In a recent interview, Madonna stated that the thought behind her album "Music" was that a lot of techno music lacks spirit or lyrics that dig deeper or express real human emotions. She should have done some more homework; here at the beginning to the dance-techno scene were the Pet Shop Boys. I'm naturally biased against techno and especially dance music because Madonna is right in general terms - dance music tends to be sound-heavy garbage that says nothing when analyzed. It's about making sound. Techno tends to take great pride in experimenting with sounds, but less emphasis is placed on lyrics.
The Pet Shop Boys album "Actually" is about making music and it succeeds. From the highly empathetic, well-engineered lyrics of "Once More Chance" to the original folk-storytelling, pop sound of the "King's Cross," the Pet Shop Boys manage to say something and through their catchy tunes, they drill into the listener to get their messages across. They take a great deal of time crafting their lyrics and it is evident in their songs. Take "It Couldn't Happen Here," which opens with the poetic lines:
"Yesterday
Remember how clear it seems
In six-inch heels,
Quoting magazines?"
They manage to instantly create a definitive image, a sense of time and place in their lines that leaves a lasting visual image with the listener. That's almost unheard of in today's pop music.
The Pet Shop Boys utilize synthesizers and their own voices and the two mix quite well. In fact, in their hit song "Shopping," it's occasionally difficult to tell where the voice ends and where the synth begins. It's actually a wonderful sound. Unlike in most music today where synthesizers are used, on "Actually" there is an excellent balance between voice and instrumentals. The synths are not being used to cover for a lack of vocal talents, instead they are creating the music to accompany the human voices.
In fact, unlike their very typical dance song "Heart," which has an uncharacteristic lack of depth or commentary, all of the other tracks manage to say something and do it in an interesting way. I'm pleased to say this is an album I've come back to a lot over the years - it's one I bought the c.d. of after over a decade of listening to it on tape.
The songs use a higher level of diction than most music today. In addition, the rhymes are fairly tight. Add to that, the songs all have catchy tunes, but when one finds themselves singing the songs, the lyrics come easily. This is a nice thing to contemplate because it is the lines that come back to the listeners; despite having tunes that could easily get caught in one's head, the lines of, say "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" will pop into the head and get caught there more than just the sound of it.
The album succeeds largely because it overcomes the traditional nightmares of banality that have become dance music and techno as a genre. The lyrics are not meaningless like most dance songs today. The music fits the songs, which is pretty wonderful, especially when compared to how some techno music today makes a great sound, but says little.
The best of the tracks is "Rent" and the sole weak link is "Heart." More appropriately a 4 1/2 - 4 3/4.
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