Why do people hate “Before”?

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michael888
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Why do people hate “Before”?

#1 Post by michael888 »

It’s my favourite Pet Shop Boys song. I really can’t get the hate towards the song.
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Re: Why do people hate “Before”?

#2 Post by mikect7 »

michael888 wrote:It’s my favourite Pet Shop Boys song. I really can’t get the hate towards the song.
I dont hate this song at all, it's one of my favourites and it holds memories for me as I worked on the club promotion


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ChoonHound
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Re: Why do people hate “Before”?

#3 Post by ChoonHound »

That was a weird time.... The Bilingual era came after the powerhouse Very era with all its success and energy (including Absolutely fabulous and Paninaro '95) and the follow-up single was kind of a downer and minimal in comparison. And this mixes were boring. Plus it was out of step with the album... it was a weird time.
I sincerely *love* Disco 2 and listen to it straight through regularly.

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Re: Why do people hate “Before”?

#4 Post by ChoonHound »

I would love for Danny T to update Before.
I sincerely *love* Disco 2 and listen to it straight through regularly.

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Enrique
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Re: Why do people hate “Before”?

#5 Post by Enrique »

I, for one, like Before production!

Fresh synth lines and perc programming. Neat mixing, less tiring to my ears than the more compressed Very tracks. Among remixes, DT's ones have some good beats and bits and Joey Negro extended mix with its synthlead solo on a PSB track is remarkable. With all those backing voices would love an Andrew Dawson re-recording update!
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michael888
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Re: Why do people hate “Before”?

#6 Post by michael888 »

Luke Colorado wrote: Wed 30 May 2018, 3:48 pm That was a weird time.... The Bilingual era came after the powerhouse Very era with all its success and energy (including Absolutely fabulous and Paninaro '95) and the follow-up single was kind of a downer and minimal in comparison. And this mixes were boring. Plus it was out of step with the album... it was a weird time.
Even though many years has passed, I can still see people not liking the track.
A small voice of calm and reason.

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ChoonHound
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Re: Why do people hate “Before”?

#7 Post by ChoonHound »

I didn't say that I don't like it, I'm providing a theory to answer your supposition. Before was a big disappointment for me 23 years ago. On its own it's fine.

"Memories fade but the scars still linger"
I sincerely *love* Disco 2 and listen to it straight through regularly.

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Re: Why do people hate “Before”?

#8 Post by Disco. »

michael888 wrote: Wed 30 May 2018, 3:32 pm It’s my favourite Pet Shop Boys song. I really can’t get the hate towards the song.
I don't get it either ! I really, really like it, and it had an excellent remix package.

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Re: Why do people hate “Before”?

#9 Post by leesmapman »

It is a song I don't like to listen to myself. I don't know why, I think it doesn't fit on the Bilingual album for some reason.

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Re: Why do people hate “Before”?

#10 Post by ChoonHound »

Bilingual's schizophrenia makes it feels like a b-side collection. A Red Letter day would have been a better lead single to segue from the Vera era.
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Re: Why do people hate “Before”?

#11 Post by fac23 »

The whole Bilingual era was quite disappointing. They suddenly looked old to me, lacked enthusiasm (Se a vida é seemed a bit forced, I used to think) and Before was just the most monotonous single of their career up to that point. The remixes all sounding the same didn't help. I was more into Britpop back then and despite still buying everything PSB did, it felt quite tedious, to be honest. Delusions of Grandeur gave me some hope right at the end of the Bilingual campaign. I don't dislike Before as much as I did, disappointments wear off. Over the years I think I've even secretly enjoyed listening to Before once or twice, I guess. ;)

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Re: Why do people hate “Before”?

#12 Post by Pod »

Because Neil sings it like he’s had 2 bricks to his knackers...
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Re: Why do people hate “Before”?

#13 Post by redsock »

Pod wrote: Wed 30 May 2018, 6:47 pm Because Neil sings it like he’s had 2 bricks to his knackers...
:lol:

This.

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Re: Why do people hate “Before”?

#14 Post by ChoonHound »

Delusions of Grandeur was by far the best thing to come out of the Bilingual era. That and the Baby Doc mixes. The rest can f' off.
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Re: Why do people hate “Before”?

#15 Post by Drico One »

I like the agony aunt quality of Before, where uncle Neil - the voice of experience - reassures us that all will be well in the end. But it's a pretty underwhelming lead single. In comparison to Can You Forgive Her?, So Hard, Domino Dancing, and It's a Sin, I think it's second division. Many people who like it cite the production, but the vocal performance is ovarian, performed at a pitch that exposes Neil's fallopian tubes.

Se a Vida E was also a mediocre Pet Shop Boys single, its killer app, apparently, a gang of drum-bashing lesbians. At this point of their career, I remember asking myself "is that it?" As a one-two, this was no Can You Forgive Her? - Go West double whammy.

The final two singles of Bilingual were better, not that Single was really, er, single material. As part of the stirring and dark album opening, it was magnificent. On its own, it was incongruous. A Red Letter Day is a classic Pet Shop Boys song, but arguably one of their most poorly produced. Somewhere, this era's "standalone" single was, arguably, the worst example of its type in their career to that point.

There are some really superb moments on Bilingual, but I think they lost clarity of purpose by then and this was the first time that they really didn't fit in anywhere anymore. They'd transitioned into potential heritage band contenders by now - if they were going to stick around, which was by no means certain. Chris wasn't going to promote the record, so diminishing returns were inevitable.

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