Neil Tennant turns 60! We Celebrate with 20 of the Pet Shop Boys’ Greatest Hidden Gems
“A Face Like That” – Elysium, 2012
Elysium is a mostly downbeat and mellow record, but it’s loaded with beautiful tracks like “Leaving” and “Memory of the Future,” both of which were released as singles. The one real high-energy number is “A Face Like That,” a classic PSB electro-dance stomper which was regularly played on the Electric tour.
“I Started a Joke” – b-side to “Winner,” 2012
Pet Shop Boys have long been masters of the cover version, but they outdid themselves with this touching farewell to the late Robin Gibb. “I Started a Joke,” a hit for the Bee-Gee’s in 1968, was Robin Gibb’s signature song, and Neil Tennant performs it with grace and reverence, and an unmistakable sadness. A beautiful and moving tribute. “I Started a Joke” is featured as a b-side on the “Winner” single.
“Bolshy” – Electric, 2013
This hyper-kinetic dance opus is one of the standout tracks on the Pet Shop Boys’ brilliant 2013 album Electric. Its hypnotic intertwining keyboard riffs, Tennant’s deadpan vocals and the increasingly frantic rhythm make for a Pet Shop Boys classic.
“Odd Man Out” – b-side to “Thursday,” 2013
This lush ballad sounds like something intended for Elysium. Darkly atmospheric and morose, “Odd Man Out” is stark in its contrast with the amped-up electro-dance tracks on Electric. It returns to the theme of isolation and loneliness that crops up quite frequently in the Pet Shop Boys’ catalog.
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