Pet Shop Boys - Album By Album (Week #5)

VERY

The Pet Shop Boys album "Very" is their fifth studio album, released on September 27, 1993, nearly three years after their previous album "Behaviour." After the more subdued and introspective tone of "Behaviour," the duo sought to create a "mega dance-pop album" that was more upbeat, poppy, and energetic. They aimed for an album where every song could be a single, emphasizing fantastic, well-crafted pop songs with strong dance beats. The album was primarily recorded at Lowe's home studio in Hertfordshire, with basic tracks laid down there alongside programmer Pete Gleadall, before moving to Sarm West Studios in London for final recording. Additional production and mixing were handled by Stephen Hague, marking the first Pet Shop Boys album they mainly produced themselves, experimenting with creative arrangements and computer-generated sounds, including distinctive "computer game" noises throughout the album.

"Very" is noted for its change in presentation, embracing a more theatrical, colorful, and artificial image as a reaction against the grunge movement prominent at the time. The duo adopted surreal costumes and embraced computer-generated visuals in music videos, increasing their artistic creativity around the album’s promotion. The packaging was innovative, featuring a tactile orange box with raised dots, designed by Pentagram, symbolizing a fresh and unique approach to album artwork and presentation.

The album contains diverse tracks with a variety of styles, including uplifting dance-pop, romantic ballads, and witty storytelling. Some of the highlights include:

"Very" became the Pet Shop Boys' first UK number one album and produced several hit singles all reaching the UK top 20. It is often regarded as their "coming-out" album, coinciding with Neil Tennant openly discussing his sexuality. The album was accompanied by a limited-edition bonus CD titled "Very Relentless," featuring more experimental, instrumental tracks that showed their inclination towards club culture and dance music evolution.

Overall, "Very" marked a distinct creative leap for Pet Shop Boys, blending 1990s dance-pop energy with their signature lyrical wit, narrative storytelling, and innovative visual presentation, marking it as one of their most commercially successful and artistically rich albums.

Can You Forgive Her?

The album’s lead track is a catchy, energetic dance-pop song that explores complex relationship dynamics with irony and wit. Its production features bright synth hooks, playful electronic effects, and a narrative style in the lyrics about a closeted man facing judgment for his nonconformity.

I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing

This track continues the upbeat dance vibe with a vibrant, house-influenced rhythm and shimmering synth layers. The lyrics express surprise and delight at impulsively engaging in romantic and joyful behavior, marking a celebratory tone in the album.

Liberation

A slower, more atmospheric song with cinematic synth textures and orchestral elements. It contrasts with the more immediate dance tracks and reflects themes of emotional freedom and release.

A Different Point Of View

The song features a light, funky groove with an upbeat tempo. Its lyrics touch on alternate perspectives and the idea of seeing things differently, supported by playful synth melodies and rhythmic percussion enhancing its quirky vibe.

Dreaming Of The Queen

A theatrical and somewhat melancholic track, its production blends synth-pop with an air of grandeur. Lyrically, it discusses themes of royalty, loss, and perhaps disillusionment, framed in a reflective narrative.

Yesterday, When I Was Mad

This song injects humor and sharp social commentary, critiquing celebrity culture and the music industry. The arrangement includes intricate synth patterns and a driving beat that keeps the energy high while delivering biting lyrics.

The Theatre

With layered synths and orchestral breakbeats, it offers a dramatic and cinematic soundscape. The mood is contemplative, addressing the performance aspects of social roles and human behavior.

One And One Make Five

Funky and experimental, this track blends dance rhythms with playful, almost whimsical synth sounds. The lyrics suggest a metaphysical or surreal take on relationships or mathematics, aligning with the album’s inquisitive spirit.

To Speak Is A Sin

Lush and melancholic, this track pairs poignant lyrics about communication difficulties and emotional restraint with rich synth orchestration, including string-like arrangements and gentle beats.

Young Offender

This track carries a more aggressive electronic pop sound with youthful energy and themes of rebellion, identity, and societal rules. Its production is punchy and propulsive, fitting the confrontational lyric content.

One In A Million

An upbeat track that stands out with its simplicity and emotional depth. It reflects on individuality and feeling unique in a crowded world, supported by soft synthesizers and Tennant’s emotive vocal delivery.

Go West

The album’s closing track is a grand, anthemic cover of the Village People’s disco classic. Featuring lush synth arrangements and a choir-style chorus, it transforms the song into an uplifting, almost transcendent statement on hope, unity, and liberation.

"Very" marked a vibrant, theatrical resurgence for the Pet Shop Boys with its rich production featuring a wide array of electronic textures, playful experiments with sound effects, and a confident embrace of pop and dance music. The album captured both joyous and reflective moods, blending witty, personal, and social themes within sophisticated synth-pop production. It was their first UK number one album, notable for its artistic boldness and fresh, colorful presentation.

Final thoughts….

This is a consistent album with a good cross section of songs; I much prefer the album version of “I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind Of Thing” over the single version released and I would have chosen “One In A Million” as a single rather than “Liberation”.

TRACK RATINGS

Each track on the album is scored on the following basis, an excellent tracks scores 3 points, a good track scores 2 points, an ok track scores 1 point and an awful track, scores no points, the total is added up and divided by the maximum number of points that would be available and then times that by 100 to get your overall score.  For example if an album scores 20 points and there are 10 tracks on the album, that means it can achieve a maximum score of 30, so divide 20 by 30 and times it by 100, it gives you a figure of 66.66, which is the final score rating for the album, in this case you would round it up to 67, if it was 66.33, you would round it down to 66. In the event there is a tie, the album with the most tracks rated at 3 ranks as higher.

Can You Forgive Her? 2

I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind Of Thing 2

Liberation 2

A Different Point Of View 2

Dreaming Of The Queen 2

Yesterday When I Was Mad 2

The Theatre 2

One And One Makes Five 2

To Speak Is A Sin 2

Young Offender 1

One In A Million 3

Go West 3

Score 25

 FINAL ALBUM RATING 69

 Current Album Chart

 1.       Actually - 80 (6 Tracks Rated As 3)

2.       Please - 80 (5 Tracks Rated As 3)

3.       Introspective - 78

4.       Behaviour - 73

5.       Very - 69

Rubik's 80s Mix 145 (August 1982)

White Lion Radio have released edition #145 of Rubik's 80s Mix, on this show, we feature tracks that were in the charts, in August 1982.

Listen to the show on Mixcloud here

Playlist For The Show:

The Steve Miller Band - Abracadabra
Japan - I Second That Emotion
Paul McCartney - Take It Away
The Associates - 18 Carat Love Affair
Kool & The Gang - Big Fun
China Crisis - African And White
Rockers Revenge - Walking On Sunshine
Soft Cell - What
Duran Duran - Save A Prayer
The Clash - Rock The Casbah
Chicago - Hard To Say I'm Sorry
Carly Simon - Why
Evelyn Champaign King - Love Come Down
Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five - The Message
Depeche Mode - Leave In Silence

Pet Shop Boys - Album By Album (Week #4)

 BEHAVIOUR

 "Behaviour" is the fourth studio album by the Pet Shop Boys, released on October 22, 1990, and is widely regarded as one of their most introspective and mature works. The album was primarily recorded in Munich at Harold Faltermeyer’s Red Deer Studio, with additional sessions at Abbey Road and Sarm West studios in London. The production was led by the Pet Shop Boys themselves along with Faltermeyer, who was chosen for his expertise with analog synthesizers, reflecting their desire for a warmer, more organic sound devoid of samples.

Recording and Production

The album’s production was notable for its emphasis on analogue synthesizers, inspired by their dissatisfaction with digital samples at the time. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe aimed to craft a more musical and reflective sound, stepping away from the upbeat dance tracks of previous albums, leaning into a moodier, contemplative style. Faltermeyer’s influence added lush orchestral arrangements, as heard in the opening track "Left to My Own Devices." The album also features collaborations with guitarist Johnny Marr and arranger Angelo Badalamenti, which enhanced its cinematic quality.

Themes and Musical Style

"Behaviour" explores themes of melancholy, societal decline, personal reflection, and emotional vulnerability. It was influenced by the darker mood of Depeche Mode’s "Violator," released earlier that year, and reflects on the socio-political climate of the early 1990s, including the decline of the Soviet Union and the AIDS crisis. Neil Tennant’s lyrics are poetic and often poignant, reflecting on loss, nostalgia, and existential questions, while the production emphasizes deep, layered instrumentation with a distinct analogue warmth.

Interesting Facts

The album's cover art features stark, minimalist images of red roses and an empty chair, symbolizing themes of loneliness and reflection. "Behaviour" is also noted for its deliberate avoidance of typical pop conventions, focusing instead on mood and lyrical depth, making it a favorite among critics and fans alike as a "mature" pet project that demonstrated the duo’s songwriting sophistication. It was later remastered and re-released with bonus tracks, including B-sides.

In sum, "Behaviour" stands out as a deeply personal, musically sophisticated album that reflects a period of transition and introspection for the Pet Shop Boys, cementing their reputation as inventive and thoughtful artists in the synth-pop landscape.

Being Boring

A reflective and poignant song about friendship, loss, and growing up, underscored by warm synth layers and a mid-tempo beat. Its lyrics touching on personal loss are paired with lush, sophisticated production, making it one of the duo’s most beloved and emotional tracks.

This Must Be The Place I Waited Years To Leave

Opening with a vocoder loop and intense percussive synths, this track was initially written as a musical exercise inspired by James Bond themes. It contains references to dreams and the fall of communism, and features Tennant’s Northern English accent, adding a unique character. The production mixes layered synths with a steady electronic rhythm, creating a dreamy yet somber atmosphere.

To Face The Truth

The song deals with the emotional complexity of suspecting a partner of infidelity while clinging to denial. With colorful and intricate synth instrumentation, it allows listeners to dwell on the painful process of confronting truth, enhanced by a repetitive but evolving musical structure.

How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously?

A critique wrapped in irony and dry wit, this track features sharper electronic beats and staccato synth lines. The lyrics and tone suggest skepticism about authenticity and reputation, conveyed through a more direct and punchy arrangement.

Only The Wind

A quiet, atmospheric ballad, layered with subtle synths and minimal percussion to evoke themes of isolation and longing. Its restrained production enhances the emotional vulnerability expressed in Tennant’s vocals.

My October Symphony

Incorporating acoustic guitar and orchestral elements, this track contemplates nostalgia and the passing of time. The arrangement builds gradually, blending organic and electronic sounds to create a reflective mood.

So Hard

A danceable yet emotionally complex track about heartbreak and coping, featuring prominent piano lines, bass synths, and a catchy hook. The production balances upbeat rhythms with introspective lyrics, making it both a club hit and a thoughtful pop song.

Nervously

Starting with a stripped-down synth introduction, this song gradually adds layers including bass, brass, strings, guitar, and drums. It captures the shy, tentative excitement of a romantic encounter with delicate and nuanced electronic production.

The End Of The World

A relatively light and melodic electro-pop tune, it serves as a palate cleanser within the album. Its catchy melody and smooth arrangement contrast with some of the darker themes elsewhere on the record.

Jealousy

Closing the album on a grand, dramatic note, "Jealousy" is an intense ballad about obsession and longing. The production includes orchestral arrangements and electronic brass, enhancing the song’s emotional weight and providing a fitting finale to the album.

Overall, "Behaviour" is characterized by its blend of analogue synthesizers, lush orchestral touches, emotional lyricism, and a contemplative tone. The album diverges from high-energy dance pop to explore melancholy, vulnerability, and maturity with subtlety and sophistication, cementing it as a definitive work in the Pet Shop Boys' discography.

Final thoughts….

Quite a lot of Pet Shop Boys fans rate this as their best album, I’m not so sure, it has gown on me over time, when it was released, I felt it was a bit all over the place on the quality front, I love “Being Boring”, however, I am not keen on the album version. I would probably have chosen “The End Of The World” as a single over “How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously”. The one track that I have not really liked a great deal is “My October Symphony”.

TRACK RATINGS

Each track on the album is scored on the following basis, an excellent tracks scores 3 points, a good track scores 2 points, an ok track scores 1 point and an awful track, scores no points, the total is added up and divided by the maximum number of points that would be available and then times that by 100 to get your overall score.  For example if an album scores 20 points and there are 10 tracks on the album, that means it can achieve a maximum score of 30, so divide 20 by 30 and times it by 100, it gives you a figure of 66.66, which is the final score rating for the album, in this case you would round it up to 67, if it was 66.33, you would round it down to 66. In the event there is a tie, the album with the most tracks rated at 3 ranks as higher.

Being Boring 3

This Must Be The Place I Waited Years To Leave 2

To Face The Truth 2

How Can You Expect To Be Take Seriously 2

Only The Wind 2

My October Symphony 1

So Hard 3

Nervously 2

The End Of The World 2

Jealousy 3

Score 22

FINAL ALBUM RATING 73 

Current Album Chart

 

1.       Actually - 80 (6 Tracks Rated As 3)

2.       Please - 80 (5 Tracks Rated As 3)

3.       Introspective - 78

4.       Behaviour – 73

Pet Shop Boys - Album By Album (Week #3)

Welcome to week #3 of our new feature, which focuses on the studio albums, released by Pet Shop Boys. This week we look at the 3rd studio album released by the band, "Introspective"

INTROSPECTIVE

The Pet Shop Boys' third studio album "Introspective" was released in October 1988 with a concept that flipped the traditional pop album format on its head. Rather than recording typical 3–4-minute songs and then expanding them into longer dance mixes, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe decided to create extended tracks of 7-8 minutes from the outset, later edited down for singles. This approach gave the album a unique structure where each of the six tracks was essentially designed as a dance single in extended form.

The recording of "Introspective" began in early 1988 with the first track recorded being a new version of "I Get Excited (You Get Excited Too)", initially laid down as a B-side for a single. Over the following months, sessions were held across various locations, including work with producer Trevor Horn, who produced the orchestral pop opener "Left to My Own Devices" at Abbey Road. Horn's production was noted for commissioning orchestral arrangements recorded live, adding a lush, cinematic quality. Other producers involved included Lewis Martineé in Miami for the more Latin-influenced "Domino Dancing" and David Jacob alongside the duo themselves for additional tracks. Legendary house DJ and producer Frankie Knuckles contributed a remix of "I Want a Dog..." which was included as a nod to rave culture and dance music's evolving sounds.

Interesting aspects of "Introspective" include its sleeve design by Mark Farrow, featuring colorful striped patterns designed with the CD format in mind. The band's decision not to use their photographs on the cover was unusual and has been noted as a bold artistic statement. The album became their best-selling record overall, widely seen as an "imperial album" where they felt completely in control of their music and production.

"Introspective" stands out for its blend of orchestral pop grandeur, house music rhythm, and the duo's characteristic wit and lyrical insight, all presented in an innovative album format that celebrated extended dance tracks as complete works rather than mere remixes. It remains a seminal release in the Pet Shop Boys’ catalog, reflecting both the musical trends of the late 1980s and their own distinctive artistic vision.

Left To My Own Devices

The album opener is an orchestral and synth-driven anthem about independence and self-reliance. Produced by Trevor Horn with lush orchestral arrangements recorded live at Abbey Road, the track blends dramatic cinematic elements with electronic beats. Lyrically, it paints a stylized day in the life of someone delighting in solitude and personal freedom, referencing cultural icons like Che Guevara and Debussy. The expansive 8-minute version contrasts with the later radio edit, showcasing the duo's ambition to marry pop with grandeur.

I Want A Dog

This playful, quirky track carries house music influences and features a notable remix by Frankie Knuckles, deepening its club appeal. The lyrics express a whimsical desire for connection and companionship, wrapped in a danceable groove. The Knuckles remix adds soulful, rich layers that contrasted with Neil Tennant’s dry vocal style, highlighting the duo’s embrace of evolving club culture.

Domino Dancing

Produced by Lewis A. Martineé in Miami, this track incorporates Latin freestyle rhythms, signaling the duo’s interest in diverse dance genres of the 1980s. It’s a seductive song about romantic entanglements and miscommunication, underscored by syncopated percussion and sultry synth pads. The track was a successful single, reflecting their continued pop sensibility within experimental dance frameworks.

I'm Not Scared

Originally a hit for Eighth Wonder, this version by Pet Shop Boys presents the song with a cinematic Europop style. It carries a mysterious and menacing tone, with lyrics suggesting emotional tension and warning. The production features romantic strings and moody synthesizers, creating a haunting atmosphere that contrasts with its pop roots.

Always On My Mind / In My House

This medley blends a heartfelt cover of "Always on My Mind" with "In My House," an acid-house influenced track that expands the song’s narrative. The arrangement balances sentimentality with contemporary dance textures, mixing rich vocal delivery and club beats. It reflects themes of love, regret, and intimacy, presented within a modern electronic context.

It's Alright

Closing the album, "It's Alright" is a cover of a vocal house classic by Sterling Void and Marshall Jefferson. The production by Trevor Horn and Stephen Lipson features uplifting, gospel-inspired vocals over expansive synths and rhythms. The track acknowledges social troubles yet ends with an ambivalent but hopeful message, capturing the album’s blend of introspection and dancefloor optimism.

"Introspective" is distinguished by its format of six extended tracks designed initially as dancefloor pieces, later edited for radio. This ambitious structure, combined with sophisticated production from noted producers and remixers, allowed the Pet Shop Boys to explore various facets of pop, house, and orchestral music while maintaining intelligent and often witty lyrics. The album remains a standout for its lush, experimental approaches and its embrace of the late 1980s club culture.

Final Thoughts….

A brave move to release an album of just 6 tracks in extended format, but it worked! No less than 4 tracks received the singles treatment, all of which are outstanding choices, that said I am not keen on the album version of “It’s Alright” and “I Want A Dog” is a bit of a throwaway track.

TRACK RATINGS

Each track on the album is scored on the following basis, an excellent tracks scores 3 points, a good track scores 2 points, an ok track scores 1 point and an awful track, scores no points, the total is added up and divided by the maximum number of points that would be available and then times that by 100 to get your overall score.  For example if an album scores 20 points and there are 10 tracks on the album, that means it can achieve a maximum score of 30, so divide 20 by 30 and times it by 100, it gives you a figure of 66.66, which is the final score rating for the album, in this case you would round it up to 67, if it was 66.33, you would round it down to 66. In the event there is a tie, the album with the most tracks rated at 3 ranks as higher.

Left To My Own Devices 3

I Want A Dog 1

Domino Dancing 3

I’m Not Scared 3

Always On My Mind/In My House 3

It’s Alright 1

Score 14 

FINAL ALBUM RATING 78 

Current Album Chart

 

1.       Actually - 80 (6 Tracks Rated As 3)

2.       Please - 80 (5 Tracks Rated As 3)

3.       Introspective - 78