Best Pet Shop Boys Album

Can a mod fix the date? I meant to write "5-28-2007"?

if i was a betting man - very to win. but i might vote elsewhere myself. hmmm.

Very, very suprisingly, is not aging well for me. I will go with Behavior.

introspective, by a mile.

I hate Introspective so much

</BeatingDeadHorse>

We'll all be very excited to get to know the results in December ;)

December 2008!

OK, date's changed.

Thanks again.

No bother... Cheers.

thanks!

I'm tempted to vote for Billingual since I think no-one else will, but given the choice I'll have to go with Very/Relentless.

vote!

I agree with Dan about both Alternative and Introspective. Voted the former, but am content with any album winning except for the latter.

I voted 'Introspective'. It's great!

Results!

please should be higher - otherwise i could live with that ranking in general

I'm surprised by the low mark for Behaviour, as I always thought it was der conventional wisdom best PSB album. And 'cause it has So Hard on it, duh.

Not surprised by Discography, Very and Alternative's marks, but -- wow, yeah, I didn't know Introspective had that strong a following.

it's only joint 5th, and that's with 4th taken up with "The Best Of". very is the conventional wisdom on ILM/X and actually is beautiful. introspective i like, but that vote suprises me to the point that i'm not sure how genuine that vote reflects thing here

(xpost there)

Glad to see so many votes for Introspective.

I am not at all glad to see so many votes for an album that wasn't even an album proper, and which contains too much house. "Introspective" is obviously my least favourite Pet Shop Boys album, in spite of "Domino Dancing", "Left To My Own Devices" and "I'm Not Scared" all being great songs.

"Very" is a deserved winner, but "Behaviour" would have deserved way more votes.

name three ways in which Introspective is not a proper album.

Introspective = all tracks are mega! except "i want a dog". i think most people would say that the house vibe is a good thing.

name three ways in which Introspective is not a proper album.

1) Consists exclusively of singles/b-sides/remakes -> more of a compilation thingy really
2) Only six (long) tracks, thus out of place considered alongside rest of PSB's proper albums
3) Look at the LP covers of Please -> Actually -> Introspective -> Behaviour -- surely it seems to be "out of order" in this sequence?

OK I'm reaching here, and of course it's easy to find three ways in which it is a proper album as well, but I too feel it doesn't quite belong in the PSB's regular-album canon. It's a bit of an oddity, really.

I dunno--you can take an artist's intentions for what it's worth, of course (i.e., not very much), but at the time Neil Tennant used to say that with Introspective they were trying to make the "Sgt. Pepper of disco"--so they obviously put a lot of care into it as an album. To my ears, it totally coheres as an album, it's never even been an issue.

(1) It only seems like a singles comp because half the album consisted of singles, but it's no different from y any other album from which lots of singles were extracted. Would you say that about Thriller or Born in the U.S.A.?

(2) So?

(3) The title's not out of place at all! Typical Boysian irony – their most 'introspective" album is their danciest!

(3) Hey I didn't mention the title! I said the LP covers! Big white thing with small pic in the middle vs multicolours all over the place! :)

I think they were going for that Italo-disco flavour with the cover...not that that defeats your point. I love the cover, though I always thought the photos of them holding the dogs (placed inside) would've made really fantastic LP covers.

The only two tracks I know off Bilingual are Se A Vida E and It Always Comes As A Surprise and they are fucking amazing. Is the rest really so bad?

I hate "Domino Dancing" and I hate that remix of "I Want A Dog". "I'm Not Scared" is great and the versions of "It's Alright" and "Always On My Mind" are okay. "Left To My Own Devices" is completely ignorable. As a whole, the album doesn't really do anything for me; I'd rather listen to all three Disco albums, PARTICULARLY the first two.

xp
I'd say it's a half-and-half deal, with no outright duds. Great huge beats throughout, excellent Latin energy, etc. Some of the songs aren't that memorable, but the sound of the album is completely great. (OK, so maybe it's slightly better than half-and-half.)

Deep house >>>>>>>> Italo-house

I can't say I have a clear understanding of what deep house is, to be honest. A lot of Italo house is pretty great, though, and the Pet Shop Boys make great use of it all over the place (not just in Introspective). Aren't a lot of those early singles and songs from the first album (i.e., "I Need a Lover") completely Italo-house?

Italo-disco, then, no?

Introspective got the "2 CD deluxe reissue" treatment, like the others, right?

Italo-disco, then, no?

Uh, not sure what you're asking. The house/disco subgenres confuse the hell out of me, quite frankly.

Introspective did get the 2-CD treatment...can't recall what's on it.

The second disc has my favorite bonus tracks and remixes (and their great demo of "Nothing Has Been Proved").

I dunno--you can take an artist's intentions for what it's worth, of course (i.e., not very much), but at the time Neil Tennant used to say that with Introspective they were trying to make the "Sgt. Pepper of disco"--so they obviously put a lot of care into it as an album.

They started out intending to make "Disco 2" (which was eventually released years later, with other songs). Then they came up with so many new songs they felt like the'd rather make it an "album proper". But the "remix" oriented format still makes it kind of an oddity.

My main problem about "Introspective" is that three of the tracks are bad attempts at house though. And the 7 inch version of "It's Alright" proved the tune wasn't strong enough to stand on its own feet without the house beat either. "Always On My Mind" I am not too much of a fan of anyway, but it sounds way worse on "Introspective" than on the single. And then, "I Want a Dog"? One of their worst ever b-sides at that moment? The new version was just as bad as the original.

But "Domino Dancing" is still one of their best moments, even though I like the 7 inch version better.

The freestyle breakdown on the album version is just INCREDIBLE.

Aren't a lot of those early singles and songs from the first album (i.e., "I Need a Lover") completely Italo-house?

Totally, even the b-sides, particularly the remix of "In the Night" on Disco, "Paninaro," and "That's the Impression" (which even sounds like Lime).

i don't understand how anyone can hate on "left to my own devices".

so sad I didn't get to vote in this! (didn't see till now.) I'd have gone Very as well.

Introspective is pretty much flawless. I play it loud to annoy the neighbours.

"Introspective" has a very obvious flaw in "It's Alright".

instrospective to have own thread.

i find it... patchy

They started out intending to make "Disco 2" (which was eventually released years later, with other songs). Then they came up with so many new songs they felt like the'd rather make it an "album proper".

This is completely counter to their own account in the remaster's sleevenotes.

The only two tracks I know off Bilingual are Se A Vida E and It Always Comes As A Surprise and they are fucking amazing. Is the rest really so bad?

I've defended that album a few times on this board but I'll take any chance I get. The songs you mention are fucking amazing, and "Discoteca", "The Survivors", "Up Against It", "Before", "To Step Aside", and "Electricity" are just as great.

The B-sides from that era are fantastic too, especially "Hit And Miss", "Delusions Of Grandeur", "The Boy Who Couldn't Keep His Clothes On", and "The Truck Driver And His Mate".

Bilingual will always suffer from poor sequencing and a creeping, inexorable embrace of the maudlin (I can't stand "The Survivors" and even the great "Red Letter Day" has a touch of defensiveness to it that bothers me).

And then, "I Want a Dog"? One of their worst ever b-sides at that moment?

RONG

"Introspective" has a very obvious flaw in "It's Alright".

eh, "It's Alright" is one of their masterpieces. also, to say that the radio edit exposes the song's supposed weakness is ridiculous as, 1. it has a wholly different production, 2. this is exactly the kind of song that needs 10 minutes to blossom.

"Se a Vida e" isn't good at all. But "Red Letter Day" is.

eh, "It's Alright" is one of their masterpieces. also, to say that the radio edit exposes the song's supposed weakness is ridiculous as, 1. it has a wholly different production, 2. this is exactly the kind of song that needs 10 minutes to blossom.

A good song works regardless of arrangement.

It's a cover, Geir.

My favorite from Bilingual is actually "Before". I like the extended mix on the single even more.

It's a cover, Geir.

although the Sterling Void version is a bit crap. "Runaway Girl", though, that's a whopper and a half!

Pretty good piece on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the release of Please.

I hadn't expected a Quietus link on Sullivan's page but there you go...

Did he link to it? I know he's a huge fan.

Yup.

These ten. That's it.

I don't want to be rude but I honestly don't know how it's possible for one person to have so many opinions and rankings, thereof, across just about everything in culture. It doesn't even seem real.

It's as much a fun thing to do as playing video games, pickup basketball games, and tricking.

That ranking is more pleasing than the poll numbers. Not least for Nightlife love.

Care to expound on the less-than-good-ness of "Liberation"?

I love Liberation! Even though it’s basically just My October Symphony again.

Except it's not at all alike and My October Symphony is about a 1000 times better.

Oh, Please.

(xxp)

Except it's not at all alike and My October Symphony is about a 1000 times better.

― lbi's life of limitless european glamour (Le Bateau Ivre),

my boy

Good list, which had me listening to Please for the first time in ages.

Wish there was a compilation of all their 12" singles

'My October Symphony' is a brilliant song, but it does mean anywhere near as much to me as 'Liberation' does.

All their own 12" mixes and non-album singles are on the Further Listening editions. I have ten hours of third-party C20th PSB remixes on my iPod, with no effort made towards being comprehensive, so a compilation would probably run close to 20 CDs.

Introspective is one of the great albums, isn't it?

I'm Not Scared alone

that and always/house sealed the deal for me - obv i already knew LTMOD is one of the greats

Introspective is flat-out garbage

whoa!

too prog?

iirc, DJP's antipathy for "Domino Dancing" knows no bounds.

Too stupid and shitty

Left To My Own Devices goes on way too long and sounds like it was mixed by a deaf person. The mix of I Want A Dog sucks. I’m Not Scared is okay. The mix of It’s Alright is garbage. Always On My Mind/In My House is okay. Domino Dancing is one of the worst songs ever written/recorded. The entire thing is more embarrassing than Elysium.

Neil spends the entire album sounding like a weedy, petulant blouse with absolutely nothing interesting to offset how grossly unpleasant his voice is on virtually every song on the album. It’s a misconceived pile of shit and the worst thing they’ve ever recorded.

it's always been an endearing feature of DJP that the more wrong his opinion the more passionately he holds it.

It's Alright merely being good rather than great maybe prevents it being a full 10/10 album but dammit the rest is persuading me

It's their best album.

i have caved. how is this so brilliant

Introspective is flawless.

The bass line in "I Want a Dog" is astonishing.

That remix fucks up the song so badly, it’s not even funny

At any rate, I know what their best album is obv

DJP is kinda right in that nearly every version on Introspective is inferior to a version elsewhere, but this album is great

I suppose it's the mark of a truly great band that their oeuvre deeply divides opinion. Mine was the lone vote for Please, and I don't rate Very at all!

Always On My Mind/In My House is okay

think this might be the most egregious part of DJP's post

Nice list Alfred. I'd have Please a little lower and Electric higher (that album is standing up so well) but those are definitely their 10 most essential albums.

Introspective is amazing. I checked just last week.

I love it. Per Shop Boys are album artists

Pet

I really like this remix/re-edit of Love Comes Quickly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9J0kzp6Otg

I'd forever rank it top four together w/ 'Please', 'Actually' and 'Behaviour'. It's an astonishing album, and I was young enough when I heard it first (9? 10? PSB were the very first band I considered myself a 'fan' of) to be moved by It's Alright, even.

I'll be listening to all the others over the next few days, for sure.

Disco 2 absolutely rules

So bored of every review of it sucking and every mention of it being dismissive.

Disco 3 is at the top of my favorites overall. Surprised it isn't streaming, and the Felix Da Housecat remix of "London" is hard to find online, except on YouTube.

I guess single-selection polls don't necessarily say much about anyone's judgement of relative merit but geez, Please seems terribly hard done by up top.

N!N!N! OTM!

disco 2 is great, totally underrated

100%

this whole sequence is amazing:

I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing (DJ Pierre Wild Pitch Mix)
Go West (Heller & Farley Project Mix)
Liberation (E Smoove 12" Mix)
So Hard (Morales Red Zone Mix)
Can You Forgive Her? (Rolo Dub)

Disco 3 is streaming (in the UK anyway)

I think Disco 2 got some pushback because critics were snobby about the AbFab single, seeing it as an indulgence too far (which, of course, is the point)