Canonical

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Ladies and gentlemen, the Pet Shop Boys canon.



Thirteen picks please.


[Poll #798661]


Give those men a knighthood.

Comments

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Not round Lex Towers it's not! The context of the band is so important to my appreciation of it, the who as well as the what - these people who've made their genius through detailing complexities and irresolution and qualifications in this often quite cynical, detached way, suddenly cut to the chase with this massive upfront I LOVE YOU and it's all the more effective for it.

They wrote it for Madge originally, I've often wondered how she'd have done it.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

This is why I ticked the song that beat "Heart", "Se A Vide E", which I like more the older I get, the corny old sods.

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

Se A Vida E, Before & Single-Bilingual I LOATHE. It's like that album was by a different band, I can't even think of those singles withoit shuddering.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I agree about the other two! Actually the album version of S-B is OK.

The Motiv8 remix of A Red Letter Day is up there with their best stuff, but sadly it was a B Side not the actual single release.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Basement Jaxx's worst remix = Red Letter Day. I still kinda like it tho, but not the original at all.

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was brilliant, and actually ended up feeling somehow more 'PSB' than the original

[wizzy-w.livejournal.com]

So is the Motiv8 version just the version that's on PopArt, or a totally different remix? Also, would you mind uploading Disappointed and The ghost of myself please? Can't find them anywhere on the interwebs...

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I don't own PopArt so I don't know - anyone?

It's about 6 minutes long and very boshing.

Hai una discoteca por acqui?

[wizzy-w.livejournal.com]

I've been listening to Single-Bilingual a lot lately, for some inexplicable reason. Although I barely listen to it, (two times since I bought it a few months ago, and counting), I can't bring myself to say that Bilingual is as dodgy as everyone says...although 'Saturday night forever" is their most underwhelming closing track. They'd have done better to replace the 'rap' tracks with some of the b-sides, and they'd have had yet another classic on their hands...

Re: Hai una discoteca por acqui?

[anatol-merklich.livejournal.com]

I've been listening to Single-Bilingual a lot lately, for some inexplicable reason.

Bcz it is MONSTAH. Chris's perc track here = !

Also, this song/pair is about coming of age as pop artists ie Rolling With It w/Control with glee yet a few reservations instead of oh noes my ppl is letting every idiot journalist in to ask me why I was mad yesterday!

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

It's also how I feel about 'Miracles' (the only song in the last bit I ticked and a real overlooked gem), except whereas 'Heart' is a prime-of-life roar of first love, 'Miracles' is...the same relationship 40 years on? Straightforward and romantic in a completely different way.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Do you know "The Ghost Of Myself"? Late period B Side with Tennant lacerating himself over the break-up of a relationship with a much younger man. It uses Max Martin style production to underscore the youth of the lover and the huge distance between him and Tennant. It is really brilliant and I have no idea why it wasn't on Nightlife.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Actually *all* Tennant's good late period songs are about getting old, aren't they?

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

'Was It Worth It?' as well! Such boundless POSITIVITY.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I don't, no - in fact I don't own ANY PSB album proper (ahem except the new one which is rub), and I've only heard two PSB non-singles ('how I learned to hate rock'n'roll' and 'we're the pet shop boys' - both b-sides I believe).

I don't know why I haven't rushed out to buy all their albums seeing how much I love them, but it just kind of feels as if Discography and PopArt are so perfect that it's enough.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

OMG I really should do a CD-R of the best non-single tracks!

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

YES!

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

YesYes!

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

I listened to 'The Sound Of The Atom Splitting' yesterday and it was so unnverving. Is there a darker PSBs moment? Or is the darkness undermined by some sort of 'comic' aspect?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

"Kings Cross" is surely darker, though less GOTH.