Hotspot: 1 year old today

[glennjridge]

I only listen to 2 songs from Hotspot, Happy people and Wilo the wisp and even then, barely. thats unheard of for me to only like 2 songs off any given album.
I find most of the songs kinda dull...in fact....even typing this I am struggling to remember the other tunes. I guess mentally tying the album to the pandemic doesnt help. but thats not terribly out of order. theres lots of songs by certain artists I hate to listen to because it reminds me of some old relationship.

I hope the next PSB album is glorious and upbeat.

[Kris]

Hoping for a miracle is a classic.

[Scottydog]

Hotspot will also remind me of the pandemic in the future. I will remember that it was one of the albums that helped make it bearable.

[NikacP0kac]

I find myself pretty regularly returning to this album - okay, Will-o-the-wisp is by far the most listened to track from the album, the rest pretty much balanced out. I like to replace Dreamland with An Open Mind and finishing the album with Decide instead of Wedding, but it's really nice to listen to as a whole.

[Sebastian_Surfleet]

Hotspot will also remind me of the pandemic in the future. I will remember that it was one of the albums that helped make it bearable.

It is interesting how music can become so synonymous with times of trial.

Yes was the soundtrack to my 2009-2010 deployment to Iraq oddly enough.

Even now whenever I hear Love Etc., Did You See Me Coming, and especially The King of Rome, I think back to the dust and heat (and smells).

The Way It Used to Be reminds me of a tumultuous breakup shortly thereafter.

[vincenzosz]

To me Hotspot is two different albums. I do get what they were going for but the listening experience is too manic for my taste.
I have removed the slow tracks and it works effectively as an upbeat sort of lo-fi EP about escapism, Decide leading the journey into the unknown.
I listened to it this way last summer when I would bike around in the early evening after work and it’s a happy album for me.

Dreamland I love lyrically but the album version has jarring production. I wish they would of let Stuart Price take the reigns more as his mix is far superior.

Burning the heather I really didn’t enjoy initially, but after the occasional listen i have opened my ears to what a fantastic track it is. Beautifully written, evocative and seemingly personal imagery (metaphorically and otherwise). It’s bittersweet and the kind of thing you’d expect Pet Shop Boys to be doing at their age, yet one could of never predicted such a unique evolution of their sound.
I think they got too excited and squeezed it into an album where it didn’t belong.

I’m hoping the next album will be more sonically like Burning the heather, with the occasional upbeat or mid tempo track so I can compile the slower Hotspot “rejects” and create two cohesive albums.

Either way I’m enjoying immensely what they’re putting out.

[Nickname]

I’m hoping the next album will be more sonically like Burning the heather, with the occasional upbeat or mid tempo track

Urgh, it hurts.

That's the kind of songs I don't like. A matter of tastes.

[BoyStrange]

On the website RateYourMusic.com, Hotspot is ranked lowest of all PSBs 14 main albums, with an average score of 2,86 (of 5) from 678 ratings.

https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/pet-shop-boys

The average track ratings (only viewable for subscribers) (as of today):

3,7 Will-o-the-wisp
3,1 You are the one
3,5 Happy people
3,3 Dreamland
3,3 Hoping for a miracle
3,2 I don't wanna
3,2 Monkey business
3,3 Only the dark
3,2 Burning the heather
2,5 Wedding in Berlin

Average number of ratings per track: 80

[Debussy]

To me Hotspot is two different albums. I do get what they were going for but the listening experience is too manic for my taste.
I have removed the slow tracks and it works effectively as an upbeat sort of lo-fi EP about escapism, Decide leading the journey into the unknown.
I listened to it this way last summer when I would bike around in the early evening after work and it’s a happy album for me.

Dreamland I love lyrically but the album version has jarring production. I wish they would of let Stuart Price take the reigns more as his mix is far superior.

Burning the heather I really didn’t enjoy initially, but after the occasional listen i have opened my ears to what a fantastic track it is. Beautifully written, evocative and seemingly personal imagery (metaphorically and otherwise). It’s bittersweet and the kind of thing you’d expect Pet Shop Boys to be doing at their age, yet one could of never predicted such a unique evolution of their sound.
I think they got too excited and squeezed it into an album where it didn’t belong.

I’m hoping the next album will be more sonically like Burning the heather, with the occasional upbeat or mid tempo track so I can compile the slower Hotspot “rejects” and create two cohesive albums.

Either way I’m enjoying immensely what they’re putting out.

That's exactly my feelings about Hotspot. I found myself making playlists of songs that fit together sonically. I could never quite reconcile with the stop/start feel of the album, so I didn't play it as much. I'm curious about the next album and Cricket Wife.

Sent from my SM-T870 using Tapatalk

[King1968]

Hoping for a miracle is one of the best songs they've done in my humble opinion still love Happy People Willo the wisp I don't Wanna just really wish they do that dark techno album I love Decide

[Future Lover]

Those ratings are trash, but yeah, that's what you get on a rockist white male website!

[Gabby]

On the website RateYourMusic.com, Hotspot is ranked lowest of all PSBs 14 main albums, with an average score of 2,86 (of 5) from 678 ratings.

https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/pet-shop-boys

The average track ratings (only viewable for subscribers) (as of today):

3,7 Will-o-the-wisp
3,1 You are the one
3,5 Happy people
3,3 Dreamland
3,3 Hoping for a miracle
3,2 I don't wanna
3,2 Monkey business
3,3 Only the dark
3,2 Burning the heather
2,5 Wedding in Berlin

Average number of ratings per track: 80

"Something's not right....I can't work it out"

I've said it before, I REALLY rate this album. I think as part of the PSB "renaissance period" that began with Electric, it's got all the diverse elements that make the PSB the pop-Gods they are. About the only thing really missing is an orchestra.

[Nickname]

Those ratings are trash, but yeah, that's what you get on a rockist white male website!

In my opinion is quite fair.
https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/pet-shop-boys

[TinaLucida]

New fan here! I remembered when I first listened to this album last year I really liked "Dreamland" and "Monkey Business". "Dreamland" is like a sequel to "Go West" to me while it adds more layers onto the general escapist theme. "Monkey Business" has great prelude and very catchy melodies, but a year later the lyric has bored me and the party scene only excites me from time to time. "I don't wanna" is the same case.

My first impression of Hotspot is about the Berlin sounds and the ambient quality they generated. I sort of thinking these songs share a lot similarities with Bowie's Berlin albums. Back then I wasn't really impressed by most of the ballads--actually I ignored the whole album for half a year after the first listening--but it grows on me and I then rediscover a lot of songs. "Will-o-the-wisp" and "Burning the Heather" are my favorite now. I love songs with literary references and stories behind. And the sense of yearning and longing for someone in both songs really, really cracked me. (Speaking of which, "Hoping for a Miracle" reminds me of W. G. Sebald's writings a lot.)

"You are the one" is very sweet... with "Only the dark" and "Wedding in Berlin", they are the mood-saver and make the album complete. Because of that, I pretty enjoyed listening to the whole album from the very beginning to the end, which I don't normally do. I still think they are somehow lack of stimulus to attract a broader audience but they are great songs.

So yeah, to me Hotspot is an excellent album but it takes some time to absorb it. I wouldn't mind if they work with Stuart Price again. And I think PSB albums in the 10s are generally better than those in the 00s... I was quite grateful to find the boys with their SP trilogy.