I'm only using was Giphy has to offer, and unfortunately those damn young people don't seem to create as many Pet Shop Boys gifs as they should!
Pet Shop Boys Rate. Part 1: 1985-1991. Winner.
- Thread starter Ray
- Start date
D
Deleted member 16293
That's a pretty solid top 40. Was It Worth It? could've lasted a bit longer, but whatever.
Do I Have To and My October Symphony need to go now.
Do I Have To and My October Symphony need to go now.
No and yes.
But do they?!
40.
40. I Want A Dog
7.3013888889
A chihuahua, a b-side, an album track, an anthem of a generation
Highest score: 10 (@Eric Generic, @Bleu Noir, @etienne, @Farnaby)
Lowest score: 2 (@Sweet Music, @Sally_Harper)
Neil: 'I want a dog' came from our friend Pete [Andreas]. He said, 'I want a dog. A chihuahua. I've only got a small flat'. I laughed, and wrote it down straightaway. [...] I remember David Jacob doing a very good 'meow' for us to use.
Chris: It's an unusual track, this. Quite interesting. Probably spoiled by my vocal.
Neil: We wrote it in the studio in two days. I think we were trying to do a Detroit techno thing. [I don't think that worked – Ray]
Chris: Of course, in those days with house music every record was different. Dance music wasn't formulaic yet. I like the 'woof!' as the snare drum.
Neil: I think it's really sad, myself. It's about loneliness. It's why people have dogs – for love and security. We always planned to write a song called 'I want a baby' as a follow-up. [Imagine the snare sound on that – Ray] We really liked the song, which was first released as the b-side of 'Rent' and we thought it could be better. We liked Frankie Knuckles, so we approached him to remix it.
Chris: I liked 'Your Love'.
Neil: We went to New Jersey to this studio to hear the finished mixes. He was a big guy, very gentle, and the mixed – there were four of them [Have the other three ever leaked? – Ray] – just sounded fantastic. It sounded really black and so there was this incredible contrast with my voice. This was still, relatively, the early days of house music. We drove around New York in a limo playing the mixes.
Chris: It really went well with the Manhattan landscape.
Neil: When we got back to London we played it to Trevor Horn and Steve Lipson, and Trevor said, 'See? Cheap gear sounds better'. Our version was a bit experimental; this version has a kind of dark deep house atmosphere to it. It brings out the song's sad sinister quality, and it's got a fantastic rhythm track.
Ray: I adore the Introspective version – Frankie Knuckles was a genius – and I was rather shocked by the original Alternative mix when I first heard it. It's... truly something... else (he said in a weak voice).
@One Stop Candy Shop: Extra point because I love dogs. [I wonder what the scores for 'I Want A Baby' would be.]
@Jóga: My least favourite from Introspective, but I love the feeling of longing for company it exuded and the instrumental.
@chris4862: I definitely prefer the original to the Introspective re-do.
@Future Lover: The Frankie Knuckles mix is amazing. The original B-side mix is okay, I guess, if only for the "Chris Lowe moment".
@DominoDancing: The Alternative version is more funny and cute than anything else, with the "woof" snare sound and the list of dogs. The Introspective version actually has a very cool groove...but is totally missing the list of dogs. I need a definitive version!
@Mikey1701: I’m only familiar with the version on Introspective so I’m surprised by how different yet also similar the Alternative version is. I love Chris’ contribution and the crystalline production is intriguing- but as it stands right now, the Introspective version is my preferred version.
@tylerc904: My score is based on the Introspective version. [8 – Ray]
@Sally_Harper: At one point I checked iTunes to see how long it had left as I felt like I’d been listening to that irritating blippy instrumental for about half an hour and was dismayed to see it still had nearly three minutes to go. I think that sums it up. The best bit is when Neil says “ChiHUAHUA” near the end.
@Peer_Gynt10: hilarious lyrics and great beat – the Introspective version, that is; what’s not to love?
@TrendyMüller: One of their gayest songs. The lyrics are hilarious in that respect. I love the way the bass and rhythm stoically trot along on the Frankie Knuckles mix (which is my fave) [I love 'stoically trot along'. I don't hear it being such a gay song though?]
@Heaven on Earth: I appreciate that they attempted to do a postmodernist song, showing an attempt to separate themselves from their contemporaries and really be unique, but it doesn’t work. It instead comes off as a ditty, and when one considers that it came off after the phenomenal and self-aware “Left to My Own Devices” on Introspective, the contrast is notably and horrendously striking in quality and in theme. This was one song that could’ve done without being recorded. It’d be a nice song to sing at a party as a humorous moment, but it’s nothing more than that. [Let me respectfully disagree with absolutely everything you said except your praise for "Left To My Own Devices".]
Superior Frankie Knuckles mix:
Frankie Knuckles 12", apparently:
Original b-side:
Techno Funk mix (Eddy Fowlkes, R.J. Rice):
40.
40. I Want A Dog
7.3013888889
A chihuahua, a b-side, an album track, an anthem of a generation
Highest score: 10 (@Eric Generic, @Bleu Noir, @etienne, @Farnaby)
Lowest score: 2 (@Sweet Music, @Sally_Harper)
Neil: 'I want a dog' came from our friend Pete [Andreas]. He said, 'I want a dog. A chihuahua. I've only got a small flat'. I laughed, and wrote it down straightaway. [...] I remember David Jacob doing a very good 'meow' for us to use.
Chris: It's an unusual track, this. Quite interesting. Probably spoiled by my vocal.
Neil: We wrote it in the studio in two days. I think we were trying to do a Detroit techno thing. [I don't think that worked – Ray]
Chris: Of course, in those days with house music every record was different. Dance music wasn't formulaic yet. I like the 'woof!' as the snare drum.
Neil: I think it's really sad, myself. It's about loneliness. It's why people have dogs – for love and security. We always planned to write a song called 'I want a baby' as a follow-up. [Imagine the snare sound on that – Ray] We really liked the song, which was first released as the b-side of 'Rent' and we thought it could be better. We liked Frankie Knuckles, so we approached him to remix it.
Chris: I liked 'Your Love'.
Neil: We went to New Jersey to this studio to hear the finished mixes. He was a big guy, very gentle, and the mixed – there were four of them [Have the other three ever leaked? – Ray] – just sounded fantastic. It sounded really black and so there was this incredible contrast with my voice. This was still, relatively, the early days of house music. We drove around New York in a limo playing the mixes.
Chris: It really went well with the Manhattan landscape.
Neil: When we got back to London we played it to Trevor Horn and Steve Lipson, and Trevor said, 'See? Cheap gear sounds better'. Our version was a bit experimental; this version has a kind of dark deep house atmosphere to it. It brings out the song's sad sinister quality, and it's got a fantastic rhythm track.
Ray: I adore the Introspective version – Frankie Knuckles was a genius – and I was rather shocked by the original Alternative mix when I first heard it. It's... truly something... else (he said in a weak voice).
@One Stop Candy Shop: Extra point because I love dogs. [I wonder what the scores for 'I Want A Baby' would be.]
@Jóga: My least favourite from Introspective, but I love the feeling of longing for company it exuded and the instrumental.
@chris4862: I definitely prefer the original to the Introspective re-do.
@Future Lover: The Frankie Knuckles mix is amazing. The original B-side mix is okay, I guess, if only for the "Chris Lowe moment".
@DominoDancing: The Alternative version is more funny and cute than anything else, with the "woof" snare sound and the list of dogs. The Introspective version actually has a very cool groove...but is totally missing the list of dogs. I need a definitive version!
@Mikey1701: I’m only familiar with the version on Introspective so I’m surprised by how different yet also similar the Alternative version is. I love Chris’ contribution and the crystalline production is intriguing- but as it stands right now, the Introspective version is my preferred version.
@tylerc904: My score is based on the Introspective version. [8 – Ray]
@Sally_Harper: At one point I checked iTunes to see how long it had left as I felt like I’d been listening to that irritating blippy instrumental for about half an hour and was dismayed to see it still had nearly three minutes to go. I think that sums it up. The best bit is when Neil says “ChiHUAHUA” near the end.
@Peer_Gynt10: hilarious lyrics and great beat – the Introspective version, that is; what’s not to love?
@TrendyMüller: One of their gayest songs. The lyrics are hilarious in that respect. I love the way the bass and rhythm stoically trot along on the Frankie Knuckles mix (which is my fave) [I love 'stoically trot along'. I don't hear it being such a gay song though?]
@Heaven on Earth: I appreciate that they attempted to do a postmodernist song, showing an attempt to separate themselves from their contemporaries and really be unique, but it doesn’t work. It instead comes off as a ditty, and when one considers that it came off after the phenomenal and self-aware “Left to My Own Devices” on Introspective, the contrast is notably and horrendously striking in quality and in theme. This was one song that could’ve done without being recorded. It’d be a nice song to sing at a party as a humorous moment, but it’s nothing more than that. [Let me respectfully disagree with absolutely everything you said except your praise for "Left To My Own Devices".]
Superior Frankie Knuckles mix:
Frankie Knuckles 12", apparently:
Original b-side:
Techno Funk mix (Eddy Fowlkes, R.J. Rice):
Aw. It's a cute song, but I guess it's the right time for it to go.
The Alternative version of "I Want A Dog" is one of my favourite ever PSB songs. Genuinely melancholy but it also has the list of dogs and the "woof" snare drum is just the best thing ever.
*pretends that I Want a Dog isn't part of the tracklist from Introspective*
It's one of their career lows, for sure.
And, thank you, @Ray, for respectfully disagreeing with me.
@Ray said: "I don't hear it [I Want A Dog] being such a gay song though?]
I Want A Dog is so gay that it literally woofs...
I mean it´s all double entendre, coded gay language in a wink wink nudge nudge kind of way.
"When I get home...I want to hear somebody bark", "Don´t want no cat...giving no love and getting fat. You can get lonely and a cat´s no help with that". "When it gets dark [in the park] my dog will bark at any passers by".
Call me a dirty old man, but I´m seeing too many of those doggy role-players sniffing around the streets during the last few years. It makes me wonder if this is their anthem.
Extra mention that the Techno Funk mix cites the classic George Clinton funk monster Atomic Dog (unfortunately the Techno Funk mix isn´t very good)
I Want A Dog is so gay that it literally woofs...
I mean it´s all double entendre, coded gay language in a wink wink nudge nudge kind of way.
"When I get home...I want to hear somebody bark", "Don´t want no cat...giving no love and getting fat. You can get lonely and a cat´s no help with that". "When it gets dark [in the park] my dog will bark at any passers by".
Call me a dirty old man, but I´m seeing too many of those doggy role-players sniffing around the streets during the last few years. It makes me wonder if this is their anthem.
Extra mention that the Techno Funk mix cites the classic George Clinton funk monster Atomic Dog (unfortunately the Techno Funk mix isn´t very good)
They/them, he/him
Their loss. Let them have their dreadful 'tropical house' and basic Spanish-language bops, while we bask in the greatness of the best duo in pop history.
Aye, but this song was recorded three decades ago - if anything then "ha impact" perhaps!
D
Deleted member 6896
I Want A Dog fitted so well as the b-side to Rent. Like Rent it’s sad, lonely, downtempo and of the night. The artwork fitted perfectly as well. My 10 was for the b-side version, the Introspective version is much more glittery and glamourous. I was struck at the time that the Kevorkian remix of Rent was so restrained.
I gave it 9 points and always found the remixed Introspective version lacking almost everything that made the song special in the first place.
39.
39. We All Feel Better In The Dark
7.3847222222
Pure slice of amazingness, also known as B-side to "Being Boring"
Highest score: 10 (@Ray, @Mikey1701, @RaggedTiger, @Jóga, @One Stop Candy Shop, @idratherjack, @Eric Generic, @Peer_Gynt10 IN LIKING SOMETHING SHOCKER)
Lowest score: 1 (@Sally_Harper), 1.5 (@JakeMagnus)
Chris: More tragic vocals from me. I must remember not to do this again in the future.
Neil: It was the b-side of 'Being Boring'. Chris wrote all the music for it. I just sang 'we all feel better in the dark'. Originally it was going to be 'we all look better in the dark', which was my title – that was one of the ideas I considered for what became Electronic's 'Getting Away With It'.
Chris: I thought that was too down. Too negative. I didn't think that was sexy enough.
Neil: Chris went to a studio because he had the idea for a track, like he did when he did 'Paninaro'. By the time I heard it he already had the words.
Chris: The idea came from a tape I bought from a health food shop round the corner from the studio: The Secrets Of Sexual Attraction. The words are terrible. Awful. Embarrassing.
Neil: I think it's true to say they're about going to a rave. [Neil. They don't do raves in darkrooms.] It's the most lustful song the Pet Shop Boys have ever recorded.
Chris: I performed it in my underwear on the Performance tour. I don't know who persuaded me to do that.
Neil: Chris, it was your idea. We realised in 1991 that the Nineties were going to be all about underwear. You had another pair on underneath, didn't you?
Chris: Yeah. I wouldn't have risked just the one.
Trivia: when Chris was 'reading' a magazine on the stage, every night something else would be sellotaped inside, so he wouldn't know what he is going to see. Fortunately, '2 Girls 1 Cup' didn't exist yet, so he didn't get to look at a screenshot from that.
Ray: I fucking adore the cheesiness of this. The backing track is incredible, and Chris just declares, roaring, on the extended mix, 'And now our time has come, I'm feeling REALLY HORNY'. This song also comes with a gorgeous remix by Brothers In Rhythm, the 'After Hours Climax Mix', which finishes Disco 2 (one of few good things about Disco 2 is that more or less the entirety of the remix is included). For the tour version both were combined and it is probably my favourite Chris live performance ever. It's also this that made Polish tabloids print an article about Pet Shop Boys masturbating on stage, which I then had to explain to my mom. It has taken me about a decade to figure out what the lyrics are about. It looks like Neil still hasn't figured it out.
If someone can explain to me why there are two version of the Climax, I'd be very grateful. (I prefer the Disco 2 version.)
@Bleu Noir: horny PSBs (well maybe just Chris being horny)
@Peer_Gynt10: I am so tempted to give this one my 11; can we agree that is the sexiest song the Boys have ever recorded? The urgency in Chris’ voice, coupled with Neil’s soothing chorus… I can’t really describe what this does to me unless PJ adjusts its PG [I think you can describe what it does to you under a "18+" spoiler, as long as you don't @ send photo]
@TrendyMüller: PSB trying their hand at a sex-jam?! And THEN they want to switch the lights off! Typical! [Don't tell me I have to explain darkrooms to you as well bae.]
@Jóga: An almost 11. My favourite Alternative song. [This should SO have been top 10.]
@Mikey1701: I’m just going to say it- this is better than Being Boring! GASP! I know that it’s not a favourite of either Neil or Chris, but I’m a huge fan! The techno overtones, Chris’ spoken lyrics, Neil popping in to sing the title, the backing vocalists in the background, the seedy atmosphere of the production.
@One Stop Candy Shop: I love this. It has an illusion of 'not much going on' but the production is so rich. A truly fine b-side. Dannii Minogue sort of copied this when she did Everybody Changes Under Water. That song has the same illusion.
@DominoDancing: This song has definitely benefitted from me sending in my scores pretty late. For some reason, I had always considered this a boring throwaway Chris b-side. But after repeated listens for the rate it's grown on me massively - all of the synth parts are actually catchy as hell. Chris' spoken "The secrets of sexual attraction" does still sound silly though. [I love it at the beginning of After Hours Climax Mix]
Sally ruins it for everyone:
@Sally_Harper: The “Get out” screeching scared the shit out of me, and there’s very little about this that I like, except that it’s not Atom Splitting. [I actually always thought it was "Get down".]
@JakeMagnus doesn't explain his criminal lack of taste.
7":
12":
Live at Performance tour:
After Hours Climax Mix: [is this the "ambient mix", but mislabeled? I don't own "Being Remixed" and it's referred to as "After Hours Climax" on Disco 2 and most other sources]
After Hours Climax Mix [different version]:
I love this.
catchy as hell
better than Being Boring!
catchy as hell
better than Being Boring!
39. We All Feel Better In The Dark
7.3847222222
Pure slice of amazingness, also known as B-side to "Being Boring"
Highest score: 10 (@Ray, @Mikey1701, @RaggedTiger, @Jóga, @One Stop Candy Shop, @idratherjack, @Eric Generic, @Peer_Gynt10 IN LIKING SOMETHING SHOCKER)
Lowest score: 1 (@Sally_Harper), 1.5 (@JakeMagnus)
Chris: More tragic vocals from me. I must remember not to do this again in the future.
Neil: It was the b-side of 'Being Boring'. Chris wrote all the music for it. I just sang 'we all feel better in the dark'. Originally it was going to be 'we all look better in the dark', which was my title – that was one of the ideas I considered for what became Electronic's 'Getting Away With It'.
Chris: I thought that was too down. Too negative. I didn't think that was sexy enough.
Neil: Chris went to a studio because he had the idea for a track, like he did when he did 'Paninaro'. By the time I heard it he already had the words.
Chris: The idea came from a tape I bought from a health food shop round the corner from the studio: The Secrets Of Sexual Attraction. The words are terrible. Awful. Embarrassing.
Neil: I think it's true to say they're about going to a rave. [Neil. They don't do raves in darkrooms.] It's the most lustful song the Pet Shop Boys have ever recorded.
Chris: I performed it in my underwear on the Performance tour. I don't know who persuaded me to do that.
Neil: Chris, it was your idea. We realised in 1991 that the Nineties were going to be all about underwear. You had another pair on underneath, didn't you?
Chris: Yeah. I wouldn't have risked just the one.
Trivia: when Chris was 'reading' a magazine on the stage, every night something else would be sellotaped inside, so he wouldn't know what he is going to see. Fortunately, '2 Girls 1 Cup' didn't exist yet, so he didn't get to look at a screenshot from that.
Ray: I fucking adore the cheesiness of this. The backing track is incredible, and Chris just declares, roaring, on the extended mix, 'And now our time has come, I'm feeling REALLY HORNY'. This song also comes with a gorgeous remix by Brothers In Rhythm, the 'After Hours Climax Mix', which finishes Disco 2 (one of few good things about Disco 2 is that more or less the entirety of the remix is included). For the tour version both were combined and it is probably my favourite Chris live performance ever. It's also this that made Polish tabloids print an article about Pet Shop Boys masturbating on stage, which I then had to explain to my mom. It has taken me about a decade to figure out what the lyrics are about. It looks like Neil still hasn't figured it out.
If someone can explain to me why there are two version of the Climax, I'd be very grateful. (I prefer the Disco 2 version.)
@Bleu Noir: horny PSBs (well maybe just Chris being horny)
@Peer_Gynt10: I am so tempted to give this one my 11; can we agree that is the sexiest song the Boys have ever recorded? The urgency in Chris’ voice, coupled with Neil’s soothing chorus… I can’t really describe what this does to me unless PJ adjusts its PG [I think you can describe what it does to you under a "18+" spoiler, as long as you don't @ send photo]
@TrendyMüller: PSB trying their hand at a sex-jam?! And THEN they want to switch the lights off! Typical! [Don't tell me I have to explain darkrooms to you as well bae.]
@Jóga: An almost 11. My favourite Alternative song. [This should SO have been top 10.]
@Mikey1701: I’m just going to say it- this is better than Being Boring! GASP! I know that it’s not a favourite of either Neil or Chris, but I’m a huge fan! The techno overtones, Chris’ spoken lyrics, Neil popping in to sing the title, the backing vocalists in the background, the seedy atmosphere of the production.
@One Stop Candy Shop: I love this. It has an illusion of 'not much going on' but the production is so rich. A truly fine b-side. Dannii Minogue sort of copied this when she did Everybody Changes Under Water. That song has the same illusion.
@DominoDancing: This song has definitely benefitted from me sending in my scores pretty late. For some reason, I had always considered this a boring throwaway Chris b-side. But after repeated listens for the rate it's grown on me massively - all of the synth parts are actually catchy as hell. Chris' spoken "The secrets of sexual attraction" does still sound silly though. [I love it at the beginning of After Hours Climax Mix]
Sally ruins it for everyone:
@Sally_Harper: The “Get out” screeching scared the shit out of me, and there’s very little about this that I like, except that it’s not Atom Splitting. [I actually always thought it was "Get down".]
@JakeMagnus doesn't explain his criminal lack of taste.
7":
12":
Live at Performance tour:
After Hours Climax Mix: [is this the "ambient mix", but mislabeled? I don't own "Being Remixed" and it's referred to as "After Hours Climax" on Disco 2 and most other sources]
After Hours Climax Mix [different version]:
Last edited:
Sorry. You'll all get your revenge when I'm the only one giving tens to stuff on Elysium.
Is it "get down"? Clearly it scared me so much I misheard it!
Is it "get down"? Clearly it scared me so much I misheard it!
Not the only one.
I don't know actually! The booklet for Further Listening doesn't say. It's like the (in)famous sample in the video mix of "Seriously?" which either is "you gotta have fun" or isn't, depending on whom you ask.