Customer Reviews

Very Introspective, Actually - A Tribute to The Pet Shop Boys

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

When the announcement about this tribute was initially made, there was a great deal of anticipation for its release. The thought of The Cruxshadows, Behind The Scenes, Human Drama, Endanger, Athan Maroulis, Rhea's Obsession, Icon of Coil, Hungry Lucy and Cleaner on the same CD was enough to make anyone in the underground pregnant with expectation.

In the interim, while waiting for its release, I made the big mistake of pulling out the entire Pet Shop Boy CD collection and played them to death. Naturally, with all those songs still ringing in the back of my head, it was quite difficult to be objective without overly comparing the songs to the original work. No matter how much one may try, there is always that element of comparison with an original song or group of songs that we cannot escape. Needless to say, I put all the PSB music away for a bit until I felt it was time to approach this new compilation tribute with a fresh perspective, without having the original tunes echoing in the back of my mind.

Quite frankly, this tribute is many cuts above the glut that is already out on the market. Unquestionably, this project was created with much love and passion towards the musical genius of Tenant and Lowe. The featured artists provide unique twists on music that has thrilled a couple of generations already, while still maintaining some semblance to its original brilliance in many cases.

The bouncey aspects of some of the more popular songs are retained to some extent, however there are other elements woven into the very fabric of the songs where each band clearly made it a demarcation for their own brilliance as well.

The Cruxshadows open with It's A Sin, a militaristic drumbeat echoes in the distance, which then segues into an electronic froth. Rogue and company stripped away some of the overblown elements from the initial recording and add other touches, giving it a dance vibe with an undercurrent of somberness. This is made more evident with a siren wailing in the distance at the closing of the song, giving the confession of sin a bit more poignancy.

Behind The Scenes have not only thrilled the music buying public with their seductive harmonies on their CD Homeless, but then take that same brilliance and revamp it for a song renowned for its cynicism. Rent clearly becomes a song that Behind the Scenes owns lock, stock and barrel. With their flavorful touches, harmony, and pensive notes, Rent now has a new owner.

Human Drama recreated This Must Be The Place I've Waited To Leave into a tome of medieval beauty. This pop song was transmuted into a lyrical poet's melancholic musings in a sonnet-like fashion. Rather than doing a faithful rehashing of the original tune, Human Drama recreated a pop song into a wandering minstrel's ballad that could have come from the Middle Ages. Many kudos go out to the band for taking a leap on this track and delivering a work of such beauty.

Fictional offers an interpretation of the popular song, Opportunities. This was the track that initially placed the PSB on the map as far as the MTV generation was concerned. Despite the earlier PSB hits, this was the track that started to make many in the mainstream sit up and take notice. Needless to say, because of this, the track was played to death. Fictional may have been aware of this because they managed to give a gentle reinterpretation, which stays somewhat faithful to the original track, but breath enough fresh air into it so that the listener is not bored. As a remake, the band does this as well as the original creators and added a rather great break in the middle of the track that harkens back to the days when many more DJ's knew how to beat mix.

Motormark took another very popular song and rather than playing it safe, went for a punky alternative hybrid of Left To My Own Devices. The purist may find this track disconcerting, however a few listens will be enough to win over even the harshest critic. The female vocals are harmoniously blended and the "hardcore" beats are kinetic enough for any dance club.

Endanger made Suburbia the nightmare it was most likely meant to be when it was initially penned by the PSB. This version reaches out and captures the essence of suburban mediocrity and boredom that is akin to hell for anyone who doesn't fit within their parameters. The beats are steady and danceable, but the underlying message of the lyrics seems more poetically rendered to give the listener some pause for reflection.

Sweep provided Love Comes Quickly, which was another hit that haunted the psyche of a generation. This was the type of song that folks sang or hummed along to simply because of the almost subliminal chorus line and beat rhythm. Sweep maintained the integrity of this element but updated the tune without going too far afield with changing too much of the structure of the initial work.

Athan Maroulis & Zeitmahl entered with the lesser-known track, Heart, from the PSB repertoire. For many listeners this may be the first time hearing this song, which in a sense gives these artists a leg up simply because the recall is missing with which to compare it to. This track was given a very smoky-jazz bar room blues feel. Think of the dark backstreet bars that have been featured in film noirs to understand the element of the gritty feeling that is conveyed. The vocals are well delivered, reflecting a bit of the heartbreak coupled with the growing ambivalence to the ever unyielding involutional moroseness. The bluesy horns round out the track in just the right spots to make this a dark midnight jazz piece.

Rhea's Obsession have been all over the place as of late with work in films, television, compilations and live appearances. Somehow they manage to squeeze in the time to an already tight schedule to tackle What Have I Done to Deserve This? This track was initially recorded with the late Dusty Springfield and was played quite a bit upon its initial release. Rhea's Obsession may have pondered long and hard on the best angle to approach this track. They utilized their signature sound with Mideastern percussion and added sampled loops of Sue Hutton's vocals. The dance element is maintained, but it is given a bit more of surrealism that plays with the already well known chorus and verse of the original.

Icon Of Coil tackled New York City Boy which is another track that the mainstream may have ignored, though club patrons and DJ's did not. This track percolates with up to the minute synth beats, up front lyrical rendering, and captures the feel of the life of a New York City boy with a highly contagious dance-club grooves.

Momus shuffled around with elements of the original hit So Hard and added sullen notes to reflect the tragedy of the song and its lyrics. Instead of an outright dance track, the song is delivered with the intensity and impact that the lyrics have begged for over the years.

Hungry Lucy slows down the pace with Jealousy, executing a morose and somber ballad. Many fans may be quite surprised to learn the power in the lyrics of this song as delivered in this fashion. Further into the track, there is a bit of a trip hop beat that rounds out the tonal elements, however, by this point you are snared in the web of heartbreak that is conveyed with the sweet vocals.

Cleaner touch things up with You Know Where You Went Wrong with a pounding electro-dance floor beat. The vocals are given the NIN treatment with a mild amount of compression and repetitiveness. The delivery on this track is more for dancing away one's anger and accusations than an actual outright homage to any substantial lyrical content.

Nicole Blackman & John Van Eaton entered the foray with the first big PSB hit, West End Girls. You will either love the marked different reinterpretation or hate it. This is not a selection that will have listeners sitting on the fence. Rather than an actual song, there is a poetic recitation of the lyrics combined with a darkly chilling background of tonal colorations, which highlight the rather hostile intensity and brutality of the song.

David J handles another very popular track, Being Boring, which once again focuses on how the PSB can manage to take ordinary situations that fit into the lives of everyone and make it into a mega-hit by talking to that part of us that seems to speak to the subconscious. Here, the song is delivered in a dark folk manner rather than recreated as a dance floor cut. Like the preceding track, there is more of an emphasis on the lyrical intensity coupled with slower tones which manages to add more impact.

This CD begins dynamically with the Cruxshadow's version of "It's A Sin," and ends with David J's moving version of "Being Boring." In between, the songs take all sorts of twists and turns, from the simple melodic tones of Human Drama, the lounge-act ballad of Athan Maroulis, the hauntingly beautiful singing of Hungry Lucy, to the spoken-word piece by Nicole Blackman. Each track brings something unique to the overall presentation of the CD, taking the brilliance of the original songs and recreating them. This CD is a collection of engaging, varied music, much in the way of a movie soundtrack, while still having the consistency and quality of being Pet Shop Boys songs. While there is no question that the tribute album market is over saturated these days, this one is DEFINITELY worth having. This also features work from many great alternative acts who probably (regrettably) won't be including these songs on their own albums, at least not for a while. I would consider it worth the purchase simply for Hungry Lucy's version of "Jealousy" --the lyrics work perfectly with the striking melancholy in Christa Belle's voice. However, even without that song, this would be a great CD, from soothing vocals throughout, interesting electronic choices, and a lot of surprises that even the most devout Pet Shop Boys fan will not see coming. And as the title suggests, this CD is a good background for self-reflection.

OK, let's all admit it: We're sick of the Tribute album. An album full of appreciative artists' covers of an influential band/artist is a noble and fun concept. However, it's not nearly noble/fun enough to bury the marketplace (was an all-industrial band tribute to Guns-N-Roses -really- necessary?). Being an avid Pet Shop Boys fan as well; I was more than a little wary of this latest offering. Imagine my relief: This is a great CD. From start to finish, "Very Introspective, Actually: A Tribute To The Pet Shop Boys" is a worthy celebration of these dancefloor elder statesmen. Slick and stylish, the cover art and jacket neatly captures the barren Euro-Brit chic that PSB made look easy. The music is terrific; neatly displaying all that is great about the PSB Music Factory without relying on it entirely, and even charting some new territory. Standouts include the Cruxshadows' Spooky/earnest take on "It's A Sin", Fictional's EBM dancefloor packing "Opportunities" and Icon Of Coil's Underworld-esque run through "New York City Boy". No one utilized the power and fun of a good dance music cover song quite like Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, which gives this CD a relevance missing in a lot of other tributes. Often imitated, never duplicated, on "Very Introspective" The Pet Shop Boys are truly appreciated.

I am a sucker for a good pop song. That is why the songwriting ability of the duo of Tennant/Lowe are the highlight of this tribute CD. While some songs sound updated faithfully (Fictional "Opportunities", The Cruxshadows "It's A Sin") the songs that are ripped apart is what makes this CD fun to listen to. The easiest song to be made cheezy is "West End Girls", which makes the ambient deconstruction of the song by Nicole Blackman and John Van Eaton so much fun to hear. The Dylanesque drive of "Being Boring" is not revealed until David J. brings out his acoustic guitar. The driving remixes of the 12" versions of "New York City Boy" are re-revved for the dancefloor by Icon Of Coil - this song will enliven any disco of any genre.

To appreciate how much fun this CD is, you must faithfully sit throught the huge pile of garbage tribute CD's that are out there by bands in this Gothic/Industrial genre. Save yourself that trouble and get the one tribute CD that doesn't play it safe, that doesn't get in the way of the artists interpreting the song in various different ways. The one tribute CD that gets it right.

Being a huge fan of the Pet Shop Boys, I could not bring myself to give even a derivative work such as this a low rating. To be honest, many of the tracks are not worth listening to. But this tribute is priced low enough to make it worth it for the few solid and enjoyable tracks. Don't buy this unless you already have everything from the Pet Shop Boys as any of their albums or singles would be a better investment.

Several long reviews have already been posted, so I want to simply touch on some points that haven't been mentioned:

This albums is obviously a genuinely loving tribute, unlike the "cash-in" tributes one so often sees. The brief but well-researched liner notes and the care taken in compiling the release attest that Patrick Rodgers, compiler and head of Dancing Ferret, obviously cared to do the job well.

A variety of genres and approaches are evident on this album. Don't expect every cover to be faithful. To me, this is delightful, as faithful covers tend to add little or nothing to the original.

This tribute leans heavily on the Dancing Ferret roster of artists. Being fairly standard industry practice, this is hard to criticize. Fortunately, they pulled in a number of other artists, and those they pulled in were excellent choices.

I enjoyed the album a great deal. I give it four stars because it's well-researched, has a great deal of variety, and above all, most of the covers were well done. I didn't give it five because the liner notes were a little thinner than I expect, and because a few of the tracks were uninspired or repititious. Nonetheless, I wish every tribute album were of this quality.

A wide variety of bands, from synthpo to goth, from industrial to electronica, contribute covers of PSB songs. It is a testament to the songwriting skills of Chris and Neil that even when the songs are twisted and bent, they still hold up. Not that any of the bands here do a bad job. It is just that people expected some sort of slightly remixed collection of Pet Shop Boys songs will have their eyes opened. My fave here is Motormark's "Left to my own devices." They do a sped up rocked out version of this song, ala My Life with the Thrill Kill Cult, that is just awesome. Sweep, a new band on the A Different Drum label turn in a nice version of Love Comes Quickly. Makes me want to hear more from them. Pet Shop Boys fans will enjoy this (or should if they have an open mind about music). Fans of the "children of the '80s" music will love this set because it combines the best of both worlds.

A must for the Pet Shop Boy fan who wants a complete collection. Two tracks stand out as being excellent (and that is why my 3 point vote) - Fictional's cover of "Opportunities" and Momus's version of "So Hard" make the disk worth the cost. Nice sound quality on all tracks.

There are only a few good songs ...the rest, I cannot think in anything good to say.
Pet Shop Boys did not deserve this...

I read on how tribute albums are a joke and just a waste of originality to the songs. That the songs were played with "casio keybords" Ok lets admit it some songs on the album did sound very mono or very cheap but one group did stand out....The Cruxshadows version of "It's a Sin" was down right brilliant. I love it just as much as the original version. I bought this album just to see what it had and well it lived up to my hype and hopefully others. This is Pet Shop Boys fan dream come true. I wonder if the Boys themselves liked it..hmm...