80's music. Pet shop Boys V Soft Cell

Mem

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Bbucko

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It's not really a fair comparison. Soft Cell was a blazing fire that burned more brightly than any other Synthpop group but the magic was over by 1983 or so.

The Pet Shop Boys came later, with Dead Or Alive (and The Smiths): later than Bronski Beat and New Order.

I was and am a huge fan and experienced them very thoroughly the first time around. Picking one over the other is like choosing between an aperitif and wine for the main course. Can't I love 'em both?

Soft Cell:
The Girl With The Patent Leather Face
Hendrix Melody
Bedsitter
Sex Dwarf

Pet Shop Boys:
It's A Sin
Left To My Own Devices
New York City Boy
Go West

More valid comparisons could be made between, say, The Psychedelic Furs and Soft Cell versus Pet Shop Boys and Madonna.
 

Mem

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More valid comparisons could be made between, say, The Psychedelic Furs and Soft Cell versus Pet Shop Boys and Madonna.

I love the Furs, they had at least 10 great songs.

I would sooner compare Soft Cell to Dexy's Midnight Runners. :biggrin1::eek:

Music is dead. So many great bands came from England in the 80's and now nothing. I guess New Wave was their era.
 

Bbucko

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I love the Furs, they had at least 10 great songs.

I would sooner compare Soft Cell to Dexy's Midnight Runners. :biggrin1::eek:

Music is dead. So many great bands came from England in the 80's and now nothing. I guess New Wave was their era.

The first two Furs albums were brilliance, but Forever Now (as it was released in the US) is derivative and droning with too much filler.

FWIW, I think popular music is hibernating rather than dead. At the moment it seems that anyone with mad fellatio skills and an auto-tuner can release a single that will sell millions on iTunes :wink:
 

B_VinylBoy

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Pet Shop Boys for me!
Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money)
Being Boring
Love Come Quickly

They also had some amazing dance remixes as well. Remixes to "Can You Forgive Her" by MK, "I Normally Wouldn't Do This Kind Of Thing" by DJ Pierre, and "I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Anymore" by David Morales are noted classics, but that was more 90s instead of 80s.
 

FRE

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I prefer the traditional three Bs, i.e., Bartok, Beriloz, and Borodin. Or is it Bruckner, Bernstein, and Britten? Oh, now I remember!! It's Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms.

The spelling checker is not very erudite; it likes only Beethoven.
 

B_talltpaguy

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^Firefox spell checker sux!!!!


Sorry if I'm somewhat off topic (they're all derivatives of the 80's synth movement)... I drank all evening, which is atypical for me. :beerchug:

Bet most have never even heard this one...
I'm Falling - CS Angels.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J-0YWU2amE

Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears For Fears
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOA4ixV-3jU

Broken Wings - Mister Mister
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWyeVfuolT4

Enjoy The Silence - Depeche Mode
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rdfFroO67g

Don't You Forget About Me - Simple Minds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAdaQhitdKg

Don't You Want Me - Human League
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arUqoKjU3D4

I Ran - A Flock Of Seagulls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUjIA3Rt7gk
 
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D_Relentless Original

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^Firefox spell checker sux!!!!


Sorry if I'm somewhat off topic (they're all derivatives of the 80's synth movement)... I drank all evening, which is atypical for me. :beerchug:

Bet most have never even heard this one...
I'm Falling - CS Angels.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J-0YWU2amE

Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears For Fears
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOA4ixV-3jU

Broken Wings - Mister Mister
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWyeVfuolT4

Enjoy The Silence - Depeche Mode
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rdfFroO67g

Don't You Forget About Me - Simple Minds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAdaQhitdKg

Don't You Want Me - Human League
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arUqoKjU3D4

I Ran - A Flock Of Seagulls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUjIA3Rt7gk


Top choices Tall.Also Gary Numan and Heaven 17 come to mind now fella.
 

invisibleman

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Last edited:

Bbucko

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I had a roommate that loved Bronski Beat and all their reincarnated forms. Good stuff. :cool:

Their Hundreds & Thousands remix album was one of the very few where the newer versions surpassed the originals. Run From Love (unavailable both on YouTube and Daily Motion) especially is La Somerville at her most fabulously histrionic :cool:

I find it interesting that conventional wisdom always assigns Bronski Beat the honors of "first gay pop band", as Marc Almond was always very up-front and obvious. But even Say Hello, Wave Goodbye is sung (presumably) about a woman, and Sex Dwarf is hardly pop, I guess (nor is it necessarily explicitly gay for that matter). Their post-Somerville stuff deserves a better reputation than it currently enjoys, but it's never too late.

And this brings the thread back full circle.