Behaviour

Shockingly good. Had no idea PSB sounded like this at any point. Seems prescient of "chillwave" in many respects. Reminds me of later era Radio Dept. and Kaputt by Destroyer.

wow that was meh as fuck.

Pet Shop Boys have weirdly popped up quite a bit for me this week, having just finished watching ‘It’s a Sin’ (which I thought was great) and choosing to put on some of their stuff as a result. I don’t think I’d ever actually listened to an album of theirs in full before but they’re one of those bands who I feel like I just absorbed by osmosis throughout my childhood. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. There’s something quite Bowie-esque about it in places and although I could see that Neil Tennants nasal tones might not be everyone’s cup of tea I really like his voice. Apparently Jonny Marr plays on a couple of the tracks too.

This album is a good reminder that those crappy demo buttons on cheap Casio keyboards used to play something that sounded like popular music. Unfortunately for Pet Shop Boys, this album has aged exactly as well as those awful Casio demo tracks. Which is to say not at all. "Behaviour" is an absolute trash album that only serves as a monument to how truly terrible music was in the late 80s and early 90s.

A surprisingly mellow album. I remember the Pet Shop Boys of my youth being a lot more “disco” so this was a terrific album just to chill and listen to. I love the structure of the songs and the accompanying lyrics. Would like to make the time to revisit this in the near future.

Easy five. Possibly my favourite album so far. For some reason I was expecting hardcore gangster rap but what I got instead was way better. Biiig late MGMT vibes (almost questionably similar to Little Dark Age in places) and can hear where Client Liaison get some of their styles from too. This is a great album. No real highlights because there isn't a bad track on it but October Symphony was a stand out

It was such a disappointment when it was released what is now regarded as best Pet Shop Boys album ever... it was received with kind of disgust from band's fans of the first era like myself. We had enjoyed uplifting hits like 'It's a Sin', 'Domino Dancing', 'Suburbia', 'Rent' or 'West End Girls' and did not embrace their new mature direction. 'My October Symphony'? Come on. 'Only the Wind'? Bleh. 'Jealousy'? Booring. 'To Face the Truth'? Give me a break! Even the singles. 'Being Boring' and 'So Hard' were good, but far too serious compared with previous radio hits. Luckily, time has been on its side and we can see now how well they showed a new face, which was going to be developed in the years to come and eventually made of PSB a long-term entity in the History of pop

One of the worst albums I've heard in my life.

Looking beyond the obvious, inherent kitchyness of the album, there are some aspects of it I find intriguing. For one, the chord progressions and melodies stick out to me. Also, the songs are very danceable. They function as anthems to an 80's (early 90's) night out. I think that the album accomplishes what it might've been intended to do fairly well. One thing I'm missing is repetition in the lyrics and hooks. The vocals seem to be stories that work in a linear fashion, never looking back at what's been before. Since the songs function as anthems, I find this contrast to be disrupting. The ending of Jealousy also feels like ELO on ecstacy, which might've been impressive in the 80's/90's, but now seem quite comical, laughable. It's not an album that has aged very well, but nevertheless serves as an anti-cool, danceable album full of anthems for a fun night out

This is not an album I expected to like as much as I did. "Actually" is the only other album I've heard from PSB, and this is a definite stand-out against it. The lyrics are very introspective and...vulnerable? Neil Tennant sounds like he is professing everything he says in this album, which adds to the cathartics tied with the beautiful music. Synth-pop can come off as slow, sad or boring to most ears, but they construct it with other instrumentation that makes the sound grandiose. And on top of all of it, you get beats that are danceable and fun but layered with melodic-ballad tones. It just further pushes the complexity of this album, and I really enjoy the diversity it brings in sound. Favorite Song: My October Symphony Honorable Mention: There's a badass remix/mash-up of Where The Streets Have No Name by U2 and Can't Take My Eyes Off of You by Franki Valli in the Further Listening Edition. Least Favorite: Only The Wind

Seriously, if this album came out this year, it would be considered as a joke. The best example of synth-pop that didn't age well (and I'm a big fan of synth-pop)

Fajnšmekrský a fýluje jak depešáci

For the first time in a week, I didn't groan when I saw the day's album. A masterpiece.

my third and final pet shop boys' album from this list. i've discovered my joy and interest in psb as part of this project. to exactly no one's surprise, this album's still synth heavy, but there's a change in their tone. while they do have their more energy intensive songs, the consistent tone throughout is much more melancholy. part of the tone change is due to lyrics. "jealousy" has a great beat and describes the emotions and thoughts of a lonely, hurt, jealous lover in a one-sided conversation: "you didn't phone when you said you would". "to face the truth" seems like a follow-up, of bitter acceptance of the end of a relationship after not knowing where their lover is at night. but we still have "nervously", which is an adorable, sickly-sweet song of young love, in contrast. "so hard" reveals a couple's compromising efforts, but the lyrics lead us to believe that it's too difficult: "why don't we try not to break our hearts and make it so hard for ourselves?" and of course there's a song with the title "the end of the world", though it's not so bleak or dramatic but about teenage heartbreak. "only the wind" uses weather imagery to show a relationship with difficulties, but at least one person is blind to the problems: "it's only the wind, they say it's getting worse" and "a storm blows itself out". "being boring," with a banger minute and a half instrumental to open the album, is anything but boring and is probably the album's song with the strongest significance. the world changed, particularly for the lgbtq+ community, through the 1970s to the 1990s, and our main character grows older and opens the "closing door". from the chorus, we hear a recollection of the carefree times: "and we were never holding back or worried that time would come to an end." but soon, within the third verse, we see the fierce changes the main character went through: "all the people i was kissing, some are here and some are missing, in the 1990s". an impactful song to start off an album named behaviour and a big reason for the album's somber tone. immediately following is "this must be the place i waited years to leave", a song reminiscing not-so-fondly of returning to school and likening school to a strict dictatorship without protest or free expression. psb went so far to include spoken russian by prosecutor andrei vyshinsky during a 1938 soviet treason trial as the outro. "my october symphony" seems to reference the october revolution and the soviet union--but also the disillusionment of its people. it's important to mention this album did release in 1990 when the ussr was going through major changes, leading to its demise. to edit the lyrics for the sake of space: "shall i [...] change the dedication [of my october symphony] from revolution to revelation?" "how can you expect to be taken seriously?" seems more of a personal number for the duo to poke fun at themselves, like the pet shop boys are using the second person pov to detail questions they receive but provide no answers. i couldn't help but love this line: "do you think they'll put you in the rock 'n' roll hall of fame?" while the rock hall inducts musicians of other genres, psb are not currently inducted. i heard more orchestral aspects on this album, too. "only the wind", "my october symphony", "jealousy". psb use synth mostly, which is why their orchestral music is noteworthy. the pairing together is chef's kiss. there are some more electronic elements than usual, too, ("the end of the world") so it isn't only synth by itself. to my ears, using an orchestra will allow music to become more emotional, which only adds to that melancholy tone.

A friend introduced me to the Pet Shop Boys in college, and they have been one of my favorites ever since. I'm not sure I've ever listened to this whole album by itself, but Being Boring, So Hard and Jealousy are great tracks, so I'm sure the rest will be good too.

I love me some new wave/synth-pop. A great album and I need to remember to listen to more Pet Shop Boyz

Peak PSB. Begins with ‘Being Boring’, finishes with ‘jealousy’. Wonderful

Graceful.

I apologize for anyone whose first exposure to Pet Shop Boys this is. It's an outlier. Compared to their dance crazy hits before and after, this is a mature, melancholic entry best met with a glass of brandy in the study. Some may accuse it for being pretentious, with its openly cryptic album cover and title, and the overtly serious content matter, which is a criticism not a member of my entertainment factors. The direct, confrontational lyrics paint the narrator as a man of action, a vivid storyteller, full of dreams and regrets, ideas of change and resolve. Combined with its unique subject matter and clear, soothing vocals, it makes for one of the more engaging listens out there. Synths are top of the notch... this is Pet Shop Boys we're talking about. No one has a more refined sound in the genre besides maybe Depeche Mode. It's also PSB's most consistent effort. There's a range of synth sounds here, but yet the mood remains the same. The most discoesque song is probably "My October Symphony," yet even then I'm not sure I'd dance to - especially with that classical symphony sound - just groove out to. Maybe "So Hard" is a better candidate with that laser solo. No song feels out of place, and there are some pretty sweet transitions.

A really nice, more mature outing by the Pet Shop Boys. I think the Pet Shop Boys were always among the best of their genre, with smarter lyrics and better arrangements than a lot of their peers. But this is some next level Pet Shop Boys. Some really rich, elegant arrangements. Love the presence of Johnny Marr on guitar, which adds a nice additional texture you don't always get in electronic music. It teeters on the line of being a little overly torchy, but thank goodness for that. Otherwise it would be another drab synth album of the period. It feels a touch dated musically at times, but overall a really strong collection of songs. Fave Songs: Jealousy, The End of the World, To Face the Truth, This Must Be the Place I've Waited to Leave, Nervously, Being Boring, My October Symphony

Really started appreciating this during "To Face the Truth." There's an earnest cheesiness to this that is appealing to me.

Catchy and engaging synth.

Introspective and melancholy, but musically and melodically beautiful, lyrically deeper and less bombastic than the PSB's first three albums.

One of the small blessings of lockdown is that it's randomly made me learn more about the Pet Shop Boys, and boy am I glad for it.

Behaviour Growing up I really didn’t like the Pet Shop Boys, but fortunately now I have seen the error of my ways. Despite them occasionally sounding a bit ridiculous and being very very parodiable (particularly by Lonely Island), they are one of the great pop singles bands of the 80s and 90s. Aside from Being Boring, So Hard and Jealousy I’m not familiar with this album, and I’m not sure it quite works fully. There are some great tracks but what feels like an attempt to write sophisticated adult electronic music sounds quite dated in places. Even if the songs themselves are good, the sprinkling of ‘tasteful’ wah wah on Being Boring and My October Symphony, the Sade-lite rhythms of To Face The Truth (even though the vocal and melody are particularly melancholy and lovely on this), the ‘rock’ guitar on How Can You Expect to be Taken Seriously - it doesn’t seem to quite have the panache and playfulness of their big hits. Occasionally this more mature sounds does work well, Only the Wind is very nice When they move closer to a more immediate electronic sound, like This Must Be the Place I Waited to Leave, with its very nice Johnny Marr cameo, So Hard or The End of the World it's great. Nervously and Jealousy are also great tracks, Nervously in particular has a great synth line and slippery rhythm. Some great pop music on here, but due to its slight 90s dinner party background music atmosphere it doesn’t feel that satisfying, particularly compared to something like their first album. It feels a touch harsh but I’ll go 3. 🐶🏪🤼‍♂️ Playlist Submission: So Hard

This didn’t age well. Just Casio defaults with emo shit that all sounds the same.

Being Boring

I feel like I could have gotten into some of the instrumentals here, but the vocals just did not do it for me at all.

Crap

In the business of triggering dopamine

This album steps away from the upbeat club tracks that the Pet Shop Boys are known for in their earlier releases. It’s still synthpop and groovy, but it dives into a deeper, more introspective direction with lush, atmospheric synths. There’s also a heavier use of keyboard orchestration and subtle guitars, which gives it a more sophisticated, art pop feel.

What an album, the Pet Shop Boys rule. Its very 80s, but almost self reflective as the decade was rolling over. The production is clean, the singing is confident, and I just really enjoyed the synth instrumentation throughout. How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously? Was my early standout, but I also loved Being Boring, My October Symphony, and Nervously. Great album that had my attention the whole time.

Fav: Jealousy Least Fav: Only The Wind One thing this list is making me realise is that I enjoy electronica a lot more than I thought I did. This album is very much a product of 80s-early 90s but does it so well.

with their mysterious, soft and entrancing rhythms and futuristic instrumentation, the pet shop boys have a wonderful new wave pop sound that'll make you move your feet and get controlled by the beat. songs of overcoming societal norms, passionate love and moody relationship reflections... it's a happy and sad album at the same time. what a treat.

Highlight der 80er!

Pet Shop Boys! ich kannte sie eher für die stampfenden Disco-Hymnen Ende 80er. Aber das hier ist ein verdammt gutes Album mit ironischen Statements und sowas von .. wow. habe das album in endlosschleife gehört und frage mich noch immer welcher song auf die 1001-liste soll? alle?

Wow! Didn't realize it had so many Hits. A really good choice

Very nice album! Onу of the best pop albums forever!

Liked this one, every track.

Endlich mal was aufregendes!!

Was always a fan of them, and I still am. "Behaviour" was an excellent album. They always accomplish the task of combining danceable, but not shallow music with good lyrics.

Chill, nice energy but depressed/identity questioning themes that make it feel substantial.

Beautiful 80s album

A genuine brilliant album.

As ever, fantastic

Best Album from PSB!

I love this band and their silly lil synth-pop :) 10/10

great! Just enough melancholic

Great album, not too hectic. Easy listening.

Yeah, now I'm sure. I like Pet Shop Boys. A lot.

Great electronic album

Sophisticated synth pop with a dash of lime. I love the music of the PSBs and this album is the fire behind that love. Well done and thank you Neil and Chris.

Really good!! Listened to it twice, it’s good background music. I thought I’d have more to say about it but I guess I don’t, favourite song Being Boring.

An excellent synth-pop album. Great tunes from start to finish: well-written and well-produced. None of my favourite songs by them were on this album but I’ve now discovered new favourites!

cool

The entire album felt like it could be on a Café Del Mar compilation before they were a thing, so ahead of it's time?

How many memories listening to this album...

Hurra hurra bra pop! Sämsta låten är ändå bättre än Gessles bästa.

Loved loved lived the synths

There are some bands who are frozen in their first flush of teenage youth for decades (think the Ramones), and other bands who appear middle-aged from the start. The National come to mind, but the daddies of the prematurely middle-aged pop star vibe are the Pet Shop Boys. So it is that this album is told mainly in the past tense. The adventures of youth (Being Boring) are events that happened years, perhaps decades ago. Though they were around before the phrase 'sad banger' was invented, they took the melancholia melodies at the heart of Kraftwerk and married them with lyrics focusing on failed romances, youths lost to AIDS, regrets at poor choices and misunderstandings. It's all very adult and amazing that they could do all this and sell millions of albums. There's a much quoted comment from Neil Tennant that once Domino Dancing went in the charts at 7 he knew their imperial period was over. This, the first album they made after that, is them staking out a more adult territory that would sustain them for decades. Is it five stars? Definitely 4.5 and I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt, if just for Being Boring which is perhaps their greatest ever piece of songwriting.

Having owned this album and having listened to it quite a lot in the early 90s, this was a lovely revisit of an old friend. This might well be my exhibit A for folks that look down on synth-pop as somehow robotic or mechanical. Listening to this I realize how masterfully the synthesizers are used to craft really interesting sounds and music. A couple of these songs have amazing bridges. There are authentic emotions and clever social commentary. And it begins and ends with harp flourishes! Bravo!

Not at all familiar with this album, but I fell in love with it immediately and hoped the feeling would last…it did!

More subdued than the Pet Shop Boys I'm used to. Sophisticated class.

Today was the perfect, gloomy day for a wistful, deeply reflective album that over the years has grown to mean more and more to me. I haven’t listened to this from beginning to end in some time, though, so it was on this rainy day that I revisited this well-worn album. Every note is so familiar and yet I am still discovering new emotions and meaning in these songs. This is arguably the best from a duo that has given me a lot of bests. While I loved every moment of my multiple listens to this today, the quiet parts really stood out to me today. “Being Boring”, “This Must Be The Place I Waited Years To Leave,” “To Face The Truth,” “My October Symphony,” “Nervously,” “The End Of The World” capture so many important moments in my life. All without forgoing the dance floor masterpieces like “So Hard”. What an incredible album.

Piirrän tälläkin hetkellä tulevaa sarjakuva-albumiani, joka on (jälleen kerran) novellikokoelma. Jokainen tarina viittaa yhteen tärkeään biisiin, yhteensä 12 niitä ihan tärkeimpiä biisejä on kokoelmassa (albumissa?) mukana. Being Boring on yksi näistä.

Solid pop album with really catchy melodies and lyrics. Probably pretty influential in the electro music scene.

This album contains two of my favourite Pet Shop Boys singles, 'So Hard' and 'Being Boring', so it seems a good place to start for a deeper dive into their discography. Pleasingly, the rest of the album lives up to the standard of those singles and continues the wistful and introspective themes. Chock full of glorious melodies, sad lyrics and catchy hooks, this is total Bill-bait. Two thirds of the tracks on the album could have been a singles, with only a small dip in quality in the middle third of the record. The album mixes of 'Being Boring' and 'Jealousy' are also superior to the single edits and add to the overall feel of the piece. Looking forward to the other two PSB albums on the list. Rating: 4.5/5 Playlist track: So Hard Date listened: 17/05/22

I came across a cache of old photos And invitations to teenage parties "Dress in white" one said, with quotations From someone's wife, a famous writer In the nineteen-twenties

Me gustó de principio a fin y pues nunca había escuchado un disco completo de los Pet Shop Boys. 9/10

This one sounded really cool. I liked the synth sound a lot.

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: being boring, how can you expect to be taken seriously, my October symphony, the end of the world

New wave at its best

Smooth Pet Shop Boys

This sounds great overall, such a cohesive sound. Songs are long and blur into each other, but the overall vibe is preserved in each song. No stand out songs for me but I enjoyed it. 4

Relaxing album. Very good

Didn't expect to enjoy this, it was good!

Very chilled vibe and a good relaxing listen

Some great tracks but didn't enjoy all of it 4 stars

After recently being assigned Pet Shop Boys' album Very for review, I revisited their earlier works but somehow overlooked Behaviour. I have to say, this might now be my favorite album of theirs. The use of classic analog synths, along with the TR808 and TR909, creates a much warmer sound compared to the digital synths of their first three albums. This shift to a more analog approach really resonates with me. While Pet Shop Boys have always embraced melancholy, Behaviour takes it to another level, steeped in heartbreak, and I love it. As with all their albums, Behaviour is impressively consistent, making it difficult to choose standout tracks. I’d rate this album a solid 4.5.

A down tempo, emotional PSB album for gazing out a rain-streaked window, perhaps, or for feeling the weight of the changing season's gloom when the accursed sun begins setting at five fucking thirty. Still electronic and clever, but pensive and less dancey.

Perfect for driving with the top down, super early in the morning, after a long night out. This Must Be the Place I Waited to Leave and How Can You Expect to be Taken Seriously were highlights

Fourth studio album of PSB on the list. Rated their first two as 5-star, gave their fifth one (Very) 2-star, and rate "Behaviour" as a 4-star album, but at the top end, as half of the songs are 5-star, while the other half is 3-4 star. PSB always released strong b-sides, but around this period these b-sides could have made their albums quite a bit stronger (here "Miserabilism" comes into mind - why make this a 1991 b-side?) vote in 1990: 8/10 vote in 2024: 8/10

The kind of synth-pop that I can appreciate.

According to vocalist Neil Tennant, this album was heavily inspired by Depeche Mode’s Violator, which you can definitely hear in the heavier tone of some songs. And while Behaviour isn’t quite a stone classic in the mode of the former, it’s still very charming and engaging.

Always down for some Pet Shop Boys!

I enjoyed it more than I imagined. great melodies and sounds

depeche mode light mode

nice 80‘s vibe (though the album came out in 1990) in my area we would say nice „schnulzen“-music

Meh

This shit gas bro

Classic late 80s album. Unique sound and fun tracks.

Un bon album de Pet Shop Boys. Je l'ai trouvé plus cohésif et mieux construit que Actually surprenament. J'attends toujours Please par contre. 7.5/10

Fun 80s sounds (even though this came out in 1990). Would like to hear an instrumental version of this.

Is there an instrumental version of this? I'd actually be raving about it if it wasn't for the naff vocals.

A wonderful romp from 80s legends aging like a fine wine into the 90s.

I like these guys. Some good synthy British pop

Good

A good well balanced moody record. Not totally memorable bit probably the most even Per Shop Boys record on this list so far.

I was not expecting such a great album, nice discovery!

Simply solid brit pop.