From psbfan at geowayne.com Thu Nov 3 21:45:33 2016 From: psbfan at geowayne.com (Wayne Studer) Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2016 21:45:33 -0700 Subject: [Introspective] Poll ends soon on Chris not performing vocals on recent tours Message-ID: <33f873f8-a79e-6c14-d491-c55bdd936cff@geowayne.com> Hey there! Tomorrow (Saturday) is the last full day of my current Pet Shop Boys poll, which asks how you feel about Chris not performing any live vocals during their recent concert tour shows (both the Electric Tour and the current Super Tour). If you haven't voted yet, please take a moment to visit my "Commentary" site at http://www.geowayne.com/psbhtml.htm and make your choice from the options provided right there on my home page. On Sunday I will end this poll, post the final results, and start a new survey for the week ahead. Thanks to everyone who has already voted! And I hope you all have a delightful weekend! Wayne http://www.geowayne.com/psbhtml.htm From psbfan at geowayne.com Sat Nov 5 22:13:36 2016 From: psbfan at geowayne.com (Wayne Studer) Date: Sat, 5 Nov 2016 22:13:36 -0700 Subject: [Introspective] Final results of poll on Chris not performing live vocals lately Message-ID: <692c3f89-2f05-3756-5987-3fcc99105d26@geowayne.com> The final results are in for my Pet Shop Boys poll this past week, in which I asked my site visitors how they feel about Chris not performing any live vocals during their most recent concert tours, including their current Super Tour. And the response that received the most votes was: * "I would certainly like for Chris to perform some vocals in their live shows, but if he doesn't want to, then I completely respect his decision not to," chosen by 47.6% of the voters. To see the complete results, please visit my "Commentary" site at http://www.geowayne.com/psbhtml.htm and select one of the "Past Survey Results" options in the top navigation bar or click the appropriate link on my "What's New?" page. My new poll for the week ahead was inspired by an email I received a few weeks ago asking, in light of the resurgence in vinyl over the past few years, whether I had any information or knowledge about the Pet Shop Boys re-releasing any of their "classic" albums in vinyl format. No, I replied, I'm not at all aware of any such plans. But that got me thinking about whether my site visitors would actually purchase any such vinyl reissues and, if so, under what circumstances. So please take a moment to make your choice from the options provided right there on my home page. And thanks so much to Andy for his inquiry that inspired this question! Thanks as well to everyone who voted in last week's survey! I hope you all have a great week ahead! Wayne http://www.geowayne.com/psbhtml.htm From the.ackermans at juno.com Sun Nov 6 11:34:36 2016 From: the.ackermans at juno.com (Don Ackerman) Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2016 19:34:36 GMT Subject: [Introspective] Pet Shop Boys Help a Houston Crowd Find Their Inner Pop Kids Message-ID: <20161106.133436.15569.0@webmail13.vgs.untd.com> Love a good PSB story. Enjoy! PSB forever, DonPet Shop Boys Help a Houston Crowd Find Their Inner Pop KidsBY CORY GARCIA http://www.houstonpress.com/music/pet-shop-boys-help-a-houston-crowd-find-their-inner-pop-kids-8918147 Jack GormanPet Shop Boys White Oak Music Hall November 2, 2016The idea of seeing Pet Shop Boys outside seemed absurd. If ever there were a group that screamed for four black walls, a ceiling and ear-damaging sound, it was this duo of dance legends from London, England. Sure, at a festival, maybe seeing them while standing on a gentle hill on an overcast night would be acceptable, but club music outside of the club on a Wednesday night?Of course, you don’t end up being dance-music legends without being experts at your craft in your own idiosyncratic way, which is a fancy way of saying that PSB delivered at the occasionally controversial White Oak Music Hall lawn. For more than an hour and a half, they conjured up a series of immaculate electronic pop songs, each pristine in its own way.While some were still getting into the venue as set opener “Inner Sanctum” started things off, most were settled in as the duo kicked into the second song of the set — and one of their biggest hits — “West End Girls.” That set the tone for the night, the band proving to have absolute faith in their music, ability to perform and the crowd’s willingness to follow them wherever they went sonically.Jack Gorman These songs, many of them older than the DJs headlining the recent Something Wicked festival, were still as catchy and dancey as they were when they were first put out on vinyl, and Neil Tennant’s hypnotic vocals have held up well. He’s interesting in an understated way, a guy who tries to get the crowd to clap along by clapping his hands near his waist instead of over his head; no giant arm raises and screams to make noise at this show, just the occasional slight raising of the arms and smiles. It’s a delightful presentation, especially on songs with a more theatrical bent, like “The Sodom and Gomorrah Show.”Just as interesting as the show itself were the fans in attendance. A look around White Oak would reveal kickers next to soccer moms, men whose idea of being provocative is to unbutton one button too many, and squads of females who wouldn’t look out of place at next week's big Adele shows, all of whom shared a history of club music and club dancing. The guy in the cape looked like he was having just as much fun as the older couple in the blinking LED glasses or the young adults who appreciate pop history. The word "jubilant" comes to mind, even if the show wasn’t a nonstop dance party.Pet Shop Boys have grown up, and so have their audiences, and that’s why a song like “The Pop Kids” is so great, because it so perfectly captures a mood and a spirit of the past in a way that doesn’t seem crass. It’s proof that even in 2016, Pet Shop Boys can create songs that might not have dynamic range, but hits where it matters most: in the heart…and in the feet.Jack GormanPersonal Bias: The first time “West End Girls” popped up on GTA V, I knew I was in love.The Crowd: A large chunk of the crowd probably had fond memories of when “West End Girls” was the No. 1 song in the nation. The rest was your average mixture of hipsters and dance-music aficionados.Overheard In the Crowd: “I’m sorry,” said a lady beside me, apologizing for the fact that she and her friend were smoking so close to the crowd. I was so surprised I had to make mention of it in this post.Random Notebook Dump: I’m glad that White Oak has ample parking, but whatever material they used to cover Lot D is not entirely unlike those rock paths you see at health spas that are supposed to be good to walk on because they make your feet hurt. Walking to the venue and back to my car did not help me find inner peace. Mostly it was just annoying. ____________________________________________________________ Affordable Wireless Plans Set up is easy. Get online in minutes. Starting at only $14.95 per month! www.netzero.net?refcd=nzmem0216 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From psbfan at geowayne.com Thu Nov 10 21:46:23 2016 From: psbfan at geowayne.com (Wayne Studer) Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2016 21:46:23 -0800 Subject: [Introspective] Poll ends soon on whether you would buy PSB re-released albums in vinyl format Message-ID: Hey there! Tomorrow (Saturday) is the last full day of my current poll, which is nspired by the resurgence in vinyl album releases in recent years. I'm wondering whether, if any of the "classic" Pet Shop Boys albums (say, from Please through Very) were re-released in vinyl format, you would buy any of them. (This is assuming they don't have any unique bonus features, such as previously unreleased tracks.) If you haven't voted yet, please take a moment to visit my "Commentary" site at http://www.geowayne.com/psbhtml.htm and make your choice from the options provided right there on my home page. On Sunday I will end this poll, post the final results, and start a new survey for the week ahead. Thanks to everyone who has already voted! And I hope you all have a terrific weekend! Wayne http://www.geowayne.com/psbhtml.htm From psbfan at geowayne.com Sat Nov 12 22:11:35 2016 From: psbfan at geowayne.com (Wayne Studer) Date: Sat, 12 Nov 2016 22:11:35 -0800 Subject: [Introspective] Final results of poll on buying prospective vinyl PSB re-releases Message-ID: <92941922-24eb-f727-1942-06b1d7b2e76f@geowayne.com> The final results are in for my poll this past week, in which I asked my site visitors whether they would buy any vinyl re-releases -- purely imaginary at this point -- of "classic" Pet Shop Boys albums. And the response that received the most votes was: * "No, despite the fact that I don't own an or all of the original vinyl releases, I'm not interested in buying any new vinyl releases, period," picked by 48.2% of the voters. To see the complete results, please visit my "Commentary" site at http://www.geowayne.com/psbhtml.htm and select one of the "Past Survey Results" options in the top navigation bar, or click the appropriate link on my "What's New?" page. For this week's new poll, I've selected two major "rock icons," U2 and Bruce Springsteen, who share the fact that the Boys have covered one of their songs: "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "The Last to Die," respectively. What if one of them were to decide to "return the favor," so to speak, by covering a PSB song? Which of the two would you most prefer to do this? And what "type" of PSB song would you most want them to cover: a single, a non-single album track, or a b-side or other relative "obscurity"? Or perhaps you wouldn't want either of them to remake any PSB song. I'm interested in finding out! This question, by the way, was inspired by a recent email from regular site visitor Daniel Dannypannic. He didn't suggest this specific question, but he did trigger my thinking along these lines, which I greatly appreciate. Thanks, Daniel! Thanks also to everyone who voted in last week's survey! And I hope you all have a fantastic week ahead! Wayne http://www.geowayne.com/psbhtml.htm From psbfan at geowayne.com Thu Nov 17 21:54:25 2016 From: psbfan at geowayne.com (Wayne Studer) Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2016 21:54:25 -0800 Subject: [Introspective] Poll ends soon on U2 vs. Springsteen covering a PSB song Message-ID: <7f95180c-4604-d01b-1fcd-60274a316981@geowayne.com> Hey there! Tomorrow (Saturday) is the last full day of my current poll, which imagines that, since the Pet Shop Boys have covered songs by a pair of genuine rock icons -- U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name" and Bruce Springsteen's "The Last to Die"-- whether you would like for either of them to "return the favor" by covering a PSB song. And, if so, who would you prefer, and which "type" of song (a single, an album cut, a b-side)? If you haven't voted yet, please take a few moments to visit my "Commentary" site at http://www.geowayne.com/psbhtml.htm and make your choice right there on my home page. On Sunday I will end this poll, post the final results, and kick off a new survey for the week ahead. Thanks to everyone who has already voted! And I wish you all a wonderful weekend! Wayne http://www.geowayne.com/psbhtml.htm From the.ackermans at juno.com Sat Nov 19 12:36:25 2016 From: the.ackermans at juno.com (Don Ackerman) Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2016 20:36:25 GMT Subject: [Introspective] Pet Shop Boys Illustrate the Reenergizing Power of Dance Music As Supe r Tour Hits New York City Message-ID: <20161119.143625.347.0@webmail12.vgs.untd.com> Another PSB story. I love good press! PSB forever, Don Pet Shop Boys Illustrate the Reenergizing Power of Dance Music As Super Tour Hits New York City 11/14/2016 by Joe Lynch http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/7573630/pet-shop-boys-super-tour-new-york-city-msg "At the end of this strange and significant week, what better place to be than among friends?" Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant asked at the top of the British synthpop duo's Saturday (Nov. 12) concert at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. That oblique reference to the election of the most controversial U.S. president in decades was the evening's only nod to current events, however. Instead of getting topical, the Pet Shop Boys' NYC stop on the Super Tour felt like a pleasurable, if not insular, reprieve from a week filled with anxious uncertainty before and after Nov. 8. When the deep, intricate bass line of Super highlight "Inner Sanctum" began emanating throughout the venue's impressive soundsystem to kick off the concert, I was reminded of the role dance music has played in people's lives since the late '70s as a conduit for the safe, positive release of nervous energy, in particular for marginalized groups. Disco -- which inspired the Pet Shop Boys' own breed of arty electropop in the early '80s -- was created in New York City by the black and LGBT communities, so it was a fitting full circle moment to watch the British duo help New York City tap into dance music's ability to provide a haven for joyous, temporary personal liberation when the world and future look murky. The night played like an effulgent celebration of club music from NYC disco to electro house to Detroit techno. To complement the 20-plus song setlist, the Pet Shop Boys unleashed a stunning lights and laser show that, unlike many similar ones, remained visually varied and fresh throughout. The Theater at MSG was engulfed in hallmark clubland visuals, turning the otherwise stately looking venue into something out of mid-eighties Chicago or Detroit. There was a stark white-and-black arcade game aesthetic, a picturesque sunset paired with smoky wide-beam lasers, concentric circles rendered in vibrant greens, blues and pinks, and glowing, multi-colored balloons at the close of the show. The costume changes, while minimal, were on-point, too. Tennant took the stage in a massive Clockwork Orange-ish headpiece while bandmate Chris Lowe's head was entirely covered in a metallic globe akin to the cover of The Who's Tommy. The robotic purveyors of dance-pop eventually morphed into their more human selves, but the backing band remained in The Day The Earth Stood Still-styled helmets for the majority of the show. As for the setlist, new album Super was best represented, but given the PSB's consistently high-quality output, the new songs succeeded in moving feet and enthralling the crowd nearly as much as the more iconic classics (and honestly, some of the 21st century songs -- such as 2013's "Love Is a Bourgeois Construct" -- already feel like minor classics in their canon). Of those long-adored songs, "West End Girls" was delivered in the style of its most famous version (not the pre-Please hip-hop-styled original) and "In the Night" from their 1986 collection Disco resembled the infrequently performed original closely enough. Both were wonderful to hear, but the two highlights were undoubtedly "It's a Sin" and "Left To My Own Devices," two "old songs delivered in a new style," according to Tennant. The muscular, lengthy thumping club updates on the '80s songs provided the biggest rush of the night, with the band perfectly straddling the line between reimagining the music in an inventive fashion and delivering the lyrics faithfully enough so that fans could sing along. Both the initial set and the encore (save for a quick reprise of Super single "The Pop Kids) ended with two of the Pet Shop Boys' hit covers: Village People's "Go West" for the former and "Always on My Mind" (Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee) for the latter. Both elicited full-throated vocal backing from the crowd. While it would have been nice to hear a song or two from their brilliant '90s LPs Behaviour or a non-cover from Very, it's pointless to quibble over a preferred set list when a 30-something-year-old band knocks out a concert this musically strong. As the show wrapped and the crowd hit the streets of midtown Manhattan, the admittedly niche Pet Shop Boys audience was spit out from a reassuring dance music haven to a place where disoriented Penn Station tourists bumped into intoxicated revelers who couldn't secure tickets to the Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez UFC Fight taking place inside Madison Square Garden's main venue that same evening. It was a fairly startling contrast that elicited smirks from a few Pet Shop Boys fans who quickly slipped into the NYC subway system to avoid the stumbling mess outside of MSG and keep the Boys' "Guevara and Debussy to a disco beat" high going for a while longer. ____________________________________________________________ No Pill Can Stop Tinnitus but (1) Weird "Trick" Can Tinnitus Terminator http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/5830b826f354a38264283st03vuc From psbfan at geowayne.com Sat Nov 19 21:34:17 2016 From: psbfan at geowayne.com (Wayne Studer) Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2016 21:34:17 -0800 Subject: [Introspective] Final results of poll on U2 vs. Springsteen covering PSB Message-ID: The final results are in for my poll this past week, in which I asked my site visitors whether they would like for either U2 or Bruce Springsteen to cover a Pet Shop Boys song and, if so, who they would prefer to do so and what "type" of PSB song they would prefer remade in this way. And the choice that received the largest number of votes was: * "I wouldn't want either of them to cover any PSB song!" selected by 28.6% of the voters. Although this was the *single* plurality choice, it's worth noting that one of the three "U2 options" was picked by 40.1% and one of the three "Springsteen options" was picked by 31.3%. To see the complete results, please visit my "Commentary" site at http://www.geowayne.com/psbhtml.htm and either select one of the "Past Survey Results" options in the top navigation bar or click the appropriate link on my "What's New?" page. My new poll for the week ahead asks you to imagine the end of the Boys' career, at a time of "career assessment." I'm wondering which of their classic songs you believe will be regarded as their greatest single song by each of four different groups of people: the general public, their hardcore fans, their fellow musicians, and "knowledgeable" critics (that is, those sufficiently familiar with them to make an intelligent choice). So please mull this over and, when you're ready, make your selections among the choices provided right there on my home page. (And although I offer only a small number of songs to choose from, I've provided the usual "some other choice" option for those who wish to nominate any alternatives.) Meanwhile, thanks to everyone who voted in last week's survey. I hope you all have a marvelous week ahead -- and a very happy and safe Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans and anyone else who observes the holiday! Wayne http://www.geowayne.com/psbhtml.htm From psbfan at geowayne.com Thu Nov 24 21:13:37 2016 From: psbfan at geowayne.com (Wayne Studer) Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2016 21:13:37 -0800 Subject: [Introspective] Poll ends soon on PSB "greatest song" as judged by four different groups Message-ID: <14b041fc-9974-6391-74e1-695794b9d94e@geowayne.com> Hey there! Tomorrow (Saturday) is the last full day of my current poll, which asks which Pet Shop Boys songs are most likely, in your opinion, to be regarded as their all-time greatest by the largest number of people within four different groups: (1) the general public, (2) their hardcore fans, (3) their fellow musicians, and (4) knowledgeable critics (that is, those sufficiently familiar with them to make an intelligent choice). If you haven't voted yet, please take a few moments to visit my "Commentary" site at http://www.geowayne.com/psbhtml.htm and make your choices right there on my home page. On Sunday I will end this poll, post the final results, and start a new survey for the week ahead. Thanks to everyone who has already voted! And I hope you all have a terrific weekend! Wayne http://www.geowayne.com/psbhtml.htm From psbfan at geowayne.com Sat Nov 26 22:14:40 2016 From: psbfan at geowayne.com (Wayne Studer) Date: Sat, 26 Nov 2016 22:14:40 -0800 Subject: [Introspective] Final results of poll on greatest PSB song as judged by four groups Message-ID: <35fc191d-439a-5c7e-2bc1-3ac945a48304@geowayne.com> The final results are in for my poll this past week, in which I asked my site visitors what Pet Shop Boys song they believe would ultimately be selected by the largest number of people in each of four different groups -- the general public, their hardcore fans, their fellow musicians, and knowledgeable critics -- as their all-time greatest song. And the songs that received the most votes for each group were: * "West End Girls," picked by 82.8% of the voters as the song that most people in the general public would choose as the Pet Shop Boys' greatest; * "Being Boring," chosen by 64.4% of the voters as the song that would be picked by most hardcore PSB fans; * "Being Boring," cited by 33.7% as the song that would be chosen as their greatest by other musicians; and * "Being Boring" once again, this time picked by 49.7% as the song that most knowledgeable critics would name as PSB's greatest. To see the complete results, please visit my "Commentary" site at http://www.geowayne.com/psbhtml.htm and select one of the "Past Survey Results" options in the top navigation bar, or click the appropriate link on my "What's New?" page. My new poll for the week ahead kicks off the holiday season with a question that concerns the more commercial aspects of this time of year. I'm wondering whether you think the Boys ought to time their album releases more in keeping with the Christmas/holiday shopping/gift-giving season with a view toward maximizing their album sales. So please take a moment to make your choice from the options provided right there on my home page. And thanks so much to porkchopkid for suggesting this question! Thanks as well to everyone who voted in last week's survey. And I hope you all have a most excellent week ahead! Wayne http://www.geowayne.com/psbhtml.htm