... This album, "Discography" gives the best overall collection of the Pet Shop Boys in their prime -- the albums that have followed have had good reception among their established fan base, but they don't really make the splash they used to. The DJ Culture has changed, but the PSB are rarely ... Read review
Where would the '80s have been without the Pet Shop Boys? Discography makes a compelling ... more
case for the notion of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe as pioneers, if not geniuses. Mixing the cold feel of Euro-techno beats with the Boys' quest for something warm ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Where would the '80s have been without the Pet Shop Boys? Discography makes a compelling ... more
case for the notion of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe as pioneers, if not geniuses. Mixing the cold feel of Euro-techno beats with the Boys' quest for something warm between the sheets, "What Have I Done to Deserve This" and "Suburbia" sound almost soulful. Although they seemed to be suffering from a terminal case of boredom, they managed to alchemize their ennui into touching sentimentality in "Love Comes Quickly," "Rent," and, especially, the AIDS-oriented "Being Boring." Discography begins with the Pet Shop Boys' beginning, "West End Girls," traveling past "Domino Dancing" and including their covers "Always on My Mind," and the medley "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You.)" --Steve Gdula
Postage & Packaging:Free! Availability:Usually dispatched within 1 to 3 weeks...
Where would the '80s have been without the Pet Shop Boys?Discographymakes a compelling ... more
case for the notion of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe as pioneers, if not geniuses. Mixing the cold feel of Euro-techno beats with the Boys' quest for something warm between the sheets, "What Have I Done to Deserve This" and "Suburbia" sound almost soulful. Although they seemed to be suffering from a terminal case of boredom, they managed to alchemize their ennui into touching sentimentality in "Love Comes Quickly," "Rent," and, especially, the AIDS-oriented "Being Boring."Discographybegins with the Pet Shop Boys' beginning, "West End Girls," traveling past "Domino Dancing" and including their covers "Always on My Mind," and the medley "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You.)"--Steve Gdula
Postage & Packaging:£1.21 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Where would the '80s have been without the Pet Shop Boys?Discographymakes a compelling ... more
case for the notion of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe as pioneers, if not geniuses. Mixing the cold feel of Euro-techno beats with the Boys' quest for something warm between the sheets, "What Have I Done to Deserve This" and "Suburbia" sound almost soulful. Although they seemed to be suffering from a terminal case of boredom, they managed to alchemize their ennui into touching sentimentality in "Love Comes Quickly," "Rent," and, especially, the AIDS-oriented "Being Boring."Discographybegins with the Pet Shop Boys' beginning, "West End Girls," traveling past "Domino Dancing" and including their covers "Always on My Mind," and the medley "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You.)"--Steve Gdula
Postage & Packaging:£1.21 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Where would the '80s have been without the Pet Shop Boys?Discographymakes a compelling ... more
case for the notion of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe as pioneers, if not geniuses. Mixing thecold feel of Euro-techno beats with the Boys' quest for something warm between the sheets, "What Have I Done to Deserve This" and "Suburbia" sound almost soulful. Although they seemed to be suffering from a terminal case of boredom, they managed to alchemize their ennui into touching sentimentality in "Love Comes Quickly," "Rent," and, especially, the AIDS-oriented "Being Boring."Discographybegins with the Pet Shop Boys' beginning, "West End Girls," traveling past "Domino Dancing" and including their covers "Always on My Mind," and the medley "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You.)"--Steve Gdula
Postage & Packaging:£1.21 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Where would the '80s have been without the Pet Shop Boys?Discographymakes a compelling ... more
case for the notion of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe as pioneers, if not geniuses. Mixing the cold feel of Euro-techno beats with the Boys' quest for something warm between the sheets, "What Have I Done to Deserve This" and "Suburbia" sound almost soulful. Although they seemed to be suffering from a terminal case of boredom, they managed to alchemize their ennui into touching sentimentality in "Love Comes Quickly," "Rent," and, especially, the AIDS-oriented "Being Boring."Discographybegins with the Pet Shop Boys' beginning, "West End Girls," traveling past "Domino Dancing" and including their covers "Always on My Mind," and the medley "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You.)"--Steve Gdula
Postage & Packaging:£1.21 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: PSB, of course Disadvantages: Should be a two-disc set
If you were only going to have one PSB album (and who would have only one??) this would be the one. When it was released, it was the "complete singles" edition, although even then it wasn't -- the limitations of CDs meant they had to make a few choices about what to include and what to leave out, if they were going to keep it to one disc. They should have opted for the extended version, but they didn't. However, all the big hits, those ... ...are here.
Of course their first international smash hit was "West End Girls" and that song remains the big standard for them. It wasn't really their first song or first attempt at a single, but it is the first major song. The songs on this album come from the albums "Please" (which includes "West in Girls" and "Opportunities"), "Actually" (including "It's a Sin" and their ... more
If you were only going to have one PSB album (and who would have only one??) this would be the one. When it was released, it was the "complete singles" edition, although even then it wasn't -- the limitations of CDs meant they had to make a few choices about what to include and what to leave out, if they were going to keep it to one disc. They should have opted for the extended version, but they didn't. However, all the big hits, those songs for which the Pet Shop Boys are most remembered are here.
Of course their first international smash hit was "West End Girls" and that song remains the big standard for them. It wasn't really their first song or first attempt at a single, but it is the first major song. The songs on this album come from the albums "Please" (which includes "West in Girls" and "Opportunities"), "Actually" (including "It's a Sin" and their partnership with Dusty Springfield for "What Have I Done to Deserve This") and "Behavior" (including "So Hard" and "Being Boring").
This also includes some of the songs between the albums. The Pet Shop Boys have made a point of doing "remakes" between their major albums -- these have included covers of "Always on My Mind" and a combination/remake of "Where the Streets Have No Name/Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" -- somewhat bizarre twists of songs that work even out of their typical musical area.
The Pet Shop Boys sound is very 80s, trickling a little into the 90s but only just. However, the 80s sound is still around in many ways, and the Pet Shop Boys are without a doubt a strong influence on the popular music of the time. This album, "Discography" gives the best overall collection of the Pet Shop Boys in their prime -- the albums that have followed have had good reception among their established fan base, but they don't really make the splash they used to. The DJ Culture has changed, but the PSB are rarely Being Boring.
1. West End Girls Their first major hit. Still the classic song that identifies them. American audiences in particular confused them as possibly being straight with this song, a confusion that continued for almost a decade, officially.
2. Love Comes Quickly Never quite the hit in America, it is still my favorite song from their early days. The video is low budget but enigmatic, and the interplay of electronic sounds and somber lyrics is mesmerizing to me.
3. Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) An alternate version of this song was actually their first attempt at a single. This one is the hit, a brash, poppy kind of song, that has themes that are replayed in future songs like "Shopping" and "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously" (neither of which are in this collection).
4. Suburbia I always thought this, with its electronic piano heavy sound, reminded me of the theme to Eastenders.
5. It's a Sin This was a great dance club hit that was the first major single from the second album.
6. What Have I Done to Deserve This? A collaboration with Dusty Springfield -- this song may be their greatest.
7. Rent Another song like "Love Comes Quickly", somewhat dark and mysterious, something true but not quite proper here.
8. Always on My Mind Fun! Who would have ever though of a disco version of this song? I wonder what Willie Nelson would do with "West End Girls"?
9. Heart A strange song, good but quirky, that has a beat a little bit off -- maybe it is because my heart beats at a different rate?
10. Domino Dancing From their third album, this introduced Latin influences into their disco sound.
11. Left to My Own Devices Clever lyrics and clever music.
12. It's Alright A big club anthem, a bit political and a bit over-optimistic. And to think, they later criticize artists for giving political judgments -- self-criticism has often been a strong point.
13. So Hard Yet another play on words in this title, this was the first single from their fourth album, Behavior. Another high energy dance song with lyrics that don't lead to a happy ending.
14. Being Boring Poetry in disco music, this draws its title from the arts crowd in Paris between the wars. Stylish and well conceived.
15. Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes off You) Yet another remake, this time a combination, cleverly executed. Apparently Bono, when asked what he thought about the Pet Shop Boys remaking this song, responded, "What have I done to deserve this?"
16. Jealousy This was one of the first songs the PSB ever wrote, but it took a long time to see production on an album. Again, it looks at the darker side, with a steady beat but a somewhat minor-key tone and lyrics that make one think.
17. DJ Culture 18. Was It Worth It? These two songs are the bonus for buying this collection; they are new to the disc, and to a certain extent career-ending songs (not in that they are bad, but rather some wondered if the PSB were retiring after this). They reflect both on the culture and on their own success in these songs (well, one of their albums was called Introspection, after all).
sutherland1 20.08.2003
Ciao members have rated this review on average:
very helpful
Review of Discography (The Complete Singles Collection) - Pet Shop Boys
Advantages: large variety of songs Disadvantages: may be too 'ironic' for some
...not be too favourable, the Discography is definitely worth a look, especially as it can now be purchased for a cut price in many chain stores. After all, where else are you going to find lyrics like ‘Che Guevara and Debussy to a disco beat’? No-one that’s ever likely to be featured in ‘Smash Hits’ again, that’s for sure… ...
stoffy 31.10.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Discography (The Complete Singles Collection) - Pet Shop Boys
Advantages: Every Pet Shop Boys' A-Side, 1983-91... Disadvantages: ...except for two.
'Discography' is best described as the rough guide to the first eight years of the Pet Shop Boys, at it simply compiles 18 of their singles in chronological order. Surprisingly, the album fails even in the basic task of bringing the appropriate tracks together - as two obvious choices are missed. The Pet Shop Boys' first single, 'Opportunities (Original 7" Version)' is not to be found, only the remixed, re-released 1986 version. The second version ... ...original is disappointing. Worse is the omission of 'How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously?', one half of a double a-side pairing with 'Where The Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)'. This is an excellent song, satyrically lampooning the pretentions of modern pop stars (think of the video to Blink 182's 'All The Small Things'). The album sorely misses this brilliant song. It would be a little picky of me to make a case for the ...
SkyscraperFanClub 29.01.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Discography (The Complete Singles Collection) - Pet Shop Boys
Think of early 80’s and you will have landed right in the middle of my favourite musical era, from the days of Duran Duran and Soft Cell, Erasure and the hugely successful Pet Shop Boys, did you see the Top Ten on Channel 4 last night (07/04/2001)? It was great wasn’t it?
Any way those giants are just whom this review is about, well not them directly but their brilliant greatest hits album Discography.
This album reminds me so much of being a teenager ... .../ euro pop as we know and love it today.
The Pet Shop Boys are Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe and they burst into the UK charts with their first hit single West End Girls, which was a massive, number 1 hit on both side of the Atlantic, here is my album run down.
West End Girls –
This was surely the single that was to put the Pet shop Boys firmly on the UK pop scene, it lingered in the charts for over 15 weeks here and in the USA it was a number 1 ...
StollyDolly 09.04.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Discography (The Complete Singles Collection) - Pet Shop Boys
Advantages: They made some great records Disadvantages: None
During the eighties one of my favourite bands was The Pet Shop Boys, I loved all the synthesisers, and the way they looked so cool when they were singing. The Pet Shop Boys began in 1981 they consisted of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. In 1984 they issued "West End Girls", which passed by unnoticed, by the public. They were then dropped by their record company Epic Records, they were then taken on by EMI/Parlaphone. They brought out a record called ... ...flop. They re-recorded "West End Girls" which topped the charts both here and in America, by 1987 they had their second hit single with "Its A Sin". There next number one was a cover version of Elvis Presleys "Always On My Mind". They featured in a film along side Barbara Winsor the Carry On Actress, but sadly it got the cold shower by the press and media, but they only saw this as a small hiccup in the fortunes, they soon had their fourth number ...
tallguy 18.08.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Discography (The Complete Singles Collection) - Pet Shop Boys
In the mid-1980s, the Pet Shop Boys arrived to the scene with their first single "West End Girls". Since then, the band has put out a brilliant collection of albums and hit singles. In 1991, the band released their first compilation album, "Discography-The Complete Singles Collection". "Discography" shows a lot of the singles from 1985 through 1991 from the duo of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. Four of these singles would become number one in the U.K. ... ...arrangements, the Pet Shop Boys showed a lot of what the 80s was about. Tennant talked about boredom, greed, homosexuality, yuppies, love, suburban life, and religion from his own experience with Lowe giving it background music. Songs like "West End Girls", "Suburbia", "Rent", "It's A Sin", "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money)" and "Domino Dancing" are all dance classics from the duo of Tennant and Lowe. Another highlight is the Pet Shops Boys ...
moonlightmist 29.08.2000
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Discography (The Complete Singles Collection) - Pet Shop Boys
![River Is Wide, The [Remastered] - Forum (The)](http://imagesb.ciao.com/iuk/images/products/small/251/prod_small-6006251.jpg)
