Just looking back on this thread - I hadn't read this comment - and basically said the exact same thing afterwards! Great minds!MartinWright66 wrote: ↑Tue 14 May 2024, 6:36 pm I wouldn't say it's a poor album... more... disjointed? It definitely had "Closer to Heaven" and it's musical type songs knocking on the door - which kind of butted up against the more dance-orientated tracks. It's the reverse of Nonetheless for me. Nonetheless really comes into it's own when listened to as a whole - whilst Nightlife is more an album where you pick 4/5 tracks and add them to a "Best of PSB" playlist.
Nightlife - time for reappraisal?
Re: Nightlife - time for reappraisal?
- leesmapman
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Re: Nightlife - time for reappraisal?
Strange article. In the 2nd paragraph they state the followingDreamland wrote: ↑Tue 08 Oct 2024, 1:59 pm 25th anniversary approaching: https://www.thisisdig.com/feature/night ... -by-track/
and link to an article with all the PSB albums ranked:Nightlife had been embraced as one of the best Pet Shop Boys albums,
https://www.thisisdig.com/feature/best- ... -reviewed/
Nightlife ended up at number 13 of the 15 albums.
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Re: Nightlife - time for reappraisal?
Or pick 4... to add to one playlist... and another 4 to add to another. And still leaving you with some song you like that don't fit anywhere.Nightlife is more an album where you pick 4/5 tracks and add them to a "Best of PSB" playlist
So much to like on Nightlife. Many of my favourite songs are on there. It pulls itself apart though.
Re: Nightlife - time for reappraisal?
At least Nightlife has a cohesive sound. I think it would be better as a ten track album, losing The only one and either Boy strange or In denial.
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Re: Nightlife - time for reappraisal?
Not one of the crowd here, because I *love* the disjointed nature of the album. They are deliberately contrasting the excitement of a night out (nightlife) with the protagonist agonizing over love and trying to find a home life. If you can appreciate that angle the album is super. So many tracks fit that contrast.
Footsteps is a perfect wrap, because the protagonist is home in bed waiting to hear if his love interest is going to come home. The same bed mentioned in Radiophonic. The same love interest he calls out to in the opening track to come to him.
Electric is the pure party album, perhaps. But in Nightlife the protagonists is almost always at *odds* with the partying. They're too soft hearted, they are falling in love too easily with creatures of the night. They are struggling to stay positive because the lure of the nightlife keeps pulling their lover away from them.
Their lover said they loved them, or were they just being kind? Or were they drunk? The protagonist is taking everything with a heavy heart for the whole of the album - while everyone else is partying.
Footsteps is a perfect wrap, because the protagonist is home in bed waiting to hear if his love interest is going to come home. The same bed mentioned in Radiophonic. The same love interest he calls out to in the opening track to come to him.
Electric is the pure party album, perhaps. But in Nightlife the protagonists is almost always at *odds* with the partying. They're too soft hearted, they are falling in love too easily with creatures of the night. They are struggling to stay positive because the lure of the nightlife keeps pulling their lover away from them.
Their lover said they loved them, or were they just being kind? Or were they drunk? The protagonist is taking everything with a heavy heart for the whole of the album - while everyone else is partying.
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Re: Nightlife - time for reappraisal?
Also, Closer To Heaven is a classic PSB mixed emotions track. It's a pity this strong track carried the name of the theatre production, where it only had a muted appearance. As an album track it's everything we want - super high energy, happy/sad, lyrically poignant, a total banger. I just think the production is a little muddy and overly clever, and I wonder what a more modern approach would have done with it. Single material, imho!
Re: Nightlife - time for reappraisal?
I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Anymore is one of their best 'later' songs for me, love the synths on that one and the lyrics. I was so excited that they played it during the Dreamworld concert I attended. And the Nightlife Tour show in The Hague was the first PSB concert I attended, followed by the original C2H in London 2 years later, so the Nightlife album always has a special place in my heart. But I do agree it contains too much filler and the album is a bit inconsistent stylewise.
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Re: Nightlife - time for reappraisal?
Vive la différence! Closer To heaven ranks near the bottom for me . This is of course, as you say, imho!jasonjohn wrote: ↑Fri 11 Oct 2024, 1:21 am Also, Closer To Heaven is a classic PSB mixed emotions track. It's a pity this strong track carried the name of the theatre production, where it only had a muted appearance. As an album track it's everything we want - super high energy, happy/sad, lyrically poignant, a total banger. I just think the production is a little muddy and overly clever, and I wonder what a more modern approach would have done with it. Single material, imho!
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