29 years ago, today, was released the Pet Shop Boys' second studio album, Actually. It's funny, I reached for it before I even knew that.
It's biggest hit, It's a sin, which Neil Tennant wrote in 15 minutes to release his anger about his catholic upbringing and pertaining to actions that are pleasurable and regarded as sins. This particular song is my favorite for its massive electronic synthesizers and over-the-top dramatic production both in song and clip, and was part of my own rebellion in my own religious upbringing.
The other songs alternate in their rhythms, from slower ones (It couldn't happen here, and King's cross), mid-temp (I want to wake up), and the rest are much faster.
I want to wake up, Once more chance and Hit music have portions with repetitive, insisting notes each - which sometimes I cannot tolerate, especially on the boombox, but I do tend to listen to the entire album most of the time without skipping.
I hadn't initially bought its regular edition and found myself missing it, so I went ahead and tracked down the 2001 Further listening double cd edition offering remixes and b-sides, some of which hadn't been previously released.
Both cds are white, and come with a 36 pages booklet about the album, with several photos of the guys.
You'll notice the front cover is a smaller version of the original photo
Actually is an enjoyable musical experience, though it doesn't seem to have a proper theme. Songs deal with religious upbringing (it's a sin), commercialism (shopping, rent), getting lost in a train station (king's cross) etc...
Although a couple songs are less enjoyable on boombox, I do tend to listen to it fully on headphones, or better yet, the Hifi system.
I give it a 9* score, because of the lack of coherence and those few insistent, almost headache notes in a couple songs.
The 2001 remaster in Further Listening edition offers a much improved sound (though there is a certain charm in the original edition), and 14 bonus songs, 5 of which had been unreleased at that point.
Instruments in this album include:
Fairlight, Keyboard, Synthesizer.
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