SummersRadio™ New Music! Pet Shop Boys - 'Memory Of The Future'
Pet Shop Boys have released their eleventh studio album called 'Elysium' this week! That's the good news. The bad news is that they've lost their irony! I couldn't stand the album's first single 'Winner' and I deemed it unpostworthy. I reckon that I'm not the only fan who felt that way as it debuted at #86 on the U.K. Singles Top 100 - and then vanished the very next week - far and away their worst chart placing for a lead single off of a proper album ever.
I'm waiting to hear the remixes of the next scheduled single 'Leaving' (released October 15th) before deciding on that one. How can the Ironic Duo write a song called 'Winner' without any irony in it anyway? Blasphemous!
As a lifelong fan I still love them overall, but they've lost their way here - for the first time they sound old. 'Elysium' is their first album recorded in America - and I beg them never to do so again. It was produced by Andrew Dawson in Los Angeles who's worked with Kanye West, Jay Z, Snoop Dogg (although you'd never guess from the lack of beats here) and 30 Seconds To Mars (!) to name a few - so he's to blame.
Some people are comparing the album to the brilliance of 'Behaviour' - perhaps simply because it's laid back - but on that album they sang about NOT being boring. 'Elysium' is no paradise (as the title suggests) it's just too lifeless - far too adult contemporary. It would be a good album to put on if you want to take a nap. I feel guilty saying that but it's a case of cruel to be kind. As a former music journalist surely Neil Tennant would want me to be honest here - not every artist's new album is their best ever - even though they're always promoted that way.
However I admit that I still need to give the album more time to grow on me, but I can't ever imagine listening to the album's eighth track 'Hold On' without cringing. There is one song that was to my liking immediately though - 'Memory Of The Future' - the tenth track on the album (perhaps because it's one of the few with a pulse). It's classic Pet Shop Boys - with it's gurgling synths, beautiful strings, disco hi-hats, and romantic but not sappy lyrics - I reckon it sounds like it could be track seven on 'Introspective'... Enjoy!
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Showing posts with label Neil Tennant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Neil Tennant. Show all posts
Friday, 14 September 2012
Monday, 9 January 2012
SummersRadio™ Rare Remix/ Remixes! David Bowie!
SummersRadio™ Rare Remix/ Remixes! David Bowie - 'Fame '90' (Absolutely Nothing Premeditated/ Epic Mix)/ 'I'm Afraid Of Americans' (V1)/ 'Hallo Spaceboy' (PSB Remix) It's David Bowie's birthday! David Robert Jones aka David Bowie was born in London in 1947 - so he's 65 today! We shall celebrate his lengthy, distinguished career with a few selections - three remixes (one quite rare) from his great body of work.
First up we have 'Fame '90' - a rare remix called the 'Absolutely Nothing Premeditated/ Epic Mix' - and it is indeed epic - clocking in at a massive 14 minutes and 26 seconds! 'Fame' was first released as a single in 1975 from his 'Young Americans' album - and it became his first number one single in North America.
I don't recall what year the 'Fame '90' remixes came out :) but I do know that they were released on various formats including cd, 7", and 12" singles - and they featured remixes from the likes of D.J. Mark "The 45 King" (which also featured vocals from the always lovely Queen Latifah), Ron Fair, Arthur Baker, Jon Gass, and this remix from David Barrett.
There is an EP for 'Fame '90' available on itunes but it features the 'Bonus Beat Mix' instead of this most excellent and now out of print 'Absolutely Nothing Premeditated/ Epic Mix'... Enjoy!
David Bowie - 'Fame '90' (Absolutely Nothing Premeditated / Epic Mix) by SummersRadio™
'I'm Afraid Of Americans' was co-written by Bowie and Brian Eno in 1995 during the 'Outside' recording sessions, and a rough mix of it appears on the soundtrack to 'Showgirls' - with the slighty different, less political lyric 'I'm afraid of the animals'. It didn't see a proper release until it was re-recorded and included on his 1997 album 'Earthling'.
When the cd and 12" singles were released in North America they featured six new (non-album) remixes - numbered V1 - V6 - including remixes from Nine Inch Nails (three of them), Dave 'Rave' Ogilvie, and Photek. This is the 'V1' remix (available on itunes) by Trent Reznor, who also appears in the video - which was inspired by the film 'Taxi Driver' - as a creepy stalker character... Enjoy!
'Hallo Spaceboy' first appeared as a track on 'Outside', but when it was released as a single in the U.K. and Europe the following year, it was re-recorded and radically remixed by the Pet Shop Boys as a more dance friendly song, that featured additional vocals from PSB's Neil Tennant. I love the lines 'Do you like girls or boys? It's confusing these days'... Enjoy!
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First up we have 'Fame '90' - a rare remix called the 'Absolutely Nothing Premeditated/ Epic Mix' - and it is indeed epic - clocking in at a massive 14 minutes and 26 seconds! 'Fame' was first released as a single in 1975 from his 'Young Americans' album - and it became his first number one single in North America.
I don't recall what year the 'Fame '90' remixes came out :) but I do know that they were released on various formats including cd, 7", and 12" singles - and they featured remixes from the likes of D.J. Mark "The 45 King" (which also featured vocals from the always lovely Queen Latifah), Ron Fair, Arthur Baker, Jon Gass, and this remix from David Barrett.
There is an EP for 'Fame '90' available on itunes but it features the 'Bonus Beat Mix' instead of this most excellent and now out of print 'Absolutely Nothing Premeditated/ Epic Mix'... Enjoy!
David Bowie - 'Fame '90' (Absolutely Nothing Premeditated / Epic Mix) by SummersRadio™
'I'm Afraid Of Americans' was co-written by Bowie and Brian Eno in 1995 during the 'Outside' recording sessions, and a rough mix of it appears on the soundtrack to 'Showgirls' - with the slighty different, less political lyric 'I'm afraid of the animals'. It didn't see a proper release until it was re-recorded and included on his 1997 album 'Earthling'.
When the cd and 12" singles were released in North America they featured six new (non-album) remixes - numbered V1 - V6 - including remixes from Nine Inch Nails (three of them), Dave 'Rave' Ogilvie, and Photek. This is the 'V1' remix (available on itunes) by Trent Reznor, who also appears in the video - which was inspired by the film 'Taxi Driver' - as a creepy stalker character... Enjoy!
'Hallo Spaceboy' first appeared as a track on 'Outside', but when it was released as a single in the U.K. and Europe the following year, it was re-recorded and radically remixed by the Pet Shop Boys as a more dance friendly song, that featured additional vocals from PSB's Neil Tennant. I love the lines 'Do you like girls or boys? It's confusing these days'... Enjoy!
'You like?'™ Become a fan of SummersRadio™'s Facebook page here:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/SummersRadio/199636386720349
Friday, 23 December 2011
SummersRadio™ Music News! Pet Shop Boys!
SummersRadio™ Music News! Pet Shop Boys - 'Blue On Blue'/ 'It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas' (New Version) London's Pet Shop Boys have just announced that they're releasing a new compilation in February! It's called 'Format' and is a collection of b-sides and bonus tracks - featuring 38 songs available on a double cd and download.
Few duo's are talented enough to have a career as lengthy as Pet Shop Boys have - let alone have as many b-sides worthy of such a compilation. 'Format' is essentially the follow up to the 1995 double cd release called 'Alternative' - which collected the duo's b-sides from 1985 to 1994 - as it covers their b-sides and bonus tracks released between 1996 and 2009. All 38 tracks are remastered and the cd booklet will feature an interview with Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe by Jon Savage - author of 'England's Dreaming' and 'Teenage'. You can pre-order 'Format' now from their official website here: http://www.petshopboysshop.co.uk/
And here's some even better PSB news - the gentlemen are currently at work on their eleventh studio album which is due for release next fall! Here's the cover art and tracklisting for 'Format':
Tracks
Here's one of my more recent favorite PSB b-sides - this is 'Blue On Blue' - originally the b-side of their 2006 single 'Minimal' (and soon to be track 12 on disc two). It's production is very old school - reminiscent of their early pre-'Please' recordings with legendary New York producer Bobby Orlando... Enjoy!
Bonus Track! 'It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas' (New Version) As much as I love many different types and styles of music, truth be told I'm not much of a fan of Christmas music. I find most of it quite terrible, and some of it even borderline offensive!
I feel the same way about Christmas itself - if it was just one day a year of related good times that would be awesome - but it's two full months of relentless advertising and whoopla every single flipping year. THAT'S ONE SIXTH OF OUR LIVES people - for one day. It should only be 1/365th of our lives - pehaps a titch more in leap years :) I think a lot more humans would actually enjoy it if it was. So if you plan on living to be 100 like myself, you'll likely be hearing about Christmas for 16.666 years of your life - sounds a bit (dare I say it) evil - doesn't it? I don't get why more people don't full on rebel against the ridonkulousness of it's relentless overhyping. No offence of course if you love every minute of it.
Consequently, when I started seeing some bloggers posting Christmas music last month I felt that they should have been hung up by their collective sacs. So it may not surprise you then that I posted a mere three Christmas songs last year - and I'm thinking I'll stick with that (tradition) this year. A trio is plenty - and as it's only two days away now, I figure that it's a reasonable time (for me) to begin to acknowledge the holiday's existence.
'It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas' was first released as a fan club only single in 1997, but it was later remixed for an official release on their 2009 'Christmas' EP. I particularly like this as a Christmas song lyrically speaking because it takes a pretty realistic snapshot of the holidays, and I truly love snow - but despite all the dreams of white Christmas'szzz, in reality that seldom happens in many parts of the world. But it's not a sad song - it's a happy one! Vancouver's annual odds are one in 10 - I looked it up - so I'm hoping!
This is the 2009 'New Version' of 'It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas'... Enjoy!
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Few duo's are talented enough to have a career as lengthy as Pet Shop Boys have - let alone have as many b-sides worthy of such a compilation. 'Format' is essentially the follow up to the 1995 double cd release called 'Alternative' - which collected the duo's b-sides from 1985 to 1994 - as it covers their b-sides and bonus tracks released between 1996 and 2009. All 38 tracks are remastered and the cd booklet will feature an interview with Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe by Jon Savage - author of 'England's Dreaming' and 'Teenage'. You can pre-order 'Format' now from their official website here: http://www.petshopboysshop.co.uk/
And here's some even better PSB news - the gentlemen are currently at work on their eleventh studio album which is due for release next fall! Here's the cover art and tracklisting for 'Format':
Tracks
| CD1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The truck driver and his mate | |
| 2 | Hit and miss | |
| 3 | In the night (1995) | |
| 4 | Betrayed | |
| 5 | Discoteca (New Version) | |
| 6 | How I learned to hate rock 'n' roll | |
| 7 | The calm before the storm | |
| 8 | Confidential (Demo for Tina) | |
| 9 | The boy who couldn't keep his clothes on | |
| 10 | Delusions of grandeur | |
| 11 | The view from your balcony | |
| 12 | Disco potential | |
| 13 | Silver age | |
| 14 | Screaming | |
| 15 | The ghost of myself | |
| 16 | Casting a shadow | |
| 17 | Lies | |
| 18 | Sexy Northerner | |
| Tracks | ||
|---|---|---|
| CD2 | ||
| 1 | Always | |
| 2 | Nightlife | |
| 3 | Searching for the face of Jesus | |
| 4 | Between two islands | |
| 5 | Friendly fire | |
| 6 | We're the Pet Shop Boys | |
| 7 | Transparent | |
| 8 | I didn't get where I am today | |
| 9 | The Resurrectionist | |
| 10 | Girls don't cry | |
| 11 | In private (7-inch mix): Pet Shop Boys with Elton John | |
| 12 | Blue on blue | |
| 13 | No time for tears (7-inch mix) | |
| 14 | Bright young things | |
| 15 | Party song | |
| 16 | We're all criminals now | |
| 17 | Gin and Jag | |
| 18 | After the event | |
| 19 | The former enfant terrible | |
| 20 | Up and down | |
Here's one of my more recent favorite PSB b-sides - this is 'Blue On Blue' - originally the b-side of their 2006 single 'Minimal' (and soon to be track 12 on disc two). It's production is very old school - reminiscent of their early pre-'Please' recordings with legendary New York producer Bobby Orlando... Enjoy!
Bonus Track! 'It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas' (New Version) As much as I love many different types and styles of music, truth be told I'm not much of a fan of Christmas music. I find most of it quite terrible, and some of it even borderline offensive!
I feel the same way about Christmas itself - if it was just one day a year of related good times that would be awesome - but it's two full months of relentless advertising and whoopla every single flipping year. THAT'S ONE SIXTH OF OUR LIVES people - for one day. It should only be 1/365th of our lives - pehaps a titch more in leap years :) I think a lot more humans would actually enjoy it if it was. So if you plan on living to be 100 like myself, you'll likely be hearing about Christmas for 16.666 years of your life - sounds a bit (dare I say it) evil - doesn't it? I don't get why more people don't full on rebel against the ridonkulousness of it's relentless overhyping. No offence of course if you love every minute of it.
Consequently, when I started seeing some bloggers posting Christmas music last month I felt that they should have been hung up by their collective sacs. So it may not surprise you then that I posted a mere three Christmas songs last year - and I'm thinking I'll stick with that (tradition) this year. A trio is plenty - and as it's only two days away now, I figure that it's a reasonable time (for me) to begin to acknowledge the holiday's existence.
'It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas' was first released as a fan club only single in 1997, but it was later remixed for an official release on their 2009 'Christmas' EP. I particularly like this as a Christmas song lyrically speaking because it takes a pretty realistic snapshot of the holidays, and I truly love snow - but despite all the dreams of white Christmas'szzz, in reality that seldom happens in many parts of the world. But it's not a sad song - it's a happy one! Vancouver's annual odds are one in 10 - I looked it up - so I'm hoping!
This is the 2009 'New Version' of 'It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas'... Enjoy!
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Sunday, 3 July 2011
SummersRadio™ Classic! Electronic!
SummersRadio™ Classic! Electronic - 'The Patience Of A Saint' I mentioned the band Electronic in yesterday's Stop Modernists post - and how two of the three songs that Neil Tennant sang on were singles. Well this is the third - which SHOULD have been released as a single - a witty duet between New Order's Bernard Sumner and the Pet Shop Boys Neil Tennant - not to mention featuring the Smith's Johnny Marr - I mean, how cool is that?!
I always wished that remixes had been made of this song - but they never were. There's still time though - Electronic's self titled debut album was released in 1991 - they could easily release a 20th anniversary edition with all new remixes - I'm talking to you EMI!
Despite it's apparent destiny to remain a relatively unknown album track, part of what makes this song so great are the sardonic lyrics. Some of my favorite lines are 'And if I drove a faster car, I'd drive it bloody well' and 'Why should I care? I'd rather watch drying paint'. This is 'The Patience Of A Saint'... Enjoy!
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I always wished that remixes had been made of this song - but they never were. There's still time though - Electronic's self titled debut album was released in 1991 - they could easily release a 20th anniversary edition with all new remixes - I'm talking to you EMI!
Despite it's apparent destiny to remain a relatively unknown album track, part of what makes this song so great are the sardonic lyrics. Some of my favorite lines are 'And if I drove a faster car, I'd drive it bloody well' and 'Why should I care? I'd rather watch drying paint'. This is 'The Patience Of A Saint'... Enjoy!
Become a fan of SummersRadio™'s new Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/SummersRadio/199636386720349
SummersRadio™ New Music! Stop Modernists featuring Chris Lowe!
SummersRadio™ New Music! Stop Modernists featuring Chris Lowe - 'Subculture' (Main Vocal Extended/ Dub) Yesterday's Canada Day post featured a new remix from the Pet Shop Boys - today's new music features vocals from one of them - but not singer Neil Tennant's! Stop Modernists is the name of a collaboration between Finnish dj/ producers and longtime friends Jori Hulkkonen and Alex Neiminen.
'Subculture' is a cover of New Order's classic single from their excellent album 'Low-Life' which was released in 1985. It features vocals from Chris Lowe - the quieter half of the Pet Shop Boys duo - the one who seldom speaks - and who even more rarely sings! The song is released on the Helsinki based Keys Of Life label and features two versions - the 'Main Vocal Extended' and 'Dub' versions. The 'Dub' version still features Lowe on vocals but via a vocoder, adding to it's electro feel.
Of course the Pet Shop Boys are no strangers to New Order having previously been part of the 'alternative dance supergroup' Electronic - that featured New Order's Bernard Sumner and the Smith's guitarist Johnny Marr. They collaborated on three tracks that all featured Neil Tennant on vocals - two of which were singles - 'Getting Away With It' and 'Disappointed'.
This cover is very faithful to the original - which may lead one to question why one would do it - but when you've been a fan of New Order and the Pet Shop Boys as long as I have it makes no difference! It's a quality cover - with Chris Lowe's delivery being similar to Bernard Sumner's trademark understated vocals. I like both versions of the track, so here they are - starting with the 'Main Vocal Extended' version... Enjoy!
And here's the slightly more electro flavored 'Dub' version... Enjoy!
'Subculture' is a cover of New Order's classic single from their excellent album 'Low-Life' which was released in 1985. It features vocals from Chris Lowe - the quieter half of the Pet Shop Boys duo - the one who seldom speaks - and who even more rarely sings! The song is released on the Helsinki based Keys Of Life label and features two versions - the 'Main Vocal Extended' and 'Dub' versions. The 'Dub' version still features Lowe on vocals but via a vocoder, adding to it's electro feel.
Of course the Pet Shop Boys are no strangers to New Order having previously been part of the 'alternative dance supergroup' Electronic - that featured New Order's Bernard Sumner and the Smith's guitarist Johnny Marr. They collaborated on three tracks that all featured Neil Tennant on vocals - two of which were singles - 'Getting Away With It' and 'Disappointed'.
This cover is very faithful to the original - which may lead one to question why one would do it - but when you've been a fan of New Order and the Pet Shop Boys as long as I have it makes no difference! It's a quality cover - with Chris Lowe's delivery being similar to Bernard Sumner's trademark understated vocals. I like both versions of the track, so here they are - starting with the 'Main Vocal Extended' version... Enjoy!
And here's the slightly more electro flavored 'Dub' version... Enjoy!
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