Pet Shop Boys Rate. Part 1: 1985-1991. Winner.
- Thread starter Ray
- Start date
How to have a PERFECT Pet Shop Boys-moment:
Fly to Auckland/New Zealand, preferably during Euopean winter. Rent a car, make sure it is a sunny day. Cue up Being Boring (The 9 minute version), press play at 9 Durham Lane and drive towards Takapuna, where you have rented a huge Apartment on the 33rd floor with gigantic floor-to-ceiling windows.
You will proximately reach the apex of Harbour Bridge when the harp crescendo of the song kicks in. Make sure you don´t cause an accident because you will be in a state of pure bliss/be reduced to tears at this very moment.
You´re welcome.
Well, I had the pleasure to live this several times, while spending three amazing consecutive summers in Aotearoa.
So I don´t have to spend one second worrying about the life some of you downvoters have to lead with a big black nothing (pictured above) instead of a soul.
D
Deleted member 47
"Now I sit with different faces
In rented rooms and foreign places
All the people I was kissing
Some are here and some are missing
In the nineteen-nineties"
These are the most beautiful lines about having friends dying of Aids in the 80's and 90's.
Just pasting them here makes me cry.
In rented rooms and foreign places
All the people I was kissing
Some are here and some are missing
In the nineteen-nineties"
These are the most beautiful lines about having friends dying of Aids in the 80's and 90's.
Just pasting them here makes me cry.
Exactly. It´s the bit that cuts so deep. But even taking death and AIDS (and the nineteen-nineties) out of the equation, it remains such a powerful line about relationships with friends and lovers.
Somebody said the song is too long and doesn´t have any musical highlights (or something) and it absolutely baffels me that one can be immune to the marvellous and devastating vistas Neil shows us on this journey he takes us on.
I can see that it cuts too close to the bones for some, but being unphased and bored by it?...HOW!?!
Oh and just wait when Björk -who is this close to self parody at the moment- will have those singing plastic tubes on her next album and people will freak out about it.
I love Heart and Being Boring. What does this say about me? Am I in Pet Shop Boys no man land (AKA Bros)?
Being Boring just doesn’t resonate with me ... I gave it an eight but that is based purely on the instrumentation/production .. I’m not one for identifying with lyrics (of all thier. tracks, there are 3 that I do) …
she/her
The next few lyrics are haunting as well:
"I never dreamt that I would get to be
The creature that I always meant to be
But I thought in spite of dreams
You'd be sitting somewhere here with me"
Such a sad, powerful song.
Behaviour by the numbers.
Overall average score:
7.9619444444
11s received: 7
0s received: 0
Highest scorer:
10.05 (!) (@Jóga)
Lowest scorer:
5.8 (@Bleu Noir)
7. Being Boring (9.0833333333)
12. So Hard (8.9041666667)
16. This Must Be The Place I Waited Years To Leave (8.4916666667)
17. Jealousy (8.4902777778)
22. The End Of The World (8.0986111111)
24. How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously? (8.0666666667)
*32. Where The Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You) (7.6402777778)
37. My October Symphony (7.4111111111)
42. Only The Wind (7.2444444444)
44. To Face The Truth (7.0611111111)
51. Nervously (6.7680555556)
Overall average score:
7.9619444444
11s received: 7
0s received: 0
Highest scorer:
10.05 (!) (@Jóga)
Lowest scorer:
5.8 (@Bleu Noir)
7. Being Boring (9.0833333333)
12. So Hard (8.9041666667)
16. This Must Be The Place I Waited Years To Leave (8.4916666667)
17. Jealousy (8.4902777778)
22. The End Of The World (8.0986111111)
24. How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously? (8.0666666667)
*32. Where The Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You) (7.6402777778)
37. My October Symphony (7.4111111111)
42. Only The Wind (7.2444444444)
44. To Face The Truth (7.0611111111)
51. Nervously (6.7680555556)
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I actually don´t like the Behaviour cover. Or should I say Behaviour. cover?! Was it the Boys themselves who realised that the "." behind the title was a bit too much? Or am I imagining things?
Anyway, I don´t like the roses pictures and that chair is hideous.
Speaking of things I don´t like: I think PSB were never a good video band. Most of them are a bit messy, and they completely lose me as soon as they go black&white. I detest the Bruce Weber clips!gh
Strangely enough, the video for Go West is one of their best efforts.
Imperial phase over! Here´s to Was It Worth it and its countless re-writes (some better, some worse) and the occasional highlights
Anyway, I don´t like the roses pictures and that chair is hideous.
Speaking of things I don´t like: I think PSB were never a good video band. Most of them are a bit messy, and they completely lose me as soon as they go black&white. I detest the Bruce Weber clips!gh
Strangely enough, the video for Go West is one of their best efforts.
Imperial phase over! Here´s to Was It Worth it and its countless re-writes (some better, some worse) and the occasional highlights
Stop drinking in the morning love xx
The 3 Derek Jarman directed videos are all excellent, as is What Have I ... Domino Dancing, It’s Alright, Being Boring, Jealousy, Can You Forgive Her, Single, Flamboyant ...
They/them, he/him
Can we not do the ATRL GIF thing please?
It Must Be Obvious is an outstanding b-side and would have been a great album track, and @DominoDancing although it does sound a bit rough I think it only adds to its charm.
It Couldn’t Happen Here should have made the top 20. Easily ok of their top 3 ballads.
Always On My Mind/In My House is part of the album and I do not listen to it as a standalone song having the Discography single version, but it’s just a 12” version and quintessential PSB irony.
Cheers for the hug @Ray Miserabilism is a very gloomy, stark song and perfect at that.
It’s Alright is such a good cover. They managed to sound half convincingly positive! Heart got too high. Swapping them is PopJustice.
I love the remix of Love Comes Quickly that is included in the extended PopArt edition. That would’ve been a potential 11.
I imagined Being Boring wouldn’t win, but I stand by my 11. I haven’t lived any of the things described in it. I have been raised in an Internet world and I have been raised in a family with a fear of AIDS. My uncle died because of complications from it - he had been a drug addict all through the 80s and died when I was six months old. It cast a shadow (no pun intended) over my family. Being gay myself and growing up and living in a city like Barcelona, I know what AIDS from a young age and I’ve always been scared. My friends are all hypochondriacs and extremely afraid of unsafe sex. And to top it off, my boyfriend is VIH positive, even though he’s undetectable, so to me, it’s always been there. Listening to a man about how it has destroyed so many people for a decade that I didn’t get to live makes me very emotional. Then, of course, there’s life and friendships. I’m very young, but I’ve already gone through a lot of friendships. I don’t regret any. Just like Neil. And I look forward to my 40s and seeing which creature I’m going to be. All of this I think every time I listen to the song. How can I not give it my 11?
It Couldn’t Happen Here should have made the top 20. Easily ok of their top 3 ballads.
Always On My Mind/In My House is part of the album and I do not listen to it as a standalone song having the Discography single version, but it’s just a 12” version and quintessential PSB irony.
Cheers for the hug @Ray Miserabilism is a very gloomy, stark song and perfect at that.
It’s Alright is such a good cover. They managed to sound half convincingly positive! Heart got too high. Swapping them is PopJustice.
I love the remix of Love Comes Quickly that is included in the extended PopArt edition. That would’ve been a potential 11.
I imagined Being Boring wouldn’t win, but I stand by my 11. I haven’t lived any of the things described in it. I have been raised in an Internet world and I have been raised in a family with a fear of AIDS. My uncle died because of complications from it - he had been a drug addict all through the 80s and died when I was six months old. It cast a shadow (no pun intended) over my family. Being gay myself and growing up and living in a city like Barcelona, I know what AIDS from a young age and I’ve always been scared. My friends are all hypochondriacs and extremely afraid of unsafe sex. And to top it off, my boyfriend is VIH positive, even though he’s undetectable, so to me, it’s always been there. Listening to a man about how it has destroyed so many people for a decade that I didn’t get to live makes me very emotional. Then, of course, there’s life and friendships. I’m very young, but I’ve already gone through a lot of friendships. I don’t regret any. Just like Neil. And I look forward to my 40s and seeing which creature I’m going to be. All of this I think every time I listen to the song. How can I not give it my 11?
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she/her
Jealousy deserved better!
When I joined this forum last month I was asked to read its rules, which included:
"Posts or replies that consist entirely or mainly of a reaction GIF, a smiley, an emoji, webspeak (‘LOL’ etc). If you’re already trying to think about how you can get around this rule, you’re the sort of person whose account ends up getting deleted."
"If your post amounts to little or no more than an image AND YES THIS INCLUDES REACTION GIFS your post may be deleted, you may be banned and your account may be deleted.(More on this at the bottom of this page.) Yes we know that sometimes the best response might seem to be a hilarious GIF of someone pouting or whatever. Just try to use words to describe how this GIF makes you feel."
I also love both. It's a sign of a great band if they can express a wide variety of emotions through their songs.