Customer Reviews

Pet Shop Boys Christmas

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been a PetHead (Pet Shop Boys fan) since "Please" and I have bought every album and a lot of remixes, singles, etc. I haven't been crazy about all of them, but always pleasantly surprised at how Neil and Chris can change their approach and sound, and yet always remain essentially the Pet Shop Boys.

I first heard "My Girl" on the radio in Toronto, and searched in vain for the recording: Nice to see two versions here, but one would have sufficed (the "our house" mix is just a longer version of the single - but I love the pun in the remix title.) The Coldplay cover was a nice surprise in their last concert - and it really works well in the studio version. And, of course, I had a copy of "It doesn't often snow at Christmas" - but I really like this version - basically the same as 12 years ago, but "tighter". The bells are perfect (and remind me of Dr. Seuss...) My only disappointment is "All over the world" - the Nutcracker music works for this album of course, but I prefer the version on the Yes album.

A great EP, but almost worth it just for Viva La Vida/Domino Dancing. If you saw their last tour, it brought everybody screaming to their feet. Just excellent. It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas is also lots of fun. Another fine PSB release.

Obviously, the PSB's first Christmas release is not a proper Christmas CD. There's really only one holiday song here - the previously released "It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas." That song was first made available via a holiday gift to PSB fan club members circa 1997. I never had a copy of the song before, although I'd heard it on various websites. The Boys re-recorded the song with Marius de Vries handling the production. The song is a predictably ironic take on Christmas, with Neil complaining - Christmas is not all it's cracked up to be/ Families fighting around a plastic tree/ Nothing on the TV that you'd want to see. However, a hint of warmth is allowed - But I'll still have a glow at Christmas/ Because I'll be with you.

The Boys also include a remake of Madness' "My Girl." Madness' version is a reggae-tinged frat boy plea for greater understanding - 'Cause everything I say/ She doesn't understand/ She doesn't realize/ She takes it all the wrong way. PSB add enough gloom and darkness to their version to take it to an entirely different place. In this version, the narrator clearly seems to be hiding something from his girl. The irony of the gay duo covering this song are perfectly encapsulated in the lyrics - We argued just the other night/ I thought we'd got it straight/ She says I'm unaware/ And now she says I'm weak. The maxi-single ends with the boy's self-produced "Our House" remix of "My Girl," which adds a nice catchy synth line to the song along with some weird-sounding special effects that sound like dripping water (!?).

The third song is a re-recorded version of "All Around the World" from the "Yes" CD. The song has long been one of my favorites from the CD - an opinion shared by many pet-heads. The rumor is that PSB wanted to release this as a single and agreed to re-record it in order to include it here. The very danceable song is one of the most stereotypically PSB songs of recent years, reminiscent of their over-the-top songs such as "Left to My Own Devices." Sampling Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker," the song is upbeat, joyous, and hedonistic in the tradition of other great PSB anthems. The re-recording included here is fine. They didn't change very much about the song other than some of the orchestration, which now sounds a bit more Christmas-y.

The fourth song is a medley Coldplay's recent smash "Viva la Vida" and the boy's own "Domino Dancing." PSB had included this medley in many of their recent concerts, so its first appearance as an official release will undoubtedly make many fans happy. I think the song is undeniably clever but doesn't work quite as well as some of their earlier medleys. The song has gradually grown on me, though, and I'm glad that I have a copy of it.

"Christmas" was not a big hit in the U.K., peaking at a meager #40 (PSB singles usually always make the Top 20). The EP is a bit of a hodge-podge, so I can understand why it was not met enthusiastically. However, I'm sure PSB fans of all types will love this CD.

It's so magically delicious to hear Tennant's voice covering Coldplay's "Viva La Vida," a hand in glove fit to perfection mix with "Domino Dancing." Also, the chorally enchanced "It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas" is great for this time of year. The remix of "My Girl" is snappy too. Worth the five bucks or so.

The Pet Shop Boys are my all time favorite group, however, this CD was somewhat of a dissapointment. Not only did it only have 5 songs, 2 of which are the same song, but different versions, only one of them was what I consider a Christmas song. The only redeeming value of the CD was their version of "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay which I really love.

And this is just an overhyped waste of money. The Viva La Vida song is ok. It comes off as flat compared to the Coldplay version. The Christmas song is just a slightly tweaked version of music they've already put out. The "My Girl" song on the album is ok. It grows on you a bit but it's not PSB at the top of their game. My suggestion would be to buy the VLV song if you want that and skip the rest. For $10+ this is really not a product where you get your moneys worth. I'd say 5.99 or 6.99 would be reasonable. I say this as a longtime fan since high school who has nearly every CD and several original bootleg masters.

Sound 3 - Average
Value 2 - Below Average