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Rating: In 2002, the Pet Shop Boys released this 'Release' album where the synthesisers blend well with electric and acoustic guitar, creating a suggestive and decorative venture, of sure interest to lovers of electronica, but also of pop, as the song structure is slow and rhymed.
The opener 'Home and dry' presents a classic pop melody sung by Tennant's wonderful voice, which alone would justify the album title, being soothing and gentle. Here, the background is set with muffled bass and various harmonic effects; assonant and rhymed vocal lines. It is followed by 'I get along', which also has a beautiful video, introducing piano and keyboards on a melody similar to a folk lullaby on a waltz background while the lyrics are sensitive and yearning. The following 'Birthday boy' has a slow motif produced by arpeggio and harpsichord, a kind of melodrama that pities the fate of a neglected child. 'London' is very peculiar for the verses repeated by Tennant's synth-voice; the background is again varied and silvery with arpeggios and xylophone, etc. Very romantic is 'E-mail', with both beautiful lyrics and a languid and intermittent melody. 'The Samurai in autumn' is instrumental, suggestive as the title suggests.
Also noteworthy is 'Love is a catastrophe' which, faithful to the title, is very subdued, less than 'Birthday boy' with the probably best lyrics on the album, which I quote: - Who issued the instruction, for this mad act of destruction...an end to equilibrium, fate laughs: look what you've done to him. All my former dreams, tender, romantic schemes, revealed, as so naive, to think I could believe, in love, as the kindest law, not, as a declaration, of war, on my life and sanity. Now I know at last for me, love is a catastrophe.
The next track resumes the subtle techno-house sounds while the following 'The night I fell in love' is lighter, and is truly romantic in the lyrics, and sincere, given that the relationship in question is homosexual; moreover, it seems that there is a reference to Eminem, presenting some verses of 'Stan'. The closing song is also slow and romantic.
Personally, I enjoyed the album a lot, especially for the melodic sense present to a good degree in the lyrics and music, without excelling at high levels, but close, especially musically.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 I Get Along (05:49)
Feeling like I'm stuck in a hole
body and soul
while you're out of control
Now I know why you had to go
well I think we both know
why it had to be so
I've been trying not to cry
when I'm in the public eye
Stuck here with the shame
and taking
my share of the blame
while making
sudden plans that don't include you
I get along, get along
without you very well
I get along very well
Now I know you'd much rather be
with rock royalty
instead of someone like me
The big boys are back and we need them, you said
Think it was something you'd read
and it stuck in your head
Even though I don't suppose
that's as far as it goes
You've got quite an appetite
for being wronged and in the right
Well from now on it won't affect me
I get along, get along
without you very well
I get along very well
The morning after the nigh before
I'd been alerted
to your lies
I phoned you up
You calls were all diverted
Took a long time to track you down
even though you were defiant
It's not what you think it is, you said
and proceeded to deny it
So I lost my patience at last
and it happened so fast
you belong in the past
I've been trying not to cry
when I'm in the public eye
Stuck here with the shame
and taking
my share of the blame
while making
sudden plans that don't include you
I get along, get along
without you very well
I get along very well
04 London (03:46)
We came from the far north
summered in Crimea
deserted the armed forces
had to disappear
made it to the free West
on a chartered flight
so we could se what
we trained to fight
We were in London
"Let's do it - let's break the law!"
We were in London
Tell it like it is
We were in London
Tell it like it is
Looking for hard work
or credit card fraud
What do you expect from us?
We come from abroad
to get ourselves a new job
on a building-site
They work you so hard
but we trained to fight
We were in London
"Let's do it - let's break the law!"
We were in London
Tell it like it is
We were in London
"Let's do it - let's break the law!"
We were in London
Tell it like it is
My father fought in Afghanistan
His widow's pension ain't worth a damn
My mother works and goes home to cry
I want to live before I die
We were in London
"Let's do it - let's break the law!"
We were in London
Tell it like it is
We were in London
Tell it like it is
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