Customer Reviews

Yes

5 star:		(82)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Yes", the 10th studio album from the Pet Shop Boys, is a solid album and a pleasant surprise after the somewhat disappointing "Release" and "Fundamental". Is it the best thing since "Very"? Quite possibly. There really isn't a bad song in the bunch. Politics take a back seat this time around, and the lyrics focus on more personal issues - love and relationships (both the successful and failed variety) Johnny Marr returns to contribute some guitar (and harmonica) work. Some of you may be disappointed to hear that there is no huge, overblown production like "Go West" this time around (I confess to being mildly disappointed myself).

My personal favorites (so far): "All Over The World" (reminds me of a more beat-heavy "Se A Vida E"), "King of Rome" (a somber ballad in the vein of "Do I Have To?"), "Pandemonium" (an upbeat stomper) and the odd closer, "Legacy" (as another reviewer noted, similar in feel to something off of "Behaviour"). I was a little disappointed with "This Used To Be The Future" on the bonus disc - it's nice to hear from Phil Oakey, but something about the song just didn't work for me. The dub mixes are pretty much what you'd expect.

A couple of notes about the package itself: the set comes in a folding glossy cardboard case that - for some reason - is 6" long rather than the standard 5.5", as I discovered when I tried to put it into the storage compartment in my car's dashboard and it wouldn't fit. I can tell that the extra half-inch is going to cause me annoyance. It also comes with a booklet containing the lyrics to all of the songs and the production credits.

If you have stuck with the Pet Shop Boys to this point, I don't have to urge you to pick this one up - you probably already have. If you are new to the Pet Shop Boys, you could do worse than start with "Yes". Thanks Neil and Chris!

Yes the Pet Shop Boys are one of the very few bands that have delivered consistently good pop records for 25 years. And yes, Yes is one their best albums they have made in that time, dare I say it at least as good as Behaviour. There's great depth here, fantastic dance tracks, majestic melancholy and just brilliant pop music that fit almost as well into today's scene as it would have done 2 decades ago.

There's much for 80's music fans to love; the infectious Did You See Me Coming would not be out of place on a New Order record; Vulnerable could have been lifted straight off Behaviour, but equally Love etc and Pandemonium amongst others could have come at any point since. Amazingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, all the songs on Yes are excellent. My favourite track is King Of Rome, it has that Jealousy feel to it; melancholy in spades; Neil's haunting voice losing nothing in all this time.

20 years ago Yes would have hit the number 1 spot with ease, many of tracks would have got to number 1 in the singles chart too had they been released. Would that be the case now, I wish - where is quality today, so lacking in an "Idle" world?

This record deserves a wide audience. If you have not discovered the Pet Shop Boys start here and then buy Behaviour, then Please, Actually and Fundamental. You will be rewarded.

If you can grab the extraordinary 2CD limited edition Yes, etc. as it seems to be disappearing fast. The bonus disc contains a brilliant duet of Neil and Philip Oakey on This Used To Be The Future - it's PSB meets Human League to brilliant effect. The remaining dub versions of More Than A Dream (Magical dub), Pandemonium (Stars & Sun dub), The Way It Used To Be (Left of Love dub), All Over The World (This is a dub), Vulnerable (Public Eye dub) and Love etc. (Beautiful dub) are all outstanding.

For me the purchase of West End Girls at a record shop off Oxford Street back in the late 80's led to a journey around the world which lasted 20 years and continues today. Yes takes me back over that time, it is on my iPod now and I know I will play it repeatedly over the coming weeks and months.

I've seen a number of magazine reviews of Pet Shop Boy's new CD, "Yes," claiming that it's their best since "Nightlife" (1999) or even "Very" (1993). I was skeptical at first; however, after repeated listens, I have to agree. Now, I love pretty much everything PSB do, but "Yes" is pretty spectacular, with a heavy emphasis on lush vocals and strings layered over dance beats, which is the sound that made me such a fan of PSBs back in the 1980s.

The first single is the upbeat "Love Etc." The song is about the hollowness of living the material life without love; certainly a well-worn topic, but the boys manage to craft a solid single. The song has a catchy if repetitive chorus - You need more/ you need more/ you need more/ you need loooooove. I prefer the verses, with background singers chanting phrases like "don't have to have" leading into Neil enumerating various trappings of money, such as "a house in Beverly Hills." I have to admit that I don't find "Love Etc." to be the most original PSB single, but I do like it. In the U.K., the boys continue to have solid success. "Love Etc." debuted at #14 on the singles charts, continuing their trend of top 20 hits (only two of their singles have ever peaked lower - "Was It Worth It" in 1991 and "Numb" in 2006).

My favorite song on "Yes" is the lush, mid-tempo "King of Rome," which reminds me of some of their slower moments from the "Behaviour" era, such as "Only the Wind" or "To Face the Truth." The melody is beautiful and Neil's vocals positively throb with melancholia. I also love the danceable "All Over the World," which is probably the most stereotypically PSB song on the CD. Sampling Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker," the song is upbeat, joyous, and a bit over the top in the tradition of other great PSB anthems. It's another one of their (very successful) attempts to put "Debussy to a disco beat" - well in this case it's Tchaikovsky. The third song I'd like to highlight is "Beautiful People." Not many fans seem to be talking about this song, but I think it's an amazing track. Neil's vocals have rarely sounded better, and the song is fresh while also blending perfectly into the other material on "Yes." By the way, the second single is rumored to be the extremely chipper "Did You See Me Coming?" which features a very catchy chorus, although it's not one of my favorite songs.

Much has been made of the fact that "Yes" was co-produced by British hit-meisters Xenophobia (Sugababes, Girls Aloud). I honestly don't know enough about their work to know how much "Yes" sounds like their typical output. However, "Yes" sounds like a great PSB CD, so fans needn't worry that "Yes" tries too hard to sound ultra-current. In fact, "Yes" most reminds me of 1990s "Behaviour," which also happens to be one of my favorite PSB CDs. Neil and Chris have never, imo, put out a bad CD, so I knew I'd like "Yes." However, I'm finding that I'm listening to and enjoying it far more than I did "Fundamental" and "Release."

The second disk ("Etc.") contains remixes of several songs from "Yes" (More Than a Dream, Pandemonium, The Way It Used to Be, All Over the World, Vulnerable, Love Etc.) and one new song. The remixes are uniformly good and quite varied. The new song is "This Used to be the Future," which according to some sources was originally scheduled to be included on "Yes." It would have sounded right at home, although it's a bit more electro than some of the other music. The song features vocals by Neil and Chris as well as Phil Oakey of Human League! They sound great on the song, giving it a weird futuristic feeling. The higher purchase price for the two-disk "Yes Etc." is well worth it.

I'm a bigger Erasure and Depeche Mode fan(own most of their cds) than PSB fan(own just a few of their cds), but i gotta say i wish Erasure still knew how to make good electronic pop songs like these. Maybe i'm jaded with today's musical offerings but i really miss synth-pop music, or good electronic pop music in general, and these songs just hit the spot. Overall, I really enjoyed this new release from the PSB, especially these tracks:

3. Beautiful People(maybe my favorite, but way too early to tell)
4. Did You See Me Coming?
5. Vulnerable
6. More Than A Dream
7. Building A Wall
10. The Way It Used To Be

These songs are just catchy, bouncy, and enjoyable to listen to. The other 5 songs, and remixes on disc 2, i'll have to listen to more to see if they catch my ears more. It's just that these 6 songs i latched on to immediately. Honestly, I was looking forward more to the new DM release today(is this a great "80's" release week or what?), but i think the Boys just stole the Mode's thunder(for me anyways). So for other casual fans peeking in, i recommend picking this up or at least give it a listen.

(and while you're buying this cd, make sure you download the song "We're All Criminals Now" off the Love Etc maxi-single/EP. It's another great pop song that should be headlining on this cd)

A great outing from the Boys and I am in that camp that thinks this is their best since Very. It is certainly one of their most consistent albums and from track 1 made me smile. Some of this is just perfect happy (yes, happy) bouncy pop songs. The others are beautiful, slower ballads. Beautiful arrangements, great guitar and strings, Neil in fine voice - this is a great treat timed perfectly for summer. Enjoy!

The Pet Shop Boys have been around since 1984 , and they have produced pop music of the highest order. In my opinion, YES is the best pop album of the last 20 years, with beautifully crafted songs, and melodies that make you wonder how they did that. Well, they had a little help on this record. Xenomania, a company that has done high quality tracks for the likes of Kylie Minogue, Madonna, and Cher, came up with a lot of the melodies on here. The results are amazing, with songs that will move you, unless you're made of stone. As always Pet Shop Boys sing about a lot of different issues , from Politics to AIDS etc., but this recored is about one thing, love. The title came from an art exibition that John Lennon had in New York years ago. People climbed a ladder to the ceiling and written on the ceiling was the word YES, as part of the exibition. This record is uplifting, and positive, something we all need, and the outstanding track for me is King Of Rome. The sad thing is that US radio stations won't play the Pet Shop Boys, for whatever reason, but that may be a good thing , considering all the drivel that's on there now.I often wonder whop will bring out something different, and new , to inspire us all? YES is the answer to that. By the way I'm in my fifties , and I'm a professional drummer, but the drum sound on this record , with no accoustic drums, is excellent. Buy this , and get one for your friend as well.

Though they never strayed far from greatness, this is certainly a return. What an album. Get the 2CD for the remixes, too. I've been a fan since the late 80s and this is their best since Very.

There are a lot of bands today that are trying to resurrect the 80's sound, yet the Pet Shop Boys were Actually there, and are still doing this kind of music better than anyone.

A welcome return to their classic sound, "Yes" finds the Boys recovering from the malaise of their previous LP "Fundamental", which was quite good in its own way, yet at times was very somber and overly orchestral.

"Yes' is full of the synthetic sweep and disco pulse that Neil and Chris have perfected in their 25-plus year career, and its general mood is more upbeat and positive than their other recent albums. Lead single "Love, etc." is delightfully bitchy, and follow-up "Did You See Me Coming" is quite hooky and radio-friendly. And just listenening to standout tracks like "King of Rome" and "Pandemonium", you'll swear its 1987 again. These guys just own this genre, plain and simple.

Although its doubtful that any new Pet Shop Boys music will get airplay in the USA, for their worldwide audience (and their built-in one here), "Yes" is the best release in years from these perennial disco divas.

The best album of this amazing duo.....you really have to listen to this masterpiece.Here some of the best tracks...
Are you a romantic?
You will love.
-The Way It Used To Be
-Vulnerable
-King Of Rome
Do you like to dance songs with very smart and human lyrics.
- Love etc.
- Did You See Me Coming?
- More Than A Dream
-Pandemonium
Really great songs about life, love and dreams....
The entire disc lets you listen to songs full of human situations told in a unique way in which feelings are expressed with true genius and innocence ( unbelievable, like when you first fell in love.)
While this duo uses all his wits to send a real and critical message, something that many musicians are afraid to do.
The second disc is for dancing....the same great songs..
I REALLY LOVE THE SONG , More than a dream (Magical dub) .
Believe me, this is not another dance music record.

Got the album today on special order at my local HMV in Montreal, after discovering the domestic instore release of it in Quebec & probably most of Canada too, has been delayed twice. No word as to when the stores will actually have it. My CD is the glossy black limited edition digipak, which was made in Holland.

The album is beautiful, sexy and is exactly what I was expecting. "Release" and "Fundamental" didn't work well with my likes, although, at times, there were some good moments. Where have these guys been? I'm glad they're back with a new album instead of remixing & re-releasing old stuff. Am I right?

The fresh new sound, mixed with many remnants of their fabulous orchestral arrangements, sexy, sweeping & rolling sound...is presented in a brilliant double album. What a treat! "Yes, etc" is definitely NOT a waste of money. Neil's voice is crystal clear and he sounds good as ever.
Chris Lowe's keyboard & programming is and always be outstanding. This album is definitely an Essential gem & addition to your PSB collection, hands down. Glad to know Johnny Marr is back with them, on guitars. Goes to show how excellent work can be created when collaborating with the right minds.

Sound quality is excellent and the Xenomania remixes are perfect. I'm familiar with some of Xenomania's work when they remixed Sarah Brightman's "Who Wants To Live Forever". Of course, since then, his remixing has progressed, and it's a real treat to see how well PSB's sexy sound has been integrated into his remixing brilliance.

As for the packaging....well, the discs are subject to scratches & wear, for there aren't any sleeves to put them in prior to sliding 'em in and out of the digipak. So, just be careful & find some way of protecting them without marking the playing surfaces beyond playability. With that said, I still think this special edition digipak is much more attractive than the standard 1-disc, white jewel-case version. Regardless which edition you get, buy the album and you'll enjoy it without a doubt.