Pet Shop Boys - Introspective (6 tracks) +Album Reviews

Fantastic re-issue of a great CD

Westley | Stuck in my head | 02/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The PSB recently remastered and re-issued their first six albums. "Introspective" has always been my favorite CD by them and I was only too happy to but it again to get all the extras. Disc 1 is the original CD remastered. It sounds great and these dance tracks now thump with extra power. My all-time favorite PSB song is included, Left to My Own Devices, which accomplishes their goal of putting "Debussy to a disco beat." Disc 2 contains various remixes and b-sides from the era (1988-1989). It has several versions of Domino Dancing, including the lovely, stripped-down "alternative version" and the demo version which is beautiful in its own right, but a mere skeleton of the song it would eventually become. They also include two songs that the wrote and produced for others - Liza Minelli (So Sorry, I Said) and Dusty Springfield (Nothing Has Been Proved, which was inspired by the Profumo scandal). Best of all is the extras that have been released with this re-issue. The 36-page booklet has tons of pictures and all song lyrics. Plus, the PSB comment on the entire CD and each song. For example, they reveal that "Losing My Mind" was their attempt at doing a ZZ Top type song! Brilliant!"

"Essential New Wave / Dance"

Kid Byron | Third Stone From the Sun | 07/03/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Pet Shop Boys have an impressive catalogue of material to buy and listen to and in my opinion "Introspective" especially this version which is remastered and has an additional disc chock full of gems included is truly an amazing feat in sound. If you like new wave / dance music this is an essential recording for your collection at least I think so."

The first great album from PSB.

The Groove | Boston, MA | 05/06/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Introspective" is a one-of-a-kind release from Pet Shop Boys. Is it an EP? A remix album? Or is it a new studio recording? It is all these things and more. The album contains remixes of previously released material, newly recorded songs, and a couple covers to boot. Although "Introspective" is a grab-bag of an album, it's by no means a throwaway record. "Left to My Own Devices" is a stomping disco number, replete with a full orchestra and Neil Tennant's spoken vocals. "I Want a Dog" is a funked-up remix of the original b-side, while we're treated to a housed version of their No. 1 "Always On My Mind." In addition, there's "I'm Not Scared," which Patsy Kensit would later record, and they do a decent cover of Sterling Void's "It's Alright." Though the record is only 6 tracks long, "Introspective" is a triumph of quality over quantity, and at the time, it was the most disco-centric release of their catalogue. If "Very" or "Behaviour" is the duo's best album, then "Introspective" ranks a close second.More interesting, still, is the second disc, which has rare remixes, demo versions, and songs they originally recorded for Dusty Springfield and Liza Minnelli. The song of note is "I Get Excited (You Get Excited Too)" which was a b-side to the single "Heart" but is strong enough to be released as a single."

Color Bars In The House!!!

Andre' S Grindle | Bangor,ME. | 04/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the golden age of the #12 inch single the Pet Shop Boys deliver an album consisting of six house/disco grooves-always excellent,often extatic!"Left To My Own Devices" and "Domino Dancing" manage to be great extended mixes AND great tunes while
"I Want A Dog" pulses and gooses along nicely.The Pet Shop Boys
continue to give dance music a good name with their classy writing,witty lyricism and clever arrangments so even the mechanical nature of the synthesized music sounds pretty cool.
Highly recommended!"

Excellent Deep-Eighties-Disco

Matthew Gladney | Champaign-Urbana, IL USA | 08/10/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The third proper album from the Pet Shop Boys finds itself firmly entrenched in dance club land (at least for 1988, anyway). The disc is a full-length fifty minute LP, comprised of six long-play songs. The concept was to start out with 12" (or extended) mixes of songs, rather than producing four minute pop songs, and *then* having them extended afterward. The result is, for the most part, marvelous. All of the songs on 'Introspective' are beat-driven dance numbers. What makes them extra special is that they are superbly structured, and actually contain lyrics of great depth and insight. Some of the songs are political, some scathing, one is a cover song, and more than one of them deals thoughtfully with loneliness. I am not fond of the last track, but it is not enough for me to detract much enjoyment from the listening experience. The Pet Shop Boys re-issued their first six albums in the summer of 2001. Each album now comes with a 36 page booklet of "behind-the-scenes" insight and information, as well as a bonus disc of material recorded from the same era as the album which it accompanies. 'Introspective' has been wonderfully re-mastered, and sounds much more deep, lush, and alive. The effect the re-tooling has had on the beats is superb, and gives the songs a richer tone. There are five previously unreleased tracks on the bonus disc, as well as alternate versions of songs from the album, and b-sides from the singles. 'Introspective' is a solid dance album from the eighties, which contains some of the Boys' best work. The 2001 re-issue version is most definitely an enrichment for the original CD, and is recommended for the serious collector."

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	Pet Shop Boys Introspective Genres: Dance & Electronic, Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock Track Listings (6) - Disc #1 Left to My Own Devices I Want a Dog Domino Dancing I'm Not Scared Always on My Mind/In My House - Pet Shop Boys, Christopher, Johnny It's Alright - Pet Shop Boys, Void, Sterling
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