Pet Shop Boys Community

Three years was a very long time to wait in those days since their last 'proper' album. Pop music was in a different place by then. In the mainstream, Stock Aitken Waterman had saturated the market and despite some beautiful songs had given pop itself a bad name. Meanwhile, from the underground, Nirvana and grunge had destroyed dressing up and fun as a musical aesthetic. Acid house had taken electronic music in a new exciting direction. Perhaps the Boys were right to take a new direction with a more subdued sound?

Track 54 : Jealousy
Behaviour Further Listening Disc 1 - Track 10

Difficult to fathom that Jealousy was the product of their first attempt at song writing. The artful narrative threads that tie so many of their songs together seem to have been in place since day one. It’s as if they immediately knew how to be good at being good.

Jealousy draws Behaviour to a poignant close; however, were they guilty of gilding the lily with the Spector slathered outro?

Too Many Shadows wrote: Sat 30 Nov 2024, 4:41 pm Track 54 : Jealousy
Behaviour Further Listening Disc 1 - Track 10

Jealousy draws Behaviour to a poignant close; however, were they guilty of gilding the lily with the Spector slathered outro?

Imagine they never wrote or released another track. It would be an apt and epic ending.

Too Many Shadows wrote: Sat 30 Nov 2024, 4:41 pm Track 54 : Jealousy
Behaviour Further Listening Disc 1 - Track 10

Difficult to fathom that Jealousy was the product of their first attempt at song writing. The artful narrative threads that tie so many of their songs together seem to have been in place since day one. It’s as if they immediately knew how to be good at being good.

Jealousy draws Behaviour to a poignant close; however, were they guilty of gilding the lily with the Spector slathered outro?

They arrived fully-formed. Neil was 30 with a ten-year media career behind him. Unlike other pop stars from the time they weren't growing up in public. They'd done their research. Chris was a musical savant and Neil knew where the bodies were buried. It's no wonder many acts of the day found them a bit threatening and why they were treated with suspicion and some derision by the mainstream media for many years.

daveid wrote: Sat 30 Nov 2024, 5:58 pm

Too Many Shadows wrote: Sat 30 Nov 2024, 4:41 pm Track 54 : Jealousy
Behaviour Further Listening Disc 1 - Track 10

Difficult to fathom that Jealousy was the product of their first attempt at song writing. The artful narrative threads that tie so many of their songs together seem to have been in place since day one. It’s as if they immediately knew how to be good at being good.

Jealousy draws Behaviour to a poignant close; however, were they guilty of gilding the lily with the Spector slathered outro?

They arrived fully-formed. Neil was 30 with a ten-year media career behind him. Unlike other pop stars from the time they weren't growing up in public. They'd done their research. Chris was a musical savant and Neil knew where the bodies were buried. It's no wonder many acts of the day found them a bit threatening and why they were treated with suspicion and some derision by the mainstream media for many years.

They "arrived" in Octoeber 1985 with West End girls after four years as a group and after a few non-succesful attempts.
1981-1983 Writing, playing, demoing
1983-1984 Recording, releasing singles with Bobby O
1985 Recording and releasing a single.

Them being fully formed doesn't happen until 1985.

Jealousy is the perfect album closer as the majestic orchestral flourishes fade out on their most perfect album. If they'd called it a day with this single and Performance, they'd be the greatest pop group of all time. I'm obviously glad they didn't but we saw they had feet of clay by the end of the decade.

Robbie Williams did an amazing job with his live version on Concrete!

telys wrote: Sat 30 Nov 2024, 7:26 pm

daveid wrote: Sat 30 Nov 2024, 5:58 pm

Too Many Shadows wrote: Sat 30 Nov 2024, 4:41 pm Track 54 : Jealousy
Behaviour Further Listening Disc 1 - Track 10

Difficult to fathom that Jealousy was the product of their first attempt at song writing. The artful narrative threads that tie so many of their songs together seem to have been in place since day one. It’s as if they immediately knew how to be good at being good.

Jealousy draws Behaviour to a poignant close; however, were they guilty of gilding the lily with the Spector slathered outro?

They arrived fully-formed. Neil was 30 with a ten-year media career behind him. Unlike other pop stars from the time they weren't growing up in public. They'd done their research. Chris was a musical savant and Neil knew where the bodies were buried. It's no wonder many acts of the day found them a bit threatening and why they were treated with suspicion and some derision by the mainstream media for many years.

They "arrived" in Octoeber 1985 with West End girls after four years as a group and after a few non-succesful attempts.
1981-1983 Writing, playing, demoing
1983-1984 Recording, releasing singles with Bobby O
1985 Recording and releasing a single.

Them being fully formed doesn't happen until 1985.

I'm mean they were people with experience of the world and the pop landscape. "Fully formed" is Neil's quote.

As someone above said they were "Immediately good at being good", for the above reasons.

Capisce?

Track 55: It must be obvious

Chronology: Behaviour, Further Listening, Track 1

All manner of terribly embarrassing awkwardness riddle this anxious fever dream. A sense of urgency, longing, and fear of rejection colour the mannered self-awareness that characterises our protagonist's predicament. We know that our callow hero won't openly confront the elephant in the room, but that, in itself, means the relationship as it exists can continue for as long as the object of his affection remains either oblivious or, more hopefully, silently and tolerantly aware. This, then, leaves open the possibility that his love might be requited some day.

This song is simultaneously touching, funny, and sweet and is a lovely example of Neil's ability to gently sketch and empathetically satirise the human condition.

An understated gem of a b-side that is somewhat underrated, perhaps, by sheer accident of belonging to an era of stellar flipsides.

Drico.

A great b-side, think it complements So Hard really good.

To my ears, it's a a slow-pulsed high point, complete with tempo tinkering that makes for a more rewarding listen than So Hard.

A sensational b side, so much going on it’s difficult to know where to start. I truly hope the next live concert plan is ‘alternative’ tracks in small venues covering masterpieces such as this- I live in hope.

"Everyone knows when they look at us. Of course they do, it must be obvious."

Such a hilarious couplet in terms of what it codifies.

Maybe my favourite b-side of all.

I remember So Hard was single of the week in Melody Maker and the reviewer mentioned IMBO saying that PSB can throw away tracks that other bands would give their right arm for.

Absolutely right.

Love the bonkers KLF mix too.

Something summery and golden about Obvious.