"Too much of anything is never enough."
Westley | Stuck in my head | 01/02/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Amazon doesn't include the track listing of this CD as of the date of this review. Here are the specific songs. It should be noted that there apparently were some errors made in the printing of the CD (e.g., "West End Girls" was listed as the never-before-released 10-Inch Mix), so these titles are taken directly form the official PSB website.
01) West End Girls (Seven Inch Mix)
02) Love Come Quickly
03) Paninaro 95 (Seven Inch Mix)
04) It's a Sin (Disco Mix)
05) What Have I Don to Deserve This?
06) Always on My Mind (Extended Dance Version)
07) Domino Dancing
08) It's Alright (Seven Inch Version)
09) Being Boring
10) Go West
11) Before (Single Edit)
12) New York City Boy
13) Home and Dry (Radio Edit)
14) Minimal (Radio Edit)
15) Love Etc.
16) King of Rome
A few times during their career, the PSB have released limited edition greatest hits samplers for different regions. The most recent example is "Party," which was released only in Brazil in anticipation of the boy's 2009 concert tour. The CD includes many of their biggest global hits ("West End Girls," "It's a Sin," "Always on My Mind") as well as some songs picked specifically for the Brazilian market. PSB music is often used in Brazilian telenovas, including "Being Boring," "Domino Dancing," "West End Girls" and "King of Rome."
So how does "Party" rate as a greatest hits collection? Not very well, overall, I'd assert. Yes, some of their mega-hits are here, but many fan favorites are missing, especially "Left to My Own Devices," "Can You Forgive Her?," and "So Hard." The balance also is not very good, with over half of the songs taken from the 1980s. True, that era is when PSB had their greatest global success but they have continued to pump out high quality hits continuously. Furthermore, most of the songs are available elsewhere, except perhaps "Go West" (which is included here in the 7-inch mix version), making the compilation significantly less attractive for completists. I do, on the other hand, applaud the inclusion the vastly under-rated "Home and Dry" (the lyrics always get to me!) and the best song off their latest CD, "King of Rome."
Last year (2009) was a busy one for PSB releases, with the 2-CD "Yes Etc." dropping in March followed by four singles (the 2-CD set for "Love Etc." and "Did You See Me Coming?," and 1-CD sets for "Beautiful People" and "Christmas") and this compilation. I've purchased 9 PSB CDs this year, which represents a tidy sum given that several were imports. Thus, I almost skipped buying "Party" - I was simply on PSB overload. However, I relented and am more or less glad I did, despite the hefty price tag. Clearly, this package is not for the casual PSB fan, who would be better advised to purchase "Discography" if in the market for a 1-CD PSB compilation. However, for completists, this CD will probably represent an interesting addition to their collection. I'm not sure how often I'll listen to this CD in the future, but it's a nice spin for now.
"
PSB bring the Party to Brazil
D. Carlton | chgo, il United States | 02/18/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Lets get one thing out of the way first - the content contained here is all classic PSB material. None of it is bad nor even mediocre. That said it is not for the casual fan. It is for "petheads" only. First, it was geared toward a very specific region - Brazil. Not all PSB hits are hits in every territory. Second, it is worth noting the greatest hits is titled PARTY. In that regard, this compilation does do a great job including most of their uptempo hits. So nobody should complain about what is not included.
Now, I would've given this 5-stars based solely on the music. However, I could only give it four based on the maddeningly and frustrating lack of a coherent, ACCURATE tracklisting. I know this is not the PSB fault personally, but still. Not only is the cd itself mislabeled, but their are at least a couple tracklistings posted on their website, both wrong! One is "more correct" than the other, but still not 100% accurate. For instance, before I even listened to the cd, I could tell "Go West" was an alternate version as it clocked in at a mere 4:18. However, the album version is 5:00 long. I believe it is the "elusive" 7" mix, but at this point who knows. Anybody's guess really. If someone anywhere in the world has the actual tracklisting, or if you happen to be the VERY person responsible for compiling this album, could you PLEASE post it on here?"
Collector's Item. such a Party
W. Webb | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA | 02/22/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This new exclusive Brazilian only CD is a nice collectors item, an addition to anyone who has to have a complete collection of commercially available releases from the Pet Shop Boys. No exclusive tracks on this one, just a collection of their hits in either seven inch mix, single edits, and versions that were previously not released on CD but vinyl.
As a fan since 1986, I can say that this is a great release that spans their entire career, with the usual tracks that we all love, and a couple that are not on my best track of that particular cd... New York City Boy, and Home, two tracks I could live without... But again, this is a 'Party' cd, with happy songs."
