Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

If there was ever an aggregation (if a duo is an aggregation) that everyone thought was gonna be a one-hit wonder it was the Pet Shop Boys. They hit, "West End Girls," was square in the middle of a genre that everyone thought was going to disappear, just like rap was going to, they weren't especially memorable looking, and their video wasn't that good. So, other than being the vehicle by which the guys who worked at the local Petland could take some ribbing, some good-natured, some not, it looked like PSB was gonna be the winning answer to a Jeopardy question in, say, 1997. Well, here we are in 2003, and Neil Tennant and Mike Lowe are still around, not in the sense that Latoya Jackson is still around, I mean, these guys are really here, and there music is still relevant, even as PSB continues to make music in a genre that disposes of its creators with the same disdain that used condoms are dropped on the corner of Bourbon and St. Ann. "West End Girls" came out what, almost 20 years ago, and it was a guilty pleasure for me then, and still is. And while I don't exactly fit into what, uh, one would think of as the PSB demographic fan base fair is fair, and by God and Sonny Jesus, these guys make great, great records. I mean, only a genius, or in this case, two of them, would have brought Dusty Springfield out of retirement and put her on the immortal "What Have I Done to Deserve This," a track that jumps into my head, unbidden, at least once a day. And they're still doing it. I'll get into the how of it in a minute but they're still doing it.

The latest PSB release is DISCO 3, and is a bit of a love letter to those fans who might have been somewhat dismayed by the presence of ---Oh, the Humanity!--- guitars on 2002's RELEASE. DISCO 3 features remixes of a number of tracks from RELEASE ("London," "Here," "Home and Dry") as well as a remix of "Sexy Northerner" which was originally on the limited edition bonus disc that came with release. All of these remixes, except for "London (Genuine Piano mix)" are straight ahead dance tracks, and are great; any bruised feelings that the fan base might have toward Tennant and Lowe over RELEASE will no doubt be assuaged by these remixes, which could go on for hours without anyone making a complaint. The real news here, however, is in the new tracks, of which there are five. The standout among these is "Try it (I'm in love with a married man." When I saw this track listed on the back of the DISCO 3 case my initial thought was "No, they wouldn't," but yeah, they did, no chanteuse on this one, just Neil Tennant warbling his heart and soul out over what I'm told is referred to as the "bisexual from hell." The gender-bending subject matter of this track may keep it off the radio, or it may ultimately put it on the radio, but what will keep it on the airwaves if it ever gets there is the fact that it is a great, great track, with an indelibly memorable melody line on the chorus that almost --- I said almost --- compels you to sing along even if you're a 51 year old unrepentant heterosexual. Regardless of airplay, this disc's audience, whether it be the klubkids or wistful hotties who put career before marriage and hear their biological clocks ticking, will make this track their favorite of 2003. What is all the more remarkable is that PSB can pull this off as they close the second decade of their career in a genre that they have certainly shaped even if they didn't invent it. While one could credit their longevity to savvy marketing (bonus discs, remixes, unexpected guest artists such as Dusty Springfield and Johnny Marr) there is more to their ability to endure than that. It is their ability to constantly reinvent themselves and stretch the admittedly narrow boundaries of their chosen genre to create memorable pop melodies without compromising their vision. 

If you had sworn off PSB after RELEASE, or if you were heretofore unaware that these guys are still around, making great, great dance music, DISCO 3 is definitely what you need to get reintroduced. Highly recommended.