Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pet Shop Progressiveness, 11 Jul 2002
If you're a fan of the PSB, then you MUST have this in your collection. "Very" is typically PSB - happy, melancholy, tragic and euphoric at various intervals. Relentless, on the other hand, is an example of what Chris Lowe would sound like on his own. From the opening bars of My Head Is Spinning one gets the distinct impression that the PSB both enjoy and understand underground dance music. MHIS is a banging track, with rythmic bass pulses and horn shrills. Forever In Love is a more typical PSB track, but only because of the lyrics. The emphasis is still on progressive house. Lyrically about the initial ecstatic encounter in a relationship, the music pumps on (almost akin to Go West in places) in fantastically improvised PSB fashion! KDX125 is probably the stand out track. Hard driving rave piano, melodic synth stabs and funky bass lines all make this a classic. Quite why this has been ignored by the DJ fraternity is beyond me. We Came From Outer Space borders on the surreal and it is probably because of this very fact that I enjoy it so much. Quite apart from KDX125, WCFOS is more experimental, with strange vocal samples, wierd melancholy ambience and pumping beats. The Man Who Has Everything would fit quite happily as a backdrop anthem for football programmes!! It's danceable enough, but is perhaps not driving enough throughout to be successful in clubs. The only "typical" PSB track on Relentless comes right at the end with One Thing Leads To Another. Whilst intricately wierd (!) it managed to combine sterotypical elements of PSB former works with the rawness of cutting edge breakbeat house.
All in all, a classic record. If you like the Pet Shop Boys, you'll love this. If you like dance music, you'll love it, too.... So long as you don't expect another "West End girls".
|
|
|
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Relentlessly good, 28 April 2009
I missed out on the limited editin Very/Relentless package when it was released in 1993 as I was broke and there was no itunes! However, having worn my taped (Ooooh) version out I managed to secure an original copy some 10 years later.
The disc is an opportunity for Neil and Chris (the latter particularly) to eschew commercialism and let their hair down properly; my favourite track is 'Forever in Love' with its hypnotic bassline and chorus that builds to a dynamic crescendo. 'My Head is Spinning' is the other standout track but the whole album is superb - danceable, tranceable and downright addictive listening.
|
|
|
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Relentlessly good, 20 Nov 2007
Having read the other reviews here, I find that I have little to add. The other PetHeads have done the boys proud, and been almost anally thorough. Interestingly, this CD was released on the same day as `Very'. A move that, rather than boosting the main album's chart ranking, actually detracted from it. As a limited edition of 2000 copies, it was not eligible for inclusion in the chart ranking. Most die-hard Pets fans (myself included) rushed out to buy this version. It sold out in a couple of days, but `Very' charted lower than it would have otherwise done as a result of the non-inclusion of these sales to the total. The Pets learned a valuable lesson from this, and ever after, they released special editions of albums a few weeks AFTER the main album.
In keeping with Pet Shop Boys tradition, this is actually two separate albums, as every album they have ever released has a one word title (with the notable exception of `In Depth', which was a compilation released without their permission, and only available in Japan). Hence `Very' and `Relentless'.
The `Very' pressing is the standard offering, see other reviews for details of this album. Not one of their best, in my opinion, but certainly no slouch.
`Relentless' is pure dance. Produced by the Pets themselves, this is the first time they really got to fully indulge their penchant for dance music. Be aware that this is not a remix of `Very', but rather a collection of six tracks written specifically for this album. `Forever in Love' is maybe the strongest track, almost anthemnal (I think that's a word.....).
Until quite recently, this album was changing hands for around £80. So, given that there was never a re-issue of the album, I would be suspicious of any you find that are mega cheap. Personally, I would email the seller first and check that the album is being offered in the original `Bubble Wrap' style sleeve, and that the `Relentless' disc is marked `EMI SWINDON' on the playable side. If the answers you receive are "No" to either question, you're probably buying a Japanese Bootleg.
All in all, well worth adding to your collection.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
~ Pet Shop Boys
~ Pet Shop Boys
~ Pet Shop Boys
~ Pet Shop Boys
~ Pet Shop Boys
