Pet Shop Boys Community

What do you think about Numb 'killing-off' the Boys being playlisted again on Radio 1 ?

Not that it matters.

But what do you think, MINIMAL gets them back on, only for NUMB to send them flying back off the playlist again.

In a way, a 'very' PSB thing to do, 'self-destructive.'

Why are you assuming NUMB will be released as a single? It's the worst track on the album.

Actually I'm more worried about the prospect of anyone playing it than anyone NOT playing it. It might scare people away from buying Fundamental, if "Minimal" made them consider buying it.

I'm not going to go into the "PSB not picking the hits as singles" thing again. What is starting to annoy me is that PSB are simply not presenting their best side on singles anymore. Since 1994, even Erasure have released better singles than PSB, despite PSB's albums being vastly superior to Erasure's.

BlueSwan wrote:Since 1994, even Erasure have released better singles than PSB, despite PSB's albums being vastly superior to Erasure's.

OK, that was a bit harsh, but the point is that PSB is simply not showcasing their strengths on their singles. If I had not been a fan already I wouldn't have bought Bilingual on the basis of the singles. I would probably have bought Nightlife, though, I'll give them that. I definitely wouldn't even have touched Release based on the singles. Unless they change their singles schedule, I wouldn't have bought Fundamental either.

That's bad. Especially considering the fact that I love almost everything PSB does.

On the other hand, had Discoteca been a single, I would have bought Bilingual. Had Love Is A Catastrophe or Birthday Boy been singles, I would have bought Release.

Had Fugitive been a single I would have bought the entire back catalogue in search of another song as fantasic as that. That's why I think "Fugitive" should be a single. It might not be on Fundamental, but the track is so phenomenal, it could potentially draw attention from a lot of people.

I think Radio 1 would defo play it due to slight link with Aerosmith/D.W

Radio 1 aren't very keen on Aerosmith. Didn't they only start playing "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" AFTER it became massive? I seem to recall so.

I think that PSB have always assumed that Numb will be a single in an attempt to reach out to the adult contemporary market and local commercial radio (yawn . . . .). If Radio 1 do playlist Minimal, this thinking may change. Radio 1 do play slower stuff, but they seem to like more epic songs, rather than power ballads; e.g. "Gravity" by Embrace got loads of airplay. (Luna Park is a far more Radio 1 style song than Numb). Radio 1 aren't really supporting the manufactured X Factor style songs any more.

The choice for next single may be a really difficult one for PSB and EMI. If Minimal has been playlisted by Radio 1 then the obvious choice to continue with that momentum is Integral, especially as it captures the current mood of disillusion with the New Labour project so effectively. Maybe there is a real chance of an Integral / Numb double A side?

Numb would be a great single.

Radio 1 aren't officially playing PSB again, it's just Colin and Edith who seem to be supporting them a bit. So "Numb" won't kill anything really as there's nothing to kill. Now, the fact that "Numb" shouldn't be a single for quality reasons is a different story, WE WANT "FUGITIVE".....

EVERYONE I have spoken to in radio thinks that Numb is the most radio friendly track on the album!

Not that keen myself - but it is growing on me!

Not that keen myself - but it is growing on me!

Same here, this is the track from the album I just can't get out of my head at the moment.

I don't know what Radio 1 plays these days, but it's not as if a re-listing on Radio 1 would either be permanent anyway or necessarily all that desireable. "Minimal" could get listed and the Pets could follow with "Integral," which I assume is the other track most likely to get listed, and Radio 1 could well decide that one PSB track is enough. Radio 1 simply isn't the Pets' audience. Radio 2 has more listeners anyway.

First few times I heard "Integral," I cringed. The track would have been cheesy coming from Army of Lovers fifteen years ago. Fans have been saying that "In Private" is embarrassing, but surely "Integral" is worse. At first it reminded me of something that Andrew Lloyd Webber might have put in Phantom of the Opera. Past PSB productions have been OTT, but were either deliberate pastiche (New York city boy) or else had enough dash of classicism about them to affect a bit of dignity. "Integral" could be any cheap Euro-disco act's latest anonymous hit. But it is catchy, for all that, and might go down well with some audiences. (And despite what I say here, I'm actually warming to it a bit myself.)

They MUST release Sodom and Gomorrah show or Casanova in Hell!! Stop this Numb/Integral nonsense, they are not that good songs really!! Numb really doesn't sound much of a PSB song (which it isn´t of course) but instead sounds more like the f*** american adult contemporary hillbilly boring music which I loath listening to on the radio (but will never be that bad though since it is in deed the Pet shop boys performing) and has litterally stopped me from listening to some stations I used to like here in Iceland. To release that as a single would be a sell out which could be alright if the song was in fact worth releasing which NUMB is DEFINATELY NOT! Sodom and gomorrah or Casanova in hell. Thank you, good night.

I can't believe that after all these years so many people have such a differing view of NUMB than myself. I really think that this song is so fantastic. Its a stand out album track (IMHO).
I must be getting old .......
I must be wearing my PSB shades all day .....

NUMB is a great track ..... ba ba ba ba ba .... I'm lovin' in !

I have a feeling that people are going to be debating this track forever.

It seems that the overwhelming majority seem to like it, but a small minority are somewhat more vocal in stating their opinion.

AWFUL
14% [ 12 ]
AWESOME
60% [ 51 ]
50-50
25% [ 21 ]