Discovery: Live in Rio 1994

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Discovery: Live in Rio 1994
Pet Shop Boys - Discovery Live in Rio 1994.png
Live album by
Released30 April 2021 (2021-04-30)
Recorded1994
VenueRio de Janeiro, Brazil
Length93:18
Label Parlophone
Director Roberto Berliner
Pet Shop Boys chronology
Hotspot
(2020)
Discovery: Live in Rio 1994
(2021)
Lost
(2023)

Discovery: Live in Rio 1994 is the fourth live album by English duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 30 April 2021 by Parlophone. It was recorded in December 1994 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as part of the Discovery Tour. [1] It was originally released as a concert film on VHS and LaserDisc in 1995, [2] before being reissued in its original standard-definition video format on DVD alongside the live album in 2021. [1]

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Clash 9/10 [3]
Pitchfork 8.1/10 [4]

Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Paul Simpson called the release on CD and DVD "long overdue" and the concert "electric", writing that "the duo know when to dial the energy down a notch from time to time, so that everyone involved avoids the risk of short circuiting and burning out" and "the arrangements totally embrace the type of hyper-glitzy Euro-dance which was everywhere at the time". [2] Emma Harrison of Clash felt that the concert "showcases their musical prowess with ease", describing it as "an exhilarating celebration of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe's illustrious back catalogue". [3] Nadine Smith of Pitchfork complimented the "queerer take" on Blur's 1994 song "Girls & Boys", as well as Tennant and Lowe "seamlessly" mashing up their own tracks "One in a Million" and "Left to My Own Devices" with "contemporary club cuts" "Mr. Vain" by Culture Beat and "The Rhythm of the Night" by Corona, respectively. [4] Smith also felt that by doing reinterpretations of other's work as well as their own, the duo "suggest pop's potential as a living medium beyond recorded product, a songbook of standards that express universal sentiments but are open to individual reinterpretation". She concluded that "In their hands, the setlist becomes a collage, curating a century of pop music history in one jukebox." [4]

Track listing

Discovery: Live in Rio 1994 disc one track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Tonight Is Forever"1:59
2."I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing"3:46
3."Always on My Mind"4:14
4."Domino Dancing"3:54
5."To Speak Is a Sin"4:59
6."One in a Million / Mr. Vain"4:46
7."Paninaro"4:27
8."Rent"3:10
9."Suburbia"3:11
10."King's Cross"5:00
11."So Hard"4:05
Total length:43:41
Disc two
No.TitleLength
1."Left to My Own Devices / Rhythm of the Night"5:59
2."Absolutely Fabulous"3:51
3."Liberation"4:09
4."West End Girls"4:38
5."Can You Forgive Her?"3:56
6."Girls & Boys"4:55
7."It's a Sin / I Will Survive"6:48
8."Go West"5:11
9."Go West (Reprise)"4:46
10."Being Boring"5:24
Total length:49:37
93:18

Charts

Chart performance for Discovery: Live in Rio 1994
Chart (2021)Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [5] 108
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [6] 81
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [7] 42
Scottish Albums (OCC) [8] 10
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [9] 42
UK Albums (OCC) [10] 31

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References

  1. 1 2 Sinclair, Paul (22 January 2021). "Pet Shop Boys / Discovery: Live in Rio". Super Deluxe Edition. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Simpson, Paul. "Pet Shop Boys – Discovery: Live in Rio Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic . Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  3. 1 2 Harrison, Emma (30 April 2021). "Pet Shop Boys – Discovery (Live In Rio 1994)". Clash . Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Smith, Nadine (17 May 2021). "Pet Shop Boys: Discovery: Live in Rio 1994 Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  5. "Ultratop.be – Pet Shop Boys – Discovery - Live in Rio 1994" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  6. "Ultratop.be – Pet Shop Boys – Discovery - Live in Rio 1994" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  7. "Offiziellecharts.de – Pet Shop Boys – Discovery - Live in Rio 1994" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  8. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  9. "Spanishcharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Discovery - Live in Rio 1994". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  10. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 April 2023.