Reviews (page 4 of 8)
It's bad. Overall boring and too repetitive. The lyrics were strange when they weren't sucking.
A lot of 90s UK pop clichés in this. I also struggle with the clipped, posh voice of the vocalist and always have. Found it a struggle to get through. I get that this may have some significance for some demographics but not at all for me.
It was very... Okay. The big house rave adjacent arrangements were a little fun but overall sort of soft and forgettable.
I hear this music, and now suddenly a lot of the kitschy weird dance music from the late '80's and early '90's makes a lot more sense. It's still trash, but now I understand how it came to exist.
pet shop boys has always been one of those bands that i think is good and interesting musically, that i should by all means like, but i just can't get past Neil Tennant's voice. it's not even awful, like many other male vocalists that have darkened this list, it just gets on my nerves in a way I can't quite put my finger on (too nasally? production problem?). but everything else is solid, so a regretful "not for me" and a recommendation to anybody else
An okay album, I liked Can You Forgive Her the most.
Soulless, tedious. Somehow has so little energy for what supposedly is dance music. Just not good.
It's a decent album, the opener is a massive standout and some other tracks here and there are really good, but overall it's a bit generic with that 90s techno sound
All the classic feelings you want.
I like this considerably more than the other Pet Shop Boys album I've listened to in this project (Actually). That one was a low 3 star, and this is a very high 3 star. Had a great time here, even if it isn't a major genre for me personally.
I hate disco. It’s muzak. I hate it more than grunge which at least tries not to be middle of the road muzak.
Definitely some Brit synthpop from the 90s. At first I didn’t really mind the album, but as it went on I just wanted them to stop singing and the album to just put me out of my misery. It just feels like it is never going to end.
I wasn’t familiar with the pet shop boys before this, and it certainly evokes a specific feeling. This is most definitely club music for the 90s, good and bad. I enjoyed listening to it overall, but it wouldn’t be the first thing I reach for as a listen. Still, it was nice to have an electronic and synth heavy album that wasn’t all doom and gloom the whole time.
To give this album some props, it doubles down on a very specific sound, even for a Pet Shop Boys album. Were I a mincing man of the early 90s rather than being in my first year on this planet I would be well acquainted with this music rather than only knowing a couple of songs. Unfortunately it’s not a good sound. There’s not enough gusto in the backing music (weak ass synth) to balance out the whimpering vocals. This is also lacking their main hits bar ‘Go West’ which I’ve never really liked anyway. A no thank you.
Normally with the worst albums I can critically listen and find some redeeming feature. On this nothing. Its a synth / club thing hugged in a commerical pop embrace. Its boring, repetitive and I cant even stand it as background. When you find music annoying in so many dimmensions it becomes lifeless and takes something away from you. Interesting as well it wasnt a slow death it was immediate for me I hated it from the minute it started.
This is the peak of tepid pop music and a real chore to sit through. To critique in some meaningful way, it has musical elements of some of the synth pop of the 80's. Somehow though, this seems lower energy, the synths feel less meaty, and the rhythms more basic and plodding. I can also hear some influences in bands like The lightning Seeds (although they have a far more convincing sound). I was never going to like this album, given the genre. Over-simplistic music, low energy vocals, boring and repetitive electronic percussion. On top of all of this, they throw in a track about "Lady Di" and it transcends from a shit album into a full on sick-in-my-mouth experience.
I dont get it
Fun!
Really good sound. Solid album
It was a fun listen.
Nice album
Like dancy-er, queerer Belle and Sebastian. Got a lot better towards the end.
-synth pop with some explicit early 90s techno influence -never heard any other Pet Shop Boys albums and i’m not sure how representative this one is of their discography, but i’d say it was more or less what i was expecting. not many standouts for me and kind of verged on corny at some points (a staple of synth pop perhaps), but it wasn’t bad. 3 stars -Favorites: A Different Point Of View and One And One Make Five
Good album. Not the most successful and know from PSB. I liked it.
a bit too 90s for me
Debut album plutôt cool, puis répétitif et moins intéressant sur la fin
first listen pretty forgettable
Maybe not their best but probably their most fun? Which is a weird thing for a Peg Shop Bous album to be.
I was never a Pet Shop Boys fan, and this solidifies that I will never be one. Very dated dance music for the nightclubs, whose 80s and 90s pop production were nothing to write about, then and now.
This was a very enjoyable album. It was pretty energetic and danceable. Very gay.
Listened Before: Y One of my favorite 80s bands, not one of my favorite albums by them. Still a solid 3 star effort. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Go West
Getting this so soon after Actually is a great insight into Pet Shop Boys' quality drop as they entered the 90's, because boy does this thing sound like shit. Nothing has changed in terms of overall songwriting or vocal quality, but fuck me the switch from 80's synth to 90's electronic slop was actually so grim to listen to. Not only is this thing an hour of generic drum machine loops, the complete lack of instruments made it sound like I was listening to Scatman's World by Scatman John for an hour. Just with less bass and more boring vocals. Wikipedia states 'Pet Shop Boys have been noted for keeping their fingers on the musical pulse to date, while "maintaining the mystique of performers from a different era".' - what an absolute load of shit. They definitely kept their fingers on the musical pulse, but the pulse must have been way below the average heart rate because this is lukewarm and milquetoast as fuck. I've no idea why this disaster is on here. It's really bad compared to their other work. It's still listenable, so it is fine with a 2 - but fuck I don't want to listen to anything except maybe 'Can You Forgive Her?' again.
Yea very boring
This thing comes out the gate swining with the first track. The tracks are good some are even great, like liberation. Too bad its ruined by what sounds like a fire alarm goung off occasionally in the background. Also enjoyed one and one make five, and to speak is a sin 7/10
A bit of a let-down from the last Pet Shop Boys album that I listened to. The instrumentals here are good, flashes of brilliance are on every track but I think a lot of these songs are bloated, like they're being stretched out to a radio runtime. I have to give an anti-shoutout to A Different Point of View. This sounds like a parody of Pet Shop Boys instrumentals with a parody of New Order lyrics It's a good dance album and I can see some songs on here getting a facelift with a remix. However, overall I just don't find it as listenable as Actually and it lacks big hits like that album had. Besides Go West, which is the reason this doesn't get below a 3, this song fucking BANGS. Genuinely makes up for what is kind of a mid album, I love this song so much. Highlights: One and One Make Five, Go West
Better than the other one but I still don't like these guys's
Fucking garbage. Still no Seger.
Can't think of any singer more british sounding than Neil Tennant. Maybe it's because he's so well articulated, not sure. Found this a bit of a slow starter, but 'Liberation' really caught my attention. Good song. It carried on in a more interesting track after that, with 'The Theatre' neing nice, and in general the latter part being decent or better. I sometimes found their tracks a bit too cheerful? Too much chord changes which overall makes it a bit unfocused and all over the place. The electronic sounds definitely don't feel modern to me, but more toy-like and... well typically 80s I guess - in a bad way. I realize that's just their sound, but on some songs it's more tolerable than others. Generally found this a decent album. Pet Shop Boys have some stellar songs, but I don't think I have found a smash-hit album from them yet. And this wasn't it either, even though it was better than I expected. Strong 3.
The most memorable part of this album was that first few drum hits in the intro of “Can You Forgive Her?”, it peaked my interest and the whole song got my hopes up for at least a 4 star record. I didn’t think the rest of the album delivered though. I felt that most songs sounded like worse versions of the hits from other albums. “Go West” saved the album at the end. Save the first and last song, maybe give the rest a skip. Weak 3.
they were awful forty years ago
Pretty good
Not for me.
5/10
Lame
I think I liked it?
I know Pet Shop Boys have an important part in the world of new wave music. But this album did not move me very much. Not as good as New Order. And not as good as other albums of theirs. Not sure why this is the one that made the list.
just wasn't for me instrumentals were pretty good tho
This album is what happens when repression throws on an orange jumpsuit and starts voguing under strobe lights. It’s glossy, camp, melancholic—like heartbreak engineered by an architect who really loves geometry. The Pet Shop Boys perfected that strange, exquisite ache of feeling too much but only letting it leak out through perfect synth lines. Every track is a glittering contradiction: joy and despair holding hands in a laser-lit club. Rating: 4.8/5 Short Review: Synthpop therapy for people who’d rather dance than talk about it. Favorite Track: “Can You Forgive Her?” — guilt turned into choreography.
Not sure how to describe this one. Very 90s i guess. Electric pop
Okay this is an interesting one. Felt like a guilty pleasure. But the music was fun and dancey and reminded me of Lithuanian pop a little. But it dips into the scary territory of sounding like doctor office hold music and the lyrics say little to nothing sometimes. That’s all that I want sometimes though. Pairs well with CAD drafting
Ick.
Way better than I thought it was going to be.
Not into this really. Go West is the first Pet Shop Boys song I ever heard and I still enjoy it, though I think it's more the Village People influence on the song (male choir parts specifically) that I really like. The rest of the album is just a little too schmaltzy synth pop for me. 2.4/5
Didn't care for it. It was fine but also not my genre at all. 2/5
If never heard again, I’d be ok with that
Aufgenommen in den Londoner Studios Sarm West und Sarm East, erschien Very im Herbst 1993 als fünftes Studioalbum des britischen Duos Neil Tennant und Chris Lowe. Nach dem introspektiven Behaviour kehrten die Pet Shop Boys hier zu einem farbenfrohen, cluborientierten Sound zurück, der Dance-Pop, Synth-Pop und House-Elemente verbindet. Zu den bekanntesten Songs gehören „Can You Forgive Her?“, „I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind of Thing“ und das euphorische „Go West“, eine Coverversion des gleichnamigen Village-People-Hits, die in der britischen LGBTQ-Community Kultstatus erlangte. Auch Stücke wie „Yesterday, When I Was Mad“ oder „Liberation“ zeigen die typische Mischung aus Ironie, Melancholie und formvollendetem Pop-Handwerk. Musikalisch überzeugt das Album durch präzise Produktion, vielschichtige Arrangements und einen klaren, synthetischen Klang, der gleichzeitig verspielt und kontrolliert wirkt. Very gilt als eines der zugänglichsten und zugleich persönlichsten Werke der Band – ein Album, das Tanzbarkeit und emotionale Intelligenz verbindet. Bewertung: Ein lebendiger Höhepunkt im Werk der Pet Shop Boys und ein Paradebeispiel britischer Pop-Eleganz der frühen 1990er.
It was an ok listen. Not outstanding but ok.
I will give it to the Pet Shop Boys. They take an almost unlistenable genre (electronica), commercialize it, and make it endurable.
unoffensive but forgettable
Trying to be too many things at once I think, couldn't really fit into the right vibe ever. I don't know it wants you to dance but not only does it not have the groove, but I kinda didn't want to. 4/10
I guess I just don't really vibe with these guys. Recently listened to their previous album and thought it was just OK, if not a little too tidy. Sort of the same sound here, except things are a bit more commercialized. The energy isn't really that high, despite the dance & synth-pop sound of it all.
Best album we’ve had yet
5 stars for bringing the 90s gay realness. 1 star for actual music quality, I could not listen to this. Ok 2 stars for the epic anthem Goooo WEST!
Honestly not sure what to think of this. It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't good. And yet, the song about the dream has been stuck in my head since I heard it yesterday.
i mean its okay
Had a friend who liked them
Melodic pop
Not my favorite style of music anymore, but it was fun to hear a familiar band play music I had not heard before. Not the sort of music that really moves me.
Can You Forgive Her - 7.5/10 I Wouldn't Normally Do - 6/10 Liberation - 5.5/10 A Different Point of View - 8/10 Dreaming of the Queen - 6.5/10 Yesterday When I Was Mad - 6.5/10 The Theatre - 7/10 To Speak Is a Sin - 6/10 Young Offender - 5/10
I know what the word means, but I couldn't give you the definition.
Now, although I don't think a third Pet Shop Boys album was needed, and this is definitely the weakest of the 3, it's STILL a total banger. Moving even more into dance but still having that Pet Shop Boy charm and great production value. Damn. Did I become a Pet Shop Boys fan because of this site?
A Milestone in Pop - very pleasant songs - I didn't expect that
There aren't many bands or albums that I find less interesting than this. 1 star or F.
Very not good.
Een 90s pop album. Vind het eigenlijk niet heel denderend. Had wel wat gekke beats verwacht maar het is eigenlijk zeer neutraal tot saai. Het album sluit wel af met een absolute bange (Go West) en daarvoor ben ik dan wel bereid om dit een 3 te geven. Ook zeker omdat het geen slechte, vervelende muziek is. Het raakt mij alleen niet.
There’s something about the hi energy style and fey disinterested vocals that just doesn’t do it for me. Boring
Fun album
I tend to like the Pet Shop Boys generally but this is a little too cheesy too much of the time. Some good bangers on it though like go out west,l wouldn't normally do this kind of thing and yesterday i was mad. Definitely well produced and generally well written I just need to be in the right mood for them
Not very great. A less fun Chumbawumba. Mostly alternative sounding music but without the punch.
While maintaining the elegance of Behavior, Pet Shop Boys bring back the house beats. The result is a combination of dancey and subdued songs that give the album a lot of depth. Songs like "A Different Point of View" and "The Theatre" have so much going on, but they never sound cluttered or overdone; the vocal flourishes on the latter are some of the best moments on the album. The lyrics are great too - Pet Shop Boys were always an introspective group (no pun intended), but songs like "To Speak is a Sin" demonstrate the way they can subtlety pack a lot of emotion into a song. The highlight is probably "Young Offender," a lyrically detailed song that's also one of the catchiest on the album, though in a more restrained way. And it ends on a triumphant Village People cover that's one of the few upbeat moments on the album not backed by cleverly dark lyrics.
I like the production, but the singer has a really stiff, uptight, nasal way of hitting high notes that began to grate on me after a few songs, especially when this album has none of the PSB songs I've heard of and enjoy
I didn’t mid it but after a while it was a bit repetitive
As a callow youth entering my teenage years when this came out, my pop horizons extended mostly to hi-NRG pop like this and Erasure (who probably also should be on this list, albeit more of a singles than album band). The song Can You Forgive Me and it's odd video have stuck with me and is a highlight here, followed up by the second track I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing. The album drifts a bit for me in the middle and becomes somewhat formulaic before a couple more standouts in the second half. The following year, I began to become enthralled with a resurgence of guitar bands with Britpop and alternative rock and with my year zero approach would probably have told you PSB were rubbish. Ah, the follies of youth, as Neil would probably say.
Not bad, not great. This wouldn't make my 1,001 albums.
The Pet Shop Boys are a band who despite being nowhere near in the same league as some of their contemporaries like Depeche Mode, their music is still really unique in it's own way, and is still always something that I know I will enjoy on some level.
Taitaa olla enemmän sinkkuhittien bändi. 2/5.
Repetitive and samey. I don't like the singer's voice either. Got a 2 as I try to save a 1 for the really bad stuff.
Not their best electo pop
Polished pop but not for me, very bland and same-y. Not sure why we need more than one PSB album on this list.
I kept coming away from this humming, "In suburby, in sub-urb-i-aaa" despite the fact that it wasn't on this album. Maybe their songs are a bit same-y?
I like Go West, but unsure why we need yet another Pet Shop Boys album on the 1001 list.
Could never get into the Pet Shop Boys and couldn’t get into this
This was a very different album than what I thought it would be, but it was still pretty good!
Some good tracks, a little samey throughout but overall good.
Some hella vibey shit on here, others are wtf bad
It’s fine - I like the hits, but I am not really into this disco pop thing
Ok
nice bops!
This surprised me. I like 80s Pet Shop Boys pretty well but had never heard them in the 90s. This was just a lot of fun.
could you forgive her- 5 i wouldnt normally do this kind of thing- 5 liberation- 5 a different point of view- 5 dreaming of the queen- 5 yesterday when i was mad- 5 the theater- 5 one and one make five- 5 to speak is a sin- 5 young offender- 5 one in a million- 5 go west- 5
Not a fan of dance music but will gladly make an exception for the Pet Shop Boys. I don't think they have ever released an original song that I don't love or at least like. Some of the re-mixes I am not too keen on but the non re-mixed tracks are always excellent. And this album is no exception. Easy 5 stars.
I love PSB and recently saw their Dreamworld tour. They only played 1 song from this album (Can you forgive her) although apparently they normally play Go West also - which is joint least from the 9 PSB albums and kinda illustrates where this sits in the canon. Neil's voice is great and there are some great moments - but it does feel a little dated - and lacks enough real bangers. Go West remains very interesting tho - superficially very cheesy but at the same time very powerful.
Very I preferred this to Behaviour, but it’s not as good as Actually, so I think it lands as a solid 4. As always he has a real knack for very affecting and slightly unexpected melodies, and his distinctive vocal tone sounds fantastic on here. And the base level of songs is high, but it feels like it’s really missing a top notch PSB banger or two, there’s no equivalent of West End Girls, Opportunities, It’s A Sin, What Have I Done, Left to my Own Devices etc. Can You Forgive Her and I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind of Thing perhaps get closest to those songs, Can You Forgive Her in particular touches on the heightened everydayness of their best songs. And Go West is of course good fun. It does suffer a bit from some slightly dated production, the pulsey beat on I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind of Thing, the wah wah on the nicely tender Liberation, the synth orchestra stabs on A Different Point of View slightly distracts from a great chorus melody, the bouncing-around synths and sequenced backing vocals on One and One Make Five, the sax on To Speak is a Sin. Overall though it’s a very enjoyable listen, some very good songs and melodies and no obviously weak moments, but it doesn’t quite reach their best stuff. 🐕🐕🐕🐕 Playlist submission: Can You Forgive Her
'Can You Forgive Her?' is a great tune (maybe some nostalgia tied up with that as I'd forgotten about this one). It stands up against their bigger numbers following the formula of minor key Dr Who-synth verse, synth-horn stabs in a melodic major chorus, and tales of dangerous liaisons. Cracking. There may be a reason I haven't heard any of the others until the closing track - because this is the album peak. That's not to say the rest is bad. What follows is a succession of maximal, upbeat pop, often disposable in the extreme. It's like fast food. It goes in, you like it, then the feeling's gone. 'I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing' is a throwaway foottapper. The 'Go West' cover is quite superlative as the upbeat pop goes, but could be any decent Stock, Aitken and Waterman track. Aside from the first track, the album works best when it recalls previous output. 'Liberation' and 'A Different Point of View' have some nice upbeat-meets-minor moments, evoking some of their great hits without ever matching them. The latter actually sounds a lot like Electronic's 'Getting Away with It', which they co-wrote. 'The Theatre', 'To Speak is a Sin' and 'Young Offender' is when the album works - recalling their past approach of urban anxiety meets synth pop (as per Behaviour and Actually). Not many can match that sharply-observed melancholia - although many can match upbeat synth-pop. Production wise, some of the synth sounds are very 90s and sound dated in ways that their 80s output doesn't. It doesn't hit home in the way those two previous albums do. And yet it remains interweaved with some sad magic. I just wish there were more of it.
This felt like an easy listening album to me. I could fall asleep to it.
The cover art looks like a watermarked stock photo, and I think that's a pretty accurate analogue to the album as a whole. The style gets really old, really quickly. It comes across as an 80s pastiche that's struggling to cling onto the dwindling audience that actually enjoys this genre/era heading into the golden age of grunge and alt-rock. For that reason, the first three songs are by far the most enjoyable, because you're still holding onto hope that they'll branch out stylistically once they've blasted through all the easy-listening synth pop tracks. (They don't.) Everything else after that is a bit of a drag – at least until the final track Go West, which has that glorious and instantly recognisable backing choir. It's such a relief, such an uplifting way to end the record, that it almost makes me want to bump my rating to 3 stars. Almost. The opener, Can You Forgive Her?, uses orchestra hits on every single melody note in the instrumental. Bold. But I've also never heard it before – not to this extent. It's pretty fun, except it's used again in A Different Point of View, and in Dreaming of the Queen... in enough others that it does get a little tiring. The harmonies (something I look for in most music) are hit-or-miss, with one of the "hits" being To Speak Is a Sin. It's more soundscape-y than most other tracks. Kind of reminds me of something from later-era ABBA. The synths are slow and cinematic, outlining some simple but effective chords. Liberation also gives off an ABBA-esque feel (the singing in particular), and its synths are less overdone. 2/5 Key tracks: Can You Forgive Her?, Liberation, Go West
ok but pas ouf
This synth-pop album makes me feel like dancing at a gay bar, though I don’t particularly like synth-pop or dancing, and I’m not gay. There’s just a lot of delicious, catchy melodies and a steady rhythm that makes me wanna groove. The slower songs don’t quite do as much for me though.
Pet Shop Boys have a very distinct sound, blending dance-synth-pop emblematic of the late 80s/early 90s with very distinct airy vocals. I remember as a small innocent child of around 9 or 10 really liking Go West at the time of release but listening back it was not as exciting.
I was really surprised to learn this was released in 1993. This sounds like an informercial from the 80s.
this is a fun album, very on brand, i enjoyed the whole thing
Pure pop from our lovable Brits.
The Beatles then the Pet Shop Boys. A very Brit pop week.
Some nice stuff, not my cup of tea
Absolute banger, Pet Shop Boys are always fun to listen to. Brings up the mood for the day.
this sounds like late 90's era infomercial music with bad cgi. Also how do you make pop music boring?
Not very good pop music. Mostly annoying. I’m guessing they’re British
uuuh pet shop boys?? hacia un siglo que no escuchaba nada pero voy a darles una oportunidad bastante sobre su línea 3.25/5
Great marching music! Synthy pop that's pretty catchy. Nice voice behind the singing. Go West is iconic
eeeeehhhhh this got so old so fast lol
Did not like this!
Is there such a thing as bubblegum europop? That's what these guys are. If Rainbow Road needed a soundtrack it couldn't do better than to use some of these fantastic grooves.
Reasonably nice electronic pop. Recognizable. You can't fault the Pet Shop Boys, can you? I mean they're no Led Zeppelin, but that would be apples to oranges now wouldn't it? Anyway, a heavy heavy ABBA influence here, mixed with Depeche Mode (if they were trying to be legitimately endearing and entertaining). The album has a nice, romantic feel throughout, some unique synth sounds and orchestration, and Neil Tennant has a distinctive, rather pleasant voice (if slightly nasally). Also CONGRATULATIONS TO ME for passing the theoretical halfway point in the list!
A solidly okay album. Of the 3 albums on the list, I think this is their weakest effort. I feel like this is another album where the context is more important than the album itself. In other words, it's only part of the 1001 because it's their "coming-out" album.
Shrug. 3? Inoffensive, nothing that struck me particularly good or bad
pet shop boys never really hit for me- why did parts of 'i wouldn't normally do this kind of thing' sound like the music that tv channels use to play when they're telling you what's coming on tv later. all of this should be playing in one of those 90s international market cafés with a purple and yellow theme. i didn't like any songs, sorry lads.
it's pretty good synthpop i guess, but not really my genre.
Good album but not their best. This spot should have been for another artists
The singer's voice is kind of annoying. Every song is sung with the same tone and eveness so everything sounds the same. I hate electronic drums and this 80's club vibe. I could sit in a room where this was playing and not feel compelled to flee but I wouldn't enjoy it. This certainly isn't something I needed to hear.
First one I didn't really enjoy. Better tracks but production felt a step down from prior albums
Cheesy cheese here, dated synth sounds (that 'Orchestral Hit' patch is way overused). Pet Shop Boys were always very camp (not that there's anything wrong with that), the Village People cover just amps that up again. Did not enjoy.
This a one for sure.
Their first album is a banger and should be on this list in lieu of this one. That being said, I enjoyed this album.
This is really great for what is. Good songwriting, melodies, variety, and beats. 4.0/5.0: Great
this was fine. some of the songs felt familiar though im fairly certain ive never heard them before.
Summer vibes. I like the weird synths. Go West melody sounds really familiar.
Synth pop. So what.
A lot of this album is quite good, but I did not enjoy the dance-electronica vibes of some of the songs. It would be a 4 without them.
i still really dont like 90s pop. I was vibing tho. Low3
Все що я не люблю з кінця 80х - початку 90х є в цьому альбомі. Плюс цей звук та його відголоски потім дуже перекочували в українську та іншу пострадянську поп-музику.
Поважаю пет шоп бойз, місцями не дуже класно постарішав сінті-саунд, але в мене є певні ностальгічні відчуття коли я чую їхню музику, тому альбом послухав з задоволенням.
Did not enjoy.
Very lush and clean sounding. Beautiful and dark harmonies with drab meloncholy lyrics. A super fun example in genre blending. Really will never gripe with exciting music. But that being said its slow, hard to groove with and definitely requires some mind altering drugs to dance too. For me its an introspective sit and listen album.
I think that this was the last Eurodance album by the Pet Shop Boys. Nevertheless, still a good album, catchy tunes and lyrics as always.
I was surprised at how much I liked it, but then I checked my review of Behaviour, and I guess I should give these guys a deeper look.
Pompöser Pet Shop Boys Sound Enthält Superhit "Go West"
Maso
1/1
Every few years when I listen to them again I get surprised at realising how bizarre they are
I am a sucker for 80s new wave so I went into this optimistic but it is the Pet Shop Boys in 1993. Half of the album is reminiscent of their 80s new wave style and the other half sounds like it was remixed for an early 90s dance club.
Their fifth album. Pop / New Wave / Electronica. As always I like Neil Tennant's vocals. The album is also well produced. It misses the zing and urban feel of their previous albums though. The album feels very safe with no stand out banger. I hope some of their earlier albums are on the list as they are far better.
Bailable. No merece estar seleccionado.
I've enjoyed both Pet Shop Boys albums I've heard on here more than I expected to. As much as I can take or leave the garish Eurotrance production (which admittedly is a large part of the PSB package), I think the actual tunes are great. They just seemed to have a real knack for churning out big, catchy pop hooks (with a bit of heart at the centre).
Apparently my notes didn't save. This will be less detailed than what I wrote while listening. I enjoyed the first couple tracks. I enjoyed the first 5 minutes of the final track. The album would have been better without all the others.
I was VERY pleasantly surprised by this album. I had never heard of this group before, but I liked each and every song. First, "Can You Forgive Her?" Is such a banger. The first taste of this album is truly the best you'll get here. It did leave me disappointed that no other song could reach that high, but other songs, like "Dreaming of the Queen" and "Young Offender" were also really good. At points, I felt like the music and vocals didn't belong on the same track, but both are still good. The positives outweigh the negatives here.
not for me
Very much not my thing.
I think of this as being the point where my musical tastes and one of my childhood favourites well and truly diverged. That may be a bit harsh in retrospect as ‘can you forgive her?’ And ‘go west’ were always great. ‘I wouldn’t normally do this kind of thing’ is a bouncy enjoyable PSB track. ‘Liberation’ reminds me of the heady days of ‘surbia’ but older, wiser and more reflective. Things take the turn i have been dreading with ‘a different point of view’ which strays too far into dancy PSB for me. You can feel its similarity to ‘getting away with it’ by Electronic and Neil Tennant but i much prefer the latter. After that the underlying dance oriented music is not for me until of course we reach go west!
It’s the Pet Shop Boys, so already there will be a lot to like about this album. I just didn’t love it - it was all a bit early 90s, euro-dance for me to really love it. It also suffers the unfortunate fact of having “Go West” as its closing track - a song that I have an abject dislike of. All in all, though, it kept my attention and my interest throughout, and I had largely quite a nice time listening to it.
I have probably not heard Can You Forgive Her in 20 years before today, yet I still remembered all the words. Why is valuable space in my rapidly deteriorating middle-aged brain, still being filled with lyrics to a song that came out before I was even a teenager? Still, I do still love it. And Go West too (I enjoyed the Guardian quote that said it distinguished "itself by making the Village People original seem flagrantly heterosexual"). The Theatre has a synth on it that sounds almost exactly like I'm Going Slightly Mad by Queen, a song I have always loved. As for the rest, I mostly found it kinda dull, which was disappointing. There's now a few artists I would have said I liked before starting this project, but now I've listened to a full album it turns out I like the big singles and not much else. This is getting a 2 and that's made me a bit sad. 2/5
Serviceable but they have far better
Okay 80s since brought kicking and screaming into the 90s. The song “I wouldn’t normally do this kind of thing” a perfect auditory example of this The soft camp style of the lead singer is definitely unique for the album. At times it felt a little confused album of trying to offer ballads while maintaining a dance techno vibe. I will say “different point of view” was a catchy chorus and could have been straight out of a K pop group in 2012. Which is testament and legacy both of the style and sound the band have created Wouldn’t listen as an album again - but the occasional song
на любителя. напомнилю дюран-дюран.
Wasn't a fan and still not a fan. 2/5.
Muy buen disco, me han encantado siendo la primera escucha que hago. Canciones con un bit de electro muy poderoso. "Go West" es un clasicazo.
Fun jams.... but nothing I go back to. After a while they all kinda sound the exact same too, no?
A fun blend of synth, pop, and house music. Wasn't as interested in the more bubblegum-y and super poppy songs, but there's a really solid fusion of genre and sound that is both engaging and entertaining. Solid to listen to or dance to. Top tracks: Liberation, Dreaming of the Queen, The Theatre
A lot of very great songs on this, some others are a bit boring but mostly a great album
Liked it, although nothing stood out to me.
Lame 2/5
VERY 80s pop. Not for me.
it's the pet shop boys....2 albums in this list but you could play the same one twice and not realise.........
Not bad, but "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing." Another one of those cases where I enjoy the songwriting, but don't really like the way the songs are rendered. It's cool that they have a distinct style, but I wish there was more variety here.
It feels like they took something that could have been really cool, and sanitized the hell out of it. Disappointed.
instant 1. Holy shit this is terrible. This came out one week after In Utero, just for a reference for how dated it sounded at release.
Didn't care for it, skipped this one.
Ok 2/5
As a big fan of the Pet Shop Boys, I was really looking forward to listening to Very—and it didn’t disappoint. This album is pure fun: upbeat, danceable, and packed with witty lyrics and catchy melodies. It leans into a campy charm that's completely intentional and totally effective. While it may not feature as many massive hits as some of their other albums, it stands out for its consistency—every track feels strong, making it one of their most cohesive and complete records. I think this might actually be my favourite PSB album. Favourite track: “Can You Forgive Her?” is fantastic. Least favourite track: Every song earns its place. Album artwork: Simple, but very cool—bold and iconic.
Really didn’t like this.
Definitivamente no.
I’m not at all a fan of new wave, particularly the Pet Shop Boys, but I found nothing off-putting about this album. Not sure if I was in a particularly receptive mood or if was actually good music.
fun little dance pop record but not enough insane bangers
Favourites: Can You Forgive Her?, Liberation, A Different Point of View, The Theatre, One and One Make Five, Young Offender, Go West
One PSB song (not on this album) is enough to last me my whole life.
Too much techno-pop for me. Uninvolving.
Enjoyable pop album, full of pleasant surprises.
Surprisingly fun and vibey. Very nice.
A well-crafted record that at times operates more like a machine on autopilot than anything else. Contains a handful of above-average pop songs (but nothing really compelling), a lot of generic PSB stuff and some goofy songs that aren't much more than throwaways.
Neil Tennant was one of the first to discuss the idea of an 'imperial period' for any great artist, and this album unquestionably is the last of their run of the first five albums. Upbeat and heavily dance music based, it does lean heavily for its greatness on Go West, not so much covered as completed re-invented - joining It's A Sin and W End Boys as the PSB tracks that are actually overplayed.
Disliked this album from the start but by the end I had a slight appreciation. For an album that came out in the 90s it feels hopelessly lost in the 80s. The weird village people cover at the end was the icing on the cake.
Really didn't click at any point, but was enjoyable enough.
Some really fun songs with a great energy that unfortunately isn't consistent through the whole album
I really like them
Fun parts but no re listening potential for me
loved it!
Extremely dance-y synth-pop! I had never heard of the Pet Shop Boys before, and now that I've heard them, I don't need to do it again. It's not bad music, but the aggressive single-mindedness of the dance beats causes irritation over a listen.
There's a few albums I love and think are great that I wasn't sure if they'd make it into this list. This is one of them, and honestly I'm glad it's here. Pet Shop Boys were so far ahead of their time and laid the groundwork for electronic music in pop, and this album is just a continuation of that legacy. Having said that, Very is very short of bangers.
Not at all what I was expecting. It’s okay dance music
"Very" is both a return to form for The Pet Shop Boys, as well as a celebration of singer Neil Tennant's identity, as he'd recently come out of the closet before its release. And for that, you can definitely see why it's so loved. It's confident, self-assured, and very dancefloor friendly. If you need a soundtrack for your next Pride party, you could do much worse than "Very". Having said this, it's not really for me. It's a little too similar to Casio keyboard sounds that a beginner in the 80s might have played on. That's fine for what it is, and I still see the appeal. But for my money, the Pet Shop Boys have better songs than what's on offer here.
Pet Shop Boys, one of my beloved childhood bands.
Better than I expected
3/10
Can only stand so much Pet Shop Boys.
This is pretty boring new wave mumbo pop synth garbage. I, personally, don't like most things in this genre and style, so for me to like an album like this, takes something really special. And this isn't it. It's so bland. Half of the songs have the same exact beat and rhythm. I doubt there's a real instrument used on the entire album. It's not so bad that it's awful. And there was one song that actually was enjoyable to listen to. But I still don't really want to ever listen to this again. Favorite Song(s): To Speak is a Sin
Third pet shop boys...we moved into early 90's dance club music but with a pop twist. I could see a lot of these beats being resurrected and incorporated into dance club dj mixes. There is also some up beat but also sad, really almost bittersweet at times. It makes a lot of sense when you find out this is around the time they came out. My biggest issue is that it still follows their previous albums of becoming really samsie after a while and just sort of there as time goes on.
Very danceable with catchy melodies.
Another Pet Shop Boys album when realistically there should only be one or two total on this list. Very is more upbeat gay club music than their previous record, Behaviour, which is a welcome change, but as always, their songs are just mid. Occasionally they drop a timeless classic, but they don’t on this album. Nothing wrong here, but nothing mind blowing either.
I like the 90s Pet Shop Boys better than the 80s Boys. There’s a richness and lushness to these songs. I like the layers that build on each other, and the emotion in the lyrics. The dancier electronic vibes suit them well!
Didn't click for me. Dated and not in a fun way. There are a few redeeming tracks, but I can't say I'd ever want to return to this album, let alone artist.
It’s Pet Shop Boys … enjoyable enough but not the best Pet Shop Boys album.
Huge synth pop fan. This album was fun but got repetitive and I tuned out a few time but overall was fun.
Liked the album I feel like there’s several number of bands that have tried imitating the sound that they produced
Love a bit of PSB 9/10
3.8 - Better than I thought it would be, better after more listens
An easy listen with a couple of stand out tracks. I prefer their slightly earlier stuff, to be honest.
It’s so hard for me to rate this because the music is fun, danceable, camp. But the vocal performance is so grating. Clearly it’s on this list for a reason, so it must have been well received at its release, but it reminds me of Jojo Siwa… lmao.
3.8.
Was this the birth of that drag queen song sound? Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
pet shop boys’ first five albums are all masterpieces 🤷♀️
The pet shop boys should have stayed in the 80s. 2/10
Meh.
Bit too high a dose of the pet shop boys at once for me
Bit too cheesy
It hasn't aged the best. Still contains some bangers though.
Listen, the pet shop boys are iconic of ... something. This was a weird period for music. I do like it, but this isn't even the album with Wild Boys. What gives?
Pretty cool but not super my thing. Could imagine it would be fun in a club, and reminds me of ABBA in some ways
Not usually my style but I really liked it! It tickles the same sector of my brain as Mika
Good Lord do we really need three albums from these guys. I got the picture the first time.
Fist impression pre listen: I had one of their previous albums a while back, and that one didn't leave much of an impression. I remember thinking it was mostly a mixed bag with some good tracks and some awful ones. Gotta say I'm not too excited to see another one of their albums on here. I do remember liking some of their hits, so there is still hope I suppose. Can't say I have high expectations however. Individual track notes: Can You Forgive Her? Very bombastic start, don't love the crash synths, genuinely sounds quite awful. I don't mind the main vocal melody. Weird inflections. Interesting lyrics. There's an okay song there, but the instrumental totally ruins it. Dislike. 2/5 I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing Clunky title. Has a low key clubby vibe. There's not enough going on for it to have any impact. Feels a bit lifeless outside of the pretty decent instrumental break. Perfectly listenable. Fine. 3/5 Liberation Lush instrumental. Really like the bassline and the accompaning synthline. It's pleasant if a bit boring. The lyrics are pretty sweet I suppose. Fine. 3/5 A Different Point of View Obnoxious and busy. It's just too much for me. Ends up sounding incredibly cheesy. The chorus is melodically fairly catchy though. His voice is kinda buried underneath the many layers of overbearing synths. Dislike. 2/5 Dreaming of the Queen The dark and cloudy instrumental really fits the storytelling of the song. The lyrics contain some interesting imagery, and genuinely reads as a dream. Don't mind the low key energy. Decent. 3.5/5 Yesterday When I Was Mad This aesthetic sounds laughably dated. I hate the speak-singing. The buildup to the very predictable chorus is very cliche. At least there's some ironic charm to it. Don't hate it, but wouldn't listen again. Average. 2.5/5 The Theatre The intro is really satisfying and large. However the etheralness quickly dies as soon as the vocals come in. Really don't like the verse structure here. A bit of a messy song. There's just too much going on. There's even some background vocals here that are barely even audible. Dislike. 2/5 One and One Make Five Horrible synths. In general sounds weak. Has very little going for it. Incredibly boring. Dislike. 2/5 To Speak Is a Sin Pleasant intro. Kinda hate his voice here. Cheesy. That long drawn out synth is kinda horrible. Don't love the synth sax. Awful. 1/5 Young Offender I kinda like the retro video-game-like effects. Weird lyrics. The instrumental sort of saves it. Average. 2.5/5 One in a Million Opens up promisingly. Decent chorus, the vocals are well backed by the synths. Doesn't do anything special, but continues on in a pleasant track where it sort of stays the entirety of its runtime. Decent. 3.5/5 Go West Very dancable drum beat. The background vocals make the chorus really stand out. Makes the song much more memorable. Cheesy, but charming. Works well as a dance track. Good. 4/5 Final Review: A collection of what I'd describe as poppy electro-disco adjacent synthpop for people who are looking for exactly that. It's mostly just inoffensive tunes that wouldn't feel out of place in a feel-good dance pop playlist, though they'd also never stick out as favourites. It's consistently just fine. Yes, there are areas where the synths and the effects sound dated, and his voice does take some time getting used to. But it has its charms. There are catchy choruses and some decent instrumentals, but I wouldn't exactly call it a work of art. It has its ups and downs, but it was never bad enough to ruin my mood. It's honestly just okay. If you really love synthpop I'm sure you'll have a decent enough time with this one. For me personally I find it to be some forgettable background noise which never really manages to conjure up any strong feelings in me. 2.5/5 rounded down to a 2/5.
This kind of music is so much fun if you don’t take it seriously.
I am a huge fan of this band, loving their dry deadpan lyrics, spoken vocals and great synth melodies. I wouldn't say that this is my favorite, preferring their first two albums, but whats not to like about an album with a song about passive aggressiveness on it. Their first two album's names were chosen so people could walk into a record shop (remember that) and say "I'd like the Pet Shop Boys, Please" and "The Pet Shop Boys, actually" and in their tradition this is VERY Pet Shop Boys:)
I enjoyed this way to much....
kinda poppy, nice to listen to
This is quite good, I found the songs nicely textured with lots going on beyond their characteristic synths. The strings on Dreaming of the Queen for example are very nice. Not sure i'd go above 3 as it started to feel a bit samey until Go West woke me up again. But seems fair to go down the middle
Unavailable.
Would be better if they didn't sing
Incredibly fun album. Love the "Go West" cover. And also some of these reviews are insane. How have you never heard of the Pet Shop Boys? Even if you don't know this album, c'mon.
Looking at some of the genre tags and reviews beforehand, I didn't think I was going to like this one, but actually wasn't bad at all. Stood out: I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing and Yesterday When I Was Mad. 3.5/5
While I like a lot of song from Pet Shop Boys almost none of the songs I like are from this album. The songs aren't bad but they mostly makes me wish I could switch to their bigger hits.
It was delightful. Go West is such a classic.
Extremely boring and I don't like the vocals at all. Very close to getting a 2* but that last track was the nail in the coffin
🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱
this album indicates the shift for Pet Shop Boys from subdued electronic pop to multiple-layered dance music with strong disco influences. Also coincided with the lead singer discussing his long rumored homosexuality, so this album is sort of treated as a coming out album. It's definitely got a lot of bright and positive instrumentation that makes for an enjoyable listen.
Seriously? 3 Pet Shop Boys albums on this list?
First few songs are catchy, but the dance pop got old fast for me
Are these the best dance tracks of the 90s? No. Ok but is this the best pet shop boys album? Also no.
Nah, bro. Nah
Really? A 90’s Pet Shop Boys album made the list!?!
This made me want to hang out at The Blue Oyster bar! Pass
Good ol synth pop. Interesting but not exciting. Definitely no ‘West End Girls’
This came out one week after In Utero, just for a reference for how dated it sounded at release.
pretty good, hate the album art. dancy synth pop which i usually enjoy - the mood has to be right
Enjoyable 80s band that I didn’t follow into the 90s. Unique sound and not a lot of variation in their songs leaves me luke warm today.
This sounds like 90s video game elevator music. It's upbeat, full of drum machine beats and light, airy vocals. I want to hate it but I don't. Not completely. Its full of catchy choruses and hooks, and I noticed that I enjoyed those parts quite a bit but didn't really like any other parts of the songs. The album just kind of wore me down by the end though. The cool electronic beats and synths got old and weren't enough to carry the whole album. Standouts were "Can You Forgive Her" and "A Different Point of View" I was pretty over this album by the end. Very has some interesting moments but equal amounts of repetitiveness. Some songs just annoyed me coughcoughGoWestcough. It's a 2/5 for me.
6/10 This is the Pet Shop boys. I remember this 40 copies of this album being in the bargain bin at the used CD store. I like the pet shop boys and this was fine. 6-24-2025
Sounds very 80s for a 90s album
I dont mind the Pet Shop Boys but this is my worst nightmare of an album
Camp, 90s electro pop. What's not to like?
Thoughts before listening: Electronica heavy 80s Europop I think? I feel like Pet Shop Boys are one of those bands I have heard a ton about but I don't really know much about them. Seems they were perhaps very influential to the types of music I don't really listen to. Review: One thing that I have learned through this project is that I'm just not all that into dancey 80s synth pop. I mean I can take some pop music, and have given 4 and 5 star reviews to some pop albums on this list, but this just doesn't do anything for me. I'm giving this 2-stars.
Pet Shop Boys are one of my guilty pleasures. I love Go West. The album did sort of blend together, but I didn't have any feelings of wanting it to end. It could keep going, and I could keep listening.
I definitely got the feeling of, "Is this album almost finished yet?". The songs started to blend together and honestly this music just isn't for me.
Always loved Neil’s crisply bored/haughty elocution. Somehow that aristocratic accent brings in real emotion. It works by never sounding wedded to electronica, but pushing it into a romanticized form that, it turns out, is INSANELY catchy. PSB’s sound ages very well.
A fun pop-y, dance-y album! I did find the songs ot be repeitive and they were not my usual style, which is why the rating is what it is :(
I Feel Like Taking All My Clothes Off Dancing To The Rite Of Spring 1001 Albums Generator 54 (06/17/2025) What group is more appropriate to listen to during pride month than Pet Shop Boys? And more specifically their "coming out" album, 1993's Very, released during the time that co-founder Neil Tennant officially confirmed his oft rumored homosexuality. Pet Shop Boys were one of the premier synthpop bands of the 80's and 90's, and while Very falls after their critical peak in the late 80's, it still remains one of their most popular albums, featuring 5 singles that were all released to quite great success. The first of these singles, and the opening track, Can You Forgive Her? is a great 12/8 synthpop tune. There are lots of synth layers here that add a lot of atmosphere to the song. I especially love the repeated high note played throughout the chorus. It is a great touch. From here, we keep the energy up with I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing, with its bouncy beat and bloop-y synths throughout the verse. This song also has great vocal harmonies and a reference to The Rite Of Spring, which is just kind of cool for a 90's pop song. Later in the tracklist, One And One Make Five has surprisingly somber lyrics, pleading a lover to clear things up and tell the narrator that they are still in love. The last song that I really like is One In A Million, which is one of the danciest songs on the whole thing and should have been an easy choice as a single, probably instead of Liberation. Unfortunately, beyond these few songs, I just don't think this album is for me for the most part. Slower songs like Liberation and To Speak Is A Sin, while providing a nice change in pace compared with the other songs on the album, are just not very good. On the other hand, Dreaming Of The Queen is okay with its downtempo beat and very catchy chorus. Meanwhile, A Different Point Of View feels like a retreading of Eurythmics' iconic Here Comes The Rain Again. Honestly, I just don't have much to say about many of the songs here. It's another album where the difference between the best and worst songs is small. Overall, Very is a forgettable, bloated album. With a few diamonds throughout, it isn't the worst album on this list, but unfortunately, it is not great either. 2/5. Favs: Can You Forgive Her? I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing One In A Million Least Fav: Liberation
bringing back some memories!
Fun album
Fire tbf
Upbeat dance music. Instantly forgettable.
Ei oikein mun juttu. Soundissa ei sinänsä mitään vikaa, mutta siitä puuttuu vaan se iskevyys. Soundi on hyvä, mutta kappaleissa ei ole mitään erikoista. Go West on oikeastaan ainoa hyvä kappale joka näköjään olikin tällä levyllä vika biisi. Siinä on sentäs muistettava kertosäe. Ja melodia neuvostoliiton kansallislaulusta. Parhaat: Young Offender, Go West
Ok
It’s hard for an album to make you feel so many different things all at the same time: nostalgia, joy, sadness. It’s a really solid pop/dance album that still feels fresh today.
wait, why this Pet Shop Boys album?
YASSS I GOT A GAY ALBUM IN JUNE!!! Happy Pride Month, y'all! I am genuinely so happy to have gotten an album like this in June, because (I know I've said this a number of times for other albums), this is a solid contender for gayest album of this whole list. Why is that? Well, two reasons. Reason 1 is that this album was released around the same time that Pet Shop Boys vocalist Neil Tennant publicly came out as gay! I know it's been like 30 years, but good for him! Secondly, as a result of this, the lyrical themes of this album are much more openly gay-coded. Prior albums did touch on these sorts of themes, but in more subtle ways. For instance, on the Pet Shop Boys' prior album in both the band's chronology and in terms of which albums I've listened to, Behaviour, the opener "Being Boring" was written about a friend who'd died of AIDS, but in a pretty subtle way. As for its followup, Very? Well, not only are these themes more clear here, they're also more frequent. I mean, the penultimate track literally contains the phrase "One in a million men could change the way you feel" repeated a number of times. If that's not gay, I don't know what is. I need to make this very clear that all of the gay comments are fully appreciative. I'm an ally, okay? Honestly, I might be more than that, but that's a whole other thing that I'm not talking about in a Pet Shop Boys album review. Anyways, let's talk about the music now. It's alright! I will say that the sound is kind of dated, even for the time. This was made in 1993? Really? Feels very 80s to me. The style's good, but it feels like an 80s album a bit too much. Neil Tennant's singing is okay. I'm not huge on it, but I don't hate it either. The album's a bit repetitive, but it's still mostly good so I'm not too upset. The writing is nice. Admittedly, this is probably the least essential of the three Pet Shop Boys albums on the list, and I'd probably cut it because I don't think there needs to be three Pet Shop Boys albums on the list, but Very is still a good album. High 3/5.
It's pretty chill, ambient electronic music. Makes me think of Moby, but a lot more vocals. It's also its own thing, kind of pop-y. Young Offender, what video game did they sample for this song??
Lovely electro pop.
like a 2.5. Vocals are the best part, the music itself isn't particularly good or bad. Doesn't feel unique
Very nice
I think Yesterday When I Was Mad is the only Pet Shop Boys song I've heard that I don't like very much. I like their style
Not a bad album but I preferred their debut and am not convinced you need a lot of them on the list. Lot of good sound and fun. Very easy album to enjoy and I could see this be something that is well loved by the right crowd. Go West is great. I'd likely enjoy this album more if I was more fun.
Maybe I am in a bubble but I feel like the Pet Shop Boys are not in the conversation enough. As I mentioned before, I watched the video for the cover of Go West often when it was on Much Music. A very listenable album, but not sure if I'm sold on the fact that you need more than one of their albums on the list.
Likely the only straight man in North America to start his day with Pink Pony Club and an entire Pet Shop Boys album. Kinda weird they picked one from the 90s as they are such an 80s sounding band (and the songs that sounded more 90s were not good). I was in at the start but thought it got progressively worse as the album went on. I went back and listened to “West End Girls” afterward which really holds up but not a fan of this album.
2.2
I don’t mind some Pet Shop Boys but this I did not care for. Just another album you really don't need to hear before you die.
This album is offensively happy sounding. It's almost childishly upbeat. The major chord fiesta coupled with the timbre of those vocals is so saccharine sweet it's cringeworthy for me.
Pet Shop Boys have some great music, this particular album isn't one of them
Bland. I don't get the hype.
Kannte die Band schon, aber nie was gehört. Eurobeat vibes aber in normaler
Very mediocre, very dated, very British
SO FWEEAKING GOODDDDDD listened on: 5/30/25 favs: to speak is a sin, one in a million and i recognized go west. beautiful outro. LOVE!
Did not at all sound like what I was expecting. I was expecting it to be either a boyband or chamber pop, but this was pleasantly surprising.
Thought I would like this one better. My mom’s a big fan of them and I enjoy listening to West End Girls, but the production got too repetitive and corny for me. With a different arrangement, I think a lot of these songs could be really great. So the songs themselves were solid, but the execution of the album as a whole was off.
Super fun!
As much as I would like to give more stars to Pet Shop Boys, this album is kind of boring. A couple good tracked. I much prefer other records.
I find most everything about this unbearable. It earns a single star in my book because I can acknowledge some moments of genuinely solid lyricism, but other than that, this production and overall style of music is so far removed from anything I find remotely enjoyable. Additionally, although I'm sure that Neil Tennant is a very nice, good man, his vocals have to be among my least favorite ever committed to tape. I did not need to hear this before I died, and I most certainly did not want to hear this before I died. 1/5
fun themes but overall a bit dreary (too brit?)
6/10 I remember this at the time - especially Go West - and sadly it hadn’t aged brilliantly. The songwriting, vocals, and pop sensibility are the normal PSB standard. But albums of this era have a tendency to sound dated in terms of drums & synth, and this sounds painfully early 90s. Fun still. Best: Go West
This was the moment that Pet Shop Boys went from being purveyors of cerebral, arty music into producing huge, gay, disco stomps and cemented their place in their British pop star firmament. There’s a lot to enjoy here, but the references to Lady Di on ‘Dreaming of the Queen’ now feel very poignant. Stay for the hidden track after Go West at the end!
That was... painful. Sad dance music, if such thing was possible. Very polished and produced, the instrumental part is quite boring and lack of edges, progression, anything that could make it interesting. And the guy is just whinning on top of it with too much reverb on his voice. Ugh.
It’s interesting that they released this after Behaviour to make a poppier album because Behaviour didn’t do very well when I definitely preferred Behaviour (and I think it gets a higher average rating on here too) Being more of a dance-pop album than Behaviour, this is definitely less my thing. I did still enjoy it, particularly the lyrics, what with it being a bit more explicitly queer than Behaviour. Other people have mentioned it, but the singer sounds a lot like Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie. I’m a Death Cab fan so I think that strange sense of familiarity makes me automatically like the album a bit more. Really struggled to decide whether this was a 3 or a 4 for me, but I think it does have to be a 3. I don’t see myself listening to the full album again, I would be much more likely to put Behaviour on. Fav song: To Speak Is a Sin Least fav: Yesterday When I Was Mad
I'm not a synth-pop guy, and this album did nothing to change my mind.