Very

A great pop record Doesn’t linger long after consuming but a very enjoyable listen nonetheless

I liked this better than I expected. It’s fun and kind of clever and very well produced. Some of the songs, “Wouldn’t Normally Do…” and “Go West” are very catchy. When I see “electronic duo” in the band description I now immediately brace for the worst, but these guys are good musicians.

it seems so much like they're trying to be modern for some reason

I actually really liked this!

I do not like the voice of the Pet Shop Boys, but it was an uplifiting album with alternative 90s music.

De eerste track met die lelijke orchestral stab (die later op het album meerdere keren terugkomt) is een beetje een valse start van een verder prima album. Het album is enorm kitcherig, maar het is wel upbeat en het heeft een wat gedateerd maar misschien mede daarom melancholisch geluid. Het nasale hoge gepiep van de zanger is eigenlijk super kut, maar omdat het er op de één of andere manier wel bij past stoort het me niet zo. Het is totaal niet mijn muziek maar toch kan ik het album vreemd genoeg wel waarderen. Ondanks dat het ook een droevige component heeft, straalt er toch een soort plezier van uit. Ik vind dit om één keer helemaal te luisteren best leuk. Verder ga ik dit nooit meer aanzetten natuurlijk.

I've often been guilty of looking down on Pet Shop Boys because they carry this perception of being quite cheesy and cliched, and some of that's true, but I enjoyed Very to be fair to them. The whole thing exists mostly in a minor key so you have this melancholy, downbeat vibe running through it and that works pretty perfectly with their synth-heavy production, but for 1993 this lays quite a bit of groundwork for some of the pop and trance that came along a few years later, almost every song has a fragment or section that you can identify another song through. The best example of that is how similar To Speak Is A Sin sounds to Robbie Williams' No Regrets, so of course it's no surprise to learn Neil Tennant was involved in both songs, and there's also a lot that sounds like prime era Lightning Seeds, especially on vocals. It's not outstanding, don't get me wrong, but it's worthy of a solid 3, it creates a compelling atmosphere and sound.

I listened to this earlier in the week, and didn't much care for it. But, listened again this morning and enjoyed it a lot more. Pet Shop Boys, for me, are good when they're over the top and just short of pantomime or when they're thoughtful, and they're great when they manage to combine both in the same song. I don't think they quite manage great here, but it's definitely good, comfortably a 3/5.

I enjoy a good pet shop boys song, but as this album went on they all started sounding the same. I feel like I’ve heard Can You Forgive Her before but not sure where.

This is ok but haven't heard anything better than West End Girls from them since its release.

8am: ‘ho hum, just another day.’ 8:05: starts album. 9am: *dancing in circles, covered in glitter* ‘yes, I WILL go west!’ *spins spins spins*

Dated 80’s early 90’s - no great shakes

Fun, light synth-pop

I saw Pet Shop boys at Brighton Pride 2017 and it was bloody fantastic! Such a fun performance. Listening to the album, I'm not quite so moved. But I still appreciate what it's about. And I need to look up what some of these songs are about. Was the actually once about Diana?!

Kinda cool, 3.5

Go West is a banger but the rest is pretty bland 3.2

Another good one by the pet shop boys. I like Behaviour a lot more now but it’s still not gonna get higher then a 3. I like all the songs tho and the increase in energy.

Fun, catchy, danceable pop that didn’t dip too far into annoying territory. I didn’t love it, but I liked it. I wouldn’t mind listening again, though I wouldn’t seek it out. Favorite tracks: Can You Forgive Her?, Dreaming of the Queen

I could only find this album on YouTube. I listened while working out. I got really excited about halfway through when an energetic electronic dance track came on only to realize that is was a between song add.

I saw “Pet Shop Boys” and for some reason expected the worst, which is weird as I had no prior experience with the band. This album turned out to be a lot of fun - I really enjoyed the sound as a contrast to my other recent listens. Favourite track: Go West.

This album is ok. The singing isn't my favorite and it is a little repetitive, but it has some good moments.

Bombastic synth-pop. Not exactly my thing. I found it a bit overproduced and busy, but it provided fun vibes for an afternoon walk.

Not my sound. Pet Shop Boys' West End Girls is noteworthy however.

Not familiar with this album but they always had an accessible 80's sound.

Takes great references of music to make good music. This album has variety, experiments, and I'd bet it influenced indirectly some music I like from Jack Stauber. I wouldn't say there were any memorable tracks to me though.

i loved PSB when I was 10.

I'm into the opening track. The bloops and blats are intricately wound into these lush layers, even if the core samples are pretty canned. This is probably the highest form that these bullshit samples can aspire to. its like trying to make a gourmet meal out of exclusively velveeta.

Den var en kende svær at komme igennem, men fuck den sluttede godt af med Go West en mega klassiker.

Camp and cheese all over this one, but strangely enough I didn't mind that at all. Would have enjoyed it more if it was a tad shorter.

Not bad. Good background music for work. But even then it starts to drag on towards the end.

Definitely was not my favourite Pet Shop Boys album at the time, just couldn't get into it. Very different world in 1993. At the time I read so many great reviews for it though - just didn't click with me. But years later I would hear songs on compilations that I liked and many came from here. Can You Forgive Her, Wouldn't Normally Do, Liberation, Yesterday, Speak is a Sin, and the "hidden" Go West. But no Absolutely Fabulous!! Disco 2 - released the year after - was a great version of Very.

Fun tunes, good sense of humour in the lyrics, this did keep veering into 2 star territory at times, sounding like Carter USM produced by Stock, Aitken, and Waterman, but my previous album was Simply Red so this one gets an extra point just for not being that.

Fun songs, upbeat. Such a unique voice. I enjoyed listening to this.

Different point of view and dreaming of the queen were soundtrack to me accidentally blowing Cajun spices into my eyes while trying to smell them while cooking.... Something about this music that intrigues me, even though I'm not sure that I like it...

It's bland generic dancey music. Nothing special. Inoffensive and commercial.

I am a Pet Shop Boys fan, or "Them Pet Boys" as no one calls them. I mostly dig their singles, and a smattering of lesser known tracks. This album always haunted me at HMV for its eye-catching cover, and the outrageous re-releases the Boys did of their entire catalogue in the 2000s. I had never crushed this entire album before. I enjoyed it, but not immensely. One & One Make Five is a new treat, otherwise just Go West.

Alright I guess. Kind of boring.

Fun high tempo dancy album that i will never revisit again because it’s just not my style

олдовая музыка, не затянула но и не напрягла

OK 80's pop album. A couple of good songs

good enough, nothing memorable

Enjoyable

Another group thst has a very obvious formula but also one thst is quite good

This was just ok. Might grow on me if I gave it a chance. But I won’t.

Loistava avaus - jopa avartava. Esteettisesti LP on minulle välillä liikaa, välillä ei. Joka tapauksessa levy on tunnistettava saavutus. 3,5

Album 408 of 1001 Pet Shop Boys - Very Rating : 3 / 5 There hasn't been a time when I thought, "I want to listen to some Pet Shop Boys", but I've never heard them and wanted to turn them off. This was released in the early 90s but it still gives me that mid to late 80s feel of a John Hughes film. Good listen. Won't be putting it on my favorites list but it will pop up again someday and bring that feeling of the time once again.

OK album. This isn't quite a great album for me as it's entirely synth-pop, electronica dance music. It has both 80s/90s vibe and would be something anthemic at a dance hall in the UK in the early 90s. It's got good energy and the synths are grooving. The lyrics aren't bad, but the vocals kind of drone on song-to-song and the tracks all start to sound the same. I'm curious to hear some more 80s Pet Shop Boys. ***

Hmm...*another* Pet Shop Boys album??? This seems a bit unfair to all the worthy bands that didn't make it into this collection, which makes it a bit hard to rate this album entirely fairly. It does sound a bit different than the other album (so far) we've been subjected to ("Behavior")--more bouncy, less drab--but I remain decidedly not a big fan of their music. (But I do appreciate that their lyrics are more interesting than many pop bands'.) It's interesting to see the videos of their singles from this album ("Can you forgive her?", "Liberation", and "Go West"), and see how much they were a product of when this album was released. All 3D-modeling and poor CGI animations, although the mixed-live-action aspects of "Can you forgive her?" and "Go West" are a bit more interesting and mesmerizing, in a very throwback sort of way. And it's always fun to have a decent (but not great) cover song in an album ("Go West"). I also feel like Chumbawumba totally based a large amount of their sound off the Pet Shop Boys' "Yesterday when I was mad", so a nice tribute to them.

first few songs soared by but Yesterday When I was Mad caught my ear, as well as Theatre, the next song. After that, the other songs continued bopping along, maybe One in a Million stood out too. In general, not to my taste, and I do wish they would make better use of the backing vocals (Go West felt a little Village People-ish and elsewhere the backing felt a little like a sports chant).

diskó en stutt í harm og heimsósóma. alveg skemmtilegt, 3,5.

Not my preferred style of dance music. Would be 3.5

It was good.👍

Honestly this wasn’t a bad listen. It was great background music. Very tears for fears in my opinion but very unique at the same time. I’m only giving a 3 because I can’t give decimal point scores.

Wasn’t excited for this, in fact I rolled my eyes and sighed. There’s no reason for it other than an unattached dislike for The Pet Shop Boys… Pleased to say though that this was rather enjoyable to be fair! I’m never going to WANT to listen to it again, and will NEVER seek out this album in any way but it was ok for what it is!

much needed change of pace. not all the hits but a nice listen.

I love some pet shop boys songs and this probably felt really fresh when it came out, but now it sort of sounds like a theme song to a weather channel...

very chill

Enjoyed this more than I expected but generally not my cup of tea

Good

There are definitely better albums. Just a bit slow for me

"Very" by Pet Shop Boys is a vibrant and eclectic album that showcases the duo's flair for catchy synth-pop melodies and intelligent lyrics. Released in 1993, the album features some of the Pet Shop Boys' most iconic songs, including "Can You Forgive Her?" and "Go West." The album's production is slick and polished, with layers of synthesizers and electronic beats creating a lush and immersive sonic landscape. Neil Tennant's distinctive vocals are as captivating as ever, delivering the album's introspective and often witty lyrics with aplomb. While some may find the album's production dated, "Very" remains a standout in the Pet Shop Boys' discography, showcasing their ability to craft infectious pop songs with substance and style.

Very mid

Synth pop

Day70. - i don’t know how many pet shop boys albums are on this list but this isn’t the one i would pick

Synth pop is a fun genre, but it all sounds the same.

A dreamy dance/synth pop album. There are moments that feel almost cinematic, the band paints the picture well with instrumentation and vocals. I was surprised this came out in 1993 though, it sounds way more 80s than 90s, in a bad way. The first 4 tracks are very good, Can You Forgive Her? is probably the best track on the album. Then there’s the random melancholy Dreaming of the Queen, which is very British and very odd. Yesterday When I Was Mad and To Speak is a Sin are decent tracks that carry the second half, but god Go West is awful and a horrible campy end to a Very dated album.

Yknow I do enjoy this band, but only in moderation I think I liked a few songs, especially liberation

Not my vibe...but they have a place in history.

Although synth-electronic-dance (admittedly, best I can do with a label for this kind of music) is not one of the styles I listen to at all, and at times some of these tracks get a bit too frenetic for me, I like the composition and performances. It has more depth to it than other music in this genre, at least to my ears.

Strong start

My friend had this CD in high school, the case was orange plastic with the grooves raised up. It looked so cool! But I still made fun of him for having it, I was a jerk. It’s not the worst album, but not my cup of tea though.

Pretty good. New wave pop.

Enjoyable.

Bouncy and fun, but nothing exciting.

Not great, not bad.

This is a direct ancestor to the 90’s, and DDR too.

Ça a commencé par du dégout et fini par des hochements de tête

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

Whoops, I listened to their album "Actually." I'll have to listen/rate "Very" when I get that album (or edit)

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.

This kind of dance club pop is just not something I'm super into, and as such I didn't really get into this. There were some interesting parts, and I genuinely liked "Dreaming of the Queen" as an entire song, but this just didn't do it for me.

'Very' overproduced more like! Shite attempts at comedy aside this reeks of 90s in quite an ugly way. Shame as I know these two are capable of making a decent track. This just fails to capture my intrest.

I remember the single from 1993, but that's all I had ever heard from this album.. I'm not really thrilled by this one the way I am about other PSB albums, or at least felt about them in the late 80s. It's good to hear their sound evolved though. Even though its a weird mix of easy listening, synth and songs on the verge of sounding familiar. Also, it also seems like it could have been a blueprint for that first Postal Service album.

No I didn't like this despite me really hearing it a lot as a child. i can almost see the broken CD case now

I prefer the first three albums

I was previously familiar with Pet Shop Boys but not this album. This is a synth-pop/dance album. These are two genres I don't particularly listen to. I really don't care for their music, and this album is no different. I would not come back to this one.

Somewhat forgettable melodies with a singer who offers little vocal complexity

Good album.

God this voice grates me.

𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘺 sounds oddly stranded between decades. The bright synths, programmed beats, and glossy production still feel rooted in the 1980s, but by 1993 that style had started to sound less futuristic and more like a holdover from an earlier pop era. The Pet Shop Boys are still skilled enough to make the songs catchy, but the sound itself wears me down quickly. Against the rapidly changing musical landscape of 1993, 𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘺 feels surprisingly safe and dated rather than forward-looking. There is plenty of craft here, but very little that makes me want to hear it again.

There's lots of reasons why I should like this: Geordie solidarity; literate pop; and the common consensus is that they're great. But I find this a hard listen His thin voice, bad MIDI horns, sub-house piano, obvious jazz-lite chord progressions...it's just bad 90s pop music. I think perhaps I prefer my pet shop boys staying in the 80s.

Meh.

Too much PSB

Not bad, but unremarkable. The beat seems very similar from song to song

I believe that they have better albums.

Not at all what I was expecting after hitting play. I’m lowkey confused, there is a lot going on. I don’t really like this, some parts are groovy, but otherwise it’s very loud and noisy.

... uninteresting.

not my taste I like their first album more.

I did not like this at all, but can appreciate the production value

Never been one for Tennant's vocals.

fav songs: can you forgive her? synth, pop, club(?) 30/100

I’ve never liked Pet Shop boys. I don’t like their whole synthy, echoey vocal thing. Whenever I hear music like it, I always compare it to Pet Shop Boys. No shade on people who love their music. That’s great. It’s just not for me.

Nothing wrong with it, not my jam.

This is a weird one for me to rate. On one hand, the synth-pop production and songwriting are clever. As a fan of electronic music, I totally respect what they’ve achieved.But the main roadblock is Neil Tennant’s voice. I’ve always really struggled with his vocals, and because I just don't enjoy listening to them, it caps how much I can actually get into the album. "Go West" also just doesn't appeal to me at all.It’s a 2 for me because while I like the production a lot, I just dislike the vocals too much to rate it higher.

3 PSB albums in the Top 1001? Tom Petty, AC/DC, ABBA, Eagles & GnR have only one. Journey, Taylor Swift, Foreigner & Beyonce have none. 3 is well behind David Bowie, who tops the list with 7, but it puts them even with acts like Björk, Kraftwerk, Madonna, (none of whom should have 3 albums in the Top 1001) Nirvana, and Prince, among others. Their sound hasn't changed one iota from their debut other than becoming more dancy, airy & full of LGBTQ anthems. Overall this has no deserving reason to be on this list. Compare it to any other album they've done prior or since, same old same. It's not groundbreaking, it has ZERO hits (in the US, obviously in England , where they apparently listen to anything, this was a massive success or it wouldn't be on here), no one refers to this as an album you must hear/own & the listener counts are weak from top to bottom. Poor choice. I've lost faith in this list, it's not good. This album sucks. "Liberation" is an abomination of mushiness. Every other song sounds like the one before it. "Go West" sounds like a Village People reject. I loved their first few albums, since then they've become predictable and boring - tell me, what have I done to deserve this? 2 stars. This was such a reach.