Neil Tennant turns 60! We Celebrate with 20 of the Pet Shop Boys’ Greatest Hidden Gems
“Discoteca” – Bilingual, 1996
The heavily rhythmic opening track to the Latin-influenced Bilingual, “Discoteca” is a frantic tune with an ominous vibe about a man who buries his troubles by immersing himself in a world of dance, drugs, sex and partying, but the awareness of the potential inevitable costs of such a lifestyle weighs heavily on the song. It’s a dark, almost nightmarish piece that is a brilliant opener to one of the duo’s most underrated albums.
“For Your Own Good” – Nightlife, 1999
The opening track from the 1999 album Nightlife, “For Your Own Good” is a dance-floor stomper built around progressively intensifying blasts of keyboard. It should have been a single; there is no question “For You Own Good” would sound great on the radio, and a series of remixes would have been most welcome.
“In Denial” – Nightlife, 1999
The idea of Neil Tennant and Kylie Minogue singing a duet is delicious enough, but the end result is a stylized pop masterpiece. The theatrical song, about a gay father living a hardcore nightlife and his relationship with his daughter, was written for the duo’s musical Closer to Heaven. “In Denial” is a little slice of pop heaven.
“Birthday Boy” – Release, 2002
“Christmas eve, he’s born again.” Pet Shop Boys’ brilliant allegory is the emotional centerpiece of their underrated 2002 album Release. A contemplation of betrayal and martyrdom, from Jesus Christ to Mathew Sheperd dying alone on a cold wooden fencepost. “We’ve seen it all before.” Opening with the tones of a harpsichord, featuring some beautifully subtle guitar work by Johnny Marr, and one of Neil Tenant’s finest vocals, “Birthday Boy” is one of the Pet Shop Boys’ finest recordings.
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