Very

Not even the best Pet Shop Boys album.

2.5/5

Very good album

It’s the Shit Pop Boys. The name says it all

..

Sounds like british food tastes like

Interesting and unique sound but songs are all similar. Later songs by the pet shop boys are better.

This was kinda cool

No notes.

Good

Weird dance pop

I'm not a big fan of this genre, but PSB is probably the best at it. It's weird that this album came out in 1993 and still sounds like it was released in 1983. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

Overall it's decent. A few songs are forgettable and a few have really good hooks or subjects that make them stick in my brain. 5/10

Very is very synthy and poppy. The Pet Shop Boys are one of those pop duos that I've heard the name and heard the music but never connected the two. Overall, fun album, but every songs sounds alike to me.

Meh this was okay. Not sure we need W Pet Shop Boys albums in this list

Dull and generic album that fails to leave a lasting impression.

Good pop gives it a 2. Go west is a banger and that gives it a 3 Upon further reflection, go west is not enough for a full ‘nother star. But great song.

Consider me intrigued, Pet Shop Boys. Maybe even a little curious. Definitely flattered.

I just don't get the value of this music. I, a man of unbelievably limited musical talent, feel like I could cobble an album similar to this in like 6 months. This is the aspartame of music.

Only managed to listen to half of this because it was a busy day. I like the Pet Shop Boys as a singles band but I found the album a bit of a drag and all a bit too samey.

Didn't really enjoy this album. Despite the big hits, the other tracks left me a bit cold. Although it may be a case of going back to this and reading/listening to the lyrics more. I was quite intrigued by the track about Princess Di for instance.

No please and thank you

Very positive overall. And a lot of albums over thier history. I personally would not have chosen this one as the example album, but it does capture their sound.

Not a bad synth-pop album from expert purveyors of the genre. 3 stars

Unbelievably dull

2+ Stars (6/15)

Don't like the vocals. Don't like the beats. Don't like the genre. Don't see a reason this album needed to be sooooo looking.

I get why they were so popular. Solid album

3.5 stars rounded up.

★★★¾

I enjoy this music, but not as much as I wish I did. I find it a bit much for some songs. That said, I would LOVE to dance to this on a night out.

Just not my cup of tea. Synthpop gives me American Psycho vibes and that’s my cross to bear.

Their 5th album, and also their 5th best album. It seems quite garish compared to the graceful sigh of Behaviour (perhaps a conscious reaction to it), but contains some of their best known (if not best) tracks. Can You Forgive Her? and The Theatre are outstanding.

I like the song 'West End Girls' and some other 80's Pet Shop Boys songs, but was unprepared for how terrible this cheesy early 90's album is. Lame, uninspired production combined with limpid boring vocals... this was a tough one to get through.

Boring. Everything felt like one long big bright techno-ish track, up until "Go West", which sounded like a rehash of "YMCA". I can't do it.

Another one that isn't really my thing, probably won't go back to, but I appreciate that it has its own unique sound as opposed to sounding like a million other bands I've heard. Probably appreciate it a bit more so than the other 4s I've given recently. Really enjoying the spacey sounds on this album. Giving me racing video game space level song vibes, like from Diddy Kong Racing (there's a pull, haha). But yeah, this was a nice breath of fresh air after yesterday's Screaming Trees album. Not that I didn't like that album, just that it sounded like a lot of grunge I had heard before (just with psychedelic rock slapped on top). It's cool to get an album that you hear and go "Yeah. I could pick a Pet Shop Boys song out of a lineup after hearing them once" whereas I couldn't do that with Screaming Trees. Edit: Thinking back, this is feeling more like a 3.

I enjoy the Pet Shop boys in small doses, and an LP is much too large a dose for me. There are definitely some good, interesting songs on this album, but I really just can't get into it.

still not my style

helt ok 2/5

Enjoyed a lot of these more than I expected but some of them brought it back down. Least favourite: yesterday when I was mad

This was very shit. Really didn’t enjoy honestly. Just pissed me off to listen to it. Same whiny synth wave bollocks. Don’t like the main guys voice either. Maybe I’m being too harsh. Specific rating 1.9 Fav song - one and one make five Least fav- go west

Eh. Pretty good, but wouldn't listen to it beyond as background music. Also don't know wtf happened in the middle, but I did not like Yesterday When I Was Mad. The postscript was fun tho- nice little surprise

Just very fun! Will definitely be listening (and dancing) to some of these songs many more times! Favourite: Can You Forgive Her Least: Dreaming of the Queen

Strange but kinda good strange? fav: a different point of view, dreaming of the queen least fav: yesterday when i was mad rating: 3.5

Ihan mukavaa menoa

A bit too long and not really an album for me, but I’ve heard worse on this list. Liberation and Dreaming of the Queen were a bop. Go West was fun as well.

Album is not doing it for me. There are some moments, but it feels like it is sacrificing the soul of other 90s brit bands for style.

Synth melodies are corny. Lyrics are soft. Came out in the 90s but this is very 80s sounding which I'm not a huge fan of. This is unlistenable...

I love the Pet Shop Boys. I've been indoctrinated from a young age. Amazingly I realise this is the first time I've listened to a non greatest hits PSB album in full. It's mixed but still a bop around the songs I already knew.

Thirty seconds in and this already sounds like every other Pet Shop Boys music ever made. The first song was bad and yet I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing is worse. This album is terrible, at least all of the other albums that are made up of industrial noise, found sound, screaming or gibberish words are trying something...something I don't like, but these guys are trying to make actual popular music and failing miserably. This is like the music from Barney for grown-ups. Kids in their room are creating better AI music than this right now. Closing with an eight minute song is not helping. This might not be the worst album on the list, at least it's "music", but it's close.

Meh.

Better than expected. But my expectations were zero. I cant really understand who listens to this.

This was unexpectedly cool.

Sorry. It's Easter. I ain't listening to a PSB album.

A clusterfuck of sounds and not in a fun way

Very busy. Not terrible, but by the end I was fed up of it. Go west sounds like a parody and the conchords parodied them better.

VERY strong 4

i really like synth pop! the electronics mixed with the simple bass lines is such a fun thing to listen to

If my innie was working in the Macrodata Refinement department, I would hope that if they had a Music Experience, they would choose one of these songs. first time ever hearing of them and this was a breath of fresh air. 👍🏽

PSB - 80s/90s electro-pop at it's very finest; and this is probably one of their best.

I’ve heard some of Pet Shop Boys, but not much past the well known stuff. I’ll give a listen!

Could be a backdrop to a bad episode of Miami Vice. Flight of the Conchords does this style better - funnier, and not trying to be serious. Sorry guys if reading this, but this aged poorly.

LOVED it. It’s so melodically fun and just about every chorus was great! The ending had me in awe, it’s just about the peak phaser/abba pop! The second half will need to grow on me a bit more than the first, but I wanna relisten to it already

Very (good)

This seemed like a “Very” generic 80’s dance album, only released in the 90’s.

Very very ordinary. And very very not needed in the listing here. Fine for what it is, but not as pivotal as Actually.

This album is not Very anything

The most “meh” of “mehs” that ever “mehed” 2.25

Totally fine, just not my cup of tea. Notching lower than Actually. I annoyed that one more. And that’s all I have to say about that. 2.5/5

It's a fun sound, but gets tiresome after a while. Probably best heard as the occasional single on the radio.

You say 90s, I think: Pet Shop Boys

love

Nothing wrong with their music, I just kinda hate Pet Shop Boys for no real reason

Very safe, radio-friendly pop music. I wasn't particularly vibing with this, but for a certain crowd, I can see how some of the singles on this record can bring on a sense of nostalgia.

Very lives up to its title—richly textured and sonically exuberant, Pet Shop Boys very successfully bridge emotion and motion, filling both hearts and dancefloors through their polished pop craftsmanship.

Go Weessstttt! I always enjoy a Pet Shop Boys Album, but that’s about all I have to say.

Ehh, this didn't really do it for me. I think PSB probably peaked at West End Girls. This felt pretty generic and forgettable to me.

The Pet Shop Boys are like fine wine. They get better with age. They're still out there in 2025 cranking out music, gotta love it. "Very" was album I was skeptical because I really, really liked Behaviour and thought on the whole it was their best work. So, going into this one back in 93, I was tepid with it at first. Over time, however, I've grown to like this album. Maybe not as much as their 80's work or even Behaviour, but it's not bad. 3.45/5 (just not quite there)

I'd heard of the Pet Shop Boys, but this was WILDLY different than what I expect. I think I expected them to be like The Beastie Boys.

Perfect title - this album is indeed very everything. Poppy and dancey to the max with massive production! There's also plenty of feeling and emotional depth here, balanced out by some top notch piss-taking and intelligently upbeat compositions. Favourite tracks: I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing, Dreaming of the Queen, Yesterday When I Was Mad, To Speak Is A Sin, Young Offender, Go West (massive upgrade to the original)

Very, very good.

Very

Ehhh. Overproduced and sanitized, too pop. Somehow, despite the correlation with Neil Tennant coming out of the closet shortly after this album was released, it feels... bland and inauthentic? Probably the production giving me that vibe.

A few tracks were of interest while the most part of the album was relaxating kind of light music which may deliver if you enter the mood but is overall by no means outstanding. 2.7/10.

Yeah I just don't like 80s music. The only good thing about this band is I learnt what Inner City Pressure is a parody of.

Pop and discotheque: middle school dances must have loved them.

This is highly-polished, dance-oriented pop music. It's pleasant enough to listen to, but it doesn't grab me in any way.

I love the Pet Shop Boys but this is not their best album. It's pleasant to listen to but not terribly interesting. Their newer albums are their best.

I am baffled. The Pet Shop Boys released 15 albums? And three of them are on this list? And Neil Tennant didn't come out until 1993? This album is a fine example of their output but nothing stands out for me.

Brilliant album

Was war das für ein Album, Go West natürlich geil, aber was waren das für abgefuckte Songs sonst?

80s Disco meets 90s synthie Pop. Whats not to like?

Not a fan of the electronic pop these guys were going for.

Not a good listen for me. The wispy whiney voices and the 90's bombastic faux-big-beat pop drums/samples/etc really turned me off. It's funny that I remember Go West as being a 'kind of cool' pop track... possibly because it was at the end of the album, but I disliked even that track on this listen.

This is so flat, with none of the dynamic energy that makes New Order or Depeche Mode (if those are indeed Pet Shop Boys' peers?) so great. The best I can say is that it is inoffensive. Every song sounds the same. Two steps away from Muzak.

It has what I consider a 80's sound, not a huge fan.

Unique and synthy sound. They created something original.

very ok, not their best, still enjoyed

Needed some oomph

What in the James Blunt vocals? When this album appeared, I thought for a moment that this was the “Boom Boom Boom Boom” Vengaboys. Alas!

Couldn't make it past the second song. Not my vibe and just noooooo.

Sounds like a Lonely Island parody

No phrase provokes such dread and revulsion as "British synth-pop duo"

Certainly not it. Hard to get through.

more like very BAD (high fives, high fives)

Cringiley painful. Don't see how this album belongs here

Had a couple of decent spots but overall I didn’t enjoy it

3.5 mostly meh w a couple good songs

3.3 1x

hermoso disco, con temazos. full electro ochentero

I just had a different Pet Shop Boys album within the last two weeks and thought it was fine, pretty boring, felt like elevator/lounge muzak to me. This feels a lot more like Eurotrash dancy music, and I'm more in to it. Not great by any means, and am surprised that this band has any albums on this list.

The Album is too long, the voice is too annoying, the lyrics are too stupid, the backing music over produced and too repetitive.

I like the Pet Shop Boys. Well the couple of songs I already knew anyway. This didn’t disappoint. Simpsons: No

I had never chosen to listen to the Pet Shop Boys up until a couple of days ago, after they were announced at a festival in Seville. What a coincidence that they have now popped up on here. After listening to this album, I can safely say that I will not be purchasing tickets.

After listening to all 3 albums on this list from Pet Shop Boys, all I know is I'm not a fan, and I'm relieved that it's over now!

It's shit, but it's well produced shit? Like I can't hate them for having terrible taste in music but I can hate the music. It's a weird place to be honestly. This is the musical equivilent of Michelangelo sculpting David out of shit.

Y'know, it's been a long since my group last got a Pet Shop Boys album. It was our 99th, actually, and we've had, like, over 330 since then. That's a lot! I mean, I can't even remember too well what I thought of that release. Best I can remember, I liked the synths and keys, but it otherwise wasn't able to hold my attention too terribly well. I'll admit, going into the I was worried I'd be in for more of the same. But, hey, this album actually comes from six years further into their discography. For all I knew, this could've been different. And, well, was it? Yes. Oh, **yes**. And, jus'... Oh, my goodness, this was the most incredible thing. Absolutely fabulous. Like, I'm actually sort of at a loss for words. I mean, you're telling me this was here the entire time, and I never knew about it until now? Goodness me. Like, let me just put in short the fundamental reason why I liked this so much: it's not just that it's really good British techno/house, no. It's that this sounds like the best soundtrack you've heard ever to an early CD video game that doesn't exist. Seriously, in some spots I'm almost getting some SONIC CD vibes from this? And in other parts it's just so huge... This music is relentless and completely electric, hitting the floor from the first moment and never letting up. And you'd think it'd get tiring over its 50-some minute runtime, but it's actually super good at keeping things interesting. I can completely hear why this was a smash. For anyone with a nightlife, songs from this album must've caused pandemonium in the disco. If this wasn't an essential party album for the 90's, I don't know what it was. (And of course I missed most of the lyrics, so I didn't catch a lot of the introspective moments I heard that this album has, but from what I did gleam... Honestly, it kind of reminds me of Sparks's turn to dance music on GRATUITOUS SAX & SENSELESS VIOLINS? And take it from a huge fan of Sparks, I already know I like this album far better. More of this, please.) But, yeah, give this... Jus', like, the biggest 5 you can muster. The last album we got from these guys completely underprepared me for this album. At best, it's alright, but nonetheless... I mean, seriously, this discovery has to be one of the absolute best I've come across doing this randomizer. I was completely floored by it. I jus' love the performance on here so much... Goodness me. I don't even have anything else I wanna say — and I don't wanna try and cram in any more Pet Shop Boys album titles and single names. So, I'unno. Go west and listen to it already if you haven't, I guess.

Pretty damn good synthpop. 4.5 bumped down to 4.

I’m at a 5. It’s only been about 10 days since we got “Walking Wounded” by Everything but the Girl, and my main thing with that album was that it didn’t really commit enough to the sort of electronica / drum & bass feel it was going for, at least for my tastes. It’s my closest analog to this album, since we’re dealing with artists doing a radically different sound from an 80s album in the 90s. Well, OK, maybe not AS “radically” for the Pet Shop Boys, but we’ve thrown out 80s synthesizers & drum machines for the 90s UK house brand of booming orchestra hits, advanced spacier electronica, & more upbeat dance numbers. In this case, since they went full throttle in committing to this soundscape throughout the whole thing, it pays off way better for me here than it did on “Walking Wounded”. I’m not saying that to be harsh on the album, but the difference in commitment is night and day to me – obviously, 1996 drum & bass is different from 1993 UK house-driven synthpop, but the Pet Shop Boys lean fully into it. It’s a natural evolution for the sound on “Actually”, and it’s played in an overly catchy & commercially safe way, but it really clicked for me, just because it’s a super fun listen. It also helps that the songwriting chops present on “Actually” are refined and arguably even better on here – so much of this album is written with the context of the gay experience, from both a closeted and open experience, and it creates a sort of intimate & personal vibe that both contrasts and works really well with the wide open dancing soundscape of the album. Occasionally, that lyricism / vocals are a little buried in the mix, or overshadowed by the synth work, but when it comes to the forefront (ESPECIALLY so on “The Theatre”), it feels really, really nice. Ultimately, it’s a 5 for me, but the reason I enjoyed this is a two-sided coin; since they did fully lean into this style, if it’s something you’re predisposed to hate, then this is gonna be a repetitive “video game-y” 2 for you, but if it’s something you love (like me!), then it’s a perfect blend of early 90s SEGA-esque Roland synth work that calls back to stuff like Sonic CD or Daytona USA, while blending the songwriting chops and production sensibilities of the Pet Shop Boys, which were already on great display on “Actually”. It really, REALLY worked for me, and I think it’s a great album – hence, a pretty easy 5.

My big take away from this is that once i scratch the surface of PSBs and go deeper than the hits, i'm not a huge fan of what i hear. This is more fun than the last album i heard though, so there's that

Pet Shop Boys can be quite hit or miss for me, even on what is arguably their best album. While there are a few songs that stand out as both lyrically and musically impressive—such as "The Theater," "Liberation," and "Can You Forgive Her?"—there are also several tracks that feel flat and overproduced, lacking the clever or cheeky lyrics that I can so appreciate from the Pet Shop Boys.

Listenable.

The pet shop boys is a crap name for a band…and they make shite music too

I just love the Pet Shop Boys, and this grand album is an absolute treat. Simple direct lyrics and melodies, super danceable, pop perfection. I don't care if it all sounds the same because it all sounds great.

aika äkkiä kypsyy tähän hommaan. mikälie tässä nyt on ideana niin ei kauaa kestä alkaa vähän kyllästymään alta aikayksikön, tuommosen kujeen voi kerrat loitsua ja sen jälkeen takasin miettimään pöydän ääreen mutta sensijaan jatkettu matkaa.. ja mikä ihmeen stock photo saatana vesimerkki ass albumin kansi. omg so iconic..shutterstock.. painu kartanolle siitä.. ja ota matkalla kuva vaikka lehmästä.. saa paremman kannen vaikka siitä vähän semmosia wiboja vaikkapa. And do I take you by the hand, and lead you through the land, and help me understand the best I can? can you forgiive her?

Very nice. Exceptional album

I think Pet Shop Boys are brilliant, but at the same time an album is a bit too much for me. Better as part of a playlist.

Meh

4/5

Yesss very good very good

Great album!!

I think this album probably does a very good job of doing what it sets out to do -- it's just not something I'm very interested in

Nostalgi från dåtidens dansgolv! Fyra.

This album is a vibe, just feel-good queer bops Highlights: liberation, go west

I am definitely not the target demographic for this one. I hated Go West when it came out, so needless to say I wasn't looking forward to listening to this album. This entire thing sounds mechanically soulless and repetitive to me. It's well done for what it is, but it's not something I would ever choose to listen to again.

Dreary

I enjoyed the opportunity to listen, and I understand the queerness and coming out journey of this album, but giving us a pet shop boys album from nineteen ninety three is fucking crazy.

Gay synth pop, can’t complain.

That intro really sounded like a remix of Vegas slot machines 3

First song I liked, the rest of the stuff sounds like incomprehensible techno babble. not my thing. easy two.

I'm not much of a fan of the style but I do like their melodies and am pretty impressed.

Not my type of music….

Picture this it’s 1993. You’re gay British. Uncle is doing aerobics with teal colored ankle weights. Now I don’t know if this is a thing, I’m American. But still can’t shake the division. Three out of five for effect

⭐⭐⭐ 5/10 It's alright

Итс окэй. Go West конечно мега-хит, но. Лучшая песня - Dreaming of the Queen.

It’s 1993 and Pet Shop Boys are still holding on the the 80s, and it’s all really good. I don’t remember them but I wish I did. Looks like they are still making albums all the way up to 2024. Definitely checking more out.

Very mid.

This would be a great 80’s pop album if it wasn’t a 90’s album. And the start of the 90’s, especially pop music, was struggling to find its own identity and this album is a staple example of that. It’s an album that is very reminiscent of the 80’s with that early 90’s pop influence that was trying very hard not to be Depeche Mode. I love 80’s campy pop and I wish the album had leaned a little further into that. The songs that did try to capture that sound sounded a little too campy for me. I mean, up the LGBT obviously; this is the album I believe coincided with the singer coming out, which is great. The highs were high but the lows were ultimately “meh”. There were some forgettable tracks on the album but it had a good finishing track. Overall, it was alright but I’m not sure I’d listen to it again as a whole.

Damn I kinda enjoyed this album. But I understand if the enjoyment is more personal than universal. I think it was 70% surprisingly good production, 30% occasional good vocal hook. “Liberation” has that super pretty 90’s two-step beat with some beachy keyboards and synths behind it. “Yesterday When I Was Mad” is what I like to call a SEGA Sound Team Sonic Riders type beat, which furthers my point that the production here is very forward-thinking! “The Theatre” had a really dramatic pre-chorus/chorus. Then “Go West” had to be my highlight. The 90’s version of Canon In D, but also with those distinctly Eastern European backing vocals? Really cool touch. As I’m writing this review, I’m realizing how much this one snuck up on me. There are still some painfully 90’s sounds on here, “One and One Make Five” had an intro that soured the rest of the track for me. But overall, I’m impressed. Tight, thumping drum programming, non-offensive synth/keys choices, memorable enough top lines. Soft 4/5 stars, who would’ve thought!

Great synth pop wow. Love his voice

i wanna go to sleep. please pet shop boys. please.

Average, beats are kinda groovy at points but all sound the same. singing all sounds the same. Favourite songs: I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing, yesterday when I was mad, the theatre, to speak is a sin, last one. Overall around 6/10

Some real electro-pop. It’s 90s, it’s gay, it’s beautiful. “A Different Point Of View” is the kind of song that makes me want to stand in the center of the dance floor and sway around with my eyes closed and arms above my head.

a real delight

None of the big hits on this record, but that doesn't matter. I can still dance to this.

Dance pop is not a genre of music I naturally gravitate towards but there were a couple winners on this album that I’d like to explore again.

always a fun listen. light and ethereal. i put pet shop boys in the same category as abba… it is impossible to be in a bad mood when you listen to them.

I love some PSBs songs but I wasn’t familiar with this one. Still enjoyed it!

I can’t see the importance of this. It’s good. Maybe top 5000. Not top 1000. I enjoyed 'Go West' at the time. (Tennant's lispy ‘this is what we want to do’ is a terrific hook). Haven’t heard it since. That says a lot I think. Otherwise … 1.5.

After the more subdued and elegiac Behaviour album, the Pet Shop Boys came roaring back with this baroque and somewhat over-the-top dancefloor monster. Pop music, especially pop music that you can dance to, is their true métier. This is a sophisticated, lush and beautifully produced high water mark of late 20th century pop music. It is a celebration of queer joy as an act of resistance, perfectly capstoned by wonderful cover of the Village People's Go West. Are any of their albums absolutely essential? Maybe not, there is some amount of filler on the albums, but I would rate any of their singles' compilations as essential listening. And they are still relevant; my disco-loving 22-year-old son just went to the hairdresser with the cover of Actually, seeking a Neil Tennant hairstyle. And he listens to it, too.

Very good

The most soulless dance music I've possibly ever heard. Someone should have taught them to use the swing property of their quantization setting.

oh my god why am i sort of like... obsessed...

Definitely not up my alley. Nothing particularly wrong with it but just a style I don't enjoy.

For an album from the 1993, this felt very 80's. Which is very accurate for PSB I think. Nothing stood out for me while at the same time it was perfectly nice. 3.5

I’ve enjoyed the Pet Shop Boys projects I’ve listened to over the years, but at some point they do start to sound the same.

Interesting but not my favorite. His voice reminded me of Ben Gabbard at some points strangely enough.

It's the kind of music you would play if you wanted people to dance in 20 minutes, but didn't want people to get hyped up just yet.

I found the last Pet Shop Boys album I did on this project very difficult. It was so single paced pop that it started to slightly drive me mad. This is a different prospect. The pop is uplifting, there's more variation - though of course they have a sound and it's not instrumentally going to break any boundaries. Some good songs, generally a lot of fun.

Very groovy 🕺 but I grew tired with the poppyness n loveyness

Not what I was after

Not my favorite

Badly aged 90s shit

Sounds like a faux triumphant soundtrack to a shit 90’s video game. Having said that, Sonic the Hedgehog had its fair share of bangers, shame the Pet Shop Boys couldn’t follow suit, the bastards.

Nice and gay. Thank you.

Sounds like loads of gameshow music remixed into tracks with a bloke who is away with the fairies writing nonsense lyrics to it all. Quite shit. But was nice and soft sounding, so… 2 stars I guess

Those synth stabs on Can You Forgive Her are a bit much! There’s an identical sound on Mario Party on the snowboarding mini game. Maybe this was produced in association with Nintendo soundboards. Not a bad song but the drums and synths are far too overbearing. Liberation reminded me of Take That's - Pray. Hopeful, silky, but musically dull. A Different Point of View, The Theatre and One and One Make Five were just completely throwaway, pithy tracks with no substance. Is he suggesting Princess Diana is complicit in the act of him flashing the Queen. What is going on? Yesterday When I Was Mad at least made me think I was on the dodgems. As in it made me feel dizzy, sick and like I was in a park full of carnival folk. The delivery of “You’re younger than me. Obviously” is so lame, absolutely shocking. I Wouldn’t Normally, One In a Million and Go West are all so shamelessly similar in melody, rhythm, tempo, it made me angry. In their defence, I’m not the target audience for ultra-camp synth pop. However, I did like West End Girls, Suburbia and some other of their more somber and industrial sounding numbers. This just sounds like very amateurish synth production. It sounds like the stock synth instruments in Logic with whiny vocals and uninspiring lyrics clumsily plonked on top of it. I was open minded coming in to this listen, but I was perturbed by the end of it. If this was indeed regarded as their ‘coming out’ album, I’d have expected it to be a more vibrant and sonically impactful affair.

i love pet shop boys right up to this album, and there are a few good tracks here , but too many cheesy hi-nrg ones. 2

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

eh

Rating: 5/10 Meh.

The first song I heard from the Pet Shops was, "West End Girls", which is probably still the song I associate with the group. I never liked synth-pop and this reconfirmed my bias, so I never explored any of their music further. "Very" is a breezy-synth-pop record that brings energy and beats to the forefront, that are both infectious and repetitious. I can't say this album is swaying me towards this style of music, but it wasn't as painful and boring as I thought it might be. Listening now to, "West End Girls" brings a slight wave of nostalgia of music from the 80's I avoid and has a bit of a guilty pleasure vibe, but I can't say the same about Very. It's just okay, I'll listen once and continue to ignore synth-pop and the Pet Shop Boys.

Hate them

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

more like Very Ass

Like what I would imagine is common among many people of my age, I know one song by this band AND it’s not on this album. That’s always good. I mean I can’t say I love that song anyway, but a little trip back behind the rainbow curtain after what was an eventful “gay week” no less than a month ago. Let’s get sickening, boys. You know. I hated this opening. I despised it. I got caught up thinking and then the song suddenly grew on me. It’s not bad. The lyrics are poignant and address doomed relationships built in the valley between insecurity and opportunity and the prospect of returning to that cycle as those two traits expand. Damn. I went to the Pet Shop for a hamster and some cricket chow, and I left with a clear eyed view of mistakes from the past. Bless you boys. Speaking of mistakes. What kind of thing don’t you normally do? Sing songs? Write songs? Compose effective melodies? I’d believe all of that from this disappointing sashay through the closing bubblegum shop. What the hell is going on. This just isn’t for me. There’s nothing happening. It’s so soft and sappy and the lyrics have lost all lustre. It’s sweet but puckeringly so. Next. Whoa. I’m at an arcade in Shinjuku once again. Let me play DDR17 and get absolutely mopped by some lifer with that’s been there for 4 days with Monster energy drinks and a a token on a string. Family channel elevator music hour rolls on with the revelation that no lovers are alive anymore. The PS Boiz killed all lovers. Sorry world. I have returned to the arcade. Club bangers abound here. These have all sucked by the way. When I start just doing dumb sentences, it means the songs are bad. Alright everybody, the roller rink you are now at has run out of orange crush meaning there is really no reason to be open any further. One last song before we close. The janitors are revving their mops at their stations awaiting the vacancy of the track smeared with sweat, aforementioned orange pop and blood. That’s their swan song. The grace of the mop obfuscating the unforgiving floor under the glow of a faded Pepsi scoreboard. Purity regained for at least another day. Close up shop weary sweep, for today has been rolled to its full potential. UH HUH UH HUH UH HUH. Not good. One and one make five. Whoa. New math invented too? These guys are on it. These beat actually goes so unbelievably hard. Well the stabs of whatever that instrument is are fantastic. The rest is mid. More like to sing is a sin!!!! If you’re uh singing in this ON this sin song. Fuck. Most charm is gone. This song is garbage. Holy shit this is the football chant. YOU’RE SHIT AND YOUR TEETH ARE BIG. Is it? Anyway. Go East. Go away from this song and towards the maritimes where things are nice. Well the mid song breakdown of this was pretty fucking sick. And now I’m waiting in the silence for the promised “hidden track.” Bless the Pet Shop Boys. At no point was I angry which I think is a huge win for this project. It was light and fluffy and really didn’t do much for me; however, it was interesting. It made me smile, brought forth an occasional chuckle and was a fun writing prompt. Isn’t that the reason we’re all here? No? It’s for the music? Well, then I feel I’ve wasted close to an hour. This is just not for me, the west end boys strayed further west as their song instructed and left me on the black rocks of Peggy’s Cove relieved to finally hear the crashing waves, over the glittery softness of what “Very” brings to the table. 1.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Can You Forgive Her?

Prior to this album, I was a regular listener and had purchased multiple albums. This album was a miss for me, I’ve revisited this album since then but it really doesn’t work.

Usual soft singing and romantic lyrics from the Pet Shop Boys, none of which interested me except for the fun Yesterday When I Was Mad and campy Go West.

I like a lot of Pet Shop Boys music, but not this album so much.

Not my style at all, if I could've skipped I wouldve done it but I gotta listen to all 1001 albums

I <3 SYNTHPOP

1. forgive - 1.5 2. thing - 1 3. liberation - 1.5 4. vieuu - 1 5. queen - 2 6. mad - 1 7. theater - 1.5 8. five - 1 9. zin - 1.5 10. offender - 1 11. million - 0 12. uuezt - 1

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

3.5/5

Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Artwork: 🟧⚪❕ Production: 🎧😐🆗 Music: 🌈💻🕺🤑🫧🤷 Rating: 🟧🟧/5

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

Synth Pop past it's prime. Nothing I would choose to listen to on my own, but not terrible. 2/5

Very synthetic. Great album to groove to.

Didn't do much for me. Kinda all the same song

I’m very impressed with Very. I was hoping for something special, and I wasn’t disappointed. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-very-by-pet-shop-boys?r=4ztyq&selection=075b2b10-0749-489f-85b3-0b57a3e77e27&utm_campaign=post-share-selection&utm_medium=web&aspectRatio=instagram&textColor=%23ffffff

90s disco? A combination of dance and pop. It doesn’t work for me at all. 3.7/10

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

80s Brit Pop

Flat and boring - to me

Being boring was a great opener once - became life‘s motto too fast

An entire album of dance music will never resonate with me. Some things are just meant to be singles in a playlist

Dance music for people who think buttered toast is spicy

An old boss of mine is *really* into Pet Shop Boys, and constantly tried to get me into them. Yet, after 4 years, I just never got around to it while I worked with him. (I should have, though, because we do have very similar (read: queer) music tastes, despite being 25 years apart.) Now that I’m forced to listen to them, though, I’m not exactly sure if Very is a good entry point, because this album is really…hard to judge. I hate to use to the word “dated” as a critique, but even great synth-pop albums can suffer from the outdated technology used to create it. Very suffers a lot from age. The Midi stabs, the now-cliché trance 303 bass line, the stiff drum programming. All these things bring to mind an N64 game from 1997– the graphics looks a lot better in your memory than they do on revisit. Combine that with Tennannt’s nasally vocals, and there’s a very specific time and place for Pet Shop Boys. That time has long passed, though, and that place no longer exists, and revisiting it is like revisiting an empty, liminal space at times. And yet, I can’t deny the fact that there’s some amazing songwriting on here. “A Different Point of View,” “One and One Make Five,” and “Go West” are stellar songs, and while it took me a bit to warm up to “Can You Forgive Her?” or “One in a Million,” once those tracks clicked, they really clicked. Even songs I’m less keen on have some incredible moments, particularly in their hooks and choruses, like “Liberation” and “Yesterday, When I Was Mad.” While there’s other songs that I find too dated to latch onto, I can generally see the appeal, even in the rearview mirror. The fact that there are songs here that have grown on me after only two listens suggests that Very is very much a grower, and I could imagine myself coming around on it eventually. But I also can’t shake how dated this album sounds, and I think that will hold me back from loving it for a long time. Sorry, John 😭😭😭

It's easy to hear who these guys are on their light voice and electronic beats. None of them really stood out to me on this disc, but nice to listen to nonetheless to keep the eyes open.

Spacey and bombastic. A lot of fun.

Not my fave. 2/5

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

Dear Mr 1001, Let’s be honest, homeopathic doses of the Pet Shop Boys are all anyone should be asked to take in. This is too much PSB; surely they only rank 1 in 1000 all time. And this isn’t even their best. Yours truly Synthed out

This reaffirmed that I am still not a pet shop boys fan. The vocals put me off (although their earlier song west end girls is awesome). Sorry pet shop boys. Not today.

So so

A Very average collection Pet Shop Boys songs. No need to really listen again.

Probably one of the goofyest albums ive heard on this list

Clearly a PSB album and whilst not containing the same high level bangers as their 80’s work as an album this wasn’t terrible. But can’t help but wonder why it was included as surely those albums containing said 80’s bangers would have been better. I guess we’ll have to wait and see if they come up later. So in all I guess this gives you everything you’d want in a PSB album if that’s what you want to listen to.

I always think there is a good band there but hate that they make a deliberate attempt to be as poppy as they can. Some of the music is just Stock, Aiken & Waterhouse drivel. Good vocals and lyrics save it and hopefully other albums will be better. Top track: I wouldn’t normally…

I was intrigued to listen to this given that while 80s synth pop is not exactly my bag, I have a certain soft spot for the PSBs. This did rather disappoint though, the opening track and ‘the theatre’ aside it was far too bland camp pop for me, all just rather meh. I recall them as having more of an ‘edge’ to an extent. Maybe there are earlier albums on the list that will show that…..

Don't think I have ever listened to this, had a hint of New Order about it and made me think I never really appreciated their electric beats. -1 for going on forever playing the same stuff and wearing pointy hats.

I liked this a lot better than I’d expected. The first two tracks and track 6 and 7 are all excellent! I still hate Go West, though

Not a big fan. Generic 80s sounding pop with at times poor vocal performance. Maybe this was transformative at the time but for today, it's not great.

Good music

The Good: Non-abrasive music The Bad: makes me wonder what the point is of this album The Ugly: having to sit through an entire album of Neil Tennant singing… Yes, I understand that all people have their biases, and mine is that I like rock n roll related music more than pop or dance music. Which makes me wonder why I have to listen to this album, as even the wikipedia description does not give me enough reason to understand. Is it because Mr. Tennant finally came out of the closet? Is this the same reason why people should like Queen? What does admiting being gay, which everyone already believed, have anything to do with me having to listen to this album? Go West was okay to listen to, and all the “songs” that came before too, but they are all bland, and all pretty much sound the same to me, just like their previous musical endeavors… so, again, why do I have to listen to this? 2* because I didn’t hate it, but I refuse to give this the 3* it probably deserves… because I don’t understand why this album did make it on the list, but the album Magnolia by The Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies did not...

Tää lienee viiminen sellainen ns. kulta-ajan psb-levy ainakin mun mielessä. Hyvä jorauspoppipläjäys mielestäni! 3/5

Hyvä tanssilevy! 4/5

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

After being tortured by the Pet Shop Boys over the radio for years I can't like them. I tried. But their stuff just sounds very similar without any highlights. I really don't get why there are three albums (!) so far of this band on this list. Some tracks are ok, sure, but nothing that is a highlight.

This entire album only served to get "Suburbia" stuck in my head. 3.5

No thank you Neil

forgot to rate this one when i listened — i remember liking it ok?

I'm not sure that this holds up as a situation where an artist has multiple albums. I enjoyed it well enough, and I really like Go West, but overall - if it has special historical significance to the genre, I'm unaware of it, and I prefer other albums from them more.

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

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

A couple of good songs but mostly repetitive electronic music

Very cheesy

Glorious!!

Very synthpoppy, a bit too much

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

Pretty meh until the last song.

Pet Shop Boys go very gay and also start wearing the weird outfits. Never heard this album before, but in context the seemingly massively random Village People cover finally makes sense. It's mostly lyrically interesting, as you'd expect, though musically? It's pretty forgettable. Strange for such a commercial sound. Exceptions being the outstanding The Theatre and Young Offender is pretty good. There's probably a fair bit of later Pet Shop Boys that's decent, (Se a Vida E is a slice of summery pop) but I basically sign off post 1990.

Good vibes and atmosphere but nothing grabbed me outside of that. 3/5

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

It’s a no for me dog.

Actually pretty good

Decent

This was absolutely awful

Nah.

So dull, repetitive, annoying. I don’t get it.

Pish

Started out just okay, but then really started to grow on me

Didn't really like this one much, although it is a bit better than "Behaviour". Very little memorable about it other than the cover of Go West, which I have very negative feelings about due to its use in an annoying as for rice pudding about 15 years ago. Don't think these guys deserve multiple albums in the book.

It’s not the worst Pet Shop Boys album, but I still honestly don’t get why any of them are on this list. In the words of my teens, it’s “very mid.”

Although synth-pop is not my favorite genre, I liked many songs on this album. Sticking with a 3 because even though I like it, I don't think it's particularly great.

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

If someone was to tell me that this was the album that was a major influence on club music in the 90s/2000s then I could well believe that. Switches from really radio friendly pop numbers to club-ready dance anthems. Probably captured several early 90s zeitgeists (zeigeisten?): the aftermath of the Cold War, the rise of club music/culture, and the expanding visibility and empowerment of LGBTQ+ communities. I guess you had to be there at the time of its release to really have felt its impact and understand its significance.

I’ve never been able to get past Pet Shop Boys vocals.

Simply not for me on any level.

This was the first album I ever bought, because I liked their cover of "Go West". I remember finding their use of the word "naked" quite scandalous. I'm not sure how much I enjoyed listening to it then, but I find very little to like in it now. It is tolerable when it borrows sounds from acid techno (different point of view) but otherwise I can't see the value.

Absolutely incredible. Perfection even

Wasn’t available in my region

If my Spotify was alive, I bet it would stop my music and ask “what the fuck is up with you”? That’s the feeling I get with the back and forth and side to side stepping with each album that is suggested to me. I know the Pet Shop Boys, which is good because I’m not sure I’d find one of their albums listenable if I didn’t. It’s very soft disco pop with songs that don’t drag on but seem to end a little earlier than they should. This is not one I’d suggest to someone if they were interested in listening to the Pet Shop Boys. It’s not a strong album, though Go West blows the whole album out of the water. Choice cut: Go West

Why do I enjoy this so much??

Listened to this one a couple of times, and it really grew on me. Plus, the kids didn't yell to turn it off immediately because it sounds like... I dunno... music? Definitely listen again.

So very 80's. Too 80's. It is off-putting.

Super fun and poppy. But too over-produced for my liking

Heard of the group before but don’t think I’d be able to name any of their songs.. I wanted to like this more, but something was just unsettling to me. No terrible but I would not seek this one out again.

Meh

3.75

Synth pop - love it

Wasn't really my cup of tea

heavy on the synth. its aight 4/10

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

6.5/10

Meh. I hate to keep coming up with negative comments. It's too soft and effeminate for me. Just not my style of music.

I liked this more than I expected to, late stage 80s (really early 90s) synth-pop.

Very of its time, and the gorgeous cover of "Go West" launched a hundred football chants (mostly along the lines of "you're shit, and you know you are"), and its probably the most accessible PSB, almost anthemic in comparison to earlier releases.

Shit. Stuck in a wii menu that gets worse once the hook goes away. Don't

Can You Forgive Her and Liberation are both great, but the rest just felt like I was listening to an abandoned Jazzercise mixtape

I don't understand all the hate this album gets. Yeah it's corny. Yeah they people remind me of those dorky drama kids from your high school who continually get shoved into lockers, but god damnit do they have some passion. I think it's creative, I think they innovate, but the album does seem to lag by the end and I don't know if it really needed to be all that long. Not a great album but definitely better than its reputation.

4/10. Nothing stood out as exciting for me.

Feels plastic, contrived and hollow. (That would’ve suited as a PSB album title, no?) Plus, too much, though one can admire their commitment to same. The sweet bits are made too cloying, the ironic bits too obvious, and the vocals consistently annoying. They wanted to be the Smiths, right, but they weren’t that clever or aristic lyrically, lacked Morrissey’s vocal chops and lacked any musical talent beyond picking producers to soup up the latest studio synthetics. One senses many people connect to this emotionally, without feeling anything like engagement oneself or even much sympathy (again down to an excess of gloss and froth in the packaging). But then this is really is quite narrowl targeted, isn't it?

One decent song and a bunch of snooze

I guess they're like a poppier Depeche Mode? This album isn't really doing it for me.

Seemed flatter than other PSB albums I recall from back in the day.

MTav flashbacks

Can You Forgive Her? I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing Go West

this was pretty underwhelming overall i can’t lie, it was okay but wasn’t the most interesting

I definitely preferred the other Pet Shop Boys album I had on this list, but this one still wasn't bad. I don't imagine coming back to much here, but it was still fine.

interesting dance sound, overall enjoyed it, but probably won't come back to it much.

El synth pop bailable de Pet Shop Boy alcanzó la excelencia en 1993 con este, su quinto disco. Me gusta, por supuesto, su gran éxito y primer tema "Can You Forgive Her?", así como la irónica siguiente canción "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing". Pero me sigo quedando con la conmovedora versión del tema de Village People con el que cierran el álbum, la icónica "Go West".

This is #day58 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge and... finally, here's something truly enjoyable. My journey with PSB started in childhood when I first heard "Go West"... it must have been a football chant in the early '00s (I was very much into football then). Later, tracks like "Flamboyant," "Minimal," and "Numb" were staples on TV in 2005-2006, marking a significant part of my teenage years. It's safe to say Fundamental is my first conscious PSB album. Around 2009-2010, my interest rekindled with Yes (I still consider "The Way It Used to Be" one of their classic tracks). There's something timeless about Neil Tennant's voice, no matter what album you're listening to. Now, Very... Despite my preference for the more sentimental side of PSB (my favorite album is Behaviour), even here, there are more subdued moments, such as Liberation, The Theatre, To Speak Is A Sin... Very is (pun un/intended) very versatile, encapsulating all things 90s: synthpop, disco, and house underpinned by signature orchestral arrangements. This is a strong 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day59.

Don't feel like this recording was truly special. Similar themes across songs and the synth pop started getting repetitive. I do recall the Pet Shop Boys being big in their day and I am just not sure this album represents them at their best.

Imagine lying in your Dentist’s chair, semi delirious from the combination of novocaine, laughing gas, and pain. The dental dam makes it impossible to talk or swallow, and the jaw clamps are trying to tear your lips off. The Dentists appears, tools in hand, and adjusts the light to near blindness. Is he smiling behind his mask and spit shield? He mumbles, but you can’t understand. The high screech of the drill begins, growing louder as it goes to work. Is that smoke? You begin to squirm, and close your eyes. DON’T GO INTO THE LIGHT! Then you notice the office audio is playing Pet Shop Boys. Oh no, too late. You’re dead. Nightmare.

Suuuuper boring

Very unapologetically annoying and cheesy and gay, but it's still a vibe

not as good as behavior but still pretty decent

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

Great shit, not their best album but still rocks