Track Listing

1. West End Girls
2. Love Comes Quickly
3. Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money)
4. Suburbia
5. It's A Sin
6. What Have I Done To Deserve This
7. Rent
8. Always On My Mind
9. Heart
10. Domino Dancing
11. Left To My Own Devices
12. It'S Alright
13. Being Boring
14. Where The Streets Have No Name
15. Jealousy
16. Dj Culture
17. Was It Worth It?
18. So Hard

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #878 in Music
• Released on: 1991-11-04
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Where would the '80s have been without the Pet Shop Boys? Discography makes a compelling case for the notion of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe as pioneers, if not geniuses. Mixing the cold feel of Euro-techno beats with the Boys' quest for something warm between the sheets, "What Have I Done to Deserve This" and "Suburbia" sound almost soulful. Although they seemed to be suffering from a terminal case of boredom, they managed to alchemize their ennui into touching sentimentality in "Love Comes Quickly," "Rent," and, especially, the AIDS-oriented "Being Boring." Discography begins with the Pet Shop Boys' beginning, "West End Girls," traveling past "Domino Dancing" and including their covers "Always on My Mind," and the medley "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You.)" --Steve Gdula

Customer Reviews

One of the best of 'the best of's
The Pet Shop Boys are just 2 people in the long line of inspired muscisians that England has thrown up and yet they are regularly dismissed as one-trick-electronia-ponies.
This is highly unfair as few in the 80s produced the mammoth hooks that the psb's regularily belted out and here they are all collected as evidence.
The first track (west end girls) beatifully captured the cool sterile suave culture of the yuppies while suberbia as the antithesis is just a glorious riot.
Listening to all the tracks together it becomes clear just how eclectic this duo were - everything is here from Dusty Springfield dropping a bomb of hi-energy soul and the obligatory dead-pan rapping to Gloria Estefan inspired Domino Dancing.
-Fantastic*****

Essential, actually...
I 'came of age' in the 80s, and was working in London when the PSB first began releasing music. 'West End Girls' is a quintessentially London song; I immediately went out and bought their album. I've been purchasing all their albums since.

This collection contains the major songs (the single releases) from their first four albums, plus a few new songs. For anyone who wants to have a good collection of 80s music, this is a must for the collection. The disco is present but not banal nor overpowering; the lyrics are intelligent and neither syrupy-sung nor screamed. The videos which go along with these songs are clever and artfully done.

The playlist includes:
West End Girls -- a number one hit in America, Europe, Britain and Asia
Love comes quickly
Opportunities
Suburbia -- music perhaps inspired by EastEnders
It's a Sin -- another international no. 1 hit
What have I done to deserve this - a collaboration with Dusty Springfield
Rent
Always on my mind -- a remake of the classic
Heart
Domino dancing
Left to my own devices
It's alright
So hard
Being boring - name derived from Gertrude Stein
Where the streets have no name (can't take my eyes off of you) -- a combination of songs cleverly done
Jealousy
DJ Culture -- a new song released with the album
Was it worth it? -- another new song, released later

The PSB don't easily fit into any particular category -- while they are gay performers, they are not exclusively 'gay' performers; their music reached a wide audience and was not preachy (in fact, their song 'How Can You Expect to be Taken Seriously' consciously pokes fun at pop stars who become spokesmen and 'experts' simply for being famous in another field). Unfortunately, due to the limitations imposed upon the length of CDs, this song had to be omitted from this collection (it does appear on the video compilation, however).

Rolling Stone recently described them as being 'the Grateful Dead of the europop scene'. This is rather close to the mark in that they have dedicated followers who devour everything they produce as well as a more general audience who like them without obsessing. There are the major UK hits, and a few US No. 1 hits on this album, as well as songs that were much bigger hits in the broader world as American trends in music (at least as driven by radio and MTV airtime) have changed while the PSB sound is very much the same.

Of course, the over-the-top disco version of 'Always on my Mind' makes me laugh and sing along every time I hear it. Neil Tennant has such a wonderful dead-pan delivery, and Chris Lowe's artful use of brass, string and bass together with backing beats, all from the electronic keyboard, is truly a wonder.

This is an essential CD to have to understand the 1980s, London in the 80s, pop culture in the 80s. Also, to just have a good time! A great discography.

Good ol' days
A fantastic album from The Pet shop Boys that i've now owned for over 10 years. I originally started off with the video version, which of course had these songs and the videos. It was fantastic, and I've still got it, as its one of those things that marks a part of your growing up. But I soon got the cd to listen to, and of course the quality is much better.
The songs all just seem to be ordered in just the places, and some have alot of meaning. West End Girls is a good way to start of the album, and I love Love Comes Quickly. I think the other best tracks include Surburbia, Always on my mind, So Hard, Being Boring, and Where the Streets have No Name.
My top track would have to Being Boring, which means so much - the lyrics are fantastic, and it has a great rhythm thats quite emotional, as it makes you think back to your childhood. This was the kind of material the Pet Shop boys played at the madchester club Hacienda, and is the perfect material.
A fantastic album, and not to be missed by anyone who remembers the 80's/90's in style!