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A story of a man who loved too much

Westley | Stuck in my head | 07/22/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Before" has never been one of my favorite Pet Shop Boy singles, but I've grown to appreciate it more over time. This CD with remixes is actually pretty solid. The song served as the first single from their underappreciated 1996 CD "Bilingual." The single wasn't a hit in the U.S., but did fairly well in the U.K., peaking at #7 and becoming their first Top 10 hit since "Go West" three years earlier. The lack of success in the U.S. apparently surprised the Boys, as they've indicated in the liner notes for their remastered re-release of "Bilingual" that "Before" was written for the American market. They suspected that it would be a smash. Unfortunately, the Boys' days of American hits had passed, so even a quality single didn't make a dent.



The song is one of the most sophisticated PSB singles - the lyrics tell of the many loves one has to have "before" finding the right one. The remixes are nicely varied. However, the song is too one-dimensional and linear for me, so the remixes get tedious after awhile; the "Aphrodisiac Mix" is particularly repetitive. As a result, I can't usually listen to the entire CD in one sitting. In addition, my favorite part of "Before" is the chorus, where Neil sings "before" and is echoed by the background singers. Unfortunately, that element is not included in several of the remixes. I do, though, really enjoy the Hed Boys remix, which uses some less prominent of the song to make a truly original remix.



Overall, "Before" is an average or slightly above average PSB remix single. They've had many that are better, but the combination of a pretty good initial song and some relatively creative remixes makes this CD pretty satisfying for PSB fans.

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