Disco 2

Last updated

Disco 2
Pet Shop Boys - Disco 2.png
Remix album by
Pet Shop Boys
Released12 September 1994 (1994-09-12)
Recorded1990–1994
Genre
Length47:58
Label Parlophone
Producer
Pet Shop Boys chronology
Very
(1993)		Disco 2
(1994)		 Alternative
(1995)

Disco 2 is the second remix album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 12 September 1994 by Parlophone. It consists of remixes of songs from the duo's albums Behaviour (1990) and Very (1993), as well as B-sides from the time.

Contents

A "club-ready sequel" to Disco (1986), [1] as well as a "companion of sorts" to the Very/Relentless set of 1993, [1] Disco 2 was released to mixed reviews. It reached number six on the UK Albums Chart.

Background and composition

The tracks on the CD were mixed into one long continuous megamix by DJ Danny Rampling. As a result, most of the tracks are in edited versions, having been cut off mid-way through in a crossfade into the following tracks (as a DJ might do while mixing music live). Some of the tracks were reduced by more than half of their original lengths in this way. In addition, some tracks were sped up or slowed down, in order to match the overall tempo of the mix.

A limited edition of the album was released in the United States which contained a second CD with B-sides and additional mixes.

Though the album is a DJ mix by Rampling, mention of this only appears on the inner sleeve. [2] Considered one of EMI's autumn 1994 highlights, Disco 2 was promoted from its September release through to Christmas. [3] An earlier remix album, also titled Disco 2, was due for release in 1988 following the release of Actually (1987) and was to contain extended versions of Pet Shop Boys songs. The duo cancelled the album in protest at EMI including their cover of "Always on My Mind" – intended for inclusion on Disco 2 – on Now That's What I Call Music 11 , against the duo's wishes. [4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Accrington Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [6]
Christgau's Consumer Guide Rating-Christgau-dud.svg [7]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
The Great Rock Discography 5/10 [9]
Knoxville News Sentinel Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The Leader-Telegram Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
NME 4/10 [12]
Select Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 6/10 [14]

In his review of Disco 2, Johnny Dee of NME wrote that it "works as a party album, an album you can leave on for an hour of comedy dances, trancing and Italo house-style raving while you and your mates get drunk", and considered it passable as a budget-priced remix album. However, he believed it to be disappointing as a follow-up to Very, criticising how many of the tracks "endlessly repeat one stuttering phrase", and also considered the interspersed samples of Absolutely Fabulous characters Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone to be "very poor". [15] Believing that the Pet Shop Boys were the only popular pop act to treat their dancefloor remixes as "more than just something to stick on those CD2-out-next-Tuedsay things", Andrew Harrison of Select commented on the high expectations for Disco 2 – built by the first Disco album and Introspective (1988). Nonetheless, he deemed it more like a Pet Shop Boys edition of the Journeys by DJ mixtape series, and believed that Rampling had lost the drama and humour of the original tracks, as well as "the songs, which PSB remixes never normally fully abandon". He recommended that readers buy the Very twelve-inch singles instead. [13]

Douglas Wolk of CMJ New Music Monthly wrote that, on release, Disco 2 was the highest-profile DJ-centred mix CD available. He believed that the album's lengthy flow of "mixes and dubs" is "almost too smooth and clean to bear. You may move your hips, but you won't feel the urge to grind them into anything." [2] Music Week called it both a "belated follow-up" to Disco and a "47-minute megamix" which should sell well. [16] A reviewer for Accrington Observer called it the "second stomping disco album from the kings of the remixes" and believed that the Pet Shop Boys' distinctive sound had been reworked for a "must buy" set. [6] Reviewing Disco 2 for St. Louis Post-Dispatch , J.D. Considine enjoyed the inclusion of two songs unavailable of otherwise, and praised how the remixes are "more like re-inventions" than mere repackages of the original versions, "sometimes just changing the original's mood, sometimes reducing the whole to a few essential hooks". Though believing those who favour Tennant's dry tenor would feel let down, as his voice is wholly absent from some tracks, he concluded that the album's "beat-savvy production and disco-ready megamix format make it a party unto itself." [17]

In The Herald-Sun , Howard Cohen said the album's lengthy mix of "techno, Eurodisco and house" remixes was "perfect for clubs but can be stultifying at home", adding that some remixes rendered the original versions unrecognisable. Ultimately, he wrote that Disco 2 is "fine for the young and energetic who can keep up with the mega-beats-per-minute mixes". [1] The Leader-Telegram reviewer Chuck Campbell opines that it proves the duo's "post-'88 viality and their adaptability to change with fashion", and commented on how DJs could play the album and "take a 47 minute break", due to the lack of segues. However, he believed some fans may be "overwhelmed by Tennant's nasal singing" over such a length. [11] In a short review, Jonathan Takiff of The Philadelphia Daily News included Disco 2 in a list of albums to ignore and quipped: "Don't quit your night job, boys." [18] Reviewing the "Yesterday I Was Mad at You" single, released to promote the remix album, Hitmakers described Disco 2 as "ultra hip" and added that Junior Vasquez' remix is "on fire," while the Jam & Spoon mix is "totally cool". [19]

In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine described Disco 2 as "more long-winded" than the first Disco album, "suffering not only from too many pointless remixes, but a surprising lack of cohesiveness, making it for devoted fans only." [20] In a review of its follow-up Disco 3 (2003), Drowned in Sound 's Mark Reed dismissed Disco 2 as an "unimaginatively-titled medley" of techno remixes. [21] Martin C. Strong, writing in The Great Rock Discography (2006), commented that Disco 2 and the B-sides collection Alternative (1995) mark period in which the duo kept a "fairly low profile" following the release of Very. He rated Disco 2 five out of ten, the same as Disco and higher than Disco 3. [9] In Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s (2000), Robert Christgau rated the album a "dud". [22]

Track listing

  1. "Absolutely Fabulous" (Rollo Our Tribe Tongue-In Cheek Mix) – 0:29
  2. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (Beatmasters Extended Nude Mix) – 4:15
  3. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (DJ Pierre Wild Pitch Mix) – 2:59
  4. "Go West" (Heller & Farley Project Mix) – 3:40
  5. "Liberation" (E Smoove 12" Mix) – 6:09
  6. "So Hard" (Morales Red Zone Mix) – 2:48
  7. "Can You Forgive Her?" (Rollo Dub) – 4:03
  8. "Yesterday, When I Was Mad" (Junior Vasquez Fabulous Dub) – 4:54
  9. "Absolutely Fabulous" (Rollo Our Tribe Tongue-In Cheek Mix) – 6:01
  10. "Yesterday, When I Was Mad" (Coconut 1 12" Mix) – 2:12
  11. "Yesterday, When I Was Mad" (Jam & Spoon Mix) – 5:01
  12. "We All Feel Better in the Dark" (Brothers in Rhythm After Hours Climax Mix) – 5:21 *Mislabeled. This is actually the Ambient Mix

US limited edition bonus CD

  1. "Decadence" – 3:55
  2. "Some Speculation" – 6:33
  3. "Euroboy" – 4:28
  4. "Yesterday, When I Was Mad" (RAF Zone Dub Mix) – 5:37
  5. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (7" Mix) – 4:45 [23]

Charts

Chart performance for Disco 2
Chart (1994)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [24] 181
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [25] 35
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [26] 54
European Albums ( Music & Media ) [27] 28
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [28] 15
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [29] 47
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [30] 23
Scottish Albums (OCC) [31] 15
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [32] 21
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [33] 33
UK Albums (OCC) [34] 6
US Billboard 200 [35] 75

Sales

Sales for Disco 2
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Brazil—50,000 [36]
United States—131,000 [37]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pet Shop Boys</span> English synth-pop duo

Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo in UK music history in the 1999 edition of The Guinness Book of Records.

<i>Release</i> (Pet Shop Boys album) 2002 studio album by Pet Shop Boys

Release is the eighth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 1 April 2002 by Parlophone. It was recorded between 2000 and 2001 and produced by the duo with Chris Zippel. The album produced three singles: "Home and Dry", "I Get Along", and "London", the latter of which was only released in continental Europe. It reached number seven on the UK Albums Chart and received positive reviews from critics.

<i>Please</i> (Pet Shop Boys album) 1986 studio album by Pet Shop Boys

Please is the debut studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 24 March 1986 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and by EMI America Records in the United States. According to the duo, the album's title was chosen so that people had to go into a record shop and say "Can I have the Pet Shop Boys album, 'Please'?". Please spawned four singles: "West End Girls", "Opportunities ", "Suburbia", and "Love Comes Quickly"; "West End Girls" reached number one in both the UK and the US.

<i>Disco</i> (Pet Shop Boys album) 1986 remix album by Pet Shop Boys

Disco is the first remix album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 17 November 1986 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and by EMI America Records in the United States. Disco consists of remixes of tracks from the band's debut album Please and its respective B-sides. The album includes remixes by Arthur Baker, Shep Pettibone and Pet Shop Boys themselves.

<i>Behaviour</i> (Pet Shop Boys album) 1990 studio album by Pet Shop Boys

Behaviour is the fourth studio album by the English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 22 October 1990 by Parlophone. A Japanese special edition included a bonus mini CD, exclusive artwork and printed lyrics in a white velvet-like box.

<i>Disco 3</i> 2003 remix album by Pet Shop Boys

Disco 3 is the third remix album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 3 February 2003 by Parlophone. The album consists of five remixes of songs and B-sides from their previous album, Release, three new tracks, a new recording of "Positive Role Model" from their 2001 musical Closer to Heaven, and a cover version of "Try It ", originally by Oh Romeo, the band of former Pet Shop Boys producer Bobby Orlando. "Positive Role Model" also appeared on the Germany-only single "London" in 2002 as a B-side.

<i>PopArt: The Hits</i> 2003 greatest hits album by Pet Shop Boys

PopArt: The Hits is a greatest hits album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was released on 24 November 2003 by Parlophone. The album consists of Pet Shop Boys' top 20 UK singles along with two new tracks, "Miracles" and "Flamboyant", which were also released as singles.

A megamix is a remix containing multiple songs in rapid succession. It often features various artists. There may be only one verse or even just a brief chorus of each song used, sometimes in addition to samples of the same or other songs. It is common to use different samples to maintain and sometimes even ridicule the original. To unify the songs together smoothly, a single backing beat may be added as background throughout the megamix, although this is not a must. This backing beat is kept basic so as to simplify mixing and to not compete with the music. These mixes are usually several minutes long at minimum, going up to a half-hour or an hour, or even more sometimes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paninaro (song)</span> 1986 song by Pet Shop Boys

"Paninaro" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, originally a B-side to the 1986 single "Suburbia". In 1995, a re-recording titled "Paninaro '95" was released to a wider market, to promote the duo's B-side compilation album Alternative, though only the original version was included on the compilation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jealousy (Pet Shop Boys song)</span> 1991 single by Pet Shop Boys

"Jealousy" is a song originally written in 1982 by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, recorded for their fourth studio album, Behaviour (1990). It was released on 27 May 1991 as the album's fourth and final single in a slightly remixed form, which appears on both Pet Shop Boys' greatest hits albums. It has also been covered by British band Dubstar, and was performed by Robbie Williams at the Pet Shop Boys' 2006 BBC Radio 2 concert at the Mermaid Theatre, a recording of which was released on the Pet Shop Boys' live album Concrete.

<i>Disco 4</i> 2007 remix album by Pet Shop Boys

Disco 4 is the fourth remix album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 8 October 2007 by Parlophone on CD and vinyl. It was not made available as a digital download, due to licensing difficulties for each track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing</span> 1993 single by Pet Shop Boys

"I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their fifth studio album, Very (1993). The song, both written and produced by the duo, describes a person normally hesitant to unwind and show his feelings, who—because of some event in his life—suddenly becomes willing to loosen up. It was released in the United Kingdom on 29 November 1993 by Parlophone as the album's third single, reaching number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, where it was released in January 1994, it reached number two on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Howard Greenhalgh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Integral (song)</span> 2007 single by Pet Shop Boys

"Integral" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their ninth studio album, Fundamental (2006). A remixed version of the song was released on 8 October 2007 as a download-only single to promote the duo's fourth remix album, Disco 4 (2007). The single peaked at number 197 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ Culture</span> 1991 single by Pet Shop Boys

"DJ Culture" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their first greatest hits album, Discography: The Complete Singles Collection (1991). It was released on 14 October 1991 as the album's lead single, peaking at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. Another version of the song, remixed by the Grid and entitled "Dj culturemix", was also released as a single and reached number 40 on the UK Singles Chart. The B-side was "Music for Boys".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yesterday, When I Was Mad</span> 1994 single by Pet Shop Boys

"Yesterday, When I Was Mad" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released as the fifth and final single from their fifth studio album, Very (1993), on 29 August 1994 by Parlophone. The single, both written and produced by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and number four on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. The song was remixed by Jam & Spoon for its single release, among other things removing a compression effect applied to Tennant's voice during the verses. Its music video was directed by Howard Greenhalgh. One of the B-sides is a cover of the Noël Coward song "If Love Were All".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Break 4 Love</span>

"Break 4 Love" is a song written, produced and recorded by Vaughan Mason, the principal member of American house music group Raze, the song's original credited performer. The song, the group's only significant US hit, featured vocals by Keith Thompson and Vaughan Mason, as well as sexual sound samples by Erique Dial. The single peaked at number 28 on the UK Singles Chart and topped the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1988. It is still considered a classic of the early house music genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London (Pet Shop Boys song)</span> 2002 single by Pet Shop Boys

"London" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 14 October 2002 as the third and final single from their eighth studio album, Release (2002). It was released exclusively in Germany and Europe and as a promotional-only release in the United Kingdom.

<i>Elysium</i> (Pet Shop Boys album) 2012 studio album by Pet Shop Boys

Elysium is the eleventh studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. Released on 5 September 2012, it was the duo's final album with Parlophone for 12 years. The album was recorded in 2012 in Los Angeles and produced by Andrew Dawson and Pet Shop Boys.

<i>Electric</i> (Pet Shop Boys album) 2013 studio album by Pet Shop Boys

Electric is the twelfth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was released on 14 July 2013 on the duo's own label, x2, through Kobalt Label Services. It was the duo's first album since their departure from Parlophone.

<i>Super</i> (Pet Shop Boys album) 2016 studio album by Pet Shop Boys

Super is the thirteenth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was released on 1 April 2016 on the band's own label, x2, through Kobalt Label Services. It was released digitally and on physical formats including vinyl and compact disc. The album debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Lead single "The Pop Kids" reached number one on the UK Physical Singles Chart and narrowly missed out on the top 100 of the main chart.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Cohen, Howard (30 October 1994). "Pet Shop Boys want you to tap your feet". The Herald-Sun: 45. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  2. 1 2 Wolk, Douglas (January 1995). "Reviews" (PDF). CMJ New Music Monthly: 39. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  3. ↑ "EMI's Autumn Highlights" (PDF). Music Week: 28. 24 September 1994. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  4. ↑ Jones, Alan (2 April 1988). "This Week's Chart" (PDF). Record Mirror: 46. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  5. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Pet Shop Boys: Disco 2" at AllMusic. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  6. 1 2 "Record reviews...record reviews". Accrington Observer: 35. 16 September 1994. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  7. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Pet Shop Boys". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  8. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Pet Shop Boys". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th edn). London, UK: Omnibus Press.
  9. 1 2 Strong, Martin C. (2006). "Pet Shop Boys". The Great Rock Discography. Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 813. ISBN   1-84195-827-1.
  10. ↑ Campbell, Chuck (14 October 1994). "Pet Shop Boys Mix Up Hits On 'Disco 2'". Knoxville News Sentinel .
  11. 1 2 Campbell, Chuck (23 October 1994). "Pet Shop Boys show vitality". The Leader-Telegram: 4H. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  12. ↑ Dee, Johnny (10 September 1994). "Long Play: Hat Blokes Not Funny Anymore". New Musical Express . p. 47.
  13. 1 2 Harrison, Andrew (October 1994). "New Old Albums". Select: 111.
  14. ↑ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Pet Shop Boys". Spin Alternative Record Guide . New York: Vintage Books. pp. 294–295. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  15. ↑ Dee, Johnny (10 September 1994). "Hat Blokes Not Funny Anymore". NME: 47.
  16. ↑ "The Essential Music Week Stocking Guide" (PDF). Music Week: 19. 17 September 1994. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  17. ↑ Considine, J.D. (14 October 1994). "Upbeat". St. Louis Post-Dispatch: 8G. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  18. ↑ Takiff, Jonathan (30 September 1994). "Forget It". The Philadelphia Daily News: 60. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  19. ↑ "Mix Show Disc-overy Club" (PDF). Hitmakers: 46. 23 September 1994. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  20. ↑ "Disco 2 - Pet Shop Boys | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  21. ↑ Reed, Mark (14 February 2003). "Pet Shop Boys: Disco 3". Drowned in Sound . Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  22. ↑ Christgau, Robert (15 October 2000). "Pet Shop Boys". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishing. ISBN   9780312245603.
  23. ↑ "Pet Shop Boys discography" . Retrieved 1 October 2007.
  24. ↑ "Response from ARIA re: Pet Shop Boys ARIA chart history, received 29 May 2018" . Retrieved 26 April 2020– via Imgur. N.B. The "NAT" column displays the release's peak position on the national chart.
  25. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Pet Shop Boys – Disco 2" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  26. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Pet Shop Boys – Disco 2" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  27. ↑ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 11, no. 40. 1 October 1994. p. 12. OCLC   29800226 – via World Radio History.
  28. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 233. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  29. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Pet Shop Boys – Disco 2" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  30. ↑ "ペット・ショップ・ボーイズのアルバム売り上げランキング" [Pet Shop Boys album sales ranking] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  31. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  32. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Disco 2". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  33. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Disco 2". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  34. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  35. ↑ "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  36. ↑ Fucuta, Brenda (9 December 1994). "Discografia marcada pela 'dance music'". Jornal do Brasil (in Portuguese). No. 245. p. 38 – via National Library of Brazil.
  37. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (23 May 2006). "Ask Billboard: Pet Shop Shopping". Billboard. Archived from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.