Very

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.

Very boring. Monotone cheesy "ironic' twaddle. Can you forgive her is a good song but thats it

I struggle to get into the head of the people (as there are clearly many) who listen to this clean, camp, crispy synth pop and get excited about it. I'm going to stretch to a two star review here as the 80s production from the previous PSB albums has been replaced by beefier, more tolerable 90s basslines. But I'll still actively avoid ever listening to it again.

If I was a gay man in the 90s then this would be right up my alley, but alas I am not. 4/10 Top song... Go west

Repeat Listen.

A bit cringeworthy production, the embracing of more dance and club culture hasn’t aged this well compared to their poppier stylings on other albums. No really great songs to showcase what they can do and it all felt a little too europop to me which put me off considerably.

pffffff it has its moments but I wanted itto be over

Every song sounds the same, with a different melody. Which wouldn't be all that bad if I liked it. 2/5

When I die and am in purgatory, I hope I am forced to listen to this instead of Kanye West.

This is like a 2.94 as the community rates it -- almost a 3 for me but it does feel repetitive towards the end

Synth pop rarely does it for me… and this is not the exception. Sorry pet shop boys… 2.2.

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.

Very dated, very mid. Newsflash: It’s Pet Shop Boys with weak vocals over ‘80s synth production. It worked for them in 1983; I think the sheen had worn by 1993. There are some fun, shimmery parts where you could imagine it pumping over the sound system at a chic gay brunch spot or bar way back when. Apparently the lead singer came out at this time and perhaps the album thus holds meaning to many. It is an album of love songs, now explicitly queer. Still, there just isn’t much merit here as an album.

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.

No está mal, pero no me gusta

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.

if someone asks me what's my least favorite genre, I'd probably just send them this album

harmless good vibes synth pop; very repetitive, not very memorable, not very my thingy

I am pleased to hear Neil Tennant happier here than on Actually - the seismic shift of the John Major years! Or, maybe just the relief of coming out publicly. I've always enjoyed the plod (or, on a good day, the bounce) of I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing and the melodrama of Can You Forgive Her?, an opening question that primes the listener for the closing cover of Go West - maybe Neil can be forgiven this particular indulgence. However, in the review of Actually, I generalised that Tennant can't sing ballads; I was thinking specifically of Dreaming of the Queen, but it could apply to several songs here. 2 This was grim. It seems to me that Lowe dials up the stupid here, while Tennant somehow has lost a little energy and elegance since Actually. Shite. However, the album does open with an Anthony Trollope reference and, not holding out any hope that Nick Cave has a ‘Eustace Diamonds’ or Neil Young a ‘Small House at Allington’ buried in the discography I am going to grab this opportunity to record that I love Anthony Trollope’s novels - particularly the Pallisers novels. Can You Forgive Her? was actually the first I encountered - as an audiobook read by Timothy West. I find it impossible to follow novels on audiobook when I’m working but the great thing about the Victorian Serial, especially Trollope’s, is the amount of reminding that you get. Reminders where we are in the story but also reminders that you’re reading a novel. ‘The reader will recall…’ Timothy West had a marvellous voice - just English enough without losing warmth and humanity - and did a good range of accents and pitches in his characterisations. Go, West. So an extra half mark for Pet Shop Boys. 1.5/5

The worst of the pet shot boys albums we've had, this was fully pop, the electro parts are very much background window dressing for some straightforward songs. I was constantly reminded of take that, felt like relight my fire could have slotted seamlessly on to this album. The drum pattern is consistent throughout and the whole thing screams top of the pops with some overenthusiastic backing dancers throwing shapes.

Very much diminishing returns. Can You Forgive Her? and I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing were classic Pet Shop Boys tracks, lots of techno and pop sounds, but the album really disappears down the drainpipe after that point. Pretty unoriginal, retreading old ground. I found myself wishing for it to end by the end. Only so many times can I have artsy words read to me over some lightly haunting synths. Absolutely on a par with the other albums of theirs on the list.

Lyttede til det, men det gjorde ikke et mega stort indtryk, selvom jeg lyttede til det 3-4 gange. Så derfor er jeg bare ikke solgt

I remember watching the video clip for 'Go West' on TV as a kid and loving it, but sensing that I didn't fully understand what was going on. I was young in that particular era of hyper-pop but as a result grew out of it and rebelled against it quite quickly, instead seeking refuge in early acoustic blues and loud guitar riffs. All of that is to say that Pet Shop Boys have never been my sort of music, and I would say that is still very much true. But you can't deny the craft of 'A Different Point of View', a beautiful song that I'm very glad has come into my life. Probably won't be listening to any of these other tracks ever again, though....

Los instrumentos suenan a casio a veces... la última rola salva el disco...

Sorry, I just didn't really enjoy myself.

I always feel like Pet Shop Boys are some rude mid 90s thing like the Bloodhound Gang. They're obviously not, but the name sounds like that to me. I like a couple of these songs but the cumulative effect of the drum machines and marching beats is a bit wearing and grating. A lot of it sounds like the Village People. Go West in particular is the same exact song as In The Navy.

I like their song 'West End Girls'. Unfortunately that song was not on this album. Don't get my wrong I dig a good 80's vibe, I just thought as a whole the album wasn't super great.

To me, irritating.

Easily the most exciting thing I've heard by this band. Do I like it? Nope. The singer and I do not relate.

Bland-city. Also dislike the cover.

2/5

Like I get it, but I know that they have better songs. Go West slaps though

For 3 weeks both Len Houmous & Ken Chutney were part of The Pet Shop Boys - they don’t like to talk about it. 1.8 3/12 Liberation

The good: Some nice chord progressions and harmonies here. The bad: The singer's voice, I don't like it. The ugly: The instrumentation is horrible in my ears, artificial and dated, just no. 2/5 - below average

There is a famous song in there but I don't even know which one it is. Listened to the 2018 remaster.

unfortunately a bit bland for what I want out of dance music. There were moments where I was wowed, but then it would double down on some generic and dated sound and shake me out of it. 2 feels a bit generous.

This album answers the question: “Which minority makes better music: Straight black men, or gay white men?”

Pet shop boys fifth album

Very very very dull. As a self declared Pet Shop Boys fan, I can only say I’m a bit disappointed?? These all felt like filler songs. Theatre might be the better track, and Go West gives me Soviet marching band vibes, but still. Not an album I’d reach for at all. If I were stranded on a desert island with this album I would think I’ve been transported to a musical purgatory; you know it’s the pet shop boys so you know the potential for it to be better, but it just never gets there.

This should’ve been called Very Disappointing. After already hearing Actually, which I thought was a solid album, this feels like throwaway material by comparison. They moved away from the ’80s synth-pop sound they were so good at and leaned harder into a more generic ’90s dance style, which just doesn’t work nearly as well for them.

Tough to listen to.

I thought the first song was good, then I heard how every song was the same. Theres no push and pull here, its just flat stadium anthems, but not on your feet hype, more bob your head hype...then after a while the hype wears off and these nothing new.

I loved the beats and instrumentals but the vocal wasn’t appealing to me. Some songs or good, some I wouldn’t listen to again.

There were parts I could appreciate but it’s just not my jam. 2

This sounds like music you’d hear in a parody about the 80s

did not finish

Ok enough. Kinda average

2.0 That's a shame, was looking forward to this after liking Actually, and seeing the reviews for Very. I think the fast paced synth nature of it hasn't aged very well, it's streets behind what actually electronic artist were doing at the same time (AfX, Autechre) which though sounding vintage has held up pretty well. No real good hooks on this album, and the vocals get annoying after a while. Nothing even saved down which is a rarity, don't want to really revisit any of it. Also, Go West I recoiled at, flashback to me being 4 years old and this being constantly played, I hated it then and I dislike it now.

I really don't like Pet Shop Boys. Too poppy, too artificial with their sounds and I don't like most of the songs. I can't quite bring myself to give this 1 star, but it's very close.

Feels like before it's time! I can understand why bros like it. Not really my jam but it's good background music to work to.

Cheesy synth pop album. It’s not low quality by any means, but I don’t think I would revisit anytime soon.

2 stars because while i couldn’t wait for it to end, i did find myself bobbing my head

Very very very Pet shop boys sound

This album sucks- has a few sounds here and there that are pleasant but no. This shit sucks.

I got this on CD for Christmas when I was 7. A few great songs on here (Can You Forgive Her? especially) but it sounds very dated now

Track 1 is a belter, then it’s just ok

I remember now being surprised at the time by how much I liked Side 1…Two stars. Tom.

It sounded like the same song on repeat for most of it. Not their best work.

A disappointment

Totally buns. His voice is atrocious. The lyrics are dumb and pretentious. Bad. British.

Very....boring. sounds like the other Pet Shop Boys albums.

I like Pet Shop Boys but I did not like this. It was... corny? And overly long. Disappointed!

When it's getting towards the mid nineties and you just can't let the eighties go

A Different Point Of View

600/1001 2026.04.24 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

Imagine playing one of those video games that barely anyone has heard of, and the credits start rolling. Usually, the music is some synth-pop that has a "farewell" feel to it. That's essentially this album, except it goes on too long, and is not very enjoyable in the first place. Favorite Track: "Go West".

Meh. A couple catchy songs. Lyrically terrible. I could literally name 1001 other albums that should be included rather than this one. Did the Pet Shop Boys make a financial contribution to the publishing of this book or something? Some of these songs sound like they were written by teenagers and recorded on old school keyboards. The song One in. million sounds like a cheesy 80s sitcom theme. And yet, I like a few songs. The first song and then Yesterday When I Was Mad” and “The Theatre” are decent catchy songs. Unfortunately there is too much bad on this album to give it a good score.

5/10

Opening track is a banger. The rest is decent enough, but didn't grab me. Mid 2s.

If you believe the saying "you judge an album by its cover" is true, then Pet Shop Boys have gone above and beyond on their fifth full-length. It's not evident on streaming services, but the original CD (https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4241/34963398184_9564852deb_o.jpg) was released in an all-orange case with a rubberized top adorned with embossed letters and "Lego-like" bumps. And the first song here sets the tone for the next fifty minutes of good synth-fueled new wave. Alas, what we hear is monotonous gay-club electronica with a straight kick drum. While the duo's previous work sounded unusual and even luxurious, here the sound is extremely commercial and mainstream. It's unsurprising, albeit sad, that this album became Pet Shop Boys' best-selling and the only one to reach number one in the UK charts. No, maybe I'm missing something, and the album sounded mega-innovative for its time. In that case, let it stay there.

Groupe connu de nom, mais je ne me rappelle d'aucun de leur hit. Je ne me rappellerais pas non plus de cet album, très electronica, très pop sans intérêt et très long qui passe bien (+1) en musique de fond mais sans plus. =>2/5

i didn't listen too closely but sounded cheesy

Review - hate this era of lush early digital pop music with shuffled drums, it just doesn't do it for me. I suppose if everyone needs to hear an album of this hyper specific genre, this is about as good as it gets. Rating - 3.5/10 Need to hear? KINDA

Not without its occasional charm, but easily the least essential of the three on this list. And in a way it sounds more dated than their 80s work.

I could not get into this.

Some of these backing tracks might have almost been passible club songs but the singing over it ruins it for me and the backing tracks aren't so good that it doesn't matter.

Ugh. Monotone nasal-y voices. Terrible, tacky electronica. Eurovision songs pretending they’re artistically profound. It’s Very Pet Shop Boys. “Go West” is the only saviour of this album. I absolutely loved it as a kid. And as an adult, I still do. It’s a weird, Soviet-sounding anthem with a very anti-Soviet message. And it’s catchy as hell. It's also the tune used for a football chant that Irish football supporters sing at international matches, subbing in the words “Stand up for the boys in green” for the chorus. It's fitting that this came up now because Ireland are playing Czechia tomorrow evening in a last chance playoff to see if we qualify for the World Cup or not. The melody of “Go West” will be roared by 6,000 Irish fans in the Fortuna Arena in Prague tomorrow night. COYBIG. But, I just learned today that “Go West” isn't originally a Pet Shop Boys song. It's actually a cover of a Village People song. So, it turns out that the only Pet Shop Boys song I’ve ever even remotely liked… isn’t even theirs.

I was into the PSBs through the 80s and as my musical tastes changes appeciated their maturing sound on Behaviour, so ended up buying this one back in the day - never really got into it, and still the case. Although as it very much reminds me of moving to Stevenage and starting work, there may be some PTSD attached to this rating as well...

Reminds me too much of the kind of music a drunken wedding ceremony DJ would play while people are throwing up, 'dancing', desperately trying to snog a chair or throwing punches at the groom while he tries to catch the bride's bouquet by rugby tackling the priest who is now wearing the bridesmaid's frock. Great for those occasions but otherwise, meh.

Didn't really enjoy it enough to finish it

Go West

1.5

I didn't hate this one, but it's kinda boring for the most part. Without the big 80s beat, I find I really struggle with their melodies as a whole. Probably the biggest reason is his vocal patterns don't vary that much, very maudlin. Best song was a Village People cover, probably because it's the most melodic piece on the album. But honestly they hadn't lost all their charm, but for the most part, felt like easy listening filtered through synthpop. Let's just say this album wasn't very... well, very. (5.33) ★★½

Dancy

A pleasing sound

I remember when the Pet Shop Boys tried to be relevant in the 90s. To be fair, Go West was massive, but that aside this is not their masterpiece.

Made me feel gay

++: One and One Make Five, To Speak Is a Sin, Young Offender, One in a Million +: Liberation, Yesterday, When I Was Mad, The Theatre +-: Can You Forgive Her?, I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing, Dreaming of the Queen -: A Different Point of View, Go West / (Postscript) I Believe in Ecstasy 5,5/10

Pet Shop Boys, like Queen, are one of the bands I really liked when I was younger but then got incredibly tired of for reasons I can't quite explain. No, not the campiness, which seems a common denominator between the two. (Hmmmm - Freddie/Pet Shop Boys collaboration... might turn out to be a beast like Freddie/Bowie, or an absolute and utter dud.) To set the scene: I'd enjoyed some of the earlier Pet Shop Boys, then along came Behaviour, which I found to be quite the snoozefest. Very was a welcome return to slightly higher BPM numbers for me. I owned this album and it was probably the most haptically cool music packaging I've ever owned. Some tracks from this album were all over MTV and Viva at the time, alongside various eurodance tracks, plus The Sparks' When Do I Get To Sing "My Way" (which I didn't mind) and Erasure's Always (which I hated). OK, maybe not all of them at exactly the same time, but this was all withing roughly a year or two. It was a surprisingly camp time in retrospect, except we had no idea what camp was a the time. Well, Neil Tennant came out as gay during the promo interviews for this album, so there was that. While I liked Can you forgive her? and The Theatre, this was probably the album that started turning me away from Pet Shop Boys for good. Nothing that came after this really interested me any more. So coming back to this over 30 years later, how does it stack up? Can you forgive her? is still a great song and a great opener. But right after that comes... a lot of poppy mediocrity. And a surprising amount of sounds and programming that really haven't aged terribly well at all and that come across as quite simplistic and clunky today. You could argue this is the curse of relying quite heavily on electronics/technology for your sound - but Kraftwerk were even more pioneering in their work, and always spend the time to refine their songs and sounds enough to ensure their albums don't sound dated. And so it goes for most of the album - some good ideas badly executed (Dreaming of the Queen with its obnoxious "yes it's true, look it's happened to me and you", One and One Make Five with its equally obnoxious "Here we go" background loop etc etc). Or maybe I'm being unkind... executed in a way I really don't connect with. There is one exception, the second great song here: The Theatre. This actually gets the balance between melancholy, anger, and optimism right most of the time. In summary - two great songs and a lot of filler.

Fine, but got repetitive and annoying like halfway through

Not for me but wasn't as bad as other 1s on here

Pleasant enough background music which had rave reviews in the British broadsheets at the time, but it's really just early 90s coffee table music which means nothing to me.

going into this one totally blind. I’ve never heard a single song by this bad before (knowingly) Definitely out of my wheelhouse musically, as I tend to lean toward darker production and lyrics- but this was surprisingly fun for a dance album. This sounds super super 90’s. Is that good or bad? I’m not sure- For the most part, this feels like recycled ideas from the 80’s with OVER the top 90’s production slapped on top. BUT I still like the overall vibes from the album. It’s bouncy, it’s upbeat, and it gets me out of my comfort zone sonically. I feel like this could definitely be a band I like more the further back I dig into their discography- I like the vocals, and a lot of the production, but just too 90’s. Favorite tracks: different point of view, liberation, young offender, to speak is a sin

Where’s the part where Paul McCartney starts munching on celery or whatever. That’s all I know about pet shop boys is that Paul McCartney play a mean celery solo. Yeah as for the album not my cup of tea!

4/10… synthpop / new romantic / *1993

I had never listened to the Pet Shop Boys before and I wish that were still true.

The only song I’ve ever heard from pet shop boys before this was West End Boys and I really wish it had stayed that way. This album was a rough listen for me, way too much “talk” singing while some small beat goes on in the background. Not my jam, I’ll buy my pets from some other boys…

Honestly pretty bad, this is some weak electronic music. It feels like an inferior evolution of 80s electronic.

I liked the Pet Shop Boys gay little single, West End Girls. Among the nearly gay techno pop of the 80's, West End Girls is a refresher because it's so obviously gay. What a thrill to let it all out in age of advancing liberal values! This album, however, is much too gay and features none of the subdued qualities that made the band's prior hit a success. Of course there's nothing wrong with music that's very gay, but I prefer subtlety to the opposite. To the band's credit, the title of the album describes these qualities to the listener before they've even heard the first track.

I'm not a fan of this sludge either. Man, for all the great music that comes out of Scotland, we've gotten pretty wrecked on the last 2 days. I mean.. this is fine. I get it. Its like a 90s dance pop thing. Go West kind of rocks. Like an ironic rocks, but also kind of fun. Like I would put this song on a snowboard video.

I think maybe If I had heard this first before the other two Pet Shop Boys albums I have listened to over the last few weeks, I would be less critical. Getting through this album felt like a chore. I was running on a tight schedule to find the time to listen to this before the end of the day, trying to unwind and listen to this felt like I was being mocked by the generator. I fully recognize my bias, that I was not in the right head space to listen to this, but not did I not enjoy it...

ok album

No.

This is a very very specific kind of dive bar album

Apparently the idea of the Pet Shop Boys has been better than the actuality of the Pet Shop Boys. It's not even that this is bad as much as this type of pop does nothing for me.

Kinda just feels like a letter to gays.

Catchy songs. Still don’t like it.

Great singles band. This album is a slog.

What style is this, exactly? It feels 80s but made in 1993. Disco pop, perhaps, with electronic elements. I know it's important in its own right but I don't particularly like the vocals and found the overall sound boring.

102/1001 First listen. Thirty years ago I would have just said this is gay. Today this sounds like it could have been made on my phone. There’s something about it I don’t like and I don’t want to hear any more of it. 3/10

Every single song sounds the same.

2/5

I don't mind the Pet Shop Boys 1980s output, they had some genuinely great singles in the latter half of the decade - West End Girls, Suburbia, Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money), It's A Sin are all tremendous, and Rent and Heart pretty strong too. They also smashed a surprisingly good Elvis cover and notched up a great duet with Dusty Springfield. Neil Tennant wrote disco classics with lyrics both honest and sardonic, bit of social commentary here, bit of introspective heartfelt stuff about being gay here and there. They had a good deal of success in the US with that initial run of belters. Fast forward a few years and a bit surprised to get 1993's 'Very' and a little dismayed to find that nothing here gets close to their big hits, nor do I see it as massively innovative or anything like that. In fact, aside from a perfectly serviceable cover of Village People's 'Go West' there's not much here to recommend. If you're into the gay stuff, stick with Erasure - they were still putting out solid material in the early to mid 90s.

It has some bops kind of but also is a little grocery store core Will I listen to again: 5%

I really couldn’t take this seriously. It’s just so dated and cheesy.

16/01/2026 I don't really have a problem with Pet Shop Boys. But this, this was boring. Spotify listeners: 9.9 million

Some of the best lyrics that this group have ever produced. Not nearly as good an album as their 80s output. Sorry!

I only knew all their hits but never listened to an entire album. And I probably won't do again. Surely there are some radio-friendly pop hits but as an album I was quite disappointed, and I feel the overall sound hasn't aged very well. Songs are a bit samey (and not great).

Wasn't a big fan of this. I know Pet shop Boys and New Order have toured together, and I am a big New Order fan. But this to me sounds like New Order crossed with Bros, the 80s boy band and presumably not in 1001 albums. Worst parts of pop and dance combined but with none of the class or style of New Order.2 out of 5

Only time I’m remotely interested in the Pet Shop Boys is when one of their many hits is played at a wedding evening do. That’s when their music really shines. Always a crowd pleaser and dance floor filler. Trouble with this album is that I can only remember one of these and that’s Go West. The rest just dissolved into nothingness. 2/5 4/1/26

Jeg kommer aldrig til at bryde mig om stemmen.

"Go West" might actually be the first video I vividly remember watching on MTV. I like the song too, and it's been one of those things that's constantly in the back of my head nearly all the time. It's weird, unintrusive but always there. Maybe it was my first earworm of a song too. In any case, none of the other tracks are as memorable as Go West, and that's a cover, so I can't really say that this lives up to the "hype". It is classic euro proto-dance pop, but that isn't really a style I'm super in to. Like most of their stuff it's well produced but it does suffer from a very limited sample/sound kit. The same presets seem to be used all over and not to really great effect. It's listenable enough and lyrically it's a bit more challenging than a lot of other pop music but it didn't grab me at all.

First time hearing this album. Wow. This is Very much a 90s time capsule. Every song is basically “Pump up the jam” with mostly motivational lyrics about togetherness and moving on. I can’t help but wonder what the record would sound like without the dated 90s drum loops. 2.1/5.0

Just play this entire album over that video of those two black guys dancing on roller skates. This album has not aged well. Yet, of the three albums by this group I have been subjected to it is somehow my favorite. Being more positive and poppy still couldn’t save this from being boring. Favorite song was Yesterday When I Was Mad.

This album was released in 1993 and it sounds like it was made a decade earlier. In this case, that's not a compliment. It's also insane that Pet Shop Boys have 3 different albums on this list.

A Very bland, very run of the mill yet very odd, very silly beat choices, very diverse, very two star worthy album in my humble opinion.

I liked it but many songs felt forgettable still?

Why do some of these backing tracks sound like the bonus levels from a Sonic game type shit. Frenetic and way too sugary for my liking.

Few

Fru-Fru fluff pop music. 'nuf said. You 'll either love it or hate it. Guess my choice

To say I was disappointed by this album would be to imply that I expected more. Frankly, I did not. So, while I wasn't "disappointed," I did not enjoy this listen at all. I don't plan to waste too many words on this 50+ minutes that I will never get back. All I can say is that I hope this is the last time PSB and I meet. This album was a Very underwhelming 2 / 5.

Never been a fan of the Pet Shop Boys. A few good hits, but not the type of music one can listen to track after on an album.

Was kind of interesting at the beginning but then felt like a slog to get through.

OK. 2/5

Know a few on here. Very danceable. Can you forgive her is a great song but largely an inoffensive middlenof the road mix of boomp chi boomp chi damcey dance. Nothing earth shattering here.

I had this misfortune of listening to the bonus track “Go West” and that changed a middling album to an outright unpleasant one.

Eh ... I would have rather had some 80s Pet Shop Boys ... I lost interest after a few songs.

Mostly I remember this for the lego-like jewel case it came in, back when groups would still try different approaches to CD releases (U2, Pearl Jam...others...). I might’ve enjoyed this at the time a bit, as the sound is situated in the eurodance aesthetic that I had and have some fondness for. Today, it’s a bit opaque - I don’t connect with any of the traces of melancholy, such as there are. Coming off electronic, I was all in favour of Neil Tennant and would remain a fan into the late 90s, but it’s just all a little too pleasant maybe?

Probably one of the best albums of the genre...but I just don't care for the genre.

Not a fan

I was excited to listen to something different for a change and in the beginning it was promising but then it went fully outside my comfort zone into the kitschy poppy sounds and I kind of drifted away. not really looking forward to giving it another try (and i like some of the earlier albums of theirs)

Hmm, všeč mi je naslovnica & ful mi je všeč njun starejši komad, "West End Girls". Nism pa zihr, če mi bo ta album ful všeč. Prvi je bil kinda kul ("Can You Forgive Her?"), pri tadrugmu me je koj začetni ritem odvrnil ("I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing"). Mmmm, ne, ni mi všeč. Ok, "Dreaming of the Queen" mi je kul. Mogoč zato, k je dejansko mal drugačn od vseh ostalih komadov? In spet uf... "The Theatre" je tud kr ok. Sam čakam, da bo konc zj, ampak je še 5 komadov. "To Speak Is a Sin" je mal bl chill in prou sede po vsem tem. Iiiin nazaj isti hitri ritmi. "Go West" poznam od prej, ampak zj po celem albumu - kinda sounds like any other song on the album. Ne vem sicer, če bom dejansko kdaj dala 1 zvezdico, ker sam zato, k men neki ni všeč, še ne pomeni, da je dejansko slaba muska.

I like the pet shop boys well enough this one was kind of hard for me at times and nothing really grabbed me.

Not my thing

It was very... Okay. The big house rave adjacent arrangements were a little fun but overall sort of soft and forgettable.

Soulless, tedious. Somehow has so little energy for what supposedly is dance music. Just not good.

Definitely some Brit synthpop from the 90s. At first I didn’t really mind the album, but as it went on I just wanted them to stop singing and the album to just put me out of my misery. It just feels like it is never going to end.

To give this album some props, it doubles down on a very specific sound, even for a Pet Shop Boys album. Were I a mincing man of the early 90s rather than being in my first year on this planet I would be well acquainted with this music rather than only knowing a couple of songs. Unfortunately it’s not a good sound. There’s not enough gusto in the backing music (weak ass synth) to balance out the whimpering vocals. This is also lacking their main hits bar ‘Go West’ which I’ve never really liked anyway. A no thank you.

I dont get it

a bit too 90s for me

I was never a Pet Shop Boys fan, and this solidifies that I will never be one. Very dated dance music for the nightclubs, whose 80s and 90s pop production were nothing to write about, then and now.

Getting this so soon after Actually is a great insight into Pet Shop Boys' quality drop as they entered the 90's, because boy does this thing sound like shit. Nothing has changed in terms of overall songwriting or vocal quality, but fuck me the switch from 80's synth to 90's electronic slop was actually so grim to listen to. Not only is this thing an hour of generic drum machine loops, the complete lack of instruments made it sound like I was listening to Scatman's World by Scatman John for an hour. Just with less bass and more boring vocals. Wikipedia states 'Pet Shop Boys have been noted for keeping their fingers on the musical pulse to date, while "maintaining the mystique of performers from a different era".' - what an absolute load of shit. They definitely kept their fingers on the musical pulse, but the pulse must have been way below the average heart rate because this is lukewarm and milquetoast as fuck. I've no idea why this disaster is on here. It's really bad compared to their other work. It's still listenable, so it is fine with a 2 - but fuck I don't want to listen to anything except maybe 'Can You Forgive Her?' again.

Yea very boring

Better than the other one but I still don't like these guys's

they were awful forty years ago

just wasn't for me instrumentals were pretty good tho

Ick.

Not into this really. Go West is the first Pet Shop Boys song I ever heard and I still enjoy it, though I think it's more the Village People influence on the song (male choir parts specifically) that I really like. The rest of the album is just a little too schmaltzy synth pop for me. 2.4/5

Didn't care for it. It was fine but also not my genre at all. 2/5

Aufgenommen in den Londoner Studios Sarm West und Sarm East, erschien Very im Herbst 1993 als fünftes Studioalbum des britischen Duos Neil Tennant und Chris Lowe. Nach dem introspektiven Behaviour kehrten die Pet Shop Boys hier zu einem farbenfrohen, cluborientierten Sound zurück, der Dance-Pop, Synth-Pop und House-Elemente verbindet. Zu den bekanntesten Songs gehören „Can You Forgive Her?“, „I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind of Thing“ und das euphorische „Go West“, eine Coverversion des gleichnamigen Village-People-Hits, die in der britischen LGBTQ-Community Kultstatus erlangte. Auch Stücke wie „Yesterday, When I Was Mad“ oder „Liberation“ zeigen die typische Mischung aus Ironie, Melancholie und formvollendetem Pop-Handwerk. Musikalisch überzeugt das Album durch präzise Produktion, vielschichtige Arrangements und einen klaren, synthetischen Klang, der gleichzeitig verspielt und kontrolliert wirkt. Very gilt als eines der zugänglichsten und zugleich persönlichsten Werke der Band – ein Album, das Tanzbarkeit und emotionale Intelligenz verbindet. Bewertung: Ein lebendiger Höhepunkt im Werk der Pet Shop Boys und ein Paradebeispiel britischer Pop-Eleganz der frühen 1990er.

Trying to be too many things at once I think, couldn't really fit into the right vibe ever. I don't know it wants you to dance but not only does it not have the groove, but I kinda didn't want to. 4/10

5 stars for bringing the 90s gay realness. 1 star for actual music quality, I could not listen to this. Ok 2 stars for the epic anthem Goooo WEST!

Had a friend who liked them

Very not good.

There’s something about the hi energy style and fey disinterested vocals that just doesn’t do it for me. Boring

I didn’t mid it but after a while it was a bit repetitive

Taitaa olla enemmän sinkkuhittien bändi. 2/5.

Repetitive and samey. I don't like the singer's voice either. Got a 2 as I try to save a 1 for the really bad stuff.

Not their best electo pop

Polished pop but not for me, very bland and same-y. Not sure why we need more than one PSB album on this list.

I like Go West, but unsure why we need yet another Pet Shop Boys album on the 1001 list.

Could never get into the Pet Shop Boys and couldn’t get into this

Ok

The cover art looks like a watermarked stock photo, and I think that's a pretty accurate analogue to the album as a whole. The style gets really old, really quickly. It comes across as an 80s pastiche that's struggling to cling onto the dwindling audience that actually enjoys this genre/era heading into the golden age of grunge and alt-rock. For that reason, the first three songs are by far the most enjoyable, because you're still holding onto hope that they'll branch out stylistically once they've blasted through all the easy-listening synth pop tracks. (They don't.) Everything else after that is a bit of a drag – at least until the final track Go West, which has that glorious and instantly recognisable backing choir. It's such a relief, such an uplifting way to end the record, that it almost makes me want to bump my rating to 3 stars. Almost. The opener, Can You Forgive Her?, uses orchestra hits on every single melody note in the instrumental. Bold. But I've also never heard it before – not to this extent. It's pretty fun, except it's used again in A Different Point of View, and in Dreaming of the Queen... in enough others that it does get a little tiring. The harmonies (something I look for in most music) are hit-or-miss, with one of the "hits" being To Speak Is a Sin. It's more soundscape-y than most other tracks. Kind of reminds me of something from later-era ABBA. The synths are slow and cinematic, outlining some simple but effective chords. Liberation also gives off an ABBA-esque feel (the singing in particular), and its synths are less overdone. 2/5 Key tracks: Can You Forgive Her?, Liberation, Go West

I was really surprised to learn this was released in 1993. This sounds like an informercial from the 80s.

Not very good pop music. Mostly annoying. I’m guessing they’re British

eeeeehhhhh this got so old so fast lol

Did not like this!

A solidly okay album. Of the 3 albums on the list, I think this is their weakest effort. I feel like this is another album where the context is more important than the album itself. In other words, it's only part of the 1001 because it's their "coming-out" album.

pet shop boys never really hit for me- why did parts of 'i wouldn't normally do this kind of thing' sound like the music that tv channels use to play when they're telling you what's coming on tv later. all of this should be playing in one of those 90s international market cafés with a purple and yellow theme. i didn't like any songs, sorry lads.

Did not enjoy.

Maso

Bailable. No merece estar seleccionado.

not for me

Very much not my thing.

I have probably not heard Can You Forgive Her in 20 years before today, yet I still remembered all the words. Why is valuable space in my rapidly deteriorating middle-aged brain, still being filled with lyrics to a song that came out before I was even a teenager? Still, I do still love it. And Go West too (I enjoyed the Guardian quote that said it distinguished "itself by making the Village People original seem flagrantly heterosexual"). The Theatre has a synth on it that sounds almost exactly like I'm Going Slightly Mad by Queen, a song I have always loved. As for the rest, I mostly found it kinda dull, which was disappointing. There's now a few artists I would have said I liked before starting this project, but now I've listened to a full album it turns out I like the big singles and not much else. This is getting a 2 and that's made me a bit sad. 2/5

Okay 80s since brought kicking and screaming into the 90s. The song “I wouldn’t normally do this kind of thing” a perfect auditory example of this The soft camp style of the lead singer is definitely unique for the album. At times it felt a little confused album of trying to offer ballads while maintaining a dance techno vibe. I will say “different point of view” was a catchy chorus and could have been straight out of a K pop group in 2012. Which is testament and legacy both of the style and sound the band have created Wouldn’t listen as an album again - but the occasional song

Wasn't a fan and still not a fan. 2/5.

VERY 80s pop. Not for me.

It feels like they took something that could have been really cool, and sanitized the hell out of it. Disappointed.

Didn't care for it, skipped this one.

Ok 2/5

Too much techno-pop for me. Uninvolving.

Extremely dance-y synth-pop! I had never heard of the Pet Shop Boys before, and now that I've heard them, I don't need to do it again. It's not bad music, but the aggressive single-mindedness of the dance beats causes irritation over a listen.

3/10

This is pretty boring new wave mumbo pop synth garbage. I, personally, don't like most things in this genre and style, so for me to like an album like this, takes something really special. And this isn't it. It's so bland. Half of the songs have the same exact beat and rhythm. I doubt there's a real instrument used on the entire album. It's not so bad that it's awful. And there was one song that actually was enjoyable to listen to. But I still don't really want to ever listen to this again. Favorite Song(s): To Speak is a Sin

Meh.

Bit too cheesy

Unavailable.

Would be better if they didn't sing

Are these the best dance tracks of the 90s? No. Ok but is this the best pet shop boys album? Also no.

This made me want to hang out at The Blue Oyster bar! Pass

This sounds like 90s video game elevator music. It's upbeat, full of drum machine beats and light, airy vocals. I want to hate it but I don't. Not completely. Its full of catchy choruses and hooks, and I noticed that I enjoyed those parts quite a bit but didn't really like any other parts of the songs. The album just kind of wore me down by the end though. The cool electronic beats and synths got old and weren't enough to carry the whole album. Standouts were "Can You Forgive Her" and "A Different Point of View" I was pretty over this album by the end. Very has some interesting moments but equal amounts of repetitiveness. Some songs just annoyed me coughcoughGoWestcough. It's a 2/5 for me.

I dont mind the Pet Shop Boys but this is my worst nightmare of an album

Thoughts before listening: Electronica heavy 80s Europop I think? I feel like Pet Shop Boys are one of those bands I have heard a ton about but I don't really know much about them. Seems they were perhaps very influential to the types of music I don't really listen to. Review: One thing that I have learned through this project is that I'm just not all that into dancey 80s synth pop. I mean I can take some pop music, and have given 4 and 5 star reviews to some pop albums on this list, but this just doesn't do anything for me. I'm giving this 2-stars.

I definitely got the feeling of, "Is this album almost finished yet?". The songs started to blend together and honestly this music just isn't for me.

A fun pop-y, dance-y album! I did find the songs ot be repeitive and they were not my usual style, which is why the rating is what it is :(

I Feel Like Taking All My Clothes Off Dancing To The Rite Of Spring 1001 Albums Generator 54 (06/17/2025) What group is more appropriate to listen to during pride month than Pet Shop Boys? And more specifically their "coming out" album, 1993's Very, released during the time that co-founder Neil Tennant officially confirmed his oft rumored homosexuality. Pet Shop Boys were one of the premier synthpop bands of the 80's and 90's, and while Very falls after their critical peak in the late 80's, it still remains one of their most popular albums, featuring 5 singles that were all released to quite great success. The first of these singles, and the opening track, Can You Forgive Her? is a great 12/8 synthpop tune. There are lots of synth layers here that add a lot of atmosphere to the song. I especially love the repeated high note played throughout the chorus. It is a great touch. From here, we keep the energy up with I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing, with its bouncy beat and bloop-y synths throughout the verse. This song also has great vocal harmonies and a reference to The Rite Of Spring, which is just kind of cool for a 90's pop song. Later in the tracklist, One And One Make Five has surprisingly somber lyrics, pleading a lover to clear things up and tell the narrator that they are still in love. The last song that I really like is One In A Million, which is one of the danciest songs on the whole thing and should have been an easy choice as a single, probably instead of Liberation. Unfortunately, beyond these few songs, I just don't think this album is for me for the most part. Slower songs like Liberation and To Speak Is A Sin, while providing a nice change in pace compared with the other songs on the album, are just not very good. On the other hand, Dreaming Of The Queen is okay with its downtempo beat and very catchy chorus. Meanwhile, A Different Point Of View feels like a retreading of Eurythmics' iconic Here Comes The Rain Again. Honestly, I just don't have much to say about many of the songs here. It's another album where the difference between the best and worst songs is small. Overall, Very is a forgettable, bloated album. With a few diamonds throughout, it isn't the worst album on this list, but unfortunately, it is not great either. 2/5. Favs: Can You Forgive Her? I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing One In A Million Least Fav: Liberation

Upbeat dance music. Instantly forgettable.

Ok

wait, why this Pet Shop Boys album?

Likely the only straight man in North America to start his day with Pink Pony Club and an entire Pet Shop Boys album. Kinda weird they picked one from the 90s as they are such an 80s sounding band (and the songs that sounded more 90s were not good). I was in at the start but thought it got progressively worse as the album went on. I went back and listened to “West End Girls” afterward which really holds up but not a fan of this album.

2.2

I don’t mind some Pet Shop Boys but this I did not care for. Just another album you really don't need to hear before you die.

This album is offensively happy sounding. It's almost childishly upbeat. The major chord fiesta coupled with the timbre of those vocals is so saccharine sweet it's cringeworthy for me.

Pet Shop Boys have some great music, this particular album isn't one of them

Bland. I don't get the hype.

Very mediocre, very dated, very British

I'm not a synth-pop guy, and this album did nothing to change my mind.

Not even the best Pet Shop Boys album.

2.5/5

..

Weird dance pop

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.

No please and thank you

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

Meh.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Needed some oomph

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

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

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.

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?

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

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.

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.

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

Not my type of music….

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.

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

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.