Pop Art The Hits

Admittedly I bought my copy of this in a shop instead of online, but its the same package, same catalogue number etc. but mine does not have any player software on it at all - its just 3 normal CDs. Having said that, I do have another CD which DOES have its own player (Santana - Celebration) but I can still play that in Media Player and rip it to the hard drive ready for transferring to the iRiver if I just click on 'cancel'.

Maybe I have just been lucky, but the point is if the only thing putting a prospective buyer off this set is the inability to copy to an MP3 player, you should be aware that maybe it does work after all - certainly if you have a Creative, iRiver, Phillips, Archos or one of the other MP3 players that also handle other formats.

CD 1 is called Pop - which celebrates their poppy side of their music career. Tracks like Surburbia remind you of their days when they were considered new romantics. The playful melodies and piano riffs won't be leaving us just yet. Other highlights include what have I done to deserve this (with Dusty Springfield) and a remake of Elvis' always on my mind. Obviously tracks like I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing, home and dry, and love comes quickly are all great tracks, but you can't help feeling the track order is a bit wierd. One minute you're in 1985 and next 2003. Domino Dancing had to be one of their biggest hits, with it's latin feel and it's typical Pet Shop Boys sound. I am glad they didn't forget a red letter day, as it was one of my favourites back in 1996.

CD 2 is called art, which looks deeply into Neil and Chris' more arty tracks. Tracks like left to my own devices - with it's oerchestral glory and poetic vocals, being boring with Neil's retrospective look on his life and can you forgive her, a sort of techno fused pop tune about making a decision about your partner. Of course, west end girls is on here, which was a ground breaking song back in '85, with it's rapping lyrics and new romantics synth driven bassline, unheard of on this side of the pond. Also glad to see so hard is on here, another one of the Pet Shop Boys' more techno pop songs. A few of my favourites here include Rent - a slow synth pop track about someone who pays her boyfriend's rent (wouldn't we all like that?) and DJ Culture, which was a bit daring of the PSB. The scratch enfused record with French samples scattered between verses and that vocoded voice. Paninaro, which nearly didn't make a single (shame as it's excellent) and liberation both make great additions. Top marks to whoever put this together, as it's got all the best of the PSB.

CD 3 is entitled "mixes" and thats what you get - everyone from Rollo right through to Moby have remixed PSB records, and the cream of the crop are here. Rollo's mix of can you forgive her is one of the best remixes on the CD, alongside Sasha's remake of west end girls. Moby's rework of miserablism is beautiful, and exceptional skills shown as usual. Danny Tenaglia's classic paradise mix of Before is also quite funky, and takes the song on a long trip that reminds you of where house music was back in 1996. Of course, the Jam 'n' Spoon remix of young offender is just as good as anything else here, but Blank and Jones' trance remix of love comes quickly will burn up any dancefloor.

This is a great set to own. I know the Pet Shop Boys have put out at least 2 collections, one for their B sides (alternative) and another for their singles (discography) and obviously the disco series which focused on remixes and dance music, but this album supasses them, and brings you la creme de la creme of PSB music. So if you're a fan of them, get it, you won't be disapointed, it's got everything that's worth talking about. If you're a big fan, I don't think it's for you - you probably have every album anyway; but if you love their remixes as much as I do then it's well worth getting hold of it for that. Dodgy track running, but an excellent collection - go get it.

The running order is curious- a bit sad it has to start on Go West, which really pigeonholed PSB as a camp act- countering their greatest album Behaviour's melancholic perfection. Apart from Relentless (1993), PSB have been fairly routine since Behaviour- the new tracks (Miracles, Flamboyant) flirt with electroclash, but still feel like the camp-housey-pop they've repeated since Very (though Se a Vida e has turned into a bit of a classic, kind of a sequel to Domino Dancing). Personally tracks like NYC Boy, Single-Bilingual, Yesterday When I was Mad, Before, Home&Dry are all inoffensive, if a little unexciting (PSB left behind by advances in both dance and pop, and dance-pop for that matter!)& I could still live without Sterling Void-cover It's Alright- I'd have loved a b-side like Do I Have To?, Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend or Shameless instead...

This compilation is still packed with joys- the semi-industrial Suburbia, Dusty Springfield-duet What Have I Done to Deserve This?, guitar driven ballads I Get Along & You Only Love Me When You're Drunk, & the epic reworked take of I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing. Add to that Trevor Horn's OTT-Left to My Own Devices (Che Guevera & Debussy to a disco beat!!!), the New Order-sounding Love Comes Quickly, the ironic (how else?) Opportunities, the single-take of Heart & the melancholic side of PSB (Jealousy, Rent) and you have an example of one of the great singles bands- easily up there with Abba, Depeche Mode, Chic, XTC, The Beatles, WHOEVER. West End Girls still sounds amazing, though nothing can quite top probably their definitive song, 1990's Being Boring. Being Boring is one of the truly great pop songs...

Pop Art is a reminder that Pet Shop Boys are one of the classic acts- not sure what the future holds for them (is this a kiss off from the record company?)- but this past is rich with joys.

Screaming good value and a reminder that words like 'pop' and 'art' are not dirty words!