Patrick Bateman wrote: Tue 14 May 2024, 7:57 am
It's a perfect storm - synth-pop was out of fashion (look at Erasure's chart positions at the end of the 90s), they were getting on (ergo the costumes) at a time when the charts were fuller than ever of youngsters, and they chose that point in time to spread themselves thinly and write the musical too. My appreciation of Nightlife now is of it as their dumper album - you can imagine Neil reviewing an equivalent fall from Olympus in 1983, possibly Strip by Adam Ant.
Agreed. It's a poor album.
'I don't know what you want but I can't give it anymore' works as subconscious admission... they were throwing the kitchen sink at it in a last ditch effort, and they didn't have the songs. I tend to see Release as a palette cleanser and Fundamental as the re-boot, and more or less, they've been on form ever since.. a second career flourishing that has lasted nearly 20 years.
I wouldn't say it's a poor album... more... disjointed? It definitely had "Closer to Heaven" and it's musical type songs knocking on the door - which kind of butted up against the more dance-orientated tracks. It's the reverse of Nonetheless for me. Nonetheless really comes into it's own when listened to as a whole - whilst Nightlife is more an album where you pick 4/5 tracks and add them to a "Best of PSB" playlist.
Lleonard Pler wrote: Tue 14 May 2024, 5:45 pm
As for the singles, Radiophonic should have been the lead single instead of I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more, although this had one of their best videos ever so I can't complain.
I'd of loved a classic PSB Radiophonic extended mix. That song aches for extension! And the demo had so many fun elements they could have used for a remix. Still, just happy we have these album tracks
Not a fan. I do like some of the remixes. Also Montage is dreadful. Being boring versión is one of their worst reworks of a classic. The backing singers, why god almighty, why!???
Anyways, got sick of New York city boy, I remember I really liked Radiophonic.
I don't know, the whole album seems an afterthought of the musical, which is pretty awful as well.
I did like the sleeve picture. I think it's one of their best album cover art.
I thought radiophonic had a great start to it, but then it becomes clear its a non song, just a groove where you've heard the whole song by the first chorus
lalolalo wrote: Wed 15 May 2024, 3:37 am
Also Montage is dreadful. Being boring versión is one of their worst reworks of a classic. The backing singers, why god almighty, why!???
And once again, to demonstrate the diversity/perversity of PSB fans everywhere, I think it's one of their best reworks! The bit where they all collapse and it transitions to techno stomper is my most replayed part of that footage.
I'm a late convert to the fandom so I've only seen DVDs/Youtube of the tours, but if I could go back in time to one PSB tour, I think Nightlife would be it. It's late and I can't remember all the details now but there were a couple of other reworks that I really liked too.
lalolalo wrote: Wed 15 May 2024, 3:37 am
Also Montage is dreadful. Being boring versión is one of their worst reworks of a classic. The backing singers, why god almighty, why!???
And once again, to demonstrate the diversity/perversity of PSB fans everywhere, I think it's one of their best reworks! The bit where they all collapse and it transitions to techno stomper is my most replayed part of that footage.
I'm a late convert to the fandom so I've only seen DVDs/Youtube of the tours, but if I could go back in time to one PSB tour, I think Nightlife would be it. It's late and I can't remember all the details now but there were a couple of other reworks that I really liked too.
The extended version of Young Offender - performed right after the intermission - was absolutely amazing!
Anyway, Nightlife is an odd album, that came at an odd time for me (in retrospect). There are parts I like, and there are parts I don't. It's quite moody and I don't give it a spin (or even specific tracks from it) terribly often because it doesn't generally fit what I want to listen to.
If a track from Nightlife comes up randomly I might keep it on. It's not a clunker of an album, but I wonder if maybe the focus was so heavily on getting the musical off the ground, it ended up becoming a bit muddled.
Plus "Footsteps" is quite possibly my least favourite PSB track ever. When it comes in it's an automatic skip.
