Pet Shop Boys - Very/Relentless (CD)

PSB's

By R.R  Mar 10, 2002

Very includes several of PSB's VERY best, but what of the doings on the little magenta "bonus" second disc included in the vaguely bubblegum scented clear vinyl double-sleeve limited edition? Chris Lowe gets an (almost) solo moment in the sun to show... his keyboard chops, and fares quite well. Neil Tennant does stop by to offer a verse on Forever In Love, three on One Thing Leads To Another, subtle (seemingly wordless) backing vox on The Man Who Has Everything and two measures (one line, really) on My Head Is Spinning; actually that last one was lifted from the second line of Disappointed, the stand-alone non-album single released before the first Electronic (Marr/Sumner) album, one of three songs he collaborated with them on. Demonstrated on Relentless by Mister Lowe is a natural affinity for what works on a dancefloor, without having the usual "over-remixed" feel of most tracks intended for physical gyrations, thanks to some inspired post-production edits by Bob Kraushaar. The many who have remixed (and often butchered, this means YOU, DJ Pierre) PSB ditties could (and should) take a lesson from this well-crafted but brief six track set. Chris Lowe shows that indeed this is a two-way creative partnership, without frightening us as Vince (Erasure) Clarke has been known to do on some of his more self-indulgent Andy Bell-less tracks (Think Vitamin C. OUCH!). It is pretty much a requirement that you have the distinctively-packaged VERY RELENTLESS - not to be confused with the recent two-disc re-release of Very - if you are to be considered a true Pet Shop Boys devotee. You should also possess the following: All six regular albums, both versions of the DJ Culture CD single (the blue-sleeved version, featuring a live megamix by the orchestra that backed them on the some of the Behavior tour, is rather difficult to find), Alternative, the two disc versions of Bilingual and Nightlife and the Essential rarities collection. The lesser-heard tracks on the bonus discs and single b-sides often show Chris and Neil's more personal, less commercial side, without making you question their sanity musically or otherwise. Read more Less