Reviews (page 6 of 8)
80s synth pop cheese. Completely of the times, it's not bad.
It’s ok. A little too much 80’s synth and drum machine for me. Too dance music-y.
The singer’s voice doesn’t really compliment the music. The lyrics and vocals don’t really feel like they fit, or they just feel too simple. In addition, the songs tend to drag on and become repetitive. That being said, the backing tracks are great pop hits. They’re the main highlight of this album, and they help keep it from being too forgettable. Mainly listen to them when you go through this album. Favorite track: It’s a Sin
The weaker Pet Shop Boys album. Actually feels like they're being held back by something that I can't seem to put my thing on, but the noises and sounds that give it that signature '80s feel don't hold up to the test of time. That being said, the best songs from this album are amazing. Highlights: 2, 4, and 7.
The Pet Shop Boys always know which chords I like. This one not so much though. 3
Sort fan, sort just there. Nothing special to me. C
Not whiny, hurray!
Is this song really "we're s-h-o-p-p-i-n-g, we're shopping"? Because it's adorable. Not my new favorite band or anything, but it's fun.
Started out really strong, but I got less enthusiastic as it labored on. I think small doses of Pet Shop Boys works best for me. First couple songs: great. “It Couldn’t Happen Here”… well ultimately I wish that one couldn’t, and hadn’t.
I don't often care for this style, and it has to be something really special to catch my notice. This did that, at least. Playing with expectations a bit in song structure. Their subjects are a little more interesting than "it feels good to dance," or "I got dumped and it's no fun." (There's a place for those too, but I need more from disco I guess.) It's a Sin is a banger, but one great track doesn't make a whole album in this game.
Gezellig
Best leuk, maar wel ontzettend eighties
I like. Lekker energiek.
Good at what they do. Synth isn’t my favorite but easy to listen to and their voices are nice. Very listenable, especially for the background.
Very 80s, very British, very Pop.
The last Pet Shop Boys album I drew, “Behaviour”, marked Pet Shop Boys’ move into more introspective, “cerebral” music. It did very little for me, so I was intrigued to hear their earlier, peppier side. On paper, 80s electronica and dance with a touch of campy theatrics and offbeat vocal stylings should be something I’d really enjoy, but “Actually” still hasn’t quite clicked for me. From the off, it’s at least a more upbeat and enjoyable record than “Behaviour”- the opener “One More Chance” is percussion-driven for the first couple of minutes until the keyboards snake in layer-by-layer, culminating in a borderline symphonic refrain. “What Have I Done To Deserve This” has an unexpected turn from Dusty Springfield, who does a sterling job and adds some variations to Neil Tennant’s fairly by-the-numbers vocals (some songs build towards a euphoric melodic chorus, then crash and burn with his deadpan spoken refrains). A Pet Shop Boys hosted-album with a roster of guest vocalists could have been an interesting idea. But it didn’t happen, and we get this. The highlights aside (the two openers, “Hit Music” and of course, “It’s a Sin”), the album begins to feel weighed down by all the mechanical electronics. It comes across a little cold without wit, bite or quirks. And the ballads (“It Couldn’t Happen Here”, “Rent” ) are downright dirges. Still, I think it has capacity to grow on me and I wouldn’t bludgeon anyone for putting it on- just didn’t feel like an instant classic. Yet.
-In this house, we criticize consumerism when we sing the song 'Shopping" -"Shopping," "Hit Music," "It's a Sin," and "heart" were all catchy enough. Most of the rest of the album was pleasant but nothing really stood out, didn't get too intense
Pretty slow. Nothing really jumped out.
3.3 - Nice new wave listen - enjoyed Shopping and the Cat Steven’s apeing on It’s a Sin.
Suuuuper 80s synth pop. Perhaps not the best from the “Boys”. Still it’s decent. Features a ton of meaty and danceable synth grooves even if the subject matters are shallow.
Actually, its pretty good. A ver, me ha dado ligeramente igual pero me gusta el sonido y lo disfruté mientras estaba en la bibliotek. ¿como es que Its a Sin estaba ya en mi cerebro sin saberlo?
Preciso escutar novamente, mas gostei da sonoridade.
Very much of its time.
I guess I’m a Pet Shop Boys fan now.
"What Have I Done to Deserve This?" is the question that i asked myself when i started listening. In the end it's not that bad. Three good songs ("What Have I Done to Deserve This?", "Rent" and "It's a Sin") and some filler.
Equal parts containing all the now-embarrassing elements of 1980s pop, and endearing nostalgic feelings of a simpler time. Studio mixing in a cave, heavy synthesizer effects and drum loops, the existential crisis one feels knowing that this is either highly processed or borne from a single electronically manipulated keyboard with sounds. The 80s were the pinnacle of music-making embracing the clean shortcuts of computerized compositions. This album hits all of those notes with the type of precision that electronic sound manipulation is designed to do, and to its discredit, it does it too well, for where music has evolved since the beginning, the 80s felt like more of a fad than it did an evolution. The 90s felt like a snapping out of that. It is difficult with such bias against the 80s, to take this album with any sense of meaningful seriousness. Instead, rather than being a gift, hindsight is a burden when listening to this. The music sounds easy and one-dimensional in spite of all the layers, and perhaps there is a way to narrow one's perspective to respect this for what it was in the time it was made, yet one can only be grateful that we have moved on. Three stars for historically endearing significance, for feeling irrelevant and serving as a reminder of when things were weird and embarrassing.
Classique new wave, mais pas le meilleur album du genre
Now I know who the Pet Shop Boys are.
Definitely a notch below their 80s synthpop contemporaries. 6/10
Lo mejor esta en los singles. Parece que los Pet shop boys son un grupp para escuchar en compilados o recopilaciones porque todo un disco tiene pocas sorpresas.
Enjoyable for the 80s!
Well produced synth pop
I don’t really care for this kind of music but it had some catchy songs 5/10
Really sing-songy at points and quite 80s. Lyrics are pretty good but I didn’t like much else. 5/10
The majority of the album feels like 80s electronic dance club music, although the final song, King's Cross, stands apart from the rest of the album. The electronic music is tolerable, but feels a little corny to me. King's Cross is a more serious song, and stylistically much more like the "serious songs" that respected rockers like Phil Collins or Don Henley produced during that era.
A strange lyrical obsession about paying the bills and rent - and generally quite a non-memorable album except for a couple of classics. It’s a container for it’s a sin and heart and kings cross I guess - the rest are fillers
Inoffensive stuff from the Pet Shop Boys, but nothing really catchy.
i actually thought it was fun and interesting to listen to. nothing super outgoing but i would listen to again
Well this is the *second* Pet Shop Boys album in the first 150 albums. ....? really? By the end of this exercise in about 3 years I'm going to be upset that they have (at least!?!?) 2 more albums on this list than most of my favourite bands but ok it's NOT ABOUT ME...sigh... (where was I?) Right. Pet Shop Boys. I scorned new-wavey-all-synth music in the 80s but now I quite enjoy it. To a point. Without looking back at my first review of the PSBs it probably goes something like this... it's nice. And this is nice! Nothing too memorable, though - it plays like a very pleasant sounding 80s soundtrack and is *fantastic* for background/working music. Nothing particularly negative outside of the fact that no individual songs are all that memorable. I can't remember anything in particular after finishing and looking at the song titles. Which...so why is this album on the list? Not that it's bad - it's nice! I've said that! But... It's a solid 3, would never argue against listening to this but not sure if I'd be in an overt mood: "PUT ON ACTUALLY!" In fact... the album cover is a brilliant slideshow of my reactions while first seeing this album then again sometime around song 7. In fact this would be nice to fall asleep to... [creates sleep playlist...] 5/10 3 stars.
Classic 80s sound on this album, but nothing that really stood out to me that much
Unexpectedly enjoyable. Some cool synth chords and a few stand out tracks ('it couldn't happen here').
pr good but no crazy standouts for me
Classic synth pop. Not really my bag but they are very good at it.
A couple of big tunes on here. More enjoyable than I was expecting, but I wasn’t expecting much.
80’er synth pop, god rytme, lidt ensformigt
Pretty good synth/dance/80s/pop album. Especially of note the hit with Dusty Springfield...What Have I Done to Deserve This. Not sure what more I can add. If this is your style of music you won<t go wrong. 3 stars
// Favs: – Score: Strong 2 to Light 3
I loved a couple songs on the album. I Want to Wake Up was a real stand-out. Overall the synths and 80s production got in the way for me, but not as much as I was expecting.
It´s not actually that bad
the album is decent, with somewhat simple lyrics here and there
3.5
Pretty catchy.
took me a minute but I got it
I enjoyed it initially, but to be honest, it did drag on quite a bit. The beats were very interesting and I'm sure this sounded very groundbreaking at the time, but the synth hasn't aged as well. The lyrics were interesting and clearly shaped by Thatcherism.
It was definitely an 80s album. I was not familiar with any of the songs. I am not going seek this album out again, but it is not a bad album.
Some good songs, some ok songs
Pretty fun, especially the first few songs and the hit (It’s a sin). Plenty of weird stuff on here as well. Is Shopping code for something?
First time listening to a whole PSB album. It was ok.
It's a sin is brill, everything else made me yawn
From a technical point of view, the way they were able to start a song with a theme that gave no hint of the main theme will also go down in history. (6/10) Favourite Tracks: It's a Sin, What Have I Done To Deserve This, "Always on my Mind"
Second Pet Shop Boys album! I know a lot of this already, and the hits are bangers. What I've discovered from listening to two of their albums is that a collection of the best PSB songs would be an easy five. But they haven't done that with a complete album yet. Still good, just not classic level.
42. As ruas estão vazias. É uma pena. Saí mais cedo para cá estar. MotA: What Have I Done to Deserve This? "The city is quiet, too cold to walk alone / Strangers in overcoats hurry on home"
A bit dated for me
Gick in med låga förväntningar pga 80-tal och synthpop och Pet Shop Boys. Förväntningarna blev både mötta och krossade. Bra spår som One More Chance, King's Cross och till viss del What Have I Done to Deserve This? möter skräp som Shopping och Heart. Shopping är inte dålig i sig, MEN fan LÄGG AV med att bokstavera det STÖR MIG Visst, It's a Sin är ok, men överskattad. Bästa låt: One More Chance, mest för refrängen. Det bästa med det svåra 80-talet komprimerat i en kvällsvibbande dansdänga.
I can appreciate this record's energetic and playful melodies, it's subtle dance-pop vibes, synth-riffs, and overall creative choices. Highlights are the amazingly catchy "What Have I Done", the funny and sarcastic "Shopping", "I Want to Wake Up", and the extremely tight instrumentals on "Heart". However, I find myself not enjoying the more melancholic, dreamy and slow tracks. Examples being "One More Chance", "Rent" and "It Couldn't Happen Here". Due to my lukewarm feelings about the record, though some enthusiasm is deserved, a 3/5 is fair.
Everything I would imagine 80’s dance-pop to sound like. Some really groovy songs and great sounding synth. A few of the songs stuck and others didn’t, but overall an album I’d throw into some playlists. “Heart” kept reminding me of music from Mario 64.
Eeeeh
This album was fine. Nothing exceptional to me. I do like synth pop but I don’t feel like there was a standout great song on this album… the base quality was better than average, though, so 3 stars.
A extremely synth heavy new wave pop album. It's pretty impressive what this duo can get out of building pop songs around synths and while I very much respect a lot of the craft to this album (and it is very well crafted), it's not my cup of tea at all. Impressive production, well-crafted pop songs, but again done in a style that doesn't stir much of anything in me.
Not a big fan
Not exactly my kinda thing, but well crafted and executed. Good melodies.
I didn’t hate it like I thought I would! :)
Nostalgic
Few tracks pretty good, but the remaining tracks are weak.
It's okay. Kind of forgettable.
Ennio Morricone has a writing credit on this album... Mind. Blown. Best track: It's A Sin
what a weird album to listen to 35 years after its release. it has most of PSBs biggest hits and they all stand up pretty well despite being done in the cheesiest era for pop music. Thats probably because you've heard them a million times and the stabby synths aren't as jarring. the rest of the album is terrible dated stuff from that era. I can't imagine the synth crazy sounds of the late 80s/early 90s ever come back round.
80's throwback album.
A hilarious start to the album with the bongo sounds to kick it off. What Have I Done To Deserve This is a fantastic pop tune, I liked hearing Dusty pop in with backing vocals and her own sections are great too. It's A Sin is my favourite off of the album and the driving backbeat is infectious. I'd like to comment more but I'm a bit behind. Enjoyed this generally, especially the singles. Solid 3/5.
One excellent song (Rent) surrounded by a couple of good songs and much fluff. PSB's compilation album is the better choice.
I ‘actually’ enjoyed this, the lyrics are a bit odd at times but I like their sound.
Solid!
Pet Shop Men.
Catchy! I do not know much Pet Shop Boys but I can get down with most of what they're doing here. Fun synth lines, dance beats, and lyrics make for a fun album, and I can't hate that. Unfortunately, some of the sampling here sucks and takes away from the overall product. Otherwise solid stuff.
Decent 80's Synth Pop
6.25
I liked the 80s vibes. "It's A Sin" is a real standout track but I liked a few of the other tracks too. 7/10
Better than expected, but not as good as Please
It's a Sin is the obvious standout - some other decent ones but a bit thin for me.
All I really want is a montage of me trying on different outfits with all my best friends shaking their heads while "Shopping" blares in the background! I have been diving into New Order ever since we listened to that Joy Division album, and I must say that brand of 80s new wave type stuff is much more interesting, but Pet Shop Boys is way more fun! I really enjoyed the catchiness of these tracks and the fact that they had something to say as well. I don't mind pop if there's substance. It did get way overly 80s for me though with some of those big bright synths and splashy drums, so I for sure tuned out at some of those 80s cheese moments. Not enough bangers on here to cut through the filler.
Actually good songs and production 👌🏽
fun album. Some of the songs are pretty cheesy. I imagine that is partly due to the synth-heavy production. Some aged really well, some not so much. "it couldn't happen here" does not hold up at all.
Classic 80s music. Not bad. 6/10.
Interesting listen
Psb es electro pop y talento, pero esa presentación no es la buena
Love a good Pet Shop Boys single. This album is very enjoyable, although the tracks really run together. PSB are better 1 or 2 songs at a time, and not all in a row like this.
There are definitely songs I can vibe with on this album, but overall it’s very ok. Also, for being the Pet Shop Boy, there were more female vocal parts than I expected. Favorite Track(s): “One More Chance” and “It’s A Sin”
Unique sound... reminds me a little of Cake on some songs
I’m hovering between a three and a four here, but I remember really liking this new wave sounds, especially songs like shopping
A eso suenan los 80s. No cabe duda que están junto con Madonna, New Order o Soft Cell como sonido característico de lo que era dance pop y synth pop. A lo fresco y alegre de la música agregan también un cantar monótono, sin inflexiones, casi vacío que suena... plástico; perfecto para la representación de un disco que habla de yuppies desengañados que viven sin importarles nada y buscando solo su beneficio. Pop que refleja los 80s pero que tiene letras con algo que decir. En realidad no le doy más calificación por dos cosas; una es que el disco musicalmente aunque bueno tuvo varias canciones que sentí demasiado similares (mismas cuerdas en el fondo, mismos efectos, mismos ritmos) y dos, que de manera personal no es el tipo de música que me llama a escuchar una y otra vez. Buen disco.
Favorite song: Rent
I enjoyed this. Very 80s but in a good way.
A time capsule of 80s synth sounds
I don't have anything additional to add about the Pet Shop Boys.
Conocía un par de rolas de éste disco y es bastante ameno, no cabe duda de que son unos pioneros y genios del electro-pop y me gusta que sean un grupo que siempre va a la vanguardia. Echenle un ojo a lo que hacen como productores y se van a llevar varias sorpresas
Levy jota vaivaa Pet Shop Boys -syndrooma. Hittibiisit ovat täyttä timanttia, kun taas täytebiisejä ei jaksa ollenkaan. En ole ikinä oikein jaksanut kuunnella bändin levyjä omina kokonaisuuksinaan, vaan yleensä soittimeen päätyy jonkinlainen kokoelmalevy. Kyllä tätä silti oikein mielellään kuuntelee.
"Shopping" was pretty great, as was "Rent" and a few other notable tracks, but was just a little too tame and samey to venture into 4th star territory for me. Enjoyable, but I don't know if I'll listen again.
Rent was stuck in my head for hours after listening to this album. I enjoyed the commentary + dance music combo in some songs, but I found myself drifting out of the album a lot. Maybe its because I don’t know much about music but some of it sounded sort of generic? Not sure. I think some of the songs could’ve been shorter.
Sounds like the 80s, not my favorite.
Svängigt och chill på samma gång
Fun album reminiscent of New Order that gets kind of borring and repetitive later on.
Pet shop boys really do have a distinct sound but I always find myself enjoying it less than I would have expected.
Must of the synth-pop music that came out of the 1980's didn't age well. This album is a good example of that.
Overall: 4/10 This album should have been called "Wine and Cheese" because the vocals are incredibly whiney and the instrumentation is cheesy and outdated. I just can't stand this guys voice at all and it makes it very hard to enjoy the songs that would be very good otherwise. A couple songs were enjoyable but thay voice is terrible to me. Fav Song: I Want to Wake Up
2/5
meh bad 80s sound didn't age well
Not my vibe but I get it
I mean like its alright like, who are deez guys tho and why are they important? they definitely have that 80's sound. No way they got Dusty Springfield on the beat tho thats tuff. rly hard to get into.
80’s vib
2.5
Wasn't too bad but I'd never choose to listen to it, no tracks stood out, and the singing is monotonous.
Not a fan of these cats but I appreciate what they do.
Old style
To quote another reviewer on here: "This is very Eighties, but not in a good way for me". The album never felt better than the sum of its parts. If 3/5 is an "enjoyable listen" to me, then this album is sadly a 2/5.
Second album proposé après 'Very' que je n'avais pas apprécié (noté 2/5 - musique d'ambiance peu intéressante). Ce nouvel album n'est pas mieux. Les morceaux sont inutilement longs, sans intérêt particulier, donc ennuyeux même s'ils ne sont pas désagréable à entendre. =>2/5
Synth pop isn't for me, but I found myself sometimes sorta liking this kinda?
I just didn’t enjoy this one unfortunately. A bit cheesy
============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ------------------PET SHOP BOYS--------------- ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- --------------------ACTUALLY------------------ ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------(1987)------------------- ============================================== ============================================== -----------------CALIFICACIÓN----------------- --------------------★⯨☆☆☆-------------------- --------------------(1,95)-------------------- ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== 1. One More Chance (★★⯨☆☆) 2. What Have I Done to Deserve This? (★★☆☆☆) 3. Shopping (★★☆☆☆) 4. Rent (★⯨☆☆☆) 5. Hit Music (★★☆☆☆) 6. It Couldn't Happen Here (★⯨☆☆☆) 7. It's a Sin (★★☆☆☆) 8. I Want to Wake Up (★★☆☆☆) 9. Heart (★★☆☆☆) 10. King's Cross (★★☆☆☆) ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== PUNTAJE TOTAL 2,5+2+2+1,5+2+1,5+2+2+2+2 = 19,5 ============================================== ============================================== PUNTAJE PROMEDIO 19,5 / 10 = 1,95 ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CALIFICACIÓN FINAL ★⯨☆☆☆ (1,95) ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== COMENTARIO -El sonido de los 80 se puede resumir bastante bien con las canciones de este álbum... y no me gusta. Suena demasiado poco profesional, como el sonido que un niño podría producir fácilmente con sus juguetes... ============================================== ==============================================
Just not for me
More British meh
boring
Meh
Dette var ganske rævva, må jeg si. Er ingenting uten "It's a sin".
PSB doesn't do it for me. A lot of these songs sound like they said, "I want to make a song called Rent", "I want to make a song called Hit Music" and then they just slapped a generic synthesizer preset on and babbled out the song title in a way they thought sounded cool or profound or something. When the album finished it auto-played into a Saint Etienne track. It was one of those moments where I thought, ooh actually this track is good, only to go and check and realise it wasn't the PSB any more. That's usually a litmus test to me that the album really did suck. 1.7/5
Yawn
Samey and not so invigorating
No soy fan
Meh. Very meh.
right down in the middle of the eighties garbage bin. smh
I don’t support pet shops
No creo que sea un disco para estar entre los 1001 que hay que escuchar antes de morir, muy normal
fav- Its a sin 2/5
The songs on this album are fine individually, but a whole album of them gets tiring fast.
Better than their first record but still pretty meh. Not a lot of strong songs.
Dated, annoys me
Not sure I needed 2 PSBoys albums on this list. The comment on the opening track is spot on, it really sets the tone, absolute shit opener. They to me will always be a singles band, the odd stand out track and the rest to make up 40 odd minutes of detached, urbanised synth dance pop. Im sure the yawn is an witty urban comment, but sums up the dreary content too. Scoring only for it’s a sin, by far the only high point, 2 Star
I liked a couple songs, for sure. But I'm not sure how often I'd come back to this, overall.
Very 80s synth pop, not my favorite style but understand why it is included in the list
remove the vocals.
When I saw this album cover, I was expecting more mediocre British rock, and well, this was slightly more refreshing than that. You can still hear that British twang in the singing. Some of the production techniques reminded me of Tears for Fears. There is a bit of a variety, but it was mostly 80s pop nostalgia. I think the second track was my favorite; the featured singer had a nicer voice than these bozos .
i love how clean the production is the rhythmic ideas are kinda boring is this the most 80's sounding album ever? I was optimistic with the first track, but the rest of the album had me glazing over. . . . generic generic 80's pop
What a cynical and empty album. Ok for the nostalgia listen I suppose but that’s it.
Meh definitely from the 80s
Extremely boring.
Couple of good tracks but not great.
I really enjoy 80s synth pop and in this you can hear hints of certain eras of Prince and Depeche Mode, which is no bad thing. Unfortunately there are plenty of bad in this album too. A lot of the music tilts into the annoying, the singers voice is often a bit on the weak side and the hooks are too repetitive without the punch to keep you drawn in. There are some moments of class in here too, a mixed bag that ultimately isn't for me. Doff of the cap to It's a Sin. Certified banger.
high 2
I really hate to write off another Pet Shop Boys album as being boring. There were a couple tracks that stuck out here, unlike the last album I got from the band. However, it still struggles a bit from having similar sounding instrumentals across the songs. At times, I would find myself not even realizing that a new song had started due to these similarities. This wasn't awful. It just didn't really excite me or come across as all that memorable.
Meh
Confirming – I don't really care for synth pop. Still trying to articulate Future Islands' exceptionalism in this regard, in time for Singles to appear here 🤞🏾
Their faces portray how I felt listening to this album.
Not my teapcup
Not a fan. Not then. Not now. Certainly not good with my morning coffee.
Never been a fan regardless of their hits. The lyrics are great and both singles are huge and memorable, specially It's a Sin, and i see the revolutionary style they introduced on using samplers to create music, i just don't like what the they sampled and how the vocals are produced. Overall good but not for me
Favorite songs: It's a Sin, I Want To Wake Up
I thought I would like this a lot more
Didn’t even Have West End Girls. Do yourself a favor and listen to Gwar’s cover and skip this.
Lame, even by 80’s standards. 2.5⭐️
Catchy synths and electronic drums but pretty forgettable for the most part.
The album has at least one purpose: to show me that I don't like 80s new wave synth pop at all.
just so aggressively british and 80s and gay. didn't hit for me on this listen, but i can see it being good upon relisten.
I really can't stand the pet shop boys and this reinforced that
If not for a few tracks that I really didn't like, this might have been three stars.
Ass
It's A Sin is a great song. However, the rest of the album is a bit worse than the previous Pet Shop Boys one. It Couldn't Happen Here is absolutely rotten, really dreary, boring lyrics, no build-up. The rest veer between maudlin and contemptible. +1 for It's A Sin.
A couple of cracking tracks, plenty of filler, and a spattering of dog-shite. It's somewhere between 2 and 3 stars. Tune in tomorrow to see which way I go....
Too Eighties for me. I do not like the sound.
The album had interesting sounds but i feel like the tracks were too repetitive. I feel like I "got" the loop long before they finished it up
1. chance - 1 2. dezerve - 1 3. zhopping - 0 4. Rent - 1.5 5. Music - 0 6. Here - 1.5 7. Sin - 2.5 8. Wake - 2 9. Heart - 1.5 10. Cross - 1
Yup, just like the dude yawning, this bores the hell out of me too. Can something be too 80's?? Yes, yes it can. Some fun, but I'm not adding anything to my playlist and I can only take it for so long, so this is closer to a 2 than a 3. 2.33 with decimals, this gets rounded down.
Ganske intetsigende. Blir kjedelig altfor ofte. Til og med hiten It's a Sin er seig.
Only few song I like on this record. Song I like: what I’ve done to deserve this, It’s a sin
Classic 80’s sync tunes. Echo’s melodies and tones from that era like “You Spin Me Round” or “Like a Virgin”, I even heard something that reminded me of the underwater levels in Donkey Kong Country. Overall, I’ll give it a 2.6/5.0
I like the pet shop boys; and I like the concept of this album calling out some of the issues of Thatcherism at the time, but by god did I find the sounds in this grating. Ticked all of the worst bits of 80s sound design in most of the songs - gated reverb, midi bass, chorus on pretty much everything, and 808 drum machines. I have no particular fondness for any of that and so I struggled to enjoy this.
2.5 - Not bad
A handful of good songs
I don’t mind the pet shop boys but this album was not for me, other than a couple of songs it was just generic pop
Pet Shop Boys always sound a bit dated. And I am not sure how to explain this, because a lot of contemporary artists are using these 80's influences in their own songs, and somehow the retro/throwback sound works much more for me than this. That is not to say I don't like 80's music. On the contrary, I love 80's music. But something about the production on this things makes it more so a product of its time rather than a universally enjoyable listen, at least for me.
Impeccably well-produced, just not my cup of tea to the point of it becoming annoying.
Uninteresting and felt like generic 80s pop
Actually by the Pet Shop Boys feels like it has been sterilized - with all sounds put through the 80's mixing table and rendered into their digital core, void of any heart, feeling or musical substance.
This is some incredibly cheesy 80s synthpop. It’s well done; great beats, great production, but just too cheesy for my taste.
Lots of cheesy 80s synth in this that I have trouble taking seriously, even though there is serious subject matter. I sense some of the sarcasm in Hit Music. I don't think I care for their voices whatsoever. I think their voices are dull & that is the disconnect. They can write good songs, just DULL voices. When the songs are slow, I'm bored to tears. This is better or on par with Behavior, which I just found dull. The yawn on the cover is fitting. The other guy looks annoyed at him yawning and I'm yawning because of how bored I am. Hey! At least, there's cheese. So much cheese. 2.8
Im starting to think this is a list of albums that get a very specific vibe down pretty good and manage to keep it up for the entirety of the album. Sometimes, i wish that wasnt the case
This is some 80s slop and I don't particularly care for it, actually.
It’s not really my cup of tea. I’m aware of their huge popularity when I was a kid, but it never resonated with me then. But It’s a Sin a really great
Solo conozco por el título "It's a sin". Veremos. Hay alguna canción más, pero escuchado entero este y algún otro por aquí en la lista, cada vez tengo más claro que no me gusta este grupo.
Listening to this album really only served to reinforce two things I already knew: 1) I'm not really into the 80s synth wave stuff 2) It doesn't matter how cool your music sounds, if I can't stand the singer These guys really reminded me of an Australian band I like (who were no doubt heavily influenced by Pet Shop Boys) called Cut Copy. They suffer from a similar issue: some really cool and danceable synth beats backed by a vocalist who sounds like maybe the whitest white boy alive. Actually actually had some bangers but overall, it wasn't really for me.
Yes I remember!
Alle nummers hebben zo’n veelbelovende intro en dan stelt de rest van het nummer teleur
decent album you can definitely tell its era LMAO I'm a bit sick rn so I will probably look at this review again in horror (even though I've said very little). couple good songs tho ***it's a sin***
synth-pop is an interesting genre
Not their best, most songs sound the same
A bit nothing really. Couple of ok dancy tracks, but that’s it for me.
The cover is perfect - I bet I get as bored as the guy on the right. And I'm unsurprised - very capable vocalists singing pop pablum over what sounds like mostly digital drum beats. Yawn.
For something written with the expectation it would be played in clubs I find it kind of dull 2.5*
“It’s a Sin” is the sole reason this record is on the list. Not sure if it truly is list worthy - but hey you need to fill out 1001 records somehow.
All sounds very much the same. It’s not bad. But it’s not great. 2.95
Disgustingly 80s
Leave it in the 80s
80s synth pop seems so cheesy to me. I don’t know what it is. Pet Shop Boys start off hot here with some quirky dance numbers, which I can appreciate. I wish they would just crank those the whole time instead of angling other places.
Dit album klinkt aanvankelijk alsof Brian Molko (die zanger van Placebo) in een Fisher Price showroom is opgesloten. Vroeger zou ik kinderverjaardag gezegd hebben, maar tegenwoordig is het hier wat speelgoed met batterijen en geluidjes betreft elke dag feest. Het went moet ik zeggen. Anyway, met name de eerste track is heel extreem, bij de rest van het album is dat wel iets minder het geval. Toch is dit album wel echt weer zo overduidelijk 80's dat het moeilijk is om serieus te nemen. Dit is echt op het belachelijke af wat mij betreft. Pure kitsch. Al moet ik daar eerlijk bij zeggen dat de politieke boodschappen die er in zitten compleet langs me heen gaan. Het is dat ik de Wiki heb bekeken. De nasale stem, de ongelofelijk goedkoop klinkende drumcomputer en synths. Het heeft af en toe zeker iets wat je lekker catchy popmuziek zou kunnen noemen, ik ben ook niet van steen, maar verder is dit wat mij betreft niet zo mooi oud geworden. In die tijd was het waarschijnlijk top, maar ik kan er nu heel weinig mee. Al heeft "It couldn't happen here" wel een lekkere Twin Peaks sfeer. Ik moet hem op 2 sterren zetten.
That’s gonna be a no for me dog. Shopping and Rent are the worst of everything of the 80s
I can see why no one knows any songs by these fellas except west end girls. To start off it’s quite novel, especially if you think about the year it was released, but it really does embody the most annoying synthesiser sounds to come out of the 80’s. A very long 48 minutes.
One good track in here and its one of the two singles and its a collab. Completely unremarkable 5/10
Actually, there are only a few catchy lines, and beats throughout this entire album. Favorite Track: "Shopping".
Cover art is great. I agree with Crystin who stated, "Album is a 2/5 but the cover is 4/5." Album is real mid.
I'm pretty sure this is just the ESWAT sound track with a droning vocal on top.
While I tried to listen with the context of where synthpop was as a genre at the time (very young) I still just found the music flat and mostly sonically empty. The synth lines are certainly iconic, but with nothing else going on, they feel cheesy and over exposed. I can respect its place in history, but didn't actually enjoy it much.
Glad to see and hear Dusty Springfield on this album. Otherwise boring and forgettable.
No thanks
The 80s synth are fine enough but the vocals/lyrics tread into droll British nonsense. Forgettable. 3.75/10 (1.875/5)
I used to hate the PSB, they were popular around the time that I was full on alt-rock and they always seemed to be in the charts with some song or other. I’ve mellowed over the years and can appreciate what they do. Neil Tennant is also a good interview which has warmed me to them more. Still not a fan but it’s a fine listen, even if o wouldn’t go back. The singles on here are good but I quite liked how different the opener was.
Lamenting what could’ve been on this one. PSB show signs of some of their best traits - a good pop hook here, a funny lyric there - but don’t put it together for a full album run in my opinion. The opening “One More Chance” had me especially hopeful by the time it ended. The song had a nice chorus, a sticky synth stab, some dramatic imagery. But it took a few songs for me to latch onto something, and only for something that was as novel as it was substantive. The novelty was the chorus & general topic of the song “Rent”. I’m reminded of MGMT’s “She Works Out Too Much”; both songs are built on softer, idyllic 80’s production and only seem to take themselves so seriously. The last good thing for me to report on is the instrumental passage at the end of “Hit Music”. This slowed beat manages a 1-to-1, practically prophetic construction of the vaporwave sounds that wouldn’t develop until the early 2010’s. This was really a trip, given that vaporwave is an artistic development/interpolation of pop tropes of the late 80’s etc etc. PSB time-traveled forward to beat the entire genre to its sound. Everything after this point was tragically hard for me to latch onto. Not all is lost for Pet Shop Boys on the whole, I really liked and prefer their album “Very” which came out in the early 90’s - they keep up with the electronic music / dance-pop-club trends in a really fascinating record. This, sadly, is a 2/5 for me
one of the first things i would do if i learn how to hack sites, would be to delete all (80s) synthpop and new wave albums from this list.
I haven’t listened to anything from these guys in years. But, I always thought I kind of liked their radio hits. Unfortunately, there are only two on this album and not even their best. Almost all of the songs are too long by a minute. I think with some editing and removal of the first song this would be a decent album.
Gear: ZMF Bokeh Artwork: 🤨🥱🤵 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 👨❤️👨✨🙄 Rating: 🫧(🫧)/5
#698. Very British. Not very good though. 2/5: bland
Yet another album destroyed by this decades disgusting and twisted synth addiction. Synth addiction is a real problem that affected millions of Americans during the 1980s and we really ought to praise these sickos for donating their careers and suspected musical talent to highlighting the consequences of this awful disease.
Mostly forgettable 80s synth pop. Some good stuff, but it doesn’t make any good current rotation
I thought maybe it's just the previous album by this band that sucked, but no, I'm going to assume the entire discography is just as boring and mediocre.
I feel like I should like this but really don't.
I dunno, I don't hate this. I just don't really want to listen to a whole album. I suspect a greatest hits of the pet shop boys would be all I ever need to hear. Every so often there is a really nice tune in there like the one played in it's a sin (which reminded me of Cat Stevens' wild world somehow), other than that it all feels quite in your face. They don't seem to deal in subtlety. I don't find it particularly exciting or inspiring I'm afraid.
Not my taste in music. However, not a bad album.
1,9/5
Catchy synth pop, I guess, but I'm not into it. It's A Sin is basically a synthed-up version of Wild World, right???
Bof... ça ne m'accorche pas pentoute.
..
A solid album with two of their greatest hits: ‘What Have I Done To Deserve This?’ and ‘It’s a Sin’ - both excellent examples of this type of music. Otherwise, it’s OK - and a few listens reveal little depth. The PSBs are fun - but a Greatest Hits compilation is more than sufficient.
non si sente
It's horrible. In my teen years I hated the song 'It's a sin'. It's the best song of the album. No, not because my taste in music changed so dramatically (it did, by the way), but because the rest is so horrible. 'I want to wake up', 'One more chance'... Come on. 'It's a sin' and 'King's cross' are the only bearable tunes on the album.
Too poppy. Too arch. It's a Sin was very good though. I'd probably like a singles collection, but an album was just too much for me.
All sounds the same
muh
Mish mash of 80s musical cliches. Thankfully these guys changed by the 90s
Ugh, more synth-pop. This is so 80's that it's almost cliche. S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G? Are you kidding me? I didn't make it all the way through a single song.
Quite mediocre. All the songs sounded the same and again, too much synth.
i think i will always struggle with things around this era and this sound. Really couldn’t get into it at all. Is it supposed to be a joke ? Idk
As one half of iconic UK synth pop duo, houmous and chutney I can really relate to how terrible the pet shop boys are. 2.1 1/10 One More Chance
Bleh 2.5/5
It's a Sin was the clear standout and even a potential 4/5 in terms of a song, but the rest was just the standard 80's pop/disco music. I don't think this has necessarily stood the test of time as well as for example MJ with Thriller and Bad in the 80s. It's albums like these that sometimes make me think that the Nostalgic oldies are trying to hang on to some "golden generation" of music. This will receive a 2.5/5 but not enough to push it to 3, and thus will receive a 2.
Very 80s dance/pop vibes. Didn't really do it for me though. Pretty average other than "It's a Sin". 2.5/5
I think of the 80s when I hear Pet Shop Boys but a very specific scene. I find the vocal irritating. It's a Sin is the highlight and I don't look forward to anymore Pet Shop Boys on the list. 2/5
Another bland album, seems pretty pointless
I started coming around on this album near the end, but it's still not one I would likely listen to in whole again. Most of it just feels pretty average to me. Favorite track: "Heart" probably
1001 Albums is stuck in the late 80s right now. I definitely remember PSB and their hits from back in the day. U2 and REM from the previous couple days were much more enjoyable though. This is just corny 80s synth pop. I was busy listening to Anthrax and Slayer in 87, so this was definitely not my jam. Depeche Mode are far more interesting than PSB. 2/5 #107
Synth pop stuffs... Ah the 80's...
I've been making fun of What Have I Done To Deserve This for decades without Evan knowing it was the Pet Shop Boys. Apologies to my queer pals, but this is the sweet spot of '80s pop/dance music that I simply cannot stand listening to.
falling sleep guys
Didn't like it then don't like it now.
I’m someone who normally likes 80s music, but this didn’t do it for me. The music felt really repetitive and the tracks all blended together
Enough with the British Rock Bands!! Seriously guys, knock it off. They were just meh
This made no impression on me in 1987 and has exactly the same effect today. I'm sure I'm missing something important, but I suspect it's all affective context.
I really like the Pet Shop Boys, but I wasn't familiar with this album and found it very bland compared to others.
Pet Shop Boys are a singles band, with the good songs distributed across any number of albums; a Greatest Hits record would be pretty good. But we have three albums on this list and West End Girls isn't on any of them.
Ned meins
This is so 80s and it did not age particularly well. Fav Track: It's a Sin, but the rest is so bland, that I just can't rate this with 3 stars.
Old Pop 2,4
Actually by the Pet Shop Boys is a synth-pop slog. "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" is what everyone is asking after they have to listen to this album. There’s not really a standout track to save it. Everything blends into one long, overly polished, emotionally flat ride through the most sterile parts of the ‘80s. It’s background music for a scene in a movie you forgot you watched.
Two Pet Shop Boys albums within 4 days of eachother. This has been fun 😏
Eh, not really for me
Average
This is the third (so far) album that I have gotten on this list from this group, and I really don't get why it's represented so much. This list really wants me to like Pet Shop Boys. This is dull and uninteresting. Stop cramming it down my throat please.
Tedious vocals, inane lyrics, repetitive noises for a backing track
It was boring; it didn't start off well with all the random noises in the first track.
2.4 Confused by this. The first 6 tracks were absolutely god awful, I had a-ha yesterday and this somehow made them look good. However, tracks 8 & 10 were stellar, so what on earths going on there? Felt like an 80s Placebo. The rest, absolute shite.
Normally I'm an 80's guy. I like romanticism in music just fine. This was a saccharine chug-fest.
Please don't touch my testicles-snl ahh music. Vibes but not what I'd listen to
meh
Just don't really enjoy this kind of stuff. Will I listen to again: 0%
Too 80s for me
Not my jam, though there were a few songs that were ok (One More Chance, Heart). There are some songs here that stink out loud though like Shopping, Rent, and It Couldn't Happen Here. I didn't fully hate it enough to give it a 1, but can't in good faith give this anything higher than a low 2.
I can usually get into synth-pop, but 3 tracks in I'm not really loving this. All the cheese of 80s electronica on display without much to redeem it IMO. Shopping is a low point for me. It feels a bit like a brightened Depeche Mode mixed with Thomas Dolby. Cheesy electronic horns and that 80s robotic vocal. I do actually enjoy Hit Music quite a bit. I mean, sure it is cheesy AF, but there is something catchy to the way its laid out. I'm also low-key into the cheesy epicness of It's a Sin. Yeah I could have done without this one. There were points where I could bite into the cheese, but in general this is too far removed from my area of interest to get excited. This is a 2 for me.
I don’t know what to say about this. This part of the 80’s music doesn’t have my preference. There is some okay songs, but also a few really bad ones, like “shopping”.. what the hell was that. I think albums like these were essential for inspiration and developing music. Maybe even creating different genres, but apart from a few songs, this is not for me. Favourite song: - It’s a sin
just hate it
Synth pop. Ya. Well, I didn't dislike it as much as I imagined I would, but I still didn't love it. This list seems to have every single synth pop album ever made.
Oh yea, just didn’t really care for this. Nor do I feel the need to explain why.
maybe this is something I'll figure out later in life
Happier Depeche Mode
The best song on this album: "What Have I Done To Deserve This?". As for every other song . . . I kept asking myself the same question.
Some wacky, random instrumentals. Fun though. Vocals are a bit… flat? Monotone and repetitive. Wish I could have experienced clubbing in the 80s. Probs would have liked this album more if I was older.
Not really a fan of this one. Music wasn't terrible, but too new-wave-y for me. 2.5/5
I don’t know what I did to deserve this.
There we some parts where I was like "wait, this is peak." And there were some when I was questioning life. I enjoyed this one, though. Favs: What Have I Done to Deserve This?, Shopping, Hit Music Least Fav: King's Cross
If you like budget Depeche Mode this is for you. Kinda sounds like they want to be Kraftwerk a bit too.
Mega cheesy. I listened to this while filling out medical forms, and the irony was stupendous.
VERY of its time. Sounds almost quaint to modern ears, and doesn’t really translate well.
Gay songs
All I can hear during S-H-O-PP-ING is P-O-O-PP-ING. It’s a shame because the lyrics convey a societal problem in 1987 that is far worse today, everything is for sale…your data, political influence. I appreciate this synth pop playing a small part in getting the modern version that I love. Unfortunately this sounds very dated.
I don’t know, once again a pop/electronic album that isn’t too impressive. It’s not bad, but just not very interesting. 2/5 Won’t listen again