before the official release date and just before the release was withdrawn).

I have watched the Dreamworld bluray once, so now it can be shelved. Still have to listen to and rip the CDs which I will also rarely listen to (maybe Paninaro live), as I also do not think that live audio of a PSB concert is in any way interesting without the visuals. Concrete is the exception.

I do enjoy their live shows though and also like to watch the video releases of these shows, but not this Denmark show mainly due to the poor sound. I don't remember anything bad about the sound in the cinema at the time though.

It also makes me wonder how many copies of such a release are sold nowdays. 2000 worldwide? 4000? More? Less? I only know one person who has a bluray player and nobody I know still plays CDs, but of course die hard fans will have bought it. But the general audience certainly will not and even many fans here stream only. All the Nonetheless CD singles are also still readily available for example. How many of these were pressed worldwide?

First release in ages I’ve not bought. I understand the issues with GW and have numerous live recordings of that track anyway. But while it shouldn’t matter, the official release being incomplete just devalues it for me.

The filming of it also seems a bit too slick. Technically very good, yes, but doesn’t transmit the energy of being there, or even other filmed performances such as Glastonbury. Bring on Obscure!