The album was initially announced by Pet Shop Boys in an interview with the Cambridge University newspaper Varsity in November 2011. [1] It was offered for pre-order on 19 December 2011 through the Pet Shop Boys' official website. [2] Those who ordered the album by the end of February 2012 were entered in a prize drawing for jackets worn during the Fundamental Tour. [3]
A microsite for Format featured exclusive interviews and song information and extracts. [4] In a video interview, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe discussed how songs end up as B-sides and mentioned some of their favourites. [5] The album liner notes included an interview with the duo conducted by music journalist Jon Savage, sharing details on each of the songs. [6]
The album title refers to the many different formats of singles over the years: from 7-inch vinyl and cassette singles; to CDs, enhanced CDs, and DVD singles; to digital downloads and bundles. The liner notes list the single formats released for each of the included B-sides. [6]
The release date was 6 February 2012 in the UK, [7] but it came out earlier in various territories worldwide, including Australia, where it was released on 3 February. [8] Format debuted at number 26 on the UK Albums Chart, selling 5,909 copies in its first week. [9]
Critical reception
Format received generally favourable reviews from critics. The review aggregator Metacritic gave it an average score of 64 out of 100 based on five reviews, [11] while the Album of the Year site rated it 70 based on six reviews. [10]
According to Tom Hocknell of BBC Music: "Pet Shop Boys played a vital role in establishing the (once) standard of original, non-album flipsides with West End Girls, and continue to deliver all-new material to back their single releases. And it is here, relieved of the pressure to write hits or adhere to any album themes, that they regularly stretch their experimental wings". [17] John Murphy of MusicOMH noted, "over a career of almost 30 years, Pet Shop Boys have always treated the noble concept of the B-side with particular love and attention", and he called Format "a fine overview of nearly 15 years worth of clever, intelligent pop music that's far too good to be consigned to B-side status". [16]
Arwa Haider of Metro wrote: "It's true that the Pet Shop Boys' commercial power waned in the 1990s and Format feels less strident than Alternative; it's even arguable that some of these later tracks have dated more quickly... Yet the many high points are genuinely dazzling; they might not be lead singles, but they're stand-out songs and proven concert favourites". [18] Thomas H. Green of Mixmag observed: "This is PSB at play, and, while uneven, it's jammed with delights, from the Beatles-ish 'I Didn't Get Where I Am Today' and mellow d'n'b ballad 'Betrayed', to sassy Hispanic groove 'Between Two Islands' and the self-referencing aceness of 'We're The Pet Shop Boys'". [15] Len Lukowski of Drowned in Sound concluded, "there's no denying Format was made by pop geniuses; maybe pop geniuses being slightly hit and miss, but that's still pretty good". [14]
Simon Gage of the Daily Express stated, "If more artistes' A-sides were half as good as Pet Shop Boys' B-sides the world would be a much more interesting place". [13] Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian commented, "Is Format patchy? Of course. It has to be. But it's patchy in a joyous, liberated way, because it's OK to make mistakes on a B-side. Nobody will hold it against you. And when you get it right it feels like a gesture of supreme confidence. You threw away a song this good on a B-side? Wow". [19]
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