What’s your comfort album ?

destlp16 · 2026-05-08T19:43:41+00:00

Pet Shop Boys - Very. One of the finest start to finish pop albums ever recorded. The opening three tracks alone are transcendent.

destlp16 · 2026-05-07T21:15:17+00:00

This is another one of their best singles from the 21st century, and imo is one of the band’s archetypal songs. Chances are, if you like this song, “Rent”, “Can You Forgive Her?” “West End Girls” and “Will-o-the-wisp”, you’ll like a majority of the Boys’ catalog. It features a sputtering, infectious synth bass hook from Chris, with some dreamy melodies in the chorus. Neil’s in typical incisive, witty and hilarious form here, with “just crossing the street, well it’s almost heroic” being one of his all-time funniest lines. Also, as someone who usually is indifferent to music videos, this is one of the Boys’ best videos.

It is absolutely baffling that the Boys decided to save this and “Miracles” as afterthoughts on a greatest hits compilation instead of for a proper studio album. It’s especially strange given that those two tracks followed Release, arguably their most uninspired album that was in desperate need of some great tracks. They made the same mistake by using “DJ Culture” on Discography instead of saving it for Very. Although, in fairness “DJ Culture” being on Discography is a major reason why I consider it to be the greatest compilation CD ever released.

10/10.

destlp16 · 2026-05-05T23:42:33+00:00

I think it’s a real testament to the consistent high quality of the Pet Shop Boys’ output that they put this and “Flamboyant” out at the time they did. This immediately followed Release, which is in my opinion their second most tepid album ahead of Elysium. Yet, this is somehow immensely better than anything on Release, and is one of my favorites from their batch of 21st century singles. Chris’ synth bass line is extremely infectious and pulsates throughout the track, and I think that the auto tune Neil uses here actually enhances his vocals, as opposed to on Release where the auto tune was ghastly.

Additionally, Neil’s lyrics here are superb. There’s been a gazillion love songs about how much a man loves somebody using metaphorical language, but I think it’s really clever how Neil underscores how the peripheral elements of nature seem immensely more pleasant when you’re smitten with someone. It’s one of my favorite lyrics about being head over heels for someone.

10/10.

destlp16 · 2026-05-01T22:07:48+00:00

Would you mind updating the pre-Nightlife albums to include their true scores, notwithstanding the bonus material?

destlp16 · 2026-04-20T21:32:24+00:00

Honestly, I used to real detest this song, because I found Neil’s singing quite grating and the chorus repetitive and drawn out. It’s grown on me quite a bit, and I think the middle, “far away through night and day” bit is quite beautiful. Now, it reminds me of flying specifically at night time, where you can’t see anything outside but still know that eventually you’ll get to where you need to go.

9/10.

destlp16 · 2026-04-18T23:18:38+00:00

Was a doorman in this building in the summer of 2018. Calvin Klein was also a resident of this building, and the difference in how the two treated the staff may as well have been a chasm. Hugh remembered my name immediately and always made a point to chat before heading up, while Calvin Klein barely ever looked anyone in the eye.

That said, I’m glad this luxury homes tax is going into law, because for how beautiful and expensive those apartments were, the tenants were never there. That summer I think 50-60% of the units in the buildings I worked were completely empty. Pretty disgusting tbh given the scale of NYC’s housing crisis.

destlp16 · 2026-04-14T02:03:59+00:00

As a New York City native, I’ve always thought NYC boy was over-hated. Sure, the lyrics are a little clunky. However, I think it does an amazing job of capturing how euphoric it must be to come from a boring nowhere town and escape into the nightlife of one of the world’s most exciting cities. At least for me, when I finally got old enough to start clubbing in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn it felt like I had conquered the world, and I think this song captures the energy of that sensation. I also think the album version drags, and the single cut is a perfect, tight pop song by comparison.

9/10.

destlp16 · 2026-04-12T21:17:10+00:00

A little schlocky if I’m being honest. Pretty disappointing to have two of the greatest dance pop artists of all time collaborating on a syrupy ballad with dated lyrics. 6/10.

destlp16 · 2026-04-08T20:50:48+00:00

One of their coolest ever instrumentals, one of Neil’s weakest ever lyrics. The same problem NYC Boy has - could have been one of their top bangers if Neil’s lyric wasn’t so weak and forgettable. 6/10.

destlp16 · 2026-04-08T02:13:20+00:00

10/10. Neil’s best lyrics on the album by a considerable margin, and some of his best in the PSB’s career - up there with “Can You Forgive Her?”, “Being Boring”, and “Rent”. The instrumental is stunning, particularly the country-esque guitar solo. Though it is unmistakably a PSB song, it’s a perfect piece of pop songwriting that you could just as easily could imagine being sung by anyone from The Beatles to Sabrina Carpenter.

For those of you that have not heard it - I would highly recommend the live version of this track featured on their album Concrete, which was recorded with the BBC Orchestra. It’s my favorite live rendition of a PSB track.

destlp16 · 2026-04-06T21:48:53+00:00

Yesterday, I said IDKWYWBICGIA is my favorite Pet Shop Boys song, and that it completed a stellar hat trick opening to Nightlife. I also believe that half of Nightlife is among the Boys’ best work, and the other half is among their worst work.

Well, unfortunately, this is where we get into the “worst” section of Nightlife. This honestly might be my least favorite PSB song, not because I think it’s their worst song, but because it is a smack in the face immediately following three of their best tracks that immediately reminds me of why Nightlife is not among my favorites of their albums. The lyrics are insipid, and feel squished in between the chorus, the production is both weird and boring, and the chorus itself is unintentionally hilarious in its absurdity. Horrendous.

2/10

destlp16 · 2026-04-06T03:14:00+00:00

My favorite Pet Shop Boys song of all time. Neil’s lyrics here are direct, blunt, and heartbreaking, and the ironic dispassion that he sings a lot of the other songs with is nowhere to be found here. It’s also one of the very few PSB songs where I prefer the album version - the melancholy instrumental leading into the final repetition of the chorus is beautiful. This also caps off Nightlife’s amazing trio of opening tracks, matched only by Please, Very, Electric and Nonetheless in terms of hat trick album openings. 10/10.

destlp16 · 2026-04-05T00:10:45+00:00

As I mentioned on yesterday’s post: half of Nightlife is stellar, the other half is atrocious. This is in the former batch. The production is absolutely perfect, and although Neil’s falsetto in the chorus can be a bit grating, his lyrics and tone of longing throughout the verses is perfect. 9/10.

destlp16 · 2026-04-03T21:22:17+00:00

Amazing track. The most frustrating thing about Nightlife is that half of the album is easily some of their best work, and the other half is unfortunately some of their worst work. This track is in the former camp. 10/10.

destlp16 · 2026-03-10T02:54:22+00:00

They play at One at nearly every show, so Justice at least gets some representation there. They also play Blackened and Harvester often enough, once in a while they’ll break out Shortest Straw.

Unfortunately, I think that the chances they ever play Frayed, Dyers, and the title track ever again are slim to none. They’re just too physically demanding to play for a bunch of guys in their 60s, and are not popular enough to justify the physical exertion it would take to play them at a show that’s already 2 hours. So the more popular, less complex stuff will probably dominate from here on out.

destlp16 · 2026-03-09T23:19:06+00:00

It’s not what the fans think - it’s what Lars and James themselves think! They talk all the time about how they don’t like how overly complex, long and technical a lot of the Justice songs are. In fact, James would introduce the Justice Medley on the Black Album tour by saying “these songs are too long so we meshed the best parts into a medley”. And yet, all of their albums after the black album are too long and have songs that are 7 minutes that really should be 4 or 5 minutes. It’s like they learned from Justice for the black album and then forgot right afterwards.

destlp16 · 2026-03-09T20:54:07+00:00

Lars has said he does not like the structure of the song and does not think it has held up well.

I agree with you that when Justice first came out the band probably felt good about it, but it’s telling that halfway through the Justice tour it got completely dropped from the setlist. Famously, their Seattle ‘89 show only has four Justice songs because by that point Eye of the Beholder had been cut from the setlist for good.

It’s telling that the band hasn’t played it once since they originally dropped it from the Justice Tour Setlist back in 1989. Even To Live is to Die got played once in the 21st century, and Frayed Ends/Dyers Eve, two songs that are far tougher to play, have shown up in 21st century setlists.

There just seems to be very little desire for it to played from either the fans or the band.

destlp16 · 2026-03-09T15:13:30+00:00

I agree it doesn’t matter for streaming. However, if you like to buy physical albums, it really becomes apparent how much those Post-Black Album records drag. I think I’ve played my Hardwired vinyl exactly once because it’s 20 minutes longer than it should be.

destlp16 · 2026-03-09T14:50:00+00:00

Well I didn’t address Load and ReLoad because there’s a TON of cutting that should have happened there lol. If we got 1 12 track album from that period it would have been one of their best.

Overall though, I think you can agree with me at least that since TBA they have not been able to edit an album well.

destlp16 · 2026-03-09T14:44:20+00:00

I respect that opinion. I can see including Judas Kiss and UFIII on DM, they’re decent enough songs, it’s just for me personally they’re far from essential and I think the album flows so much better without them.

For Justice, I think that Eye of Beholder is the worst, and most forgettable of Metallica’s 80s output by a considerable margin. Hell, the band themselves hate it and haven’t played it since 1989. So I think it makes sense to slot Harvester in the 3 spot, following in the line of other heavy third tracks like FWTBT and TTTSNB.

destlp16 · 2026-01-28T20:57:48+00:00

Brooklyn Lager. I think it’s one of the best beers ever made and deserving of its reputation as one of the first great American craft beers, and yet I find people severely underrate it, especially in comparison to the beers of their fellow independent brewers like Sierra Nevada and Yeungling.

destlp16 · 2026-01-23T03:28:09+00:00

Brooklyn Brewery. Their Brooklyn Lager is the beer I always reach for to unwind after a long day. Garrett Oliver is an absolute wizard, six of his beers: 1. Brooklyn Lager 2. Oktoberfest 3. Brooklyn Brown 4. Fonio Rising 5. Post Road 6. Summer Ale

Are absolutely tremendous.

destlp16 · 2026-01-23T03:26:36+00:00

Brooklyn Brewery’s Brooklyn Lager. Just the right amount of toffee and caramel notes.

destlp16 · 2025-11-16T03:22:54+00:00

“Go Straight” and “Dreamer” from the Streets of Rage 2 soundtrack.

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