Very

Music to an intergalactic masquerade dance party.

“Very” by Pet Shop Boys (1993) Never heard this album or this group. Commercial disco synth-pop. And I mean VERY commercial. What is entertaining about this album is the modestly creative tapestry of synthetic sounds, recorded over mechanically steady rhythms. I found myself ignoring the inelegant drum and bass lines, eager to hear what’s innovative in the melody, ‘orchestration’, and lyrics. I was generally disappointed. Eventually every musical aspect of the sound fell into the background, so that nothing at all stood in the foreground. The compositions are generally repetitive. The third track, “Liberation” seems to be the most ‘produced’ cut on the album, but the orchestral backing is uninspired. The lyrics sometimes try to be profound but the silliness of the sound gets in the way. For example, “Dreaming of the Queen”, a reflection on the plausibility imagined despondency of Princess Diana, could have been quite moving had it been arranged with acoustic guitar with backing vocals and strings, but instead we get canned pop. Diet pop at that. There is one track worth a serious listen. “The Theatre” is a song I actually backed up and played several times with volume turned up. You see, a ‘theatre’ is where fictional second-tier realities are played off one another. And we get to decide which of those realities we will choose to elevate to the top tier. This song compels the listener to do exactly that. It’s in the class of the disco elements in Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall Part 2”. Yes, it’s that good. Anne Dudley’s orchestration is excellent—reminiscent of Hans Zimmer (although I would have boosted the trombones and timpani in the mix). Internal chord and key transitions closely track the development of the lyrics. The first chord of the chorus gave me goosebumps. Then a sob. Then flat out weeping. It shows they have the ability. This song made me stop and consider the obvious, but also whether “Phantom of the Opera” is art. It also made me reassess my admiration of the haut bourgeois (and wannabe) patrons of, say, Luciano Pavarotti. But come on, Pet Shop Boys, I can’t imagine actually dancing to this song. How would I feel as I left the discotheque? (That’s the point, dude.) I had to listen to it several more times. Then I bought the track on iTunes. But overall, “Very” is very—mediocre. On this album, The Bee Gees take Yes out to dinner and a movie, and agree never to date again. 2/5

Oh this is so awesome. Very special. Wii Music. Just listened to "It's A Sin" and "Always On My Mind" for the first time a week ago or something. This is really nice. For some reason the chords just all speak to me. Guess I'm gay now. I love the vibe, my new guilty pleasure. One and One Make 5

This is guilty pleasure music but I simply don't care. Queer 80s-90s dance bops with a nostalgic, wistful sadness... love it.

I can't think of a better album if you want to dance and cry at the same time. Recommended season: Spring

It was a good thing when the Pet Shop Boys left their imperial phase and were free to experiment with pop. This album takes the techno trends of the early 90s and mixes it up with songs that tell very queer stories. At the time, I remember how the Boys' cover of "Go West" had given it a melancholic twist in the era of HIV - but with modern antivirals, the song now grabs back a bit of the original joyousness. "Can You Forgive" her is an almighty dramatic pop track and a stonking opener.

No idea why anyone would listen to one of these guys albums never mind two

I am so excited to see this album come up. It has been such a big part of my life. I loved it from the moment I handled that awesome CD case. Lost on me at the time was the backstory… that it followed the downbeat album BEHAVIOR released at the height of the AIDS pandemic. Its release also closely coincided with Neil Tennant’s coming out. All the more special now to know that now. I had no idea then. I love this album through and through… every song. Picking a favorite is very challenging and is highly subject to change. I started listing the best songs but that is basically was copying the track listing for me. So… How about the relentless “Can You Forgive Her?”… the cinematic swells in “Dreaming of the Queen”… the exuberant cover of “Go West”… the dramatic shimmering “The Theatre”… the melancholic “To Speak Is A Sin”… the abandon of “I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind Of Thing”…? Every song on VERY has had a place for me since its release. I love this album from beginning to end. The Pet Shop Boys create incredible electronic dance music with melancholy just below the surface and melancholic music that dances just below the surface… and VERY has some of the best examples of this. An absolutely fabulous album!

Excellent wogging album!

I sure hope that the PSB's previous four albums appear on this list because they are all superior than this one. My favourite was their debut, Please which spawned 4 killer singles, including the iconic West End Girls. Wiki tells me that this album was their first album to go to No. 1 on the UK charts, so I guess that's telling. I really didn’t enjoy this "new" commercial sound that they adopted for this album. Not a single banger on the entire album.

While I can listen to a few songs I don't usually enjoy synth-pop. This album was too repetitive and electronic for my taste but probably someone who likes the genre might enjoy it. At least the voice is chill enough.

This was my first listen to this album. The music was fine, but I don't see myself listening to it again, a firm 3 for me. I don't see myself listening to any of the individual tracks again either. "Go West" is the only track on this album that I remember hearing before, but it was hard to miss if you were around in he early 90s.

Only listened to a few songs. Not very inspiring but good background sound.

Really loved the earlier pet shop boys albums but this one just isn't very good. The most known song, go west always annoyed me and the others all sound like Stock A and Waterman even though I know it isn't. Very disappointing and I am a huge fan of this band so it stings.

'I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing' - also, I wouldn't normally like this kind of thing. But I do. Because it's more than the sum of its heartstrings - and it has lyrics like 'to free in me / the trust I never dared.' It takes balls to feel good - and the music got those in droves. 'Then, when I was lonely / I thought again / and changed my mind.' That's good. 'Looking for love and getting / nothing that's worth regretting.' And so is that. 'Together.' Why not? Whitman's Calamus, I hear it, read it, happily, finally, all over again.

Glorious!!

Absolutely incredible. Perfection even

Synth pop - love it

This is #day58 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge and, finally, here's something truly enjoyable. My journey with PSB started in childhood when I first heard "Go West"—it must have been a football chant in the early '00s (I was very much into football then). Later, tracks like "Flamboyant", "Minimal", and "Numb" were staples on TV in 2005-2006, marking a significant part of my teenage years. It's safe to say Fundamental is my first conscious PSB album. Around 2009-2010, my interest rekindled with Yes (I still consider "The Way It Used to Be" of their classic tracks). There’s something timeless about Neil Tennant’s voice no matter what album you're listening to. Now, Very... Despite my preference for the more sentimental side of PSB (my favorite album is Behaviour), even here, there are more subdued moments, such as Liberation, The Theatre, To Speak Is A Sin... Very is (pun un/intended) very versatile, encapsulating everything 90s—synthpop, disco, and house underpinned by signature orchestral arrangements. It’s been a while since I’ve rated an album a perfect score, so here it is. Looking forward to #day59.

A lot of fun to listen to. Upbeat dancey pop with a bit of camp and a dash of melancholy. I liked it a lot.

Camper and poppier than before, and getting the hits they deserved. A very very very good album.

All killer, no filler. In context, this album being released around the time one member of PSB came out publicly adds heavy weight to the lyrics of many songs. Yet the music remains upbeat and bright throughout. Hard to pick a favorite, but I’ll say “To Speak Is a Sin.” 5/5

Sounds like someone making tunes on FL Studio quite literally in the closet.

I adore this album!

I wasn’t a huge fan of Behavior, but I really enjoyed this one. Synthy, dancey, and campy. Pet Shop Boys vocals in the past have grated on me a little bit, but I find them much more enjoyable on this record. The hooks are all really sticky, the dance grooves are fun and bouncy, and each song feels like it brings a different vibe to the album without it feeling all over the place. Definitely coming back to this.

I know that this isn't anything special for a lot of people, but I loved this. I've heard a few Pet Shop Boys songs before and I really like those, so I was excited for this album. Rightly so, apparently, because I'm giving this album a high rating. It may be generic or cheesy to some, but it's very up my alley. I'm not gonna act like it's anything more than what it is. Still, it's getting a 5. I like his voice; it's kind of soft. It can be a little whiny at points, but I don't really mind that here. It's pretty hard to pick favourite songs, but I believe my favourite songs are Liberation, Can You Forgive Her?, and Young Offender.

Did I love this? Or am I just so used to listening to stuff I don't care for that anything I actually like, I feel very enthusiastic about? Either way, this was a fun listen. I've been ambivalent towards the Pet Shop Boys in the past but I dig them doing 90s pop. If anyone reading this likes this album and wants to hear something similar, this reminded me a lot of Sparks' album Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins. Go for the deluxe 3hr edition as it has all the best songs within the bonus tracks section.

This is one of the better recent ones

when multiple albums of an artist are on this list, we truly get a chance to hear the artist's musical progression. i previously listened to and adored their earlier album actually, and i was subsequently nervous that i wouldn't enjoy very on the same level. well, i shouldn't have been concerned! i absolutely love their music, end of sentence. the pet shop boys' usual synth pop sound is present here, but they've expanded. there's a techno-like sound on "a different point of view"--there's even a smidge of a smooth jazz in "to speak is a sin". and multiple songs here keep them on the disco train. this album is a great balance of pet shop boys staying synth but exploring other genres. i get some of the same vibes from actually, but very is able to stand on its own and be appreciated for itself. they've kept their heart on this album, too. the hidden track "postscript" is so tender despite its length. a good way to describe pet shop boys, i think, is beautifully melancholy. "dreaming of the queen" and "the theatre" follow that description. somehow, psb manage to use synth and disco to make music with such feeling. i definitely want to mention neil tennant's sexuality. i have always admired pet shop boys' gender neutral love songs; most artists just do not go that route. i believe it allows any gender, any sexuality to enjoy any song. i do think tennant's sexuality encourages him and chris lowe to write their songs in such a way. but really, only a queer person could write "liberation": "take my hand/don't think of obligations/now, right now/your love is liberation."

Was very excited to buy this when it came out - did not disappoint, ribbed plastic box, secret bonus track and all! Still sounds fabulous today, all killer no filler. Great to hear it again

I wasn’t a big enough fan of Pet Shop Boys to invest time or money in an album way back when. I now know that I really missed out. This is a great album. So bright sounding and 90’s dance-y. It was a blast to listen to today!!! Also, I love the orange cover!

Just listened to another Pet Shop Boys album from this list yesterday. The same holds true: I like the Pet Shop Boys a lot, but I'm not sure why this album was chosen specifically since it doesn't contain my favorite songs by them (top two: It's A Sin and Heart). But compared to the other album which was a 4 for me, this one seems to have a bolder, fuller sound. I enjoyed listening to it a lot and if there happens to be a third Pet Shop Boys album on this list, I surely won't mind.

Very synthetic. Great album to groove to.

Oh my God, someone take the orchestra hit away from these guys. They abuse it to such an astonishing degree I almost want to report them to the ICJ for war crimes. Egregious overuse of keyboard effects aside, I enjoyed this album a lot more than the last Pet Shop Boys album this list gave me. It’s fun synth-pop dance music that also has a lot of heart. It’s a little cheesy and a lot melodramatic, but it’s also damn catchy. There’s something about this album that’s very 80s (even though it came out in 1993) but also somehow timeless. It has similarities to New Order’s poppier songs (NO was apparently influenced by PSB) but also ‘90s dance music and even ‘00s techno. I guess that’s to the band’s credit — they’ve clearly had a huge influence on pop and dance music, and a lot of their sound can still be heard today. I definitely hear their influence on my favorite band, Savage Garden (and Darren Hayes’ subsequent solo work). Their influence on other queer artists (or non-queer artists who’ve become queer icons) is apparent too — Madonna, Scissor Sisters, SOPHIE, Lady Gaga, etc. On the techno side, you can hear their influence on artists like Cascada, for example. It’s not a perfect album for me. It gets a little repetitive sounding, and some of the sound effects are quite annoying — that obnoxious high-pitched beep on “A Different Point of View” makes me actually appreciate the orchestra hit softening it a bit. But it’s pretty good, and I can see myself listening to this again. 4/5

Really digging the vibes on this album. Romantic and a bit cheesy but relatable and catchy af. Lots of great synth work.

Spacey and bombastic. A lot of fun.

I found this quite an interesting album. Very groovy, very different - especially to what I usually listen to. I probably wouldn't complain if someone put this on, but if I ever wanted to listen to this again I'd have to be in a specific mood. I can't just play this whenever, it'd get annoying. Also I can get too much of this. It gets annoying, especially how similar the tracks are. Not to say it's bad, however, because I still enjoyed it somewhat. It can just get too overstimulating

Probably one of the goofyest albums ive heard on this list

A lot of this is pretty cheesy, but it really fucking works and I’m not mad about it at all. In fact, let me leave you with this scalding hot take: There’s maybe one degree of stylistic separation between this record and the Post-Lonerism Tame Impala records. Go ahead, grab yer pitchforks.

Not bad.

Fine

Very gay for sure. And very cheesy. Yet very memorable lyrics. And very witty one-liners. Also, very sophisticated chord progressions. Yet very unnecessary inclusion in the original list when there's already *actually* in it (and also, I think, *Behaviour*). Very bummed to say so. 3/5 for the purposes of this very list. Which translates to a 8/10 grade for more very general puuposes (5 + 3). Number of albums left to review: 384 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 280 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 146 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 196 (including this one)

Pretty bumpy listen. I was excited to be given something more contemporary to listen to and thought the package design of album was pretty neat, but I became quickly dismayed with the album when I hit play and got confronted with just how ass the first track was. The remaining tracks managed to reel me back in a bit with some alright instrumentation, but I continued to get smacked over the head with some incredibly baffling choices in instruments. At the very least, I'm grateful for the experience.

'Knowing' pop is the worst kind of pop. Spend the time on better tunes rather than tipping the wink to irony and worrying about not seeming 'cool'. Probably a different audience, but St Etienne do this kind of thing SO much better. The start of the second (and third) track sounds like daytime tv show intro music. I have never 'got' Pet Shop Boys and this very much reinforced that feeling.

It's like they took everything good from something like Depeche Mode and corrupted it, twisted and soiled it until it became a soulless shell of bubblegum synth pop that was all style and no substance. It is like an uncanny valley of musical nightmares, so close to good ideas but so debased.

No like

Entirely forgettable, and best forgotten.

Very begins with a passable song then dives deep in the pop style that will be overly used a decade later by all the boys-bands. Every songs sound the same as the previous with the same musical backs and poor-written lyrics. It has no memorable aspect and even in background, while doing something else, Very is boring. Its presence in this list is incomprehensible and absolutely not deserved.

I <3 SYNTHPOP

holy cow!! loud and bright and exciting and in-your-face and cinematic and fun. and then i would estimate that 75% of the songs were about love in various ways. they did this thing a lot here where they build up and then release on a sweet chord with a note being sung that works so so well over the top. i’ve liked the other Pet Shop Boys stuff on this list but this album absolutely blew away expectations

Another superb offering by the brilliant Pet Shop boys. Thought this one was a little more ballardy than some of their others and certainly more jazzy with the use of various upbeat string sounds in other tracks. Also thought the album was more heavily produced but this didn't detract from the quality. What a way to end with the camp Go West. A joy from beginning to end 👍

I had heard this one before but I had to listen again because I felt it was on the cusp of a 5. An excellent dance album with plenty of synths and fantastic songwriting — definitely not hard to tell why it was seen as a ‘coming out’ album given that I see little room for subtlety.

Dope

love it

I loved this album. From start to end it was full of so many interesting sounds and textures, and the music itself was so vibrant. Each song was destinct and creative. Honestly there were really no low spots for me, and I'm glad I discovered this through here. 5/5

Danm i love this album and spin it for over 30 years

love these boys

Damn what's with the fairly low rating on here, this thing is synth-pop bangers front to back. Always knew they had some killer singles in them but this is a full album of great material. That classic synth sound just works so well for pop music, every song on here made me want to groove.

Classic

Ein tolles, melodisches, top arrangiertes und produziertes Album. Es hat mich begeistert.

Very by Pet Shop Boys is an easy five stars because not only is it an album that brought me near to tears upon my first listen but did so while sounding like the unreleased soundtrack to a Sonic the Hedgehog game.

The very definition of cryin at the club Full of heart and history, I’m so glad I got this album today! As a fan of 90’s techno, dance, and house music, it’s a nice trip down memory lane to study what laid the foundation of so many genre developments to come. Almost instantly you can taste the historical context this album was created in, the sadness, weariness, the hope and perseverance. This will be added to my regular listening rotation for sure

I love this album, and I have absolutely no reason why this should be. I still remember buying the CD in it's orange case with the lego look and feel. I know this album is a big thing in the queer community, and I can see why, but my love of this album is really not affected by that. I guess I just grew up with this album, and heard it at the right time to have it leave a lasting mark on me. I absolutely hate the impact "go west" had on media for years, but at the same time I absolutely love the track. To me this the absolute picture of early european EDM. It is the sound of thousands and thousands of poor people dancing their issues away on any given weekend. The upbeat sadness propably didn't start with this album, but it provided a blueprint for how it would build for the next 20 years.

cool

Loved this album! It's so fun.

Great - supegreat piece of pop art.

I had never really listened to them before despite their popularity. Very much enjoyed it. A continuation of the 80s new wave and dance that rivals the best of New Order.

An album I hadn´t listned to in full in many years and I had forgotten how much I love it. There is not one bad track on this. It´s probably the most solid album Pet Shop Boys have made.

i put off listening to this because i thought it was the beastie boys lol but this is delicious

Prefer their older stuff, still banging

Awesome synth pop!! Maintains a consistent feel while changing tone and progression to make it engaging and interesting throughout.

"Very" is the fifth studio album by Pet Shop Boys. It was a shift from the subdued electronic pop of their previous album "Behaviour" to richly instrumented dance arrangements. Pet Shop Boys are Neil Tennant (vocals) and Chris Lowe (keyboards. Vocals). This is known as Tennant "coming out" album as he publicly discussed his homosexuality. The Pet Shop Boys produced the album and, commercially, it became their most successful album reaching #1 in the UK. A loud synth open begins "Can You Forgive Her?" Horn sounds, a pop beat, a synth catchy melody. Tennant with forceful lyrics. It's a about a young man's humiliation when a girlfriend accuses him of being in love with someone from his childhood. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" has a piano and more of a dance beat. Another catchy melody. An event in a person's life opens him up. "Liberation" is lush with horn sounds. It's a dreamy dance ballad. A Carribean beat of sorts. This album is off to a great start..three for three with great songs. Piano keys and a spacey synth begin "Yesterday When I Was Mad." It then changes with a faster, busier pace and electronic beats. This is different. The stresses of touring and being away from loved ones. A nice job of the music capturing the lyrical theme. "The Theatre" starts out in a majestic way with string sounds. Just beautiful and lush. About snobdom. Maybe my favorite song on the album. The album closes with a Village People cover "Go West." Electronic beat. Smooth. Creative background vocals mimicking the Village People. This reinterpretation is like a theatrical production and a lot of fun. This is an excellent album. It's extremely well-constructed and crafted....great production and pop of the highest order. No bad songs or filler. There's a variety of beats with mutliple sounding instruments including horns, piano, strings and synths. Lush is a apt description. An album that apparently got lost in the US with all the grunge at the time. One worth going back for.

pet shop boys eh 5*

Oh yes, this is absolutely what I want out of a Pet Shop Boys album. Lyrically as serious as Behaviour, Very goes back to the Pet Shop Boys synth heavy sounds, but with a more dance-heavy sound. Each song here is a winner, bookended by the strong "Can You Forgive Her?" and the gentle "Go West." The Pet Shop Boys are masters of synth pop, and this album shows that they were far from being done with their musical ingenuity, even as the world of music changed at rapid fire pace around them. I absolutely loved listening to this, and I can't wait to the third and final Pet Shop Boys album on this list.

Neil Tennant explained that they chose title of this album because it's *very* Pet Shop Boys: "it's very up, it's very hi-energy, it's very romantic, it's very sad, it's very pop". That is the perfect summary of the record. It's everything that is great about the Pet Shop Boys, but bolder and more confident than on previous records. It is *very* excellent indeed. Rating: 4.5/5 Playlist track: Go West Date listened: 05/07/23

An entire album of hits. From the first to the last song. One of the best Pet Shop Boys albums. And it's also worth knowing the album Relentless that came out with Very in a special edition.

I loved this album it feels like a predecessor to all of the 90s and early 2000s techno music that I grew up on and it has a lot of elements that very much lead me to believe that it influenced them heavily.

It's the perfect PSB album. Where the with and the music match up - if I Wouldn't Normally Do This Lind of Thing isn't the perfect evocation of that giddy feeling at the start of a relationship then love is a myth and we should all give up. Go West is iconic. It's all ace

I wouldn’t normally do this kind of thing Ask me when I’ll say it started when I met you

very cool album, mostly due to cutting edge for its time production.

Pop perfection

false

You can draw a clear line from this to Daft Punk, which I'll always support.

This album was an interesting mix of 90’s pop and synthwave sounds that caught my attention and kinda had me grooving. Lots of the songs were about lady troubles but my favorite was about English royalty LOL

WOW! Banging. Did not expect this to be from the 90s, reminds me of depeche mode. Love the combination of the aggressive synths with whatever else is going on. Fav Songs: Can You Forgive Her?, Go West

Good music

Hyvä tanssilevy! 4/5

They have a huge lush sound, pop vocals backed with dance music. Every song had a hook that draws you in, enjoyed the album a lot

Definitely the sound of the 80s fun to listen to but starts to drone on after a while

Lush musically and compelling lyrically, my big complaint is that the songs are all just a bit too long, most hovering about the 4-5 minute mark, even the shorter songs feel like they could have been cut down. But that’s a minor complaint, and one that I have about most albums from this genre and era. This is really good

Actually pretty good

Si hablamos de electropop, los Pet Shop Boys destacan no solo por su creatividad y colorida paleta de sonidos, si no por la tremenda influencia que tuvieron sobre la escena y la comunidad LGBT musical. Este disco no es la excepción. Lleno de canciones tristes, pero a la vez bailables, "Very" es fácil de escuchar, sin dejar de tener tintes nostálgicos. Recomendable, y me arriesgaría a decir, imprescindible y una buena entrada para esta lista. Escúchelo.

Why do I enjoy this so much??

3.75

It's not "Behaviour", but still somehow brilliantly captures the era. Post "second summer of love", grunge is about to go mainstream but Neil & Chris continue with their synth based rueful observations of life.

Great shit, not their best album but still rocks

Majestic

Third album I've gotten of theirs. Def one of my favorite 80s synth pop kinda bands

Can You Forgive Her? //

Oye, digan lo que digan, este es muy buen pop de los 90