Pet Shop Boys - It Couldn't Happen Here

[dust]

Anyone heard Chris & Neil's commentary on their videos DVD?

That whole DVD is worth the price alone just for the commentary at the beginning of "What Have I Done...?" with Chris despairing loudly at how stupid he looks!!!

I was a huge PSBs fan in the 80s but, like many people here, tuned out around the "Very" era - the first single off that ("Can You Forgive Her") was great but the follow-ups were bloody awful (they should never have released "Go West" - to me, it was just one cover version too many though, I have to confess I do like the 12" version - AFTER the main song has finished and it goes into long-instrumental mode..)

What truly p!sses me off to this day is the glitches and flaws on the remastered CD packages.  Even the Liza Minellii CD that came out last year had a whacking great flaw slap bang in the middle of track 3!  Didn't anyone quality check them?  Apparently, none of them have ever been fixed...

[Ray Le Otter]

What truly p!sses me off to this day is the glitches and flaws on the remastered CD packages.  Even the Liza Minellii CD that came out last year had a whacking great flaw slap bang in the middle of track 3!  Didn't anyone quality check them?  Apparently, none of them have ever been fixed...

Ok, you've intrigued me now. Where are the errors on the remastered CDS?

[dust]

details of all the mistakes are here:

http://www.geocities.com/petshopboys_actually/discography/original/albums.htm

actualy, it seems that the only major flaw (but the one that bugs the *&^% outta me) is on CD2 of the Introspective reissue - Don Juan has the "extra kick" which is very distracting...

[Ray Le Otter]

details of all the mistakes are here:
http://www.geocities.com/petshopboys_actually/discography/original/albums.htm

Hmm. So that's two minor mistakes on the remastered versions - annoying maybe, but it's not disasterous is it?

[dust]

Disastrous no, but still annoying that it slipped through quality control.

[benthalo]

Oddly not mentioned on the official site as yet, the I'm With Stupid video gets its premiere on Channel 4 next week.

[Panbaams]

Oddly not mentioned on the official site as yet, the I'm With Stupid video gets its premiere on Channel 4 next week.

Good stuff! Thanks for the info. Presumably the Channel 4 doc will be on fairly soon ...

[danielreal2k]

details of all the mistakes are here:

http://www.geocities.com/petshopboys_actually/discography/original/albums.htm

actualy, it seems that the only major flaw (but the one that bugs the *&^% outta me) is on CD2 of the Introspective reissue - Don Juan has the "extra kick" which is very distracting...

I seem to remember a Disco 3 balls up, where they had to destroy 10 thousand copies or more because they were faulty, so you could send it back and get a replacement.

[dust]

details of all the mistakes are here:

http://www.geocities.com/petshopboys_actually/discography/original/albums.htm

actualy, it seems that the only major flaw (but the one that bugs the *&^% outta me) is on CD2 of the Introspective reissue - Don Juan has the "extra kick" which is very distracting...

I seem to remember a Disco 3 balls up, where they had to destroy 10 thousand copies or more because they were faulty, so you could send it back and get a replacement.

pity they don't fix other mistakes so easily.. (unless they do, in which case, someone pleeease put me straight..)

[Steve Thompson Dance Mix]

It was during track one of 'Time on my hands'. Sadly I still kept this version.

There's also some radio 2 exclusive soon.

Re. the 'Somewhere' promo commentary they basically laugh at the director whose name is on the credits, Neil says he also hates it when some guy complains about the smell of the homeless, Chris moans and tells himself to shut up when Neil and Chris are talking about how great each other are, and at the end Chris says how they were stitched up.

I got the feeling that the director of that video represented them in also a cartoonesque and shallow light.

[The Plunger]

From the official PSB website :

A special edition of the new Pet Shop Boys' album, "Fundamental", will include a bonus dance album, "Fundamentalism", containing six remixes and two new tracks. The full track-listing is as follows:

1. Fugitive (Richard X extended mix)
2. Sodom (Trentmoller remix)
3. Psychological (Alter Ego remix)
4. Flamboyant (Michael Mayer remix)
5. I'm with Stupid (Melnyk mix)
6. In private (Stuart Crichton club mix)
7. Minimal (Lobe remix)
8. Gomorrah (Dettinger remix)

"Fugitive" was originally written at the beginning of last year and was recently completed with Richard X. "In private" is Pet Shop Boys' own version of the hit they wrote and produced for Dusty Springfield in 1989. It features vocals by Neil Tennant and Elton John.

The Richard X track sounds interesting, I'll be having some of this.

[Bamber Hopcraft]

I reckon the new album will be good, but for me the high point of the Pet Shop Boys will be Kings Cross, the last song on Actually. That song is awesome to listen to, even today.

[The Mumbler]

Oddly not mentioned on the official site as yet, the I'm With Stupid video gets its premiere on Channel 4 next week.

To be precise, Good Friday (14th April) at 2345.

[benthalo]

Jesus, wasn't the PSB video fun? I watched it again straight away. Loved the home made "BOY" caps.

Also amused by the presenter of tonight's Roundtable (6Music) being utterly thrown by a panel (inc Stewart Lee) willing to acknowledge that the Pets are rather good. And, as SLee pointed out, never mind the tune, which is quite middling I admit - they seem awfully more aware of what pop should be *saying* right now.

[Steve Thompson Dance Mix]

When I first heard about Lucas and Walliams I had some misgivings that they would go the popular LB route. However, the send up of the Boys was more in tune with the early Walliams and Lucas material, mid 90s and worked really well.

I liked the deadpan humour, the DIY set/costumes and the little subtle nod to Camp X-ray style/US prisoners, prior to the lowering of the pointy hats. And of course the slow descent of the sweaky screen at the end.

I didn't hear the Roundtable thing, but I think 6 music should get their own house in order before they criticise the boys. There's only really a couple of shows I enjoy.

[benthalo]

Quite a nice taped intro to the video on Popworld last Saturday, partly as a farewell to Amstell & Oliver on their final show.

Neil: [with Chris clearly corpsing] "Still, time is a great healer - and here's our new video!".

They're also billed for Top Of The Pops next Sunday, although whoever submits the info about that show to Radio Times appears to have been hit on the head lately, so there's no guarantee.

[danielreal2k]

The TOTP appearance was quite good, how many other bands would you see with dancers wearing Blair, Bush, Clinton, Cameron masks ? in Guantanamo jump suits

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2MHxL91jfw

[benthalo]

In telly news, there's a PSB appearance on the rubbish new Popworld this Saturday. As they've ran the video, they'll either be doing a studio performance or interview. By usual practice, they'll be on during the following show too.

[benthalo]

The TOTP appearance was quite good, how many other bands would you see with dancers wearing Blair, Bush, Clinton, Cameron masks ? in Guantanamo jump suits

Seen the comment about this on the official site? Almost inevitably, the BBC intervened and insisted on a wider variety of faces in the interests of political balance.

[TOCMFIC]

God damn it I hate being over this side of the Atlantic some times. Anyone got a screenshot of it?

[Angst in my Pants]

God damn it I hate being over this side of the Atlantic some times. Anyone got a screenshot of it?

It's up on youtube if you want to watch the performance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsIWabyzgS8&search=pet%20shop%20boys%20totp

[VegaLA]

God damn it I hate being over this side of the Atlantic some times. Anyone got a screenshot of it?

I have a vid file of it that i'll upload to my site and share here tomorrow.

[Steve Thompson Dance Mix]

Those who liked Release and those who prefer old school epic Pet Shop Boys are going to be in with a treat with Fundamental.

Also one of the b-sides to the new single, The Ressurectionist (Extended mix) is fantastic. The only downside to Fundamental is Numb, which unsurprisingly,written by Diane Warren is weak.

There's also a new documentary on Channel 4 by the end of May.

[Panbaams]

Those who liked Release and those who prefer old school epic Pet Shop Boys are going to be in with a treat with Fundamental.

Also one of the b-sides to the new single, The Ressurectionist (Extended mix) is fantastic. The only downside to Fundamental is Numb, which unsurprisingly,written by Diane Warren is weak.

Any news on when/where the "I'm with Stupid" remixes will be available from? (Nothing on the official site at the moment.) Or if they're any good?

[Steve Thompson Dance Mix]

Most of the remixes apart from the PSB maxi-mix are rubbish. However, the b-sides are sublime. I believe it's out on Monday and should be available on the 7 digital website (I think it's called) and pressumably on iTunes.

The album will/should/may keep the Release and traditional PSB camps happy. Standout tracks for me (what I've heard) are Luna Park, Soddom and Gommorah show, Minimal and Intergral (which musically sounds like Black Box Recorder's- These are the things that keep us together, in the chorus) Intergral is pretty OTT but the lyrics stop it veering into camp territory.

However, The Ressurectionist, probably should have been on the album.

Did I mention that Q gave the album 4 out of 5 stars ?(if Q means anything these days)

[TOCMFIC]

God damn it I hate being over this side of the Atlantic some times. Anyone got a screenshot of it?

It's up on youtube if you want to watch the performance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsIWabyzgS8&search=pet%20shop%20boys%20totp

Thanks! I actually really like the song which surprised me. Very much a return to the PSB I know and love.

[benthalo]

Another studio performance on this week's Popworld, except on this occasion they got their way with exclusively Bush and Blair masks!

[danielreal2k]

http://www.parlophone.co.uk/pet_shop_boys/fundamental_player/

Album  preview.

Have listened to the full album, Dunno what to say, seems like very good Production that they have done very little with, floats around like a fart in the breeze.  

I'll give it the 6/10     "Meh"

"Numb" Sounds like something they stole from Will Young and put Neil's vocal on top, keep expecting him to sing "Alllll time love" at any point.

[Ray Le Otter]

Haeds up - there's an appearance on the "Culture Show" sometime in the week of May 20th:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/pdfs/tv/week21/bbctvwk21_un.pdf

[Angst in my Pants]

I was lucky enough to win tickets for the Radio 2 "Sold on Song" concert last night, an utterly incredible performance with the BBC Concert Orchestra.  Be sure to catch it - BBC Radio 2 on May 27th at 8.30 pm.

It was the third time I've seen them live - true performers, I am so glad that Pet Shop Boys have kept the pop flag flying for so long.  

They've both made such a little go a very long way!