Mar 28 2021
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4
With their second album, Actually, the Pet Shop Boys perfected their melodic, detached dance-pop. Where most of Please was dominated by the beats, the rhythms on Actually are part of a series of intricate arrangements that create a glamorous but disposable backdrop for Neil Tennant's tales of isolation, boredom, money, and loneliness. Not only are the arrangements more accomplished, but the songs themselves are more striking, incorporating a strong sense of melody, as evidenced by "What Have I Done to Deserve This?," a duet with Dusty Springfield. Tennant's lyrics are clever and direct, chronicling the lives and times of urban, lonely, and bored yuppies of the late '80s. And the fact that dance-pop is considered a disposable medium by most mainstream critics and listeners only increases the reserved emotional undercurrent of Actually, as well as its irony.
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Aug 09 2022
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5
Skipping the first song on re-listens really added a star or two on this.
I wonder how much impact the opening song on an album has on the ratings on this site. Sometimes it feels like a lot to listen to one new album every day, so first impressions really have to count. One More Chance is just so cheesy. The first 30 seconds sounds like an ad for babbys first sampler. Did that squeaky "ehh" sound really need to survive into the chorus?
Past that song though, the album is great. Neil Tennant's vocals are always awesome. Distinctive and expressive without being showy. Pop songs are often in minor keys these days, but I feel like that was less common in the 80s (I might be wrong). The fairly sombre vocals combined with the accessible backdrops feel like a smiling friendly man waving you inside, only to regale you with sad tales of privatisation, religious repression, financially one-sided relationships, the impact of the focus on personal financial gain over personal relationships, and so on. But his voice is so nice that you stay and listen.
This was a rollercoaster ride of "ohh I like the pet shop boys, let's have a listen... oh no this is cheesy and dated... actually this song aint bad, and this one, and this one, wait, is the only bad song the first one? yes actually. oh god thats the album name. Did they mean that? Surely not. Like the album giving you a weird cheesy pop song at the start and then saying... actually... and then giving you awesome song after awesome song. Like the way the chorus in Shopping makes you go, what the fuck is this about, then you read what its... actually... about... christ I'm overthinking this. Album good."
Have I talked myself into five stars here? I think I have. Why not hey.
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Aug 24 2021
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2
This is very Eighties, but not in a good way for me. Shoutout to "I love you, you pay my rent" as a lyric though.
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Apr 14 2021
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2
The eighties were a mistake
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Oct 06 2020
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5
5/5
Synthpop and politics are two things I've never thought of before this album, and to be honest I'm blown away! I had thought of synth pop mainly in the vein of one-off, mildly offensive songs like Mr. Roboto, or classic, yet still one-off, songs like Take Me On.
There's a certain level of melancholy in Actually that pairs very well in opposition to the upbeat tone and... poppiness of synth pop as a genre. I found Rent to be particularly effective at this, with its short, cutting lyrics about unequal power dynamics paired with synth beats.
The unmistakable critiques of British politics (ye olde Margaret Thatcher) and capitalism of the 1980s are also really interesting. It Couldn't Happen Here could easily be viewed as an analogy to the Sinclair Lewis book It Can't Happen Here, except with Thatcher in the driver's seat. Shopping also criticizes industrial privatization. Then there's also the gay subtext in songs like Its a Sin.
The production of this album is very clean and in my opinion, its held up quite well. The lyrics are interesting, the instrumentals are varied (love the trombone/trumpet use) so the album doesn't feel too same-y, and a lot of the songs are quite catchy. This album is both highly accessible for members of the public, but also interesting from an analytical standpoint, and I find that that is a really rare and beautiful thing.
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Mar 01 2021
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2
What Have I Done to Deserve This?
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Nov 22 2023
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4
Lively and likable.
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May 10 2021
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5
There's a lot of good vibes to this, really love their sound and especially the production. The singing is a little bit so and so, but i really enjoy it. Hit Music is infectious and funky, probably my favorite track off the whole album. 9/10
Best tracks: One More Chance, What Have I Done To Deserve This?, Rent, Hit Music, It's A Sin, Heart.
Worst track: Shopping
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Sep 11 2022
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5
This album came out when I was 19. I had it on cassette and played it all the time in those days. It is one of the soundtracks to my college years, as well as a wonderful document of Britain in the the late 80s with its subtle references to Thatcherism.
Having spent some time with Dusty Springfield's wonderful music in this project, I am so happy that this album helped to bring her back into the spotlight (and that Dusty in Memphis was Neil Tennant's favourite album!)
I love the synth-pop sound, the dancy tracks, and the emotions in this. An absolute favorite then and now.
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Apr 20 2021
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4
Nice, dancey. Very on-par with Depeche Mode without being as dark. Love the Dusty Springfield duet. Favorite tracks: "I Want to Wake Up", "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", "It's a Sin"
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Sep 07 2021
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2
Kinda shit
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Dec 07 2021
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1
Boy, that really didn't age well, did it? Gross.
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Jun 09 2024
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3
One of the better synth pop excursions on this list.
These dudes are fucking weird. I dig it.
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Feb 11 2021
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2
You cannot convince me this isnt a parody album of Britpop.
Heavy Synth sounds and decent music, but the vocals are almost nonsensical. Particularly the Shopping-Rent-Hit Music run in the middle. The fact that Shopping is often used on British Shopping Channels makes it seem like the song was produced for that purpose rather than the song coming first.
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Oct 14 2020
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5
PERFECTION
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Feb 14 2021
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5
Yes, actually a 5.
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Jan 28 2021
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5
one of my fav albums now. amazing
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Apr 21 2021
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5
Major game piece! Catchiness and fun, lyrical power and greay overall! Still getting covered by newer artists today
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Aug 13 2021
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5
So good. Owned this. So good so good so good.
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Aug 31 2021
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5
One of my favorite bands. Love it.
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Sep 26 2021
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5
What Have I Done to Deserve This Album? Love It ❤🌈
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Oct 02 2021
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5
Five classic pop-singles + five very strong other tracks - clearly one of the best albums of the 80s.
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Jan 25 2022
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5
This is a masterpiece of electronic pop/dance music. The undertone here is often melancholic, but even then with a hauting, yet melodious vibe. Still, there is variation between songs - listening through this gem never gets boring. We can find some well-known PSB songs from the 80s here (It's a Sin, What Have I Done to Deserve This?, Rent, Heart), but the lesser known songs are good as well, including two especially beautiful ballads (King's Cross/It couldn't happen here). This album is a classic. 5/5
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Jan 26 2022
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5
Practically perfect synth pop. "It's A Sin" alone is worth price of admission, but everything else is so blissful and bouncy. Bravo!
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Feb 03 2022
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5
"What Have I Done to Deserve This?" is a pop masterpiece.
Overall, the synths were immaculate, and this is the peak of '80s dance-pop. What a catchy, poignant and ridiculously calming (for the soul) record. Except "Shopping". That was not the greatest thing.
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Feb 21 2022
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5
It's my guilty secret that I can't help but like PSBs and this is my favourite. I bought it at the time and even went to see them in the 90's (with my girlfriend as cover). All 10 songs are of the highest quality- production, beat and style. The lyrics conjure up a glamourous and often sordid 80's highlife. It's unashamed and catchy.
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Jul 23 2022
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5
Massive bias here, I already love the Pet Shop Boys. Dance music with a degree in Dostoevsky was never not going to appeal to my pretentiousness.
The fact they can write about such bleak subject matter and not sound like your standard miserabalists is GENIUS. And the lyrics!
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Jul 26 2022
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5
oh heck yeah. this is the new wave sound that i love and have been waiting for! actually is the definition of moody new wave. the lyrics and the tone of the music make it dark, but there's quite a beat throughout the album. it must the disco vibes! so many songs are just so catchy. "heart" and "hit music" embody that disco feeling! and how absolutely wonderful dusty springfield lended her voice for the "what have i done to deserve this?" duet. pet shop boys and dusty springfield are an unusual combination but one that paid off big.
i've been looking forward to the pet shop boys on this list, and i'm so thrilled i was not disappointed. i do get nervous submitting 5s but i do know i will come back to this album and enjoy it more and more.
final note: the album cover is such, such a mood.
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Sep 11 2022
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5
The Pet Shop Boys came to my attention in 1986 with the album Please. I loved that album. But their release of 1987 of this album is what made me a huge fan. This is 80s perfection.
I love every song on this album. From the absolutely phenomenal “It’s A Sin” to the sad elegy “It Couldn’t Happen Here”, this album mixes politics and personal stories deeply into these incredible electronic dance creations.
One of the finest albums from the Pet Shop Boys, and one of the finest albums from the 80s, or any decade for that matter.
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Jul 27 2023
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5
Fantastic dance tracks, scathing political commentary. Who knew satire could work in a song. Neil Tennant’s dry delivery just makes it - this proves two men and a synth can accomplish so much.
I embraced them from when I first heard West End Girls in 1984. Apparently that was a hit in France and Belgium, which makes sense now because I was dancing to it in a Parisian nightclub in 1985. Me and my friend were the only ones who knew every word because we were the only British people there. The French kids did know the chorus though. But I digress!
The beats, the delivery - every tune has impact. I think most people know It’s a Sin from the recent TV series, even people who weren’t there in the 80s. So that’s been given a much-appreciated revival.
I’m not gonna deny that it sounds very 80s, but I don’t find that a derogatory comment. This album encapsulate the British political and emotional climate of the time and I can listen to those tunes even now and get carried away!
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Apr 03 2024
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5
Another youthful favorite, faithfully taped from the local library, from when chart music was various, eminent and fascinating. Has retained its majesty (esp. the biggies "Rent", "It's A Sin", "Heart" and the Dusty number) although the opener is a weird choice; tack on the faultless hi-NRG "Always On My Mind" cover for the VIP experience (I've awarded the ultimate Xmas #1 to RATM elsewhere, but this really deserves it instead).
Excellent soundtrack on the Walkman while reading Agatha Christie, surely a 5* qualification? Nostalgic wink also to the Carter USM cover of "Rent"; "..Fulham Broadway..", oh you wags
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Apr 03 2024
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5
PSB were a guilty pleasure overheard that I refused to recognise back when I believed synthesisers weren’t real instruments and guitars had to be everywhere.
The music is well poised, economical without being sparse, the dramatic moments popping; lyrics are calculatedly ambiguous, yet sharp as heck, and it turns out I have a thing for Tennant’s voice. This is thrilling music, the singles bringing a chill but more unexpectedly the rest having heft, purpose and hooks. They invented their own universe, something they share with the rest of the best here.
Old me was a foolish child - looks like he has lots of companions here!
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Jun 13 2024
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5
Amazing.
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Oct 02 2020
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4
Classic synth-pop album, full of hits. It couldn't happen here and the last two are great, plus the Dusty track, and It's A Sin one of the best synth tracks of the 80's.
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Feb 11 2021
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4
Didn’t expect to, but really got a kick out of this album! The beats were great, I found myself moving along to it in the kitchen - and the jabs at the privatization of the UK and Thatcherism were like a little cherry on top. Enjoyed meaning behind a genre often focused on partying - at least from what I know as a mostly outsider to electronic and dance.
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Feb 23 2021
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4
Nice
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Feb 17 2021
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4
Great - very of its time, and evocative. Will listen again!
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Jun 07 2024
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4
It's a sin not to like this album
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Jun 14 2024
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4
Okay that one song still slaps
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Oct 04 2024
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4
Cracking debut from the lads. Four number one singles, some classic pop tunes. Excellent!
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Sep 06 2021
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3
No West End Girls? Still, pretty cool. I feel like I’m in a Delorian on my way to pick up some Ludes after a long day of day trading.
Seriously though, this has a Pure 80s vibe and is solid all the way through. There are remnants of lot of what the Pet Shop Boys did here.
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Jun 12 2024
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3
I liked this more than earlier PSB. What have I what have I what have I done to deserve this? I liked it!
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Oct 04 2024
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3
Very Pet Shop Boys start to finish. Some gems on this album, but ultimately, this album exists in a very specific time in history and doesn't really hold up in the modern music world (that sounds more negative than I mean it). A number of the songs get a little repetitive and drone on for a little too long, but the themes and emotions throughout are relatable and at times hard hitting.
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Oct 02 2021
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2
It's a sin indeed. 10 seconds in I already felt the urge to turn it off. Came out of it with only two half-decent songs, salvaging a second star.
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Jan 26 2022
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2
Only reason it got 2 stars was for “It’s a Sin”. The yawning on the cover is an accurate depiction of the album overall.
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Nov 23 2022
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2
Pet Shop Boys don’t do it for me
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Jan 17 2023
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2
I'm the guy on the right
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Aug 16 2024
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2
[on the phone with the manager of the pet shop]
“Yeah I was just wondering, what’s your return policy for boys?”
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Aug 16 2024
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2
yawning on the album cover: funny and kinda cool
album cover picturing the correct reaction to every song: not cool
music: hated. (⌐■_■)
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Oct 21 2024
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2
You actually smell the 80’s
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Apr 04 2022
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1
This was SO hard to get through. 'Actually' was a dated snooze-fest that barely held my interest throughout what felt like a terribly long listen (although this isn't long at all compared to some of the albums I have received so far on this list). To sum up my feelings on this one, all you need to do is look at the album cover as the yawning was a perfect representation of how I felt going through this album. I was just constantly unimpressed by anything on here. None of the instrumentals stood out to me as it just seemed like generic 80's synth-pop throughout with no catchy hooks. I also did not enjoy the singer's voice at all; while he has a unique tone, I found it pretty irritating and noticed that he sang every type of song the exact same way. The combination between annoying vocals and boring music ended up making this feel like a parody of everything it was trying to be which is about the worst thing I can say about an album from this genre. This is not an album that I can recommend anyone check out, and I am not sure how it can deserve a spot on this list at all. 'Actually' is the weakest album I have listened to so far. 1.5/5.
NOTE: I went to check this one off of my list and saw that there are 3(!) Pet Shop Boys albums on this list. How?!?!?
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Apr 03 2024
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1
I’ve always hated this band’s music. This sounds like someone dancing in your face when you’re in a bad mood, saying ‘come and daaaaance’ when your face is clearly telling them to fuck off. Annoying.
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Jun 28 2024
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1
I could see this being fun to listen to if I were a completely different person with a completely different music taste
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Apr 24 2021
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5
Nice
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May 17 2021
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5
— В Pet Shop Boys музыкальная сила и мудрость...
— Вы любите Pet Shop Boys?
— (подергивая плечами) Да-а
— А какие альбомы предпочитаете?
— (Протягивая руку) Да обычны... ну вот, пожалуйста, Actually. Нормальный альбом. Пацанский, хули. Слушать можно.
— Похвалите ещё Pet Shop Boys.
— (С заминкой) Ну как его похвалить... ну заебись альбом. Пиздатый альбом! Как его ещё похвалить бля... (небольшая усмешка, перерастающая в полноценный смешок)
— А ещё пара красивых слов?
— (Показывает большой палец) Не-въе-бен-ный альбом!
— Спасибо.
— (безразлично) Да на здоровье. (Ставит альбом на повтор) Вот оно — музыкальное золото!
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Aug 27 2021
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5
Niceee
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Sep 28 2021
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5
Loved it
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Oct 20 2021
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5
80'er for fuld skrue. Alle de rigtige lyde, Juno's, Gated Snare, det HELE!
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Nov 19 2021
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5
What Have I Done to Deserve This? (with Dusty Springfield), Rent, It's a Sin, Heart. Se merecen un 5.
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Dec 04 2021
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5
El pop fet art. Un altre dels grans discos que van fer bons els vuitanta, amb una sensibilitat artística (i lletrística) que molt pocs artistes han demostrat, tota ella al servei d’unes cançons inoblidables, tan fossin grans èxits del moment (‘It’s a Sin’, ‘What Have I Done…’, ‘Rent’, ‘Heart’…) com temes més amagats però igualment portentosos (‘It Couldn’Happen Here’, ‘I Want to Wake Up’, ‘One More Chance’)
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Jan 13 2022
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5
A nice 80s pop-rock album, very atmospheric.
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Jan 19 2022
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5
Прекрасно
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Feb 02 2022
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5
Knocking off a star because of Morrissey
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Feb 06 2022
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5
I’m a big fan of Pet Shop Boys so this one was really fun. A great album with a lot to choose from!
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May 16 2022
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5
Yay, more Pet Shop Boys! And this one has my two favorite songs by them (Heart and It's A Sin; Rent is really good too though). I gave this one two spins and enjoyed the first couple of tracks a lot more on the second go than the first. To be honest, this might be more of a 4 star album than a 5 star album... but Heart!
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May 28 2022
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5
Flawless. By far their most consistent album, passing the acid test that listening to the album tracks without the singles shows no drop in quality.
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Jun 13 2022
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5
fuckin awesome
I mean, I’m not surprised, it’s easy for this genre to impress me
10/10
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Jun 15 2022
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5
Very very very good. actually.
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Jul 18 2022
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5
Great electro pop sound
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Aug 02 2022
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5
I don’t need to do this one because… ok I will. I don’t need an excuse for listening to one of my all time favourite albums,
(Later)
Gosh. ‘Kings Cross’ is a masterpiece of observational melancholy. It shouldn’t work in the same album as ‘Heart’. Or the plaintive complaint of ‘What Have I Done to Deserve This’.
That’s the thing about this album. The whole is a lot greater than its parts. Not so many artistes really think about putting together a complementary suite of songs nowadays, rather focusing on bangers and necessary fillers. This is the package. THE package.
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Aug 10 2022
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5
Rent это sin
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Aug 25 2022
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5
Espectacular. Masterpiece
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Aug 31 2022
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5
Loved it. Pure bliss.
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Sep 11 2022
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5
I realize that I should have more Pet Shop Boys in my life.
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Oct 12 2022
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5
Awesome album and not me most favorite album of theirs.
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Oct 18 2022
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5
Actually ages and I still love it. This is my first listen of this remaster, which brings out the datedness of many of the instruments. Yet I can't find anything bad at a song level and looked excitedly forward through the end of the record. The laconic delivery pairs perfectly with the ironic tone, but the songs keep you dancing as well. The rare record you can enjoy earnestly while annoying your friends with.
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Oct 24 2022
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5
Okay I've never heard these folks before but I actually really enjoyed this.
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Nov 22 2022
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5
Very much a product of its time, but a damn good one.
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Dec 13 2022
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5
New for me and great
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Jan 04 2023
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5
Track Ranking:
1. It's A Sin - 9
2. One More Chance - 8
3. It Couldn't Happen Here - 8
4. What Have I Done To Deserve This? - 8
5. Hit Music - 7
6. Heartbeat - 7
7. Shopping - 7
8. Rent - 7
9. King's Cross - 7
10. I Want To Wake Up - 7
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Jan 11 2023
View Author
5
An all-time favorite album. I have to admit, I didn’t quite understand PSB until this album, and then I heard how tongue-in-cheek and smart their lyrics were. A 5-star classic.
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Feb 22 2023
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5
What Have I Done to Deserve This? (with Dusty Springfield), Rent, It's a Sin, Heart. Se merecen un 5.
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Mar 03 2023
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5
This album is that famous "let's dance our troubles away" album. Great, until today!
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Mar 06 2023
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5
Such a rich mix of politics and electro-pop, total joy to listen too.
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Mar 08 2023
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5
It's a Sin and One More Chance are such banger songs. Even besides that, the album is pretty dang good.
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Mar 11 2023
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5
Mitäää???????? Tämäkö ACHYALLY?? ACHUALTTY GOOD? HUOKOTTELIJA POIKA KUVASSA... EI PALJOA HUOKOTELLA BIISEISSÄ... USKOMATONTA..
RAKASTAN LEMMIKKIELÄIN KAUPPA POIKIA!!
synth pop toimiii meediumina hieman.. heh.. mietytymmälle musiikille
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Mar 14 2023
View Author
5
please
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Mar 14 2023
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5
Pure proud pop.
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Mar 26 2023
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5
Bangers, all the way down.
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Apr 04 2023
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5
This is a good one
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Apr 06 2023
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5
Classic 80’s pet shop boys. No west end girls but fun tracks
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Apr 24 2023
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5
Slay
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May 13 2023
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5
Excellent pop album with some great songs throughout. Of it’s type rarely beaten.
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May 13 2023
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5
So much of this was familiar, even though I've never set out to listen to the band. It's just such a clear and obvious sound and, you know, pretty good - better than I was expecting I think. A lot better.
And there are some damn fine bangers on here - and not just the singles that everyone of my age would have absorbed from the ether somehow or another. In particular I'd forgotten how good a tune Rent is - love the vocal and the brass sort of sound going on. And then Heart as well, which had me dancing around my kitchen. The opener is proper dance music too, and Dusty's vocals just work beautifully on What Have I Done.
On first and second listens I wasn't such a fan of the rather slower It Couldn't Happen Here - seems an odd way to start side 2 (back in the day when it would almost certainly have involved turning the vinyl or cassette over) when you've got It's a Sin hidden behind it. But even that's growing on me with repeated listens. Maybe it's the extra bit of variety the album needs to set it up as really very good?
This is just the perfect soundtrack for being 18 that I never realised that I had. To put this in context, I’d have been listening to exclusively guitar rock in 1987, probably involving men with long hair, but this just sums up that period perfectly. Great cover too, and I love the comma. Very clever, even now. Actually.
My other half came in from work when I was halfway through listening to this and seems to know all the words to all the songs, despite claiming she's never brought a copy of the album and never listened to it - she assumed they were all singles. Maybe someone in authority has been pumping this out while we've been sleeping? Or it's on so many soundtracks that we've just absorbed it somehow. Catchy as hell might help as well.
Jolly good - pleased I listened to this. I'd listen to it again certainly, and at one point I had it as a solid 4, but it's too good for that. I'm not sure what the 18-year old me would think about giving this a five - probably be vaguely appalled. But what the fuck do 18 year olds know?
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May 31 2023
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5
Nostalgia and power pop just great.
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Jun 26 2023
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5
I love this album. It's one of the great examples of a techno pop album that functions beautifully as a whole. Every song is perfectly placed and there's not much in the way of filler. It's really a total package of an album, one of the greats of its genre. Several of the Pet Shop Boys' best songs appear on here, including "What Have I Done to Deserve This?," "It's a Sin," and "Rent," but there are some really compelling deep tracks as well. The whole album is a sly political statement about the emptiness of the age in which it was made, much of it still resonating today. I promise you, there were not a lot of pop artists occupying this particular space in music in 1987.
Musically, the arrangements are top notch, with a smart, textured use of sequencing and some really lovely melodies. Neil Tennant's approach to vocals suits the tone of the songs beautifully. He comes off as jaded and detached, but then he has these lovely, surprising moments of vulnerability that add well-placed emotional depth to the sound. These are songs that speak evocatively of decadence, ennui, longing and regret, in ways that few artists can do. And all of that with a perfect pop sensibility.
Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): It's a Sin, Rent, What Have I Done to Deserve This?, It Couldn't Happen Here, I Want to Wake Up, Heart, King's Cross, One More Chance, Shopping, Hit Music
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Jul 12 2023
View Author
5
Pleasantly surprised how amazing this album is. Looking forward to digging into their discography further. Synth pop perfection
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Sep 06 2023
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5
I’m not a big Pet Shop Boys listener. But this was a great listen all the way through. Lyrically interesting, sonically interesting. Great record.
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Oct 20 2023
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5
What Have I Done to Deserve This? (with Dusty Springfield), Rent, It's a Sin, Heart. Se merecen un 5.
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Nov 22 2023
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5
I'm not the biggest fan of Pet Shop Boys, but I guess everyone has to admit that this album is an absolute excellent piece of music in the highest quality available. Amazing album, great songs, will recommend to anyone!
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