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Post by queenofthehours on May 22, 2016 13:53:15 GMT
Actually - Pet Shop Boys (1987)
Tracks - Side One 1. One More Chance 2. What Have I Done To Deserve This? 3. Shopping 4. Rent 5. Hit Music
Side Two 1. It Couldn't Happen Here 2. It's a Sin 3. I Want to Wake Up 4. Heart 5. King's Cross
Actually is the second studio album by the Pet Shop Boys and reached No 2 in the UK.
The Pet Shop Boys formed when Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe met in a Chelsea electrical shop in 1981. Tennant was a journalist who had worked as London editor for Marvel comics, and was responsible for changing dialogue to suit British readers, before becoming assistant editor at Smash Hits magazine while Lowe had studied architecture at Liverpool University.
Many of these songs were featured in a supremely weird and surreal full-length PSB movie called It Couldn't Happen Here starring Barbara Windsor and Joss Ackland. Incidentally, the film has never been available on DVD. The movie was intended to promote Actually without the PSB needing to tour. The single 'Always on My Mind' is included here as it was released during 1987 between the singles 'Rent' and 'Heart' and also features in It Couldn't Happen Here.
I chose this LP because it is high in my favourite-ever albums list. Even though the PSB aren't in the immediate ELO family Neil Tennant does have the distinction of having been part of the second-best supergroup of all time, Electronic, alongside New Order's Bernard Sumner and The Smiths Johnny Marr as well as contributing backing vocals for Robbie Williams on the same song as notable ELO fan Neil Hannon. Fun fact - actor David Tennant chose his stage name after the PSB's Neil.
I hope you enjoy this album!
A1. One More Chance
A2. What Have I Done to Deserve This
A3. Shopping
A4. Rent
A5. Hit Music
B1 It Couldn't Happen Here
B2 It's a Sin
B3 I Want to Wake Up
B4 Heart
B5 King's Cross
Bonus: Always On My Mind
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Post by queenofthehours on May 22, 2016 15:06:00 GMT
1. One More Chance – This might not be the best track on the album but it’s a great opener. One of the best. Often the best openers are just that, openers, but this track was the PSB's second single in 1984 and was rerecorded for this album. I love how the song starts small with drums and builds the music up into an epic pop tune. I like to compare other 80s synthy-pop to ELO's 80s recordings and ELO's albums do stand up well. In fact Time is a lot more epic than anything else in the 80s it's just a shame BOP didn't bring forth another LP to rival Actually by the PSB. Neil has the most comforting voice in pop after Jeff Lynne for me, very soothing.
2. What Have I Done to Deserve This? - A duet with Dusty Springfield. This single reached No2 in the UK. Here Neil and Chris do for Dusty what Jeff and Tom did for Roy Orbison. To be honest I have never been a huge Dusty fan but this track is a wonderful classic and it just works because Neil and Dusty's voices blend together so well.
3. Shopping – A well-known track despite never being a single. The track is about privatisation and has very little to do with shopping. A good example of the PSB's ability to mix social commentary with modern pop music and it also goes to show how even their album tracks can become just as famous as their singles. I find it very hard not to sing along to this. But don’t try to dance to the PSBs. Apparently it is near impossible to dance to their music.
4. Rent - This single reached No 8 in the UK. It's one of my big favourites and that might be because of Neil's usual lovely voice or maybe it's the tempo of the track or both. Yes, that is the Marquis of Bath in the video.
5. Hit Music – If you’ve got to have filler it might as well be as good as this. I cannot hear any drop in quality between this and the big singles that feature on this album. In fact all PSB tracks are of the same great quality except more are played and are more well known than others.
6. It Couldn't Happen Here – One of the most beautiful PSB songs. Big dramatic strings. An inconspicuous highlight of the LP and the "big" song of the album.
7. It's a Sin - Ever since I discovered ELO 'Heaven Only Knows' (especially the alternate version) has brought this to mind for me. This track reached No 1 in the UK.
8. I Want to Wake Up – Some people might call this a filler track but I think it's still up to the standard of rest of the major singles, if a little less loud for variety's sake. And, let's face it, Neil Tennant, like Jeff Lynne, could sing anything and it would sound great.
9. Heart - A UK No 1 single. Yes, that is Ian McKellen in the video. One of my favourite songs and it's very difficult to not sing a long to it I find.
10. King's Cross - This track had a strange prescience as there was a fatal fire at the Underground section of Kings Cross in that year. This is not an electro dance track but a more reflective song in the vein of 'It couldn't Happen Here' showing the PSB can do both lovely ballads and upbeat pop much like ELO.
Always on My Mind - A No 1 single in the UK. The PSB appeared on a TV programme for the 10th anniversary of Elvis's death and were asked to perform their favourite track which this was. They then decided to release it as a single. I'm inclined to agree with what I have read about this being possibly the best cover version of any song ever and that it is better than the original. Indeed, when I hear the original it disappoints me! There's so much going on in this track, it's like an ELO number!
This is one of my very favourite albums because it all fits together so well, nothing is out of place. I've loved the PSB since I knew how to love music but I've shamefully neglected them since I found ELO. At college I knew someone who was a huge PSB fan and I mean HUGE. He's go around all day with a Walkman playing their music constantly. We might think we are huge ELO fans but he really took the fan-biscuit for the PSB!
The PSB are as unaffected by the music business as Jeff Lynne is and just as down to earth. In Neil's case this is probably because he had a real job and a career before he formed the group. Neil and Chris also don't enter into the "I'm a pop star" strutting around the stage business many musicians enter into which is also something that they have in common with Jeff. It is not unknown for the boys to remain totally expressionless and still on the spot when performing. You could say that Chris is Neil's Richard Tandy but I like to think of him as Neil's Hugh as he is more of a foil than a supporter to Neil bringing his own ideas to the music rather than supporting them.
Until I saw ELO this year I had only been to two other gigs in 13 years. I only go to concerts of the bands and musicians I consider to be true heroes and 13 years ago the band I saw was the PSB. That night I was lucky enough to get Neil's autograph on my programme and he also signed my cover for this album. At the back of the venue were the PSB's tour busses and in one there was a TV on, it had Newsnight on it. How rock'n'roll was that? There's nothing surprising there. Of course someone as intellectual as Neil was going to relax after a concert not with wild partying but with an educational dose of current affairs!
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Post by jrmugz on May 22, 2016 15:28:01 GMT
Great information on PSB, qoth; maybe possibly same as some others here, I just think of the song "West End Girls". Looking forward to checking out their second album "Actually", and will share my thoughts later in the week! Definitely will expand my horizons, guess between you and HW we will gradually all become experts on 80s bands, ha ha. Jim
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Post by jrmugz on May 24, 2016 2:12:54 GMT
Played most of it today, but didn't have time to jot down notes for the songs yet. Will continue to play and eventually send my final thoughts. So far, so good.
Jim
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Post by unomusette on May 24, 2016 21:26:52 GMT
Looking forward to this, there are so many brilliant songs on this album it will be a very easy job
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Post by dillwyn on May 24, 2016 21:57:38 GMT
I've gone through these once, there are some really strong songs here. i openly admit to having spent the 80's thinking these were a temporary london centric fashion. I was wrong. i will listen more before posting.
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Post by jrmugz on May 26, 2016 16:48:09 GMT
"Actually" by Pet Shop Boys 01. "One More Chance" - Nice tropical feel. Vocals actually reminiscent of Alice Cooper, strangely. The song almost sounds like it would fit in on his "Goes to Hell" album, musically and lyrically. 02. "What Have I Done to Deserve This" - Nice atmsospheric sound, nice chorus. Works really well. 03. "Shopping" - Nice track, a little bit laughable of a chorus "S H O P P I N G, we're shopping". But puts a smile on the face, so mission accomplished. ha ha. 04. "Rent" - Nice melody, OK tune. Weird chorus "I love you, you pay my rent", is that why he loves her for paying the rent? Maybe a good commentary on how not to love people just for what they can do for you. 05. "Hit Music" - Straightforward 80s rock/rhythm, just how you would expect a song of this title to sound. Like the previous song, OK, but not necessarily at the level of the first couple songs. Nice bridge, though. 06. "It Couldn't Happen Here" - A nice change of pace to slow it down. 07. "It's a Sin" - I like it, good sense of humility. 08. "I Want to Wake Up" - I really like this one, seems like I've heard it before. I'm surprised it wasn't a hit. 09. "Heart" - Solid song, with a nice bridge, and a universal lyric of romantic feelings. 10. "King's Cross" - I really like this one a lot. Soothing and non-imposing. 11. "Always on My Mind" - Funny video. Engaging track. Nice 80s take on a great classic. Not sure if the upbeatness is a perfect match for the tender melancholy nature of the lyric. Star Rating: 4.3 out of 5 Prime Cuts: "One More Chance", "Rent", "King's Cross", "I Want to Wake Up", "Heart" Bottom Line: Engaging CD by a strong 80s duo group. You know what you'll get in every song, an atmospheric musical soundscape, with an interesting lyric, very clearly sung, with not a lot of range, but works fine, and fits the songs fine. A winning formula for this particular duo, for sure! Thanks for sharing this one and expanding my horizons QOTH; it's a good CD by a good group, for sure, and I must admit I really enjoyed playing and reviewing these tracks. I have you marked down for the next open spot! Jim
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Post by queenofthehours on May 26, 2016 17:38:58 GMT
01. "One More Chance" - Nice tropical feel. Vocals actually reminiscent of Alice Cooper, strangely. The song almost sounds like it would fit in on his "Goes to Hell" album, musically and lyrically. I would never have anticipated anyone comparing the PSB to Alice Cooper in a million years!!! 04. "Rent" - Nice melody, OK tune. Weird chorus "I love you, you pay my rent", is that why he loves her for paying the rent? Maybe a good commentary on how not to love people just for what they can do for you. The song is sung from a female perspective. According to Neil Tennant - "I've always imagined it's about a kept woman, and I always imagined it set in America. I vaguely thought of one of the Kennedys, for some reason, and imagined that this politician keeps this woman in a smart flat in Manhattan, and he's still got this family, and the two of them have some [sort] of relationship and they do love each other but it's all kind of secret..." Bottom Line: Engaging CD by a strong 80s duo group. You know what you'll get in every song, an atmospheric musical soundscape, with an interesting lyric, very clearly sung, with not a lot of range, but works fine, and fits the songs fine. A winning formula for this particular duo, for sure! Thanks Jim! Great review, very to the point a bit like Neil's own reviews pbs.twimg.com/media/CfloXJtWIAA5Zhs.jpg . I'm glad you enjoyed it
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Post by jrmugz on May 26, 2016 21:54:52 GMT
01. "One More Chance" - Nice tropical feel. Vocals actually reminiscent of Alice Cooper, strangely. The song almost sounds like it would fit in on his "Goes to Hell" album, musically and lyrically. I would never have anticipated anyone comparing the PSB to Alice Cooper in a million years!!! 04. "Rent" - Nice melody, OK tune. Weird chorus "I love you, you pay my rent", is that why he loves her for paying the rent? Maybe a good commentary on how not to love people just for what they can do for you. The song is sung from a female perspective. According to Neil Tennant - "I've always imagined it's about a kept woman, and I always imagined it set in America. I vaguely thought of one of the Kennedys, for some reason, and imagined that this politician keeps this woman in a smart flat in Manhattan, and he's still got this family, and the two of them have some [sort] of relationship and they do love each other but it's all kind of secret..." Bottom Line: Engaging CD by a strong 80s duo group. You know what you'll get in every song, an atmospheric musical soundscape, with an interesting lyric, very clearly sung, with not a lot of range, but works fine, and fits the songs fine. A winning formula for this particular duo, for sure! Thanks Jim! Great review, very to the point a bit like Neil's own reviews pbs.twimg.com/media/CfloXJtWIAA5Zhs.jpg . I'm glad you enjoyed it
My pleasure, QOTH. And thanks, for the good information on "Rent. I just looked at the link of Neil's singles reviews, and I enjoyed them, he's right to the point. I just wish I honestly knew some of the songs, none of them rang a bell to be honest, guess those particular singles that he reviewed ever made it that big for some reason. Jim
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Post by 88keys on May 27, 2016 0:03:47 GMT
This was a lot of fun. The Pet Shop Boys are somewhat overlooked as purveyors of good pop music, in my opinion.
The Great It's A Sin What Have I Done To Deserve This? I Want To Wake Up Rent
The Good Shopping Hit Music Heart Kings Cross One more Chance It Couldn't happen Here
Not a bad or merely ok song in the whole batch! Good choice, Queen!
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Post by jrmugz on May 27, 2016 2:45:48 GMT
1. One More Chance – This might not be the best track on the album but it’s a great opener. One of the best. Often the best openers are just that, openers, but this track was the PSB's second single in 1984 and was rerecorded for this album. I love how the song starts small with drums and builds the music up into an epic pop tune. I like to compare other 80s synthy-pop to ELO's 80s recordings and ELO's albums do stand up well. In fact Time is a lot more epic than anything else in the 80s it's just a shame BOP didn't bring forth another LP to rival Actually by the PSB. Neil has the most comforting voice in pop after Jeff Lynne for me, very soothing. ... I just played this track again and was blown away by it. I'm going to add it to my prime cuts section of my review. Yeah, I'd definitely say for me, this my fave Pet Shop Boys song. Great description of it, qoth! Jim
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Post by queenofthehours on May 27, 2016 16:12:31 GMT
This was a lot of fun. The Pet Shop Boys are somewhat overlooked as purveyors of good pop music, in my opinion. The GreatIt's A Sin What Have I Done To Deserve This? I Want To Wake Up Rent The Good
Shopping Hit Music Heart Kings Cross One more Chance It Couldn't happen Here Not a bad or merely ok song in the whole batch! Good choice, Queen! No bad tracks! Thanks 88keys ! 1. One More Chance – This might not be the best track on the album but it’s a great opener. One of the best. Often the best openers are just that, openers, but this track was the PSB's second single in 1984 and was rerecorded for this album. I love how the song starts small with drums and builds the music up into an epic pop tune. I like to compare other 80s synthy-pop to ELO's 80s recordings and ELO's albums do stand up well. In fact Time is a lot more epic than anything else in the 80s it's just a shame BOP didn't bring forth another LP to rival Actually by the PSB. Neil has the most comforting voice in pop after Jeff Lynne for me, very soothing. ... I just played this track again and was blown away by it. I'm going to add it to my prime cuts section of my review. Yeah, I'd definitely say for me, this my fave Pet Shop Boys song. Great description of it, qoth! Jim I'm glad you like one of the non-hit singles the best!
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Post by dillwyn on May 28, 2016 8:17:16 GMT
As mentioned earlier I had no time for these at their peak. They seemed to be on every tv programme and were the type of act who would move me just to turn the radio off when they were played. I spent a lot of the 80's being angry at music, I took the burgeoning electonica as being lazy and without substance. Why learn to play an instrument when you could just stand and press a button. it felt on the vacuous and easy. Underline that with the so called (and seldom seen) third PSB (pete somebody?) who supposedly did all their programming. I thought I had little reason to pay them anytime. Utter nonsense now I know 29-years later. This is a perfect example of how I was so off the pace and sat in my own silly little world. Some of these are indeed excellent pop songs. I'm sorry I obviously have developed a taste for sugar in my old age because even after three plays of each track I still gravitate to the singles, it helps of course for a group i ignored i still somehow seem to know them all word for word. It was amazing that some of these are over 5 minutes long and were still huge hits. What Have I Done To Deserve This?, Rent, It's a Sin and Heart are all top songs. Expertly electronically airbrushed, some of the rhythm sounds place it right back at it's time but also give it a real charm. Interestingly(to me at any rate) the singles occupy tracks 2 and 4 of each side which suggests they know exactly how to make an consistent album. The lyrics are way above your average fare and show lots of smarts. It's a sin look at catholism is perfectly pitched in terms of what it does to most lapsed catholics, Rent I had always assumed was about a rent boy but no matter you are still thrust into a very recognisable situation.Having Dusty Springfield appear on any record is also an excellent move. I also somehow knew Shopping but it is my least favourite in my order of preference. I Want to Wake Up and kings Cross next in line. Hit Music and It Couldn't Happen Here and then shopping were less interesting to me. All in all I've enjoyed my visit back to the 80's, they have gone on and proved themselves to be a hugley significant British act, so PSB i'm sorry, I was wrong about you. Good album.
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Post by unomusette on May 28, 2016 19:07:29 GMT
You have to be quite awkward not to like the Pet Shop Boys, nobody can deny their originality and the catchiness of their tunes. Plus they are a dab hand at the entertaining video, really looking forward to this so here goes One More Chance - Considering how old this album is I think this track could be released today and not sound at all dated. Love all the twiddly goings on in the background and it has an irresistible beat which is one of their trademarks. Nicely creepy ventriloqist's doll at the end of the vid. Great opener. What Have I Done to Deserve This? - I recall reading that Jeff would have liked to work with Dusty Springfield, but here she is collaborating with PSB at the cutting edge of pop at the time. Interesting subject matter here, I've always enjoyed that aspect plus of course it's a darned good song which shows off her vocal talents nicely. Shopping - I sometimes wonder if people write songs with titles like this in the hopes that TV will use them as background music for related features. I've certainly heard clips from it when seeing items on, well, shopping. Wasn't it also the theme tune for the old Clothes Show? Snappy and stompy, sounding a bit more of its time than One More Chance but still a great foot-tapping track. Plus, is that a vocoder? More points awarded for that. Rent - I love this song to bits, it might be my favourite PSB song ever. Annoyingly when we went once to see them live they had a woman singing it at about a fifth the correct speed, what a massive disappointment. It's not meant to be a sultry torch song, it's meant to forge along like this. Great video too, loving Margi Clark vamping it up, although it doesn't have a lot to do with the song as far as I know but who cares? The whole package is perfect Hit Music - Now this does sound a bit dated, lots of clattery banging. Reminds me a bit of From the End of the World in the instrumental breaks. Bit of a filler but probably a floor-filler too (groan, sorry, couldn't resist) and lots going on so what's not to like? I could do a lot of productive housework to this, you certainly couldn't do it slowly. It Couldn't Happen Here - Atmospheric intro, not much happening as it plods towards the third minute, then there's a bit of a tickling of drums and some nice strings but it never really goes anywhere for me and it takes quite a long time to not get there. It's a Sin - Wheee! This is a lot more like it - serious contender for favourite PSB song. Really, how could a person not love this, it's HUGE sounding with interesting lyrics, thunderclaps and a brilliant video, this is what they do best and they don't have a whole lot of competition. The more I see the young Neil Tennant in these vids though, the more he reminds me of Jeremy Clarkson. Not sure if this is a good thing or not, but this song might very well be appropriate I Want to Wake Up - Well it's difficult to follow a tour de force like It's a Sin so it's probably unfair to compare this. I like the echoey chorus, serious vocals and the general busy-ness of it, classic PSB Heart - Yet another top notch tune, well up there in my personal top PSB songs and accompanied by a video graced by Ian McKellen hamming it up a treat, can't fault this. Well, maybe I could do without the boingy drum effect at the beginning but everyone was doing it at the time and it is quite fun. King's Cross - Again it's a difficult slot to fill, following the triumphant Heart. This is pleasant enough but it's a bit like blancmange, airy and not very substantial. Always on My Mind - Doesn't Joss Ackland have a delicious voice in the video? Love his manic persona too, look at him grooving away in the back of the car with his eyes and teeth working overtime Oh, and the song. Well, I think I recall it being voted the best cover version ever (It isn't, of course, that's Muse either doing Feeling Good or Can't Take My Eyes Off You). This is a totally original take on Elvis's classic though, and to my ears a vast improvement. Thanks for sharing this queenofthehours , I did enjoy having a good wallow and I'd give it 8 out of 10.
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Post by Chippa on May 28, 2016 19:42:57 GMT
"West End Girls" is one of my favorite 80's songs. But aside from that, I don't know much Pet Shop Boys. Ok, let's get to it...
"One More Chance"- Cool percussion elements and an almost African sounding rhythm. This song really doesn't sound dated, at all.
"What Have I Done To Deserve This?" - Oh, I remember this one! The great Dusty Springfield really shines on this song. Instantly catchy chorus.
"Shopping"- On the 80's scale from Rubik's Cube to mullets, this one sits comfortably in the middle.
"Rent"- Great chorus, and fun lyrics. Hey, at least he's honest! haha.
"Hit Music" - Where are my parachute pants and Ray Bans? This is straight up 1980's goodness.
"It Couldn't Happen Here" - In a way, this reminds me of ELO's "Another Heart Breaks". Atmospheric.
"It's A Sin"- I remember this one, too! It's actually aged pretty well.
"I Want To Wake Up" - Any song that name-checks "Tainted Love" is ok, in my book.
"Heart"- Oh wow...very dated. Yea, not crazy about this one. Decent melody, though.
"King's Cross"- Sounds like one of those Miami Vice songs. It may have been, who knows? Not bad.
Overall, this album gets a very positive 6.5/10. Good pop songs!
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