Pet Shop Boys - Yes

[Lx_Nen]

As this one's just leaked, I guess it's thread time...

First impressions - the first single "Love etc." is the only obvious single, and the rest of it is pretty much just lightweight forgettable pop. There's been talk in the press of it being the best thing they've done in ages, but I found it to be a huge disappointment, and nowhere near as good as "Fundamental".

"All over the world" uses an old classical riff, but the lightweight production seriously lets it down. Anne Dudley and Trevor Horn could have made this one as huge as "Jealousy" or "Left to My Own Devices", but instead it sounds twee and cheesy.

"Beautiful People" tries to be '60s influenced (real drums and Smiths guitarist to the fore), but it just ends up being Pulp's Common People without the irony... which sort of sums up what's wrong with this album lyrically, it's totally devoid of irony, which is disappointing since irony is their hallmark.

"Build a Wall" is the only real highlight, an interestig uplifting tune with vocal cameos from Chris and a much needed plethora of obscure references from Neil.

The last track "Legacy" is a bit of a change from the blandness, it might even be called experimental, suddenly veering off into waltz time and then going on about getting your mobile upgraded... but unfortunatley it's anexperiment that, unusually for a highly pretentious PSB track, doesn't really work... and it keeps on not really working for 6 1/2 minutes.

So this album is not very camp, it's not ironic, it's not got a 'list' song, or any dancefloor stompers (except posibly track 1), or any ballads, or any orchestral bombast, or any venom, or political comment... and if you strip a PSBs album of all that, unfortunately there's not really all that much left.

[big screen satellite]

Originally Posted by Lx_Nen

As this one's just leaked, I guess it's thread time...

First impressions - the first single "Love etc." is the only obvious single, and the rest of it is pretty much just lightweight forgettable pop. There's been talk in the press of it being the best thing they've done in ages, but I found it to be a huge disappointment, and nowhere near as good as "Fundamental".

i totally agree, its an OK listenable album, and some of the tracks could get released with some mixes... but its not a patch on Fundamental... certainly will see the boys on tour because their shows are awesome

if you like the PSB's you will enjoy this album, but its not gonna convert fence sitters,