Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Helt avg pop
Some of these tracks sort of blend into one. But there's some great hooks, and Go West is an excellent track.
Ça c’est du bon jam de centre d’achat
I like the boys and I love the earlier albums (Actually especially). This is pretty much rehashing over the same ground however. Just made me put on 'It's a Sin'.
I am fond of Pet Shop Boys, but not really this album and it's sound.
The Pet Shop have always had a very particular sound. Sometimes I enjoy it and sometimes I don’t. There is a longing in their music that speaks to a culture that was underground for so long.
A little too poppy for me.
Not bad.
Weird in the best way, good workout album with a unique sound. Couldn't unhear the Death Cab singer vibing in the 80s once I thought of it
Godd solid album
Leuk hoor, maar als je één nummer van de Pet Shop Boys hebt gehoord, heb je ze allemaal gehoord. Hetzelfde ritme, dezelfde computerbeatjes, dezelfde lijzige stem. En dat dan bijna een uur lang. Met een 3 ben ik nog gul. En dan te bedenken dat er nog twee indentieke platen van deze gasten in de lijst staan.
Met name door het karakteristieke stemgeluid is het overduidelijk Pet Shop Boys. Het is het eerste album wat ik voorgeschoteld krijg van de boys en ik zie dat er maar liefst 3 albums van die jongens in staan. Het begint met een paar nummers die overblijfsels en b-kantjes waren van hun eerdere albums (bijv nr 2 heeft veel weg van Suburbia), maar vanaf het 4e nr komt er een prima dancebeatje in, waarmee de muziek transformeert naar dance/electropop. Het heeft soms wat weg van Depeche Mode, maar dan uitgevoerd door de Pet Shop Boys. Het hitje Go West hadden ze net zo goed weg kunnen laten. Of het nu echt bij de 1001 albums hoort die je ooit gehoord moet hebben, dat waag ik zoals gewoonlijk te betwijfelen. Maar het is zeker interessant om een keer te luisteren.
Auch hier hätte ich mir eine frühere Scheibe gewünscht. Zu glatt.
had all of their albums now wish it was more like behavior, but still good
2.5. Clean 80s pop, nice melodies. Voice is a bit annoying but he can sing.
Different glad I actually listened to them for the first time.
Muitos samples bons e parece uma base de música pop dos anos 90. Mas hoje parece muito "vazio", justamente por ser mt parecido com música pop
This one's a surprise, kind of a goofy album but decent sound. A couple good songs on this thing
Just uninteresting and bland techno / electronic music. Meh.
Bit of a let down
The best of the 3 (Yes, 3!) Pet Shop Boys albums so far. Though there are still many dull songs, it seems they've come into their own on this one. Now, for the question of why the Pet Shop Boys get 3 albums, and Village People get none... 👮🏽♂️👷🏻♂️🤠
Easy, cute, boring, forgettable 2.5 stars.
Better than I thought it would be
Too cheesy and camp for me, but can understand it would be iconic for some people
kind enjoyable retro stuff, reminds me of A-Ha
Well, it's a damn sight better than the other two on the list, that's for sure. Not that that's saying all that much. My 10-year-old daughter said of this album, "It kinda sounds like video game or cartoon music" and I'm not sure whether that says more about Pet Shop Boys or about the cartoons she watches. It's not good either way. That said, it's far more digestible than pretty much anything else I've heard from them. The synths are less primitive, the songs more self-aware, and the performances moderately less pretentious.
God 90'er lyd. Bold move at smide Go West som afslutning!
I was looking forward to this and then let down. I guess I'm just not a Pet Shop boy.
Not my favorite collection of songs but I’ll definitely check out their other work.
Having knowingly only heard one Pet Shop Boys song before, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this album. I’m still not entirely sure how I would classify it. Once I was a few songs in, the vocals started to grow on me. Unfortunately, the instrumentals didn’t fare as well. It’s a product of the times certainly, but it hasn’t aged very gracefully. The tone of the album never really landed either, with some songs feeling decidedly pop-y, while others were backed by momentous, cinematic instrumentation. Not something I’d seek out to listen to again, apart from showing off some of the more interesting tracks to see how others are impressed. Highlight: Go West Lowlight: One in a Million Surprise Hit: To Speak Is a Sin
Not my cup of tea but enjoyable
Good album, just not my genre.
Another good opportunity to mention The Sparks documentary. This isn't as good as Behaviour but I really enjoyed the song writing
There’s an amusing disconnect on a lot of these songs between the hyper, exuberant club beats and the subdued, often disaffected vocals. Pet Shop Boys let the music carry all the energy while they cooly sing on top. This album falls into the ‘I respect it but don’t personally love it’ box. Great beats, fun music, interesting lyrics. Just not something I’m going to put on a lot on my own. Wow “Go West” is awesome. I’m gonna save that one. I love when artists save the best song for the album closer. Such a boss move.
Wow this one grabs you right from the start. I love that intro and man I love the chord progression. I feel like I accomplished something? Like I'm walking away from the explosion at the end of the film. Super crisp production too, even more surprising for 1993. I hate to hate on this, but the vocal timbre leaves a bit to be desired. There's really only so much a singer can do with their voice, and I really try to not let vocal tone really pull down any ratings here for that reason, but his voice is just a bit too nasally for me to enjoy without imagining how much better this music would be with a different timbre. I like it. I had fun with it. It was fantastical and triumphant and at times cheesy.
Good vibes. Did enjoy it. Go west was dope
Bizarrement moyen. J'ai aimé l'électronique, il y a du sunth aussi mais le côté plus pop me rejoint moins. 3
3. Speak is a sin is fire though.
Pure Pet Shop Boys, but nothing really stood out for me.
This is the type of music that plays when you’re having a sleep paralysis dream and you’re demon is the Little Lad doing his Little Lad dance at varying speeds to these songs while he says nothing. He only stares at you with those cold black eyes and that haunting smile. But it’s a good nightmare because it makes you laugh hesitantly when you wake up and wonder if it was a bad idea to eat 4 twinkies before bed. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OyvhMHDi6Mo
B- Can You Forgive Her? 4 I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing 3 Liberation 3 A Different Point of View 2 Dreaming of the Queen 3 Yesterday When I Was Mad 3 The Theatre 4 One and One Make Five 3 To Speak Is a Sin 3 Young Offender 3 One in a Million 3 Go West 4 This made me think of Hugh Grant's 80's pop group, PoP, from Music and Lyrics. and POP (pop) goes my heart! (goes my heart)
3.5 - An honestly gay synth-pop record that maintains an energetic dance beat, and is underpinned by substantive lyrics that convey subtle emotion. The beats sound dated but I appreciate that these songs rarely dwell on their architecture - unlike many pop records, they don't announce key changes or bash you over the head with bridges that lead to choruses. Standouts: "To Speak Is A Sin", "Dreaming of the Queen" (though I find the premise of a dream encounter with the royals utterly ridiculous).
Bit disappointing. No impact.
Supero mis expectativas
2.5 i struggled to rate this in the same way i found it tricky to rate the daft punk and jerry lee lewis albums. i generally really like the pet shop boys because my mum does and so while none of these songs in particular are nostalgic to me, the band in general is and i would have enjoyed listening to this with my mum here. however, i don't think i would listen to any of these again out of choice, hence a middle rating. i think one of their more popular albums may have scored higher for me.
Interesting choice. I saw pet shop boys and thought it’d be something from their heyday but it was good to listen to them that bit later.
Unexpected, very campy pop, sounds like scooter might bust in at some point
It's good.
Des Pet Shop Boys qui retrouvent le goût de la synthpop après l'avoir abandonné dans Behaviour. Ils s'offrent même le luxe de chanter la chanson Allez Paris-Saint-Germain en bonus track avec l'incontournable Guillaume Hoarau. Très bien senti.
Très agréable, on se régale notamment des chants "Allez Paris Saint-Germain" entamés en outro de l'album.
I love the Pet shop boys, but this album did feel a little bit boring and repetitive at times. Had a few good songs though!
Largely forgettable synth-pop. Enjoyable enough, but there weren't any stand-out songs for me (no, not even Go West). I actually started this album so many times and didn't get past the first two songs before being distracted, so I like those two simply because of familiarity. Not a ringing endorsement, eh?
Love the Pet Shop Boys, but there is an unfortunate sameness to the tracks on this record. Go West was a strong finisher, but by then I'd gotten a little numb to the beat. I think the issue is my listening environment - I am not at a rave or a club, this album's natural habitat. For that I'll grade on a curve . . .
Not a bad synthpop album at all that has a couple of killer tracks like Can You Forgive Her and Yesterday. The album is front loaded and gets a little better right at the end but the late middle is fairly weak. The album also feels a little long which means cutting out of a couple of the weaker songs would’ve helped a lot. Still this was fun to listen to; it’s extremely uplifting, perhaps too much in some places.
Would be cooler if this was sped up by 50% and sung by an anime girl. That would make me want to smoke a fat blunt and pledge allegiance to the glorious UK of GB&NI. Don't make any sudden movements, lest the Goblin King awakens.
I think my biggest problem was the vocals. The voice sounded a little disinterested at that times. I couldn't tell if the singer was not interested, or if that was just the voice he was going for. The music for the most part was ok. The hidden track got VERY repetitive after a while. There was obviously a good deal of craft in the music that was made, but honestly it just didn't move me.
I do recall when this album came out, videos all over MTV and Go West was a huge hit. I still have a soft spot for that song. After that, this album is a bit too dance sappy. Don't know what I mean? Listen to I Wouldn't Normally Do this Kind of Thing. Sounds like decent lyrics, but the beat is too uhh tiss. Can You Forgive Her is probably the one other song that I really enjoyed. Powerful beats that match the depth of lyrics. Maybe Different Point of View too. And at least To Speak is a Sin went with a different sad style. But it's mostly average fare waiting for Go West to complete the album.
Mostly harmless. Tracks that caught my ear: Liberation, A Different Point of View, The Theatre. Moving on...
Enjoyed this more than I expected.
My brother had this and other pet shop albums. It brings me back. Although they have one million albums, I think their only recognizable song is West end girl, which unfortunately isn't on this album.
Decent music overall, nothing jumped out definitively. My first impression is fairly neutral not bad not great. Just ok. I may give this one another listen and I'd still be open to listening to their other albums.
I have like nothing interesting to say about this album. It was the pet shop boys typical 80s electronic music with the typical pet shop boys weird nasally voice.
Ok album but. It great
Alright
Not exactly in love with this. I mean it's fine, but it didn't blow me away nor did I particularly care for any of their songs and especially the singing. Still has an 80s sound with a 90s fusion, so I guess that's nice. 6/10.
Sitting at work stressed about all the things I didn't finish yesterday does not make me want to Unntiss Unnntissss like the Pet Shop Boys do... Glad they came out tho, that's cool.
About time for some club dancing music. I think the secret track go west made me smile the most. Feels like a rally call for a fun gay party. I also feel like if I did drag this music would either be a part of my warmup or actual routine.
Simply boring.
Decent, some good stuff
Synthpop and dance-pop bops...sorta. To me, their earlier albums bore the moody, cold magic that I look for in this field of pop music. More of a specific mood listen as it, for better or worse, sounds of the time where Eurobeat/Eurodance began crossing over into the mainstream. A harmless, fun listen overall, but you can do better in the realm of synthpop.
Ok but doesn’t merit being on this list
Fine as background music and as a dreamscape. Could I ever listen to this focused on it? Probably not.
This is lush, from start to finish. You need to be in a PSB frame of mind and embrace the campness right from the start. There's a sugar rush feel throughout the songs. The album is effortless with the delivery and production all leaving a feeling of calmness. We need more intelligent pop music. Very good.
Okay Brit-synth-pop that checks all of the boxes for the author(s) that all of the other Brit-synth-pop that doesn't need to be here does. 3/5.
3/5 I like PSBs but didn't know this album at all. It’s pretty good. Need to hear it again
Solid album. Doesn't sound like a 1993 album. I would definitely dig a little deeper into their catalogue.
Kind of ok but probably won't listen again
Nice sound but nothing special.
It was ok, I liked it.
Upbeat, easy to listen too. Kind of ended up in the background. Not enough cowbell for a group called the "Pet Shop Boys" though.
Average. Nothing special. Kind of gave some spring vibes? Gotta love the dramatic..... pause on the last song.
It's very synth-pop.
Not really my kinda thing, go west is cracker though
Dance pop to the max. One song had some cool melodies, the rest were kinda fun but not particularly interesting
Pop un tanto electrónico con buena voz, acompañamientos y canciones vitalistas
couldn’t listen to
"Very" is a very Pet Shop Boys album. To be precise, every song they have ever released sounds so much Pet Shop Boy-ish, that there is no way you can make a mistake.my usual experience with this album: Song 1 - Woah, great song! They have done it again! Song 2 to the end - Hey, wait a minute now, isn't that the same song all over again? Obviously I'm exaggerating, but the sentiment stays is there. I think that the main issue why they sound so repetitive is in vocal - Neil Tennant's vocal range is basically a one note all over. It sounds great on singles, but whole album is just too much to bare. "Very" average album.
3.5 YouTube
Horns reach out and the darkness pulls you a little deeper into these songs, straightforward achievements for the Pet Shop Boys. The project feels slight at the beginning, but something is churning at the center. That doesn't make Very cohere into anything remarkable, but the album is a fine entry in a fine catalog. Very British, very gay, and what more could you ask for from the band?
Even if it's not your normal thing, I think the PSB are one of those pop acts that you can't dislike
Howie Hamburger Dude : How about the future of rock 'n' roll, anyway? Huh? The future of rock 'n' roll? Chong : Yeah. Howie Hamburger Dude : Bruce Springsteen Chong : Yeah. Howie Hamburger Dude : Is fucking it all up. Chong : Yeah. Hey, can we have a check? Howie Hamburger Dude : Hey, hey, hey. Shh, shh, shh. Bruce Springsteen's fucking the whole thing up. Chong : Bruce Springsteen? Howie Hamburger Dude : New Wave. Chong : New Wave? Howie Hamburger Dude : New Wave! 3/5
I'm a fan of the Pet Shop Boys and although this is not my favourite album of theirs, I love its artsy and more aggressive vibe.
Eh it is ok
Sound a lot like the Pet Shop Boys. Good - not great. Best song is Go West. 3/5
hm
Meh
Ok
Gøy men også litt slitsomt.
I haven't heard anything else quite like this on the project thus far. Pet Shop Boys again straddle two worlds on this album -- 80s new wave and 90s synth-pop, and you can clearly hear the influences of both here. But on this album, now in 1993, the synth-pop sounds are heavier than ever. Honestly, this album felt like one big gay club anthem, and rightly so, as one of the members used this album as a coming out of sorts. In this regard, the album is full of fun bangers very fitting of the time and the purpose. I like this Pet Shop Boys album about the same as the other PSB album on this project, just for different reasons. These guys definitely have a history of straddling 80s and 90s throughout both of these albums, and that is fun to hear!
3/5. Many of the songs sound the same but they are all fairly enjoyable.
hmm. what to think about this... Not anything I would normally listen to. I actually liked some of this. The more dance forward songs were not enjoyed by me but the other songs were okay. happy and sad and energetic and lyrically meaningful. I think I liked To Speak Is a Sin the most. Or maybe Dreaming of the Queen.
First time listening to a Pet Shop Boys album begining to end. Definitely enjoyable. Strong start, fell off a bit in the middle but certainly a good album.
An apt title. If you know the PSB you know what you'll get and this album simply reinforces. Their expansive and sweeping soundscape is augmented with many more twiddly bits. It is strong fare but nothing really stands out. Still guaranteed to get you onto the dance floor.
Actually really nice to listen to
It's quite surprising which bands attract an almost militant following. You know, the fan who'll spend three hours barking in your ear about how their favourite band is better than sliced Jesus, with the monomania of a vegan describing abbatoir practices during Christmas dinner. One mate of mine regularly sent me links to B-sides of Europe throughout the late 2000s (yes, Final Countdown Europe). I've met Proclaimers fans who insist the Frankie Boyle lookalikes are as essential as the Clash or Lou Reed. Me, I have my obsession with the Happy Mondays, but that doesn't count because the Happy Mondays are genuinely one of the greatest bands of all. But the most widespread fanatics that take me by surprise are those of the Pet Shop Boys. Yes, there is the factor that the Pet Shop Boys have purposefully provided solace and joy to gay men with their music throughout their career, especially with regards to the AIDS crisis (the predominant gay elements of Very chime with the singer and lyricist Neil Tennant coming out publicly in 1994, which was hardly a paradigm-shifting revelation; Chris Lowe, the keyboardist, has never publicly discussed his sexuality, not that he has any obligation to). And apparently, the Pet Shop Boys are the most successful duo in UK music history (so says the 1999 Guinness Bok of Records, according to Wikipedia). But the fanboy acclaim that the Pet Shop Boys has always received has always slightly baffled me, and I have always known exactly why. The Pet Shop Boys are mannerist. Their art is the honing of an aesthetic that is divorced from the emotive and instead directed towards the knowing and disaffecting. More simply, their music is clever rather than moving. The only fault I find to their music is that it leaves my soul completely untouched. To me, the album Very demonstrates without flaw the coldness of the Pet Shop Boys. The music seems stuck in 1987, but seemingly by design; 1987 represents their "imperial phase", a term coined by Tennant to describe a band's critical and commerical peak. So we get lots of Hi-NRG bassless melodies in 1993, and the effect is reminiscent of a middle-aged uncle tagging along with you young kids as you head off to celebrate your A-levels. Yes, Uncle Neil, you had your glories during the industrial revolution, but now's the time for we slick hepcats. This aspect screams out during their ecstasy anthem I Wouldn't Normally do This Kind of Thing; the title tells you that they're generational tourists, but the Pet Shop Boys know that's the case. This is the alienating savviness of the Pet Shop Boys. I can understand, say, how cleverly they sing of the restraint of passion in To Speak is a Sin, but that cleverness dilutes any passion within the song to a rubbery acknowledgement, which you may say is the point, but I still feel little from it aside from friction. Expand that cleverness over an album, and my only sensation is lack of blood in my heart. Of course, the Pet Shop Boys are smart enough to explain every one of their artistic choices, and smart enough to counter every one of my criticisms about their intellectualizations. And I am smart enough to reply back cogently, and thus we are at the sticking point. As a result, Very gets 3 stars to end the stalemate. You might like it. I prefer Erasure.
bien pero es como que a veces fue buenardo y otras veces no me cerró. mi voto es secreto (7.5 / 10)
I’m not usually a fan but I enjoyed this album so 3*
Much better than I thought as I was dreading it.
One of the less entertaining albums by a solid band.
not a barshop trio -5/5
Interesante uso de sonidos y recursos digitales pero monótono, casi aburrido.
Pretty good!
Liked it more than I thought I would. Pleasant but not enough for the 4th star.
I admire the PSB though I've never listened to an whole album. Went though a bit of a rollercoaster. The songs are so well crafted and produced yet by midway I felt a bit ambivalent....then i approached the end and I feel a bit hooked on the sheer joy/melancholy of it all. Bit torn.
This was like listening to a woke Sega master system. So much 8-bit, so much awareness. I felt it couldn't connect any more with the gay community and then Go West came on. Thoroughly enjoyable.
I know how famous and influential they are, but I can’t help but hear only basic dance music and pop from this album.
Standard, easy listening chewing gum pop from the consistent PSB.
Wow what a surprise. Another mediocre new wave/synth pop album. This was exactly average just like all of these kinds of albums. I'm only about 350 albums into this list so I'm looking forward to rating another 300 of these.
Pet Shop Boys at their happiest and most energetic, a stark contrast to the melancholy slow nature of their prior Behaviour. These are club tracks one after the other, taking strong inspiration from the ongoing techno movements. The whole album is enjoyable, but the synths don't feel as innovative or interesting as their previous albums, maybe because of my limited listening to techno leads this to sound generic. The highlight to me is the vocals... it's probably a top fusion of 90s pop and techno, but I was hoping to be impressed. I'm also not a fan of the sharp transitions. Favorites: Can you forgive her?, I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing, Yesterday when I was mad, One and one make five, To speak is a sin
Apparently, the 1001 book's author was very into electronic (and related synth styles) music when he/they wrote the book. I'm reaching 1 year following 1 album per day and it's almost impossible to spend 1 month without some electronic album. Well, about this album itself, it's kind of amusing. It's hard for me to say that I liked it, but it's not annoying like some other electronic albums. I hope to learn more about this style and finally get what is all about and why so many electronic/synth albums like this one are important for music history.
Great songs, with lush, bubbly arrangements. Nice mix of the torchy and the danceable. Love that cover of "Go West." I always found the Pet Shop Boys' songwriting to be clever in a way a lot of their peers' work was not. On Very, there's more than a hint of emotional honesty as well, which I really like. Fave Songs: Can You Forgive Her?; Go West; I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing; Yesterday; When I Was Mad; The Theatre
This is the fifth album by the English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. This album shifted their music from subdued electronic pop to instrumented dance-pop tracks. Very performed better commercially than their previous album, and has some of the duo's best songs on it. The album charted high in the UK, but not as high in the US, because at the time grunge and punk rock music was dominating the US charts. I loved the music on this album, and I know I have heard a couple of these songs before. The album contains nostalgic synth-pop / techno music from the 90's, and I have to appreciate any predecessors to modern EDM music. I'll have to remember to listen to this album again sometime - it was that good.
One of thosse bands my friend was deep into and I always found pleasant enough. This album follows that, pleasnt enough. Fave: A Different Point Of View
53 minutes and 19 seconds of doing that little head bob dance you can do to Pet Shop Boys
VERY average
Pop electrónico. Ni fu ni fa.
Coming at ya!! I know this is from the 90's but it's as 80's as anything I've ever heard. Too dramatic for me.
I want to like this more than I do but meh.
Quite…
Doesn’t suck
A few fun bops on it, better than the other pet shop boys album imo.
I was pleasantly surprised by the first track. It's definitely more up-tempo than anything I can remember from the "Behaviour" LP. The lyrics are schmaltzy yet clever: Dreaming of the Queen is hilarious and epic at the same time. I like Tennant's voice, he's a great song-writer if you can get past the sugar-coating, and the production on more club-oriented tracks like Yesterday When I was Mad is adventurous. A definite improvement over the last offering.
Pretty inoffensive dance pop. Singer has a real new wave voice, a bit whiny - wouldn't surprise me if they have new wave albums from 10 years earlier. Would've been a 4 because it was fun enough, but went too long. 3/5.
It’s just Yet Another Pet Shop Boys record.
Pleasant
The 90s club beats make the Pet Shop Boys a bit more fun to listen to, but it’s still the pet shop boys. 5/10
6/10. It's like disco, if disco sucked. Still kinda fun, but not really my thing, and certainly not something I want to hear a whole album of.
found it interesting. no songs i recognized but overall pretty catchy.
A little boring in the back end, but this was some dated synth pop that had some strong moments for me.
Interesting I guess
-"Yesterday When I Was Mad" has a cool, fast backbeat and the distorted vocals add some interest -Generally pleasant pop-like music
Decent but never really hits the high of Can You Forgive Her?, which is unfortunate as it is the 1st song. There are better PSB albums out there
I think the best way you can describe this album is ‘guilty pleasure’ one of those people forget but love it as they listen to it. I think it’s a weird album musically, very good lyrically and was a change to some of the other music on the list.
Not really my thing, but I didn't dislike it, either. Torn between rating it a 2 or a 3 but there are a lot of 2 star albums in my list that I would listen to this again over, so I'll bump it up to a 3.
Mostly passed me by as a piece of work on original release. But has some great compositions therein. Some of the sounds have dated particularly on the uptempo pieces. But a good listen!
Decent pop album. Not really sure I’m mad keen on revisiting, but fun nonetheless!
it's a little weird to hear the pet shop boys happening in the 90s. not bad weird, just...weird. the cover of go west is kinda hilarious
This one wasn't for me. I can hear how this album is a HUGE influence on many of the artist I like, but the lead vocals don't do it for me. A quality album that deserves to be on the list, but one I probably won't revisit.
Lovely piece of 90's Pop/Dance. Don't have it but can see why it is on this list. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing" & "Go West" favourites here.
Pleasant vocals, but I struggled to get through it due to getting bored to be honest.
Go west is a banger. Not the biggest fan of super synthy pop but I can see the appeal.
No está mal, o qué? No sí? Sí no? no? o qué?
Ihan vekkulia rallattelua. Harmillisesti saman bändin levyt perääkäisinä päivinä latisti vähän tunnelmaa. 2,5*
the whole time it sounded like it would be in a dramatic part of a movie, it was good background music. nothing very memorable but it was interesting !
I've always thought the Pet Shop Boys' singer sounded like a gentle and kindly old British muppet heavily processed with compression and reverb. The album? It's...well, it's not so bad, really - but overall is this really one of the so-called 1001 must-hear albums? I don't know enough about synth/dance music to fully appreciate why this might be revolutionary or impactful - it's a nice album. Yes, it's nice. In a pleasant dreamscape kind of way - it's light and airy and smooth. And that might cover the positives and negatives for me. Same keys and synthetic percussion sounds throughout, which makes it in a lot of ways run like a 53 minute song in multiple movements - no singular points are so recognizable or memorable as to have me humming them later. Still....I have listened to it twice today. I think in the end it really is background music for me - great to work to! I give way too many 3 star ratings but if the synth fits... 5/10 3 stars.
It was okay. Prob wouldn’t listen to it again
Yeas sir
A jewell of pop music. Curiously enough, my favorite ever PSB song is a B-side off this album: "Decadence". All in all and except for just a couple of tracks, this album has agedd pretty well. Impressive what they achieved before computer DAW's.
Not my cup of tea
I like the PSB, but don't know any song but Go West...
nice pet shop boys vibe
Requires some context to appreciate fully. Very 90s!
It took this album to make me finally learn the Pet Shop Boys covered the Village People. I was familiar with all of the Pet Shop Boys '80's work, but this one somehow escaped me. I always liked their hits from the' 80's so I'm not surprised I enjoyed this. And to think I thought the Pet Shop Boys ended with the Me Decade...
very 80s
I'm always pretty middling with these guys. This didn't really change my mind. It's not bad, but it's not going to make me love the Pet Shop Boys either.
A different point of view is an absolute banger. Big fan of the pet shop boys overall but found this record a bit too samey. Very distinct vocals and synths that don’t vary too much throughout the record. A few great 90s floorfillers though.
A fun dance pop album. Very early 90s, lots of synths and layers of sound. Would be shocked if 90s nights in gay bars around the world weren’t playing some tracks from this album.
3.2 wel oké, nothing special but not bad
dreaming of the queen gaf mij een angstgevoel en ik weet niet waarom Ik ga het nog wel eens luisteren maar heeft me niet van men sokken geblazen
I can understand the significance of the album but it didn't do heals for me. A few cool sounds but as a whole not that interesting to me.
Better than expected
Not my cup of tea, but not terrible
No bad
pretty upbeat & very poppy but really good. would listen again, can see why they are so highly regarded.
A lot better than I had expected!
Weird how I had heard of this band but cannot at all recollect ever hearing them before. Alternately reminded me of the Postal Service, Japanese Anime music, Village People, Real McCoy, the 1990s, and the 2000s. Not totally my cup of tea but the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. If I kept it on repeat for a few days, I might even upgrade the rating to a 4.
Very easy listening. Quite enjoyed this album
Firstly I'd like to point out that the backbeat for a lot of this album is brilliant. Especially in 'The Theatre', it had my head bobbing throughout. I preferred the overall feel of the album to 'Actually'. I felt more than happy to listen to every single track and experience the album without wanting to skip. 'I Wouldn't Normally...' was a really enjoyable tune and can't wait to drive in my car to it. When the end finally arrived I was proud to salute my laptop screen until the appropriate moment. I'd love to give this one a listen back in the future.
Nice music, but fails to soar. This is Pet Shop Boys past its prime.
Patrick Vieira's round head
Upbeat Brit Pop
Muy Pet Shop Boys.
Ok album.
Pleasant background listening - it didn't bug me from getting over-exposed to the Pet Shop Boys in the bad old days of reliance on broadcast media. Fave track - "Dreaming Of The Queen" had some truly WTF lyrics, heh
i liked it
More nostalgia! You are probably starting to be able to tell which kind of music my parents listened to. This album is great, although the pet shop boys voice always has started to grate on me after more than 4 songs in a row. This doesn't mean it isn't fantastic as an album though.
I’m being generous with this. I didn’t enjoy it. It aged like vinegar.
Oscila entre o animado e o lento de forma muito estranha. "Sleep is a sin", faz sentido depois de ouvir o álbum.
Very. nice boys. Very. nice. 3.5
bit annoying after a short while. decent easy listen
Distinct memories of the nubbly orange CD sleeve in record shops. I can see the quality of this but once again not particularly my genre.
Such great sound
Starts off alright. Songs are catchy enough but sound gets old quick. Last song is the best by far
Not bad, a few classics (go West), but nothing that blew my mind, despite being very British
This album feels more like it was made in the mid 80s than the mid 90s. It becomes a little more modern as it develops, but the throbbing heart of this album seems stuck in the 1980s. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It's fun dance music. 3/5
Bom album, com algumas músicas brochantes no refrão (não consigo entender refrões que abaixam o tom...), enfim, melhor da semana até agora.
Not strictly speaking my cup of tea but they are a musical institution and have stood the test of time.
I like their song 'West End Girls'. Unfortunately that song was not on this album. Don't get my wrong I dig a good 80's vibe, I just thought as a whole the album wasn't super great.
To me, irritating.
Easily the most exciting thing I've heard by this band. Do I like it? Nope. The singer and I do not relate.
Bland-city. Also dislike the cover.
2/5
Like I get it, but I know that they have better songs. Go West slaps though
The good: Some nice chord progressions and harmonies here. The bad: The singer's voice, I don't like it. The ugly: The instrumentation is horrible in my ears, artificial and dated, just no. 2/5 - below average
There is a famous song in there but I don't even know which one it is. Listened to the 2018 remaster.
unfortunately a bit bland for what I want out of dance music. There were moments where I was wowed, but then it would double down on some generic and dated sound and shake me out of it. 2 feels a bit generous.
This album answers the question: “Which minority makes better music: Straight black men, or gay white men?”
Pet shop boys fifth album
Very very very dull. As a self declared Pet Shop Boys fan, I can only say I’m a bit disappointed?? These all felt like filler songs. Theatre might be the better track, and Go West gives me Soviet marching band vibes, but still. Not an album I’d reach for at all. If I were stranded on a desert island with this album I would think I’ve been transported to a musical purgatory; you know it’s the pet shop boys so you know the potential for it to be better, but it just never gets there.
This should’ve been called Very Disappointing. After already hearing Actually, which I thought was a solid album, this feels like throwaway material by comparison. They moved away from the ’80s synth-pop sound they were so good at and leaned harder into a more generic ’90s dance style, which just doesn’t work nearly as well for them.
I thought the first song was good, then I heard how every song was the same. Theres no push and pull here, its just flat stadium anthems, but not on your feet hype, more bob your head hype...then after a while the hype wears off and these nothing new.
I loved the beats and instrumentals but the vocal wasn’t appealing to me. Some songs or good, some I wouldn’t listen to again.
There were parts I could appreciate but it’s just not my jam. 2
This sounds like music you’d hear in a parody about the 80s
did not finish
Ok enough. Kinda average
2.0 That's a shame, was looking forward to this after liking Actually, and seeing the reviews for Very. I think the fast paced synth nature of it hasn't aged very well, it's streets behind what actually electronic artist were doing at the same time (AfX, Autechre) which though sounding vintage has held up pretty well. No real good hooks on this album, and the vocals get annoying after a while. Nothing even saved down which is a rarity, don't want to really revisit any of it. Also, Go West I recoiled at, flashback to me being 4 years old and this being constantly played, I hated it then and I dislike it now.
I really don't like Pet Shop Boys. Too poppy, too artificial with their sounds and I don't like most of the songs. I can't quite bring myself to give this 1 star, but it's very close.
Feels like before it's time! I can understand why bros like it. Not really my jam but it's good background music to work to.
Cheesy synth pop album. It’s not low quality by any means, but I don’t think I would revisit anytime soon.
2 stars because while i couldn’t wait for it to end, i did find myself bobbing my head
Very very very Pet shop boys sound
This album sucks- has a few sounds here and there that are pleasant but no. This shit sucks.
I got this on CD for Christmas when I was 7. A few great songs on here (Can You Forgive Her? especially) but it sounds very dated now
Track 1 is a belter, then it’s just ok
I remember now being surprised by how much I liked Side 1…Two stars. Tom.
It sounded like the same song on repeat for most of it. Not their best work.
A disappointment
Totally buns. His voice is atrocious. The lyrics are dumb and pretentious. Bad. British.
Very....boring. sounds like the other Pet Shop Boys albums.
I like Pet Shop Boys but I did not like this. It was... corny? And overly long. Disappointed!
When it's getting towards the mid nineties and you just can't let the eighties go
A Different Point Of View
600/1001 2026.04.24 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
Imagine playing one of those video games that barely anyone has heard of, and the credits start rolling. Usually, the music is some synth-pop that has a "farewell" feel to it. That's essentially this album, except it goes on too long, and is not very enjoyable in the first place. Favorite Track: "Go West".
Meh. A couple catchy songs. Lyrically terrible. I could literally name 1001 other albums that should be included rather than this one. Did the Pet Shop Boys make a financial contribution to the publishing of this book or something? Some of these songs sound like they were written by teenagers and recorded on old school keyboards. The song One in. million sounds like a cheesy 80s sitcom theme. And yet, I like a few songs. The first song and then Yesterday When I Was Mad” and “The Theatre” are decent catchy songs. Unfortunately there is too much bad on this album to give it a good score.
5/10
Opening track is a banger. The rest is decent enough, but didn't grab me. Mid 2s.
If you believe the saying "you judge an album by its cover" is true, then Pet Shop Boys have gone above and beyond on their fifth full-length. It's not evident on streaming services, but the original CD (https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4241/34963398184_9564852deb_o.jpg) was released in an all-orange case with a rubberized top adorned with embossed letters and "Lego-like" bumps. And the first song here sets the tone for the next fifty minutes of good synth-fueled new wave. Alas, what we hear is monotonous gay-club electronica with a straight kick drum. While the duo's previous work sounded unusual and even luxurious, here the sound is extremely commercial and mainstream. It's unsurprising, albeit sad, that this album became Pet Shop Boys' best-selling and the only one to reach number one in the UK charts. No, maybe I'm missing something, and the album sounded mega-innovative for its time. In that case, let it stay there.
Groupe connu de nom, mais je ne me rappelle d'aucun de leur hit. Je ne me rappellerais pas non plus de cet album, très electronica, très pop sans intérêt et très long qui passe bien (+1) en musique de fond mais sans plus. =>2/5
i didn't listen too closely but sounded cheesy
Review - hate this era of lush early digital pop music with shuffled drums, it just doesn't do it for me. I suppose if everyone needs to hear an album of this hyper specific genre, this is about as good as it gets. Rating - 3.5/10 Need to hear? KINDA
Not without its occasional charm, but easily the least essential of the three on this list. And in a way it sounds more dated than their 80s work.
I could not get into this.
Some of these backing tracks might have almost been passible club songs but the singing over it ruins it for me and the backing tracks aren't so good that it doesn't matter.
Ugh. Monotone nasal-y voices. Terrible, tacky electronica. Eurovision songs pretending they’re artistically profound. It’s Very Pet Shop Boys. “Go West” is the only saviour of this album. I absolutely loved it as a kid. And as an adult, I still do. It’s a weird, Soviet-sounding anthem with a very anti-Soviet message. And it’s catchy as hell. It's also the tune used for a football chant that Irish football supporters sing at international matches, subbing in the words “Stand up for the boys in green” for the chorus. It's fitting that this came up now because Ireland are playing Czechia tomorrow evening in a last chance playoff to see if we qualify for the World Cup or not. The melody of “Go West” will be roared by 6,000 Irish fans in the Fortuna Arena in Prague tomorrow night. COYBIG. But, I just learned today that “Go West” isn't originally a Pet Shop Boys song. It's actually a cover of a Village People song. So, it turns out that the only Pet Shop Boys song I’ve ever even remotely liked… isn’t even theirs.
I was into the PSBs through the 80s and as my musical tastes changes appeciated their maturing sound on Behaviour, so ended up buying this one back in the day - never really got into it, and still the case. Although as it very much reminds me of moving to Stevenage and starting work, there may be some PTSD attached to this rating as well...
Reminds me too much of the kind of music a drunken wedding ceremony DJ would play while people are throwing up, 'dancing', desperately trying to snog a chair or throwing punches at the groom while he tries to catch the bride's bouquet by rugby tackling the priest who is now wearing the bridesmaid's frock. Great for those occasions but otherwise, meh.
Didn't really enjoy it enough to finish it
Go West
1.5
I didn't hate this one, but it's kinda boring for the most part. Without the big 80s beat, I find I really struggle with their melodies as a whole. Probably the biggest reason is his vocal patterns don't vary that much, very maudlin. Best song was a Village People cover, probably because it's the most melodic piece on the album. But honestly they hadn't lost all their charm, but for the most part, felt like easy listening filtered through synthpop. Let's just say this album wasn't very... well, very. (5.33) ★★½
Dancy
A pleasing sound
I remember when the Pet Shop Boys tried to be relevant in the 90s. To be fair, Go West was massive, but that aside this is not their masterpiece.
Made me feel gay
++: One and One Make Five, To Speak Is a Sin, Young Offender, One in a Million +: Liberation, Yesterday, When I Was Mad, The Theatre +-: Can You Forgive Her?, I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing, Dreaming of the Queen -: A Different Point of View, Go West / (Postscript) I Believe in Ecstasy 5,5/10
Pet Shop Boys, like Queen, are one of the bands I really liked when I was younger but then got incredibly tired of for reasons I can't quite explain. No, not the campiness, which seems a common denominator between the two. (Hmmmm - Freddie/Pet Shop Boys collaboration... might turn out to be a beast like Freddie/Bowie, or an absolute and utter dud.) To set the scene: I'd enjoyed some of the earlier Pet Shop Boys, then along came Behaviour, which I found to be quite the snoozefest. Very was a welcome return to slightly higher BPM numbers for me. I owned this album and it was probably the most haptically cool music packaging I've ever owned. Some tracks from this album were all over MTV and Viva at the time, alongside various eurodance tracks, plus The Sparks' When Do I Get To Sing "My Way" (which I didn't mind) and Erasure's Always (which I hated). OK, maybe not all of them at exactly the same time, but this was all withing roughly a year or two. It was a surprisingly camp time in retrospect, except we had no idea what camp was a the time. Well, Neil Tennant came out as gay during the promo interviews for this album, so there was that. While I liked Can you forgive her? and The Theatre, this was probably the album that started turning me away from Pet Shop Boys for good. Nothing that came after this really interested me any more. So coming back to this over 30 years later, how does it stack up? Can you forgive her? is still a great song and a great opener. But right after that comes... a lot of poppy mediocrity. And a surprising amount of sounds and programming that really haven't aged terribly well at all and that come across as quite simplistic and clunky today. You could argue this is the curse of relying quite heavily on electronics/technology for your sound - but Kraftwerk were even more pioneering in their work, and always spend the time to refine their songs and sounds enough to ensure their albums don't sound dated. And so it goes for most of the album - some good ideas badly executed (Dreaming of the Queen with its obnoxious "yes it's true, look it's happened to me and you", One and One Make Five with its equally obnoxious "Here we go" background loop etc etc). Or maybe I'm being unkind... executed in a way I really don't connect with. There is one exception, the second great song here: The Theatre. This actually gets the balance between melancholy, anger, and optimism right most of the time. In summary - two great songs and a lot of filler.
Fine, but got repetitive and annoying like halfway through
Not for me but wasn't as bad as other 1s on here
Pleasant enough background music which had rave reviews in the British broadsheets at the time, but it's really just early 90s coffee table music which means nothing to me.
going into this one totally blind. I’ve never heard a single song by this bad before (knowingly) Definitely out of my wheelhouse musically, as I tend to lean toward darker production and lyrics- but this was surprisingly fun for a dance album. This sounds super super 90’s. Is that good or bad? I’m not sure- For the most part, this feels like recycled ideas from the 80’s with OVER the top 90’s production slapped on top. BUT I still like the overall vibes from the album. It’s bouncy, it’s upbeat, and it gets me out of my comfort zone sonically. I feel like this could definitely be a band I like more the further back I dig into their discography- I like the vocals, and a lot of the production, but just too 90’s. Favorite tracks: different point of view, liberation, young offender, to speak is a sin
Where’s the part where Paul McCartney starts munching on celery or whatever. That’s all I know about pet shop boys is that Paul McCartney play a mean celery solo. Yeah as for the album not my cup of tea!
4/10… synthpop / new romantic / *1993
I had never listened to the Pet Shop Boys before and I wish that were still true.
The only song I’ve ever heard from pet shop boys before this was West End Boys and I really wish it had stayed that way. This album was a rough listen for me, way too much “talk” singing while some small beat goes on in the background. Not my jam, I’ll buy my pets from some other boys…
Honestly pretty bad, this is some weak electronic music. It feels like an inferior evolution of 80s electronic.
I liked the Pet Shop Boys gay little single, West End Girls. Among the nearly gay techno pop of the 80's, West End Girls is a refresher because it's so obviously gay. What a thrill to let it all out in age of advancing liberal values! This album, however, is much too gay and features none of the subdued qualities that made the band's prior hit a success. Of course there's nothing wrong with music that's very gay, but I prefer subtlety to the opposite. To the band's credit, the title of the album describes these qualities to the listener before they've even heard the first track.
I'm not a fan of this sludge either. Man, for all the great music that comes out of Scotland, we've gotten pretty wrecked on the last 2 days. I mean.. this is fine. I get it. Its like a 90s dance pop thing. Go West kind of rocks. Like an ironic rocks, but also kind of fun. Like I would put this song on a snowboard video.
I think maybe If I had heard this first before the other two Pet Shop Boys albums I have listened to over the last few weeks, I would be less critical. Getting through this album felt like a chore. I was running on a tight schedule to find the time to listen to this before the end of the day, trying to unwind and listen to this felt like I was being mocked by the generator. I fully recognize my bias, that I was not in the right head space to listen to this, but not did I not enjoy it...
ok album
No.
This is a very very specific kind of dive bar album
Apparently the idea of the Pet Shop Boys has been better than the actuality of the Pet Shop Boys. It's not even that this is bad as much as this type of pop does nothing for me.
Kinda just feels like a letter to gays.
Catchy songs. Still don’t like it.
Great singles band. This album is a slog.
What style is this, exactly? It feels 80s but made in 1993. Disco pop, perhaps, with electronic elements. I know it's important in its own right but I don't particularly like the vocals and found the overall sound boring.
102/1001 First listen. Thirty years ago I would have just said this is gay. Today this sounds like it could have been made on my phone. There’s something about it I don’t like and I don’t want to hear any more of it. 3/10
Every single song sounds the same.
2/5
I don't mind the Pet Shop Boys 1980s output, they had some genuinely great singles in the latter half of the decade - West End Girls, Suburbia, Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money), It's A Sin are all tremendous, and Rent and Heart pretty strong too. They also smashed a surprisingly good Elvis cover and notched up a great duet with Dusty Springfield. Neil Tennant wrote disco classics with lyrics both honest and sardonic, bit of social commentary here, bit of introspective heartfelt stuff about being gay here and there. They had a good deal of success in the US with that initial run of belters. Fast forward a few years and a bit surprised to get 1993's 'Very' and a little dismayed to find that nothing here gets close to their big hits, nor do I see it as massively innovative or anything like that. In fact, aside from a perfectly serviceable cover of Village People's 'Go West' there's not much here to recommend. If you're into the gay stuff, stick with Erasure - they were still putting out solid material in the early to mid 90s.
It has some bops kind of but also is a little grocery store core Will I listen to again: 5%
I really couldn’t take this seriously. It’s just so dated and cheesy.
16/01/2026 I don't really have a problem with Pet Shop Boys. But this, this was boring. Spotify listeners: 9.9 million
Some of the best lyrics that this group have ever produced. Not nearly as good an album as their 80s output. Sorry!
I only knew all their hits but never listened to an entire album. And I probably won't do again. Surely there are some radio-friendly pop hits but as an album I was quite disappointed, and I feel the overall sound hasn't aged very well. Songs are a bit samey (and not great).
Wasn't a big fan of this. I know Pet shop Boys and New Order have toured together, and I am a big New Order fan. But this to me sounds like New Order crossed with Bros, the 80s boy band and presumably not in 1001 albums. Worst parts of pop and dance combined but with none of the class or style of New Order.2 out of 5
Only time I’m remotely interested in the Pet Shop Boys is when one of their many hits is played at a wedding evening do. That’s when their music really shines. Always a crowd pleaser and dance floor filler. Trouble with this album is that I can only remember one of these and that’s Go West. The rest just dissolved into nothingness. 2/5 4/1/26
Jeg kommer aldrig til at bryde mig om stemmen.
"Go West" might actually be the first video I vividly remember watching on MTV. I like the song too, and it's been one of those things that's constantly in the back of my head nearly all the time. It's weird, unintrusive but always there. Maybe it was my first earworm of a song too. In any case, none of the other tracks are as memorable as Go West, and that's a cover, so I can't really say that this lives up to the "hype". It is classic euro proto-dance pop, but that isn't really a style I'm super in to. Like most of their stuff it's well produced but it does suffer from a very limited sample/sound kit. The same presets seem to be used all over and not to really great effect. It's listenable enough and lyrically it's a bit more challenging than a lot of other pop music but it didn't grab me at all.
First time hearing this album. Wow. This is Very much a 90s time capsule. Every song is basically “Pump up the jam” with mostly motivational lyrics about togetherness and moving on. I can’t help but wonder what the record would sound like without the dated 90s drum loops. 2.1/5.0
Just play this entire album over that video of those two black guys dancing on roller skates. This album has not aged well. Yet, of the three albums by this group I have been subjected to it is somehow my favorite. Being more positive and poppy still couldn’t save this from being boring. Favorite song was Yesterday When I Was Mad.
This album was released in 1993 and it sounds like it was made a decade earlier. In this case, that's not a compliment. It's also insane that Pet Shop Boys have 3 different albums on this list.
A Very bland, very run of the mill yet very odd, very silly beat choices, very diverse, very two star worthy album in my humble opinion.
I liked it but many songs felt forgettable still?
Why do some of these backing tracks sound like the bonus levels from a Sonic game type shit. Frenetic and way too sugary for my liking.
Few
Fru-Fru fluff pop music. 'nuf said. You 'll either love it or hate it. Guess my choice
To say I was disappointed by this album would be to imply that I expected more. Frankly, I did not. So, while I wasn't "disappointed," I did not enjoy this listen at all. I don't plan to waste too many words on this 50+ minutes that I will never get back. All I can say is that I hope this is the last time PSB and I meet. This album was a Very underwhelming 2 / 5.