Customer Reviews

Disco 3

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Truthfully, 2002's "Release" was my least favorite Pet Shop Boys album. It was nice to see Neil and Chris tone down the synths and dabble with rock, but that CD lacked some of the magic of their synth-heavy work. I was therefore thrilled as the next PSB fan to find the duo returning to their dancefloor roots on "Disco 3." (Even though it has 10 tracks, this is classified as an EP. Strange!) So, what are the main attractions? There's the brazenly-titled Bobby O composition "Try It (I'm in Love With a Married Man), in which Neil longs for a guy who's already hitched; we get a bassy-heavy discocentric remix of "London" courtesy of Felix Da Housecat, and Superchumbo delivers a deep house re-working of the b-side "Sexy Northerner." Other killer cuts are the new tracks which include "Positive Role Model" and "Somebody Else's Business." "Disco 3" is a consistently good album that will please fans new and old. It shows Neil and Chris doing what they do best: creating thoughtful dance music.

As a Pet Shop Boy fan, I still worry every time a new album comes out by these boys. With the release of Disco 3, I was worried that it would be nothing but remixes, remixes, remixes. It is SO much more than that. There are some songs on here that I doubt any singer could try and match. When the album first starts out, it begins with a great song obviously put together by Chris Lowe, the group's electronic expert and keyboard artist. Chris is not a singer--but he's one hell of a composer. I like the fact that there is not much singing in these songs, but lots of profound statements that ring throughout such "It's very nice, but it's not what I'm used to." Some of these songs remind me of their RELENTLESS import cd; an all music and no singing type of album. The music makes these boys, and Neil's voice brings it to another level. One would think that the song "Somebody Else's Business" might become a hit single soon. I applaud them especially for taking a sensitive subject such as "Try It: I'm in Love With a Married Man" and stating the dangerous and beautiful feelings of such an illicit affair that happens to more people than society likes to acknowledge. With their music and lyrics, they once again stand out as the band that will never dull your senses. They continue to come out with new and original work, and music that we want to label our deepest and most intense emotions to. The album is not a disappointment at all; just another level that the Pet Shop Boys have dared to find.

the title Disco and the fact that this is supposed to be a remix cd of Pet Shop boys- this is simply a stunning electronic cd which stands up on it's own. Here's a track by track rundown with marks in brackets out of 10:
1. Time On My Hands(10): Amazing dark, electronic sound Kraftwerk style and not to dissimilliar to obscure PSB classics like One Of The Crowd and We All Feel Better In The Dark(from Alternative- The PSB's Bsides cd)
2 Postive Role Model(10)- Barry White sample and cult song among PSB fan- a definitive hit if only it would be released as a single!
3 Try It(10)- Similiar sound to Royksopp's Remind Me and abother obscure PSB classic Miserablism.
4 London Remix(10)- Virtually no relation to the original track this is awesome stuff.
5 Somebody Else's Business(10)- A "normal song"- brilliant.
6 Here(remix)(10)- The best track on Release and a brilliant remix.
7 If Looks could Kill(10)- The 5th new track and more brilliance. (Perhaps should have had less of that bloody Cher effect though- will that never go out of fashion?)
8 Sexy Northerner(8)- Not quite in the same class as the original version(Home & Dry B Side).
9 Home & Dry (Blank & Jones Remix)(10)- The original is great and this remix is brilliant.
10 London(Genuine Piano mix)(8)- The only slow song here- a nice end.
In short- a masterpiece!!!

With a few tweaks, "Disco 3" could possibly stand on its own as a proper album, not merely a remix CD. There are five new songs included, as well as remixes of three songs from 2002's album "Release", and a mix of the Boys' exquisite b-side "Sexy Northerner". All in all, the collection works quite well.

Things get off to a thumping start with the sinisterly hands-in-the-air anthem "Time On My Hands", featuring primary vocals by the quieter side of the synth-pop duo, Chris Lowe. It has a very dark sound to it, and a good, tongue-in-cheek PSB lyrical element. "Positive Role Model" is a re-do from the Boys' recent musical, and is a stomping, head bopping catharsis. I love the song "Try It (I'm In Love With a Married Man". Neil's vocals are trembling and heartfelt, and the music is gently layered over a steady beat. It reminds me of their 1990's b-side "Confidential". "Somebody Else's Business" is a spiky little song with a lot of 'umph', and in-your-face dissertation about a gossip queen. "If Looks Could Kill" is a sassily-sung number that features some really good vocal work by lead singer Neil Tennant.

The remixes. Felix Da Housecat does a great version of "London". Though the original song is completely gone, the new mix is a rather standard, catchy club tune. The PSB new version of "Here" is outstanding. It was the best song on 2002's "Release", and gets an ethereal, powerful remix on this collection. Superchumbo's take on "Sexy Northerner" incorporates elements of the original b-side material, but ultimately does not do it justice. It is the only real letdown here. I kind of like the Blank & Jones mix of "Home and dry". It is a high BPM club track, and improves upon the original. The CD ends with a quiet, non-dance piano version of "London". A perfect cool-down ending to a dance album with a superb level of wit and energy.

"Disco 3" is a good, solid release. Most of the remixes are quite well-done, unique in their different takes on the original songs. The 5 new tracks are so good that they could easily be the basis for a full-on album from the Boys. It's nice to see that they haven't lost their touch.

I've been a huge Pet Shop Boys fan since their brilliant debut with `Please' back in 1986. I've always loved their exciting use of synthesizers, second only to Giorgio Moroder, and their very witty lyrics. However, it seemed to me that about the time of their 1996 release `Bilingual', they had run out of fresh ideas.

A friend of mine recommended this CD to me and reluctantly, I must confess, I bought it.

What a fabulous surprise it turned out to be! It's actually a collection of remixes with 5 new songs but it might as well be a new CD.

`Positive role model' with its chanted/spoken chorus, the tender, forlorn sounding `Try it (I'm in love with a married man)', `Somebody else's business' (about a gossip), and the piano laden `Here' are their typical atmospheric yet melancholic sounding dance numbers.

`If looks could kill' is a brilliant song with razor sharp jittery sounding synths and Neil Tennant singing in a falsetto through a vocoder.

`Home and dry' has got to be the one of best remixes of the lot. Simply outstanding! I love the swirling synths and breaks. Very theatrical sounding.

The best in my opinion is `London'. Wow!! Completely rewrites the original song. Starting off with a stomping beat, and with minimal lyrics set to a hypnotic beat/synth combo, this has to be heard to be believed. I just can't get this song out of my head!

`London' is reprised at the end of the CD in a lounge bar piano ballad version.

Brilliant. Restored my faith in the PSB!

...back they come with "Disco 3"! I've been a PSB fan since "West End Girls" (ask my wife; she'll complain quite merrily about the number of 12"s and CDs that litter our house) but was becoming more and more disappointed with their output since "Bilingual". But this CD has convinced me that they still have the genius that made them so central to British pop music throughout the 80s and early-to-mid 90s.

This is more like "Disco" than "Disco 2" in that each track can stand alone competently. The cover of "Try It" (written by their original mentor, Bobby Orlando) is wonderful; nuanced and subtle, with a distinctly humm-able refrain. The Genuine Piano Mix of "London" takes us back to the delights of "Decadence (Unplugged Mix)", while the mix of "Sexy Northerner" pumps as hard as any of the Trouser Enthusiasts mixes that PSB have put out.

If you lost faith in the Boys, get it back by getting this. It'll inspire you to start obsessively collecting again...as my wife will attest. ;-)

Since Bilingual, I have never found a PSB album as attractive as their earlier ones. But this album is real good and stands on its own very well. PSB remixes are real gems, though. "Here" is one of the most beatiful songs/ remixes around and with a little cut-out it could be one of the best dance singles of all times.It alone is worth the price! "Positive role model", "Time on my hands", "If looks could kill" and finally wonderful "Home and Dry" remixes are also very catchy. The other songs are not bad by any means; it rather depends on your taste in music. All in all, PSB still manage to appear very melancholic that underlies very catchy and happy-sappy perfect pop songs. That is what makes them so valuable for me. What a pity they made no promotion for this album! It seems to have gone unnoticed...until people will re-discover it as was the case with the fabulous "Bilingual" Enjoy!

Pet Shop Boys are still fascinating their fans, this CD is not just a remix album, it contains 5 new incredible songs. "Somebody else's business" and "Try It" are the best new tracks on the album. The remixes of "Here" and "London" are very good and danceable. "Home and Dry (blank & jones)" is a good trance version for the first single from the "Release" album. This EP finish with a lovely piano version of "London" (I really love this song!). Well, I think you'll going to be satisfied with this new material from the boys. BUY IT NOW!

I know this album was released some time ago but I think it's still worthy of comment.
I sometimes approach Pet Shop Boys album releases with a combination of excitement and dread. Although I've believed in their talent all along, It sometimes feels that they are more concerned with formulating hits than with experimenting and exercising creative freedom, as they used to.
Their dwindling popularity, especially in the U.S. seems to plague their success. It seems to makes them try too hard sometimes, causing them to miss the mark. Prior to their "Release" album, they seemed to be trying too hard to formulate another hit. Disco 3 finds the boys in the space they seem most comfortable in, combining the retro style which they rode to fame on and the dance floor style which they eternally idolize. It's no surprise that some of the more interesting songs like "Somebody else's business" and "Try It" are actually older material that they finally released. They reflect a time in their creativity when the songs were about interesting social situations and sexual ambiguity than about creating a dance hit. That's the stuff that made Pet Shop Boys successful and it's good to see them embrace it.
The combination of old style and new, and of remixes and regular tracks was brilliant. They give you the necessary tempo changes to keep your ears from getting bored. Their remix of "Here" does stand out as one of the highlights but the other tracks don't fall far behind. Even the monotonous mix of "Sexy Northener" is pretty hard to resist.
The album is overall very successful. With the title of "Disco", it more closely resembles the structure of their first "Disco" release than the jumbled mess that was their "Disco 2" album.

Being the big PSB fan I am, I bought the cd the day it came out and I wasn't disappointed. I'd consider it to be a 5 star effort from the Boys, if they had not included the "London" remixes (the first remix is particularly dreadful) and the horrible "Sexy Northerner". The rest of the songs are pretty terrific. My favorite, the Depeche Mode influenced "Somebody Else's Business" is the new "Can You Forgive Her?" Chris Lowe fans will shake their heads appreciatively when hearing "Time on My Hands". "Positive Role Model and "I'm in Love with a Married Man" are undeniably catchy. Overall, a great effort from the Boys!