4
I can't think of a better album if you want to dance and cry at the same time. Recommended season: Spring
Very is the fifth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 27 September 1993 by Parlophone, nearly three years after the duo's previous studio album, Behaviour, and following the compilation album Discography: The Complete Singles Collection. Very exhibits one of many turning points the Pet Shop Boys would make to their music, shifting from the subdued electronic pop of Behaviour to richly instrumented dance arrangements. The content and lyrics led to Very being called their "coming-out" album, since it was during this time that Neil Tennant had publicly discussed his long-rumoured homosexuality.
I can't think of a better album if you want to dance and cry at the same time. Recommended season: Spring
No idea why anyone would listen to one of these guys albums never mind two
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.
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.
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.
“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
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!
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."
Really digging the vibes on this album. Romantic and a bit cheesy but relatable and catchy af. Lots of great synth work.
Only listened to a few songs. Not very inspiring but good background sound.
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.
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.
Entirely forgettable, and best forgotten.
No like
false
Excellent wogging album!
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.
Pop perfection
very cool album, mostly due to cutting edge for its time production.
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!
I wouldn’t normally do this kind of thing Ask me when I’ll say it started when I met you
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
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
This is one of the better recent ones
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.
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.
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 adore this album!
Sounds like someone making tunes on FL Studio quite literally in the closet.
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.
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
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.
Camper and poppier than before, and getting the hits they deserved. A very very very good album.
Yep. Enjoyed this one a lot, too. There's a specific kind of '80s pop I am into.
Só conhecia uma música ou outra do Pet Shop Boys, ouvir um álbum inteiro foi uma ótima experiência, e concretizar como uma ótima banda pra mim.
Discão. Pra mim "Go West" deles é melhor que a original.
It’s the PSB!!
Some fun tunes in this album. Never heard of these guys before but enjoyed the retro feel
Not bad!
Can You Forgive Her?" Released: 31 May 1993 "Go West" Released: 6 September 1993 "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" Released: 29 November 1993 "Liberation" Released: 4 April 1994 "Yesterday, When I Was Mad" Released: 29 August 1994
Solid pop exceptionalism
Liked all the songs, and it was just varied enough to keep my attention. Much better songwriting than The Human League. Good stuff!
Emotivos. Grandes canciones. Seguramente su mejor disco.
Pretty good dance album. It has slow chill tracks and quick drive songs. The track «Go West» the best.
В своё время натыкался в рамках классического A-One на клипчанский Go West, фронтмен своим немного манерным поведением и вокалом спровоцировал ассоциации с ЛГБТ, посему немного оттолкнул. Но клипак в душу запал, так что годами опосля уже гуглил, не приснилась ли мне эта дичь. Трек то неплох. И альбом неплох. Снова, как и в случае с It’s a Sin потребовалось привыкание некоторое, но как снова въехал - прокачался. Треки крепкие, разве что Dreaming Of The Queen и Young Offender скучными показались. Но и того, ради чего в ближайшем будущем специально возвращаться захочется, вроде особо нет. Вроде бы даже на It’s a Sin с этим лучше было. Вот вроде бы могу поныть, что в рамках 1001 мне ничего не заходит, чтоб прям хорошечно, а средняя оценка у меня ведь 3,5 превышает. Ну да похуй, ещё завезут мадон на единицы. А Very - хороший альбом.
ну как сказать. пока что худший их альбом из того, что слышал. сам по себе неплохой, но ни хитовости и экспериментов Actually, ни душевности и продуманности Behavior не завезли. Go West мне вообще не сильно когда-то нравилась как песня (хотя хитовый потенциал сложно отрицать все-таки). все остальное - довольно середняковые ПШБ песни, особо для себя выделил только открывашку и Theater. но напряжения тоже не вызывает, лёгкий, немного бодрящий альбомчик с наивной лиричкой (рифма you-true уже подзаебала, постоянно в их творчестве встречается). имеет право быть, где-то 7/10
Lush, disco relaxation music
Not really catchy 3.5/5 Last song is catchy
deze was leuk, zo wat vanalles.
I loved the upbeat quality, smooth vocals, decent lyrics, and all-around good balance. Wish there were more individual standout songs though
some very catchy synth pop
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Can you forgive her, Go west
Who wants to be in my band Tamagotchi Store Girls? Anybody? Anyone? I’m either square, in a weird mood, or both because I really quite liked this. My wife walked in and said one of the songs sounds like the melody of a Eurythmics tune. Surprised she pulled that out of thin air, but she was right. There’s probably a lot of familiar melodies on this record, but I like the dude’s voice and here we are.
On par with behavior
Good
Although vocally, they never stray far, the melodies and lyrics are great. They're music has aged well, and their brand new 2021 album of new music in their usual style shows that.
I kind of like the beats a lot actually; not really paying too much attention to the lyrics specifically.
Really solid and consistent from start to finish
This was a very enjoyable listen. The disco beat and interesting lyrics provided a great soundtrack to my cold, wet, gloomy walk today. Top-notch exuberance!
That feeling you get when it's the first appearance of one of your all time favorite bands...but your fifth favorite album. I bought this CD with its weird orange case in 1993 and vividly remember wondering why it continued spinning in my crappy portable (but not movable-during-play) CD player after "Go West" ended. I don't remember how long it took me to discover the "hidden" track, but who didn't love the novelty at the time of hearing Chris Lowe singing? However, it quickly got to be an annoyance when I got to the point of having a CD shuffler, and later when I chose not to rip my favorite song from the album for my iPod, because of its ball and chain of 2 minutes of silence. (A ball and chain that still exists on the digital platform.) Perhaps because this album was lower on my list, I spent some time today rediscovering it and reconnecting to some favorite songs. The two songs that I did rip for my new iPod nano circa 2005 were "Can You Forgive Her?" and "A Different Point of View." Today I would keep the former, and swap the latter for "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing." I always liked "Dreaming of the Queen," but especially because of the way Neil Tennant sings "For I was in the nyude/ The old Queen disapproved." That one gets added too. Also maybe because it's already enough of a museum piece to be the plot of the upcoming season of "The Crown." "Go West," with its backing chorus, elevating the sound of the disco original to a majestic anthem, continues to be the one song that I love well above the rest. In any case, I really enjoyed my time with the Pet Shop Boys today. This is a good, solid album, but the connection wasn't as strong as with some of their others.
Нормальный поп, не дать не взять.
Nice
Passionate yet austere. Fantastically arranged and while it can sometimes fall into the same-iness factor that edm/electronica is prone too, each track has a firm separate identity.
Ahhh. Like a warm bath.
Lot of Casio keyboard sounds but honestly I had fun with this album. 7/10
Really enjoyed this dance pop adventure 4/5
Enjoyed the album, interesting electronica, chill vibes
I don't give Pet Shop Boys the credit they deserve. I think "West End Girls" just made me immediately disqualify them as something I'd like. The front four were good but it was "Dreaming of the Queen" that really pulled me in. "To Speak Is a Sin" was also a great track. "Go West" is a fun song to listen to waiting for the bonus track was not as fun. I'm surprised at how highly I am rating this album based on my preconceptions, but that really is the beauty of listening to all of these albums.
Agradable. No es mi favorito, pero le doy un 4 por Go West. Estos chicos se lo merecen.
4.5……always enjoyed their music
1st June 2022 Listened on the way in and out of the office. Did a bit of cleaning and moving things into the front room then watched stranger things. Camp and bouncy, popping drums and lounging synths. Great fun.
Ein af uppáhalds PSB plötunum. Þeir eru bara sér deild út af fyrir sig.
6/8/2022 - ALBUM #132 Today's Album: "Very" by Pet Shop Boys - This generator has been slowly introducing me to the world of new-wave and synth-pop with a records like that Brian Eno project or parts of that Cafe Bleu record, but this feels like a true introduction to what makes this genre so likeable and fun. I think if I am to comment on anything first, it would be the production. There way these powerful, yet ethereal synth chords pair with the super melodic bass, a quiet guitar playing these really funky lines, and a straightforward piano make these really amazing soundscapes for the auxiliary percussion and leading synths to just have fun over. There are also a lot of random synths throughout the mix that add to this really funky robotic feeling throughout the project. The vocal performance at first seemed like it worked well for the vibe of the project but I didn't see it as very impressive. However, once I looked up the members of the band and found out the lead singer is a guy, it became obvious how impressive the chops on this vocalist were. I think overall, though, it's the songwriting that really get me to love this album. Each song has this really tight structure to it and although it makes it sound very commercial at some points, I think it overall leads to very memorable songs. It helps that the choruses are EXTREMELY catchy and that the lyricism is very unique (holding up very well today in my opinion). Yes it's cheesy at moments; yes it's pretty overtly queer, but it stay's in this sweet spot of feeling relatable and doesn't take itself very seriously in the best way. I think there are good handful of tracks here that don't hold up as well as others in terms of the song writing overall, but I still enjoy what's going on throughout those tracks musically and sonically. The flow of the album is also really good, making it feel less like an album purely for radio and more like something they made intentionally. Overall, this is an album with a fantastic vibe overall and a ton of great songs, just with a few songs that bog things down a fair bit. Give this one a listen if you like ear candy and love a good synth sound. Highlights: Can You Forgive Her?, I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing, Liberation, A Different Point of View, Dreaming Of The Queen, The Theatre, To Speak Is a Sin, Go West Score: 7.5/10 Very fun synth-pop record
This is a good collection of dance/pop songs, but I much prefer the Pet Shop Boys' earlier albums. True: There are some heavy hitters like Can You Forgive Her, Liberation, I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing, and - of course - Go West. But some of the other songs dont't quite feel up to par here. Plus, the sound is heavily anchored in the early 90s. Still, a good effort, and probably the last album I would count as belonging to the classic PSB era. 4/5
A priori, no semblava que els '90 anessin a ser una bona década pels Pet Shop Boys. 'Behaviour', l'any 1990, semblava un comiat en ple estat de forma, més que una benvinguda a la nova década. El seu to nostàlgic i més pausat que els seus anteriors llargs no feia més que reforçar aquesta idea. Per això que 3 anys després sortissin amb 'Very', a l'alçada dels seus millors treballs, va sorprendre. 'Go West', el primer single i gran éxit a l'época, és el tema més anecdòtic. El material propi és excel.lent. Sempre el tindré vinculat a l'hivern de 1993, de tantes vegades que el vaig escoltar aquells mesos. Per això se'm fa fins i tot estrany posar-me'l a l'estiu. Estaven per venir més de deu anys de decadència artística per la banda, però amb 'Very' van tancar un quintet de discos amb nom propi a la història del pop
Fast paced synth pop and catchy songs, over 50 minutes the Pet Shop Boys never fail to entertain
The Pet Shop Boys really are very good - uplifting melodies, a lovely interplay between major and minor keys, Neil Tennant's ethereal voice. Good listen.
Can You Forgive Her still hits so hard
Enjoyed
Very nice production, consistently good throughout.
Best Song: The Theatre. Unexpectedly grandiose dance music. Worst Song: To Speak is a Sin. The song that plays as you realize your Tinder date was being unexpectedly literal when they said you were looking like a snack. Patrick Bateman's ringtone. Overall: Consuming, expansive, complex dance music that comes at you as a wall of sound with absolutely no soul. But hey, I mean there are times when I don't feel like having a soul. Whenever that happens, I'll listen to this album.
Early '90s dance. I wasn't expecting much even though I've enjoyed their hits, including Go West. There is something quite beguiling about Tennant's vocals that elevates the repetitive backing well above most examples of the genre. Dreaming of The Queen and Yesterday When I Was Mad provide a 1-2 punch, both lyrically and musically.
This was weirdly like top 5 most excited I was to listen to going in. Lost a star off the bat for there being no west end girls. I’m rounding up from 3.5 to offset others
3.5 stars, definitely not in my top 3 Pet Shop Boys albums but I have a strange soft spot for them apparently
Joyous. No other words.
The sounds of gay panic
challenging pop music, very good.
ziemlich solid overall
Fast paced synthesized dance hits written for popularity put against some lush, spacious, and dreamy bops. Would be fun to dance to undoubtedly. Silly talking parts included. Vaguely familiar
It’s sad electronic music and I like it.Usually I wouldn’t like the weird monotone delivery of the vocalist but here it’s good.I might revisit some songs.
funky kind of dance hall pop. favorite tracks: liberation, dreaming of the queen
This was indeed VERY Pet Shop Boys. Was a very pleasing listen as I've always enjoyed their music.
Solid synth pop album but no hits or songs that really get me going. Still, it's the Pet Shop Boys & they're a fantastic band. 3.5 stars.
Melancholy synthpop meets exuberant old-school rave.
Fun and upbeat, cool album backstory as well. Would listen again
Honnêtement surpris, bangers après bangers. Je m'attandais pas à autant aimer l'album considérant que je connaissais aucune pièce.
This album sees the Pet Shop Boys embracing Neil Tennant’s homosexuality. The result is one of their most consistent and cohesive albums. The mix of synth pop and club music is driving, danceable, yet provides a fitting medium for Tennant’s vocals. Despite the running time, I found that this album didn’t drag on unlike some of their other work. The highlight for me was the final track, a fantastic cover of the Village People’s ‘Go West.’
One of the Pet Shop Boys best albums. More pop dance than the previous discs. In addition, the lyrics are actually moving (as opposed to the seemingly witty snippets that make up the prior albums). All that said, I think of Pet Shop Boys as more of a singles band. 3.5 stars if available, but I am grading up today (points for the actually good Village People cover).
Very close to giving this a 5, but just a bit top heavy and didn’t quite stick the landing. This is one of those bands I’ve heard of a bunch but never actually listened to. Great album overall. You can see the influence on bands like the magnetic fields. A Different Point of View was my fave.