Fundamental is the ninth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was released in May 2006 in the United Kingdom, Europe, Japan, and Canada, and in late June 2006 in the United States. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number five on 28 May 2006. In the US the album peaked at number 150 on the Billboard 200, selling 7,500 copies in its first week.[citation needed] As of April 2009 it had sold 46,000 copies in the US and 66,000 copies in the UK.[1]
Fundamental earned two Grammy nominations at the 2007 Grammy Awards for Best Electronic/Dance Album and Best Dance Recording for "I'm with Stupid".[2] The album was generally well received by critics, but its sales failed to improve much on those of their last two albums.
Background and composition
Fundamental was produced by the Pet Shop Boys and Trevor Horn. The album features eleven new Pet Shop Boys compositions and a song by Diane Warren, "Numb", which was originally intended to be a new track on Pop Art: The Hits (2003).
Subject matter
The album has been noted for being more political than any other of the duo's albums to date; even the title, in one sense, is a reference to religious fundamentalism – portrayed here in a light, critical manner, which singer Neil Tennant attributes to the relatively relaxed status of religious freedom in the United Kingdom.[3]
Specific contemporary issues discussed in the lyrics include tensions and fears in the United States caused by the War on Terrorism, addressed in songs such as "Psychological" and "Luna Park"[4] ("Luna Park" being the name of various amusement parks around the world). Other songs refer to the politics of the band's home country; "Indefinite leave to remain" refers to an immigration status in the United Kingdom, while "Integral" criticises the Identity Cards Act 2006. (A statement from a band spokesman cites the issue as the reason that Tennant ceased his well-publicized support of Tony Blair's Labour Party.) "I'm with Stupid", meanwhile, touches upon both countries by satirizing Blair's alliance with George W. Bush. (See also special relationship.)[5]
Other subject matters are dealt with as well. "Casanova in Hell" is about the 18th century historical figure Giacomo Casanova, and how he immortalized himself by writing memoirs about his history of sexual seduction of numerous women. Tennant refers to, specifically, the book Casanova's Homecoming by Arthur Schnitzler as his inspiration for the song.[4] (It was sung by Rufus Wainwright at its first live performance, at a private concert recorded for BBC Radio 2 at the Mermaid Theatre on 8 May 2006.)[6] "The Sodom and Gomorrah Show" references two of the biblical cities of sin, Sodom and Gomorrah, in saying that to learn to 'go where angels fear to tread' (i.e. to sin) is to learn to live freely.
The liner notes show that the album is dedicated to two executed Iranian gay teenagers, Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni, who were hanged on 19 July 2005.[7] Some reports have suggested the two may have been executed for engaging in homosexual behaviour, though the official Iranian report was that they were hanged for raping a 13-year-old boy.[8]
Special limited editions of the album include a second bonus CD called Fundamentalism. The disc includes remixed tracks with contributions by artists such as Alter Ego. "In Private", here presented as a duet with Elton John, was originally a Dusty Springfield song written and produced by the Pet Shop Boys. First released as a single in 1989, it was later included on the 1990 album Reputation. The powerful opening track "Fugitive" contains lyrics suggestive of a dialogue between a male terrorist and a person who has a close relationship with him — originally conceived by Tennant as the terrorist's sister, but later re-cast in his thoughts as either the terrorist's sister, his brother or a close friend[10] — thus continuing the political themes of the main album.
Release
In December 2005, the official Pet Shop Boys website announced an early track listing for the album and gave a release date of 17 April 2006, naming "Minimal" as the lead single.[11] This was quickly followed up on 23 December, when pop music fansite Popjustice gave the first review of the album.[12] On 13 February 2006, it was announced that the release date of Fundamental had been pushed back to 22 May, because EMI needed "more set-up time".[citation needed] At the same time "I'm with Stupid" was announced to be the revised lead single. This was followed on 4 April 2006, with news that there would be a limited edition of the new album that would include a bonus CD called Fundamentalism.[13]
In 2017, the album was reissued as Fundamental: Further Listening 2005–2007. The new version was digitally remastered and came with a second disc of B-sides and previously unreleased material from around the time of the album's original release.[14]Fundamental re-entered the UK Albums Chart at number 33 following the reissue.[15]
Artwork
The album design was inspired by Dan Flavin's art made with fluorescent tubes, exhibited at the Hayward Gallery in London. The album title on the cover and the track listing on the back were created using cold cathode tubes.[16]
Promotion
The album was launched at a concert at the Mermaid Theatre on 8 May 2006, with musical director Trevor Horn and special guest vocalists Rufus Wainwright, Frances Barber, and Robbie Williams.[17] It was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 and featured songs from Fundamental, including "The Sodom and Gomorrah Show", "Casanova in Hell", "Integral", "Numb", "Luna Park", and "Indefinite Leave to Remain".[6] A recording of the concert was released as the Pet Shop Boys' first live album, Concrete.[18]
"Psychological" – In December 2005, a limited 12-inch white label record of "Psychological" was released. This one-track promo single featured an instrumental mix of the track, clocking in at 4:05.
"I'm with Stupid" – the first commercially available single from Fundamental released 8 May 2006 in the UK. Bonus tracks included "The Resurrectionist" and "Girls Don't Cry".
"Minimal" – released 24 July 2006, "Minimal" was announced by the Pet Shop Boys on 6 May as the second commercially available single from Fundamental in the UK. Bonus tracks included "In Private" (featuring Elton John), "Blue on Blue", and "No Time for Tears" from Battleship Potemkin.
"Numb" – released on 16 October 2006, announced on the official website on 4 September. Bonus tracks included "Party Song", "Bright Young Things", and "Psychological" (Ewan Pearson remix).
"Integral" – a new version of this song was released to promote the album Disco 4.
Several reviewers compared Fundamental to earlier albums. Following what he termed the "lukewarm reception" of Release (2002), Peter Robinson of The Observer called Fundamental "the Pet Shop Boys' best album in over a decade, sitting neatly between their previous career highpoints of Very and Behaviour, and it propels them back into the pop premier league".[31] Andy Gill of The Independent wrote: "Reuniting the duo once again with Trevor Horn, Fundamental is a confident affirmation of the PSBs' musical strengths. The result may be the very best album of their career, a mature and considered work which satisfies head, heart and feet simultaneously".[25]Popjustice felt it was the duo's best album since Very (1993),[12] whereas NME found "little on PSB's album that matches the big twizzly dunce-hatted glory of their 'Very' peak".[26]
Benjamin Boles of NOW Magazine countered: "Some have said this is the best Pet Shop Boys album in 10 years, but looking back at their last decade of work, that's not really saying that much. For this expedition, they've gone back to their electro-pop fundamentals, and do so quite well for the most part. Unfortunately, it's not that consistent. For every moment of cynical dance pop genius, there's a dull midtempo dirge bereft of decent hooks".[32] Keith Phipps of The A.V. Club described it as "A politically charged album that's free of musical sparks… Trevor Horn… provides characteristically slick production, but there's little to cast light on the gloss, and the political exasperation translates into music that sounds simply exhausted".[33]
1 2 "Interview – Recording". Literally (Pet Shop Boys fanclub magazine). November 2005. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2006.
↑ Boles, Benjamin (25 May 2006). "Pet Shop Boys Fundamental". NOW Magazine. Vol.25, no.39. Toronto. Archived from the original on 16 February 2007. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
↑ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 22.Týden 2006 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
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