Rating: "Electric"

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Rating: "Electric"

10
23
22%
9
50
49%
8
18
17%
7
7
7%
6
1
1%
5
2
2%
4
0
No votes
3
0
No votes
2,1,0
2
2%
 
Total votes: 103

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the8thark
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Re: Rating: "Electric"

#46 Post by the8thark »

Spittingcat wrote:
It's really an album that is best played all in one go.
Agree with that totally. Can't agree with much else said though.
That's fine. Everyone has different opinions on the album.
Spittingcat wrote:There's not a track on the album that's too long, each track is an evolving journey, not just a song.
I agree. As separate tracks I think they are on the edge of too long in my opinion. But as a whole album journey their lengths are just right.
Spittingcat wrote:I'd like Vocal to be longer... it ends too soon. 3 or 4 minutes of instrumental added to the end would finish the album.
You mean something like the Go West 12" mix where it has 3 minutes tacked on to the end? I find that instrumental actually on the whole simply not needed. I have iTunes set up to cut to the next song just as the final "go west" is sung. But for vocal you say? I think I can agree with you here. It needs some kind of instrumental at the end. To basically bookend the album.

If you know Billy Joel. He had an album called The Stranger. If you forget the first track there, he bookended the album. And the last track had the instrumental from another track tacked on. And it worked very well. I think the same would work for Electric. I reckon you could even use a portion of Axis as this ending instrumental part for Vocal. Edited of cause to fit vocal.
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retrofuturist
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Re: Rating: "Electric"

#47 Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,

I just got the album yesterday and have since listened to it 3 times.

I won't rate it yet, but I'm pleased that it continues the excellent run of albums they started with Fundamental.

In direct initial comparison to Elysium, it has less highlights (i.e. nothing here moves me like Leaving, Invisible or Breathing Space) but also has no clangers (i.e. nothing here makes me wince like Winner or Ego Music)... with Shouting In The Evening being the only track that doesn't really do anything much for me... by my reckoning it would be better positioned as a b-side to the opening single Axis, which I consider to be the standout track on the album.

Retro. :)
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Mark R.Y.
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Re: Rating: "Electric"

#48 Post by Mark R.Y. »

I bought the CD today and have listened to it twice. A wonderful bone shaker, brain boiler and heart squeezer! My thanks to Neil, Chris and Stuart Price. It's a fantastic ride, except for that bump in the road called "The Last to Die." When I get a PSB album, I want to hear new PSB tunes, not Springhead's millionth rewrite of "Born to Run." Thus, my rating ELECTRIC a 9/10 rather than full marks.

A few people here have criticized some of the lengthy intros and "overproduction." I disagree - I like it when tracks have a bit of "added fat" on them. I want to luxuriate in an album, not simply listen to efficiently timed tracks that are over too quickly.

Aside from the "Axis" and "Vocal" singles, the only ELECTRIC song I previewed for myself was the live version of "Thursday" which, because it's an unofficial live recording, has a soft, dreamy atmosphere unlike the immediate sound of the studio version. Neil's buried vocals in the verses are startling after hearing the live version, but acceptable. I also very much like Chris' "Thursday, Friday ..." bit which doesn't ruin the music underneath it all for me. Still, I wouldn't mind having an official version of that live recording released, whether on a "Thursday" single, assuming that will be a single, or on a later release of some sort.

I have a hard time rating songs, because I hate to essentially pin them to the wall with a final judgement. As mentioned, I would rate "The Last to Die" no more than a 6/10, but the other eight would all rate very highly. (Likewise, I can easily say that YES is their weakest studio album, but I love all of the others and would be hard pressed to rank them.)

Also got to give thumbs up to "Shouting in the Evening" which has gotten a lukewarm reception from several people here. It's wonderfully wild and bonkers to my ears. Can you imagine something like this on ELYSIUM? LOL

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SIN
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Re: Rating: "Electric"

#49 Post by SIN »

First two tracks down, absolute rubbish.

I am very disappointed and I hope it gets better than this.

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drunk14
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Re: Rating: "Electric"

#50 Post by drunk14 »

@SIN - If I remember correctly, your last message with some positive opinion about their music is dated 23234 BC, right? ;)
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Re: Rating: "Electric"

#51 Post by morgan1098 »

I like the idea of a PSB dance album at this point in their career, but I'm not feeling this. Every track has a stellar intro but then the rest of the song doesn't deliver. I think part of the problem is Stuart Price. I also agree that the album works better when heard in full, rather than in bits and pieces. Anyway, here's how I'd rank the catalogue:

Very
Please
Actually
Fundamental
Elysium
Introspective
Bilingual
Behaviour
Nightlife
Electric
Yes
Release

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Shopper
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Re: Rating: "Electric"

#52 Post by Shopper »

Axis - 8 : Didn't like the edit, but the album version is fab. Bouncy and videogamey
Bolshy - 8 : The song only really takes of at 2.40 with that sexy breakdown and build up doesnt it ? and those awesome handclaps- yumm! Pretty audacious
Love is a - 8 : yes their coolest intro in eons (reminds of a daft punk song though from Discovery) and pretty immediate, companion piece of sorts to Shameless and delusions of grandeur, wonder if it will date quickly though.
Fluorescent - 7 : nice change of pace and mood here, quite a dreamy and complex track.
Inside a dream - 9 : oh wow..just majestic this one. So many variations..very well produced. first gooseflesh moment on the album
last to die - 7: as usual, the PSB make any cover 'their song' and this is no different. Ends a little too abruptly I thought..
shouting - 10: Just cant get this of my head..pure exhilaration, would have liked this to be a little longer (and snip Flourescent a bit)
thrusday - 8: love the whole Please era reference and the Example rap is just funky !
vocal - 10: just brilliant..one of the most perfect tracks they have created. Emotional and Joyous.

God...what a massive album this is. Really missed Dance-PSB and this was worth the wait. Not one miss on this one ! The tracks individually may not be perfect..but as a unit, they are just tight ! very cohesive..
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Shopper
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Re: Rating: "Electric"

#53 Post by Shopper »

who rated 0-2 !?

I mean seriously, as well hand over your 'fan' card :grumble:
Left to my own devices, I probably would...

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Hillbilly
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Re: Rating: "Electric"

#54 Post by Hillbilly »

I haven't really made up my mind yet. So far I give it an 8 I think.

Although I wished there had been some more uptempo tracks on Elysium (and Behaviour and Fundamental too...), in general I prefer albums containing a varied set of songs, which Elysium surely did. I wouldn't mind Electric to feature at least one ballad. Though I have to say that for a record that is aimed to be a "darnce" album it has a good variation. A song like "Fluorescent" never gets boring as it happens so much within it, while "The last to die" actually starts like a ballad. "Bolshy" gets a bit tedious, and I'm not very fond of "Shouting in the evening". I still think that "Vocal" is one of the better tracks. "Inside a dream" is really good as well. "Love is a bourgeois construct" is pure genius and "Thursday" feels like a hit single. It's a good mix between modern sounds and, especially on "Thursday", their early 80's sound. I think the production is great, although the vocals sometimes sounds a bit too compressed.

It's a great album. Better than Elysium I don't know, but sure this one is very different! At least this album is not as uneven as Elysium, which in hindsight includes a few filler tracks, though I still like that album much.

I still haven't got the physical CD so my impressions may also change a bit when I have seen all the artwork as well.

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the8thark
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Re: Rating: "Electric"

#55 Post by the8thark »

Hillbilly wrote:I still haven't got the physical CD so my impressions may also change a bit when I have seen all the artwork as well.
There is no artwork to speak of on the CD booklet. The inner and outer sides have the same pic as the cover. And when folded out (it's one long sheet folded up and not a booklet), one side has the lyrics on it, nothing else and the other side has NT and CL on it. Just the same black and white pics as the post cards we've all already seen. So yeah nothing flash at all about the booklet. The booklet won't change your opinion of the album as there's nothing interesting on the booklet.
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Disco.
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Re: Rating: "Electric"

#56 Post by Disco. »

[quote="Shopper"]who rated 0-2 !?

I mean seriously, as well hand over your 'fan' card :grumble:[
Not really fan is he/she ? Probably a disgruntled Erasure fan 8)

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Kiran
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Re: Rating: "Electric"

#57 Post by Kiran »

Not going to score (mainly because I've not heard all the tracks yet), but my impression of the first 7 tracks is not good - didn't hear anything I thought stood out. I managed to like a few tracks off the last album and given the overall critical appeal, hope I'll enjoy this.
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Kiran
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Re: Rating: "Electric"

#58 Post by Kiran »

Just out of interest, was a single released?
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the8thark
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Re: Rating: "Electric"

#59 Post by the8thark »

Kiran wrote:Just out of interest, was a single released?
According to the people who do the PSB's facebook feed:

"If you’ve heard all the buzz about Electric and want a taster of Pet Shop Boys new album then check out this VEVO playlist - http://tinyurl.com/nebr4dk It features all the tracks including the single ‘Vocal’. Make sure you spread the word and share among your Facebook friends!"

So it looks like Vocal is the single.
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Shopper
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Re: Rating: "Electric"

#60 Post by Shopper »

Vocal, Thrusday and maybe Inside a Dream are single potential.
Left to my own devices, I probably would...

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