Pet Shop Boys - Bilingual (1996)

One of PSB's more upbeat happy albums, but slightly inconsistent. It must have been difficult to follow-up 1993's Very; maybe that's why they took three years to do it. Ignore the double entendre of the album's title, this dance music is heavily Latin-flavored. Three of the songs have bilingual lyrics, mixing the English language with Spanish and Portuguese. There are a few clunkers here, but for the most part, this is good, danceable electropop. Best lyric award for this album: "It's the greatest show with the best effects/Since Disco-Tex and the Sexelettes!" from Electricity. For the most part, PSB should be considered a singles band. In my opinion, this was the last decent PSB album until Yes in 2009.

Press of the time:

• Rolling Stone (★★★½): "get dancin'!"
• Billboard: "typically precious and often clever collection of pop mini-dramas"
• Entertainment Weekly: B+
• Robert Christgau: A-
• Spin (8 out of 10): "astonishingly eloquent songs"

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #39 (Sept 28, 1996)

Tracks: The highlight of the album is Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is), followed closely by Saturday Night Forever. I also enjoy Metamorphosis, It Always Comes As A Surprise, A Red Letter Day, and Before. The rest of the tracks aren't great, but they're easy to listen to, with the exception of Single and To Step Aside, both of which should be skipped.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Same as Barenaked Ladies' Stunt: In the late '90s, I stupidly took on a home improvement project that involved sanding and painting all the cabinets in the kitchen. I remember this CD keeping me company while I primed and painted.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Yes (2009)
Disco 2 (1994)
Very (1993)
Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You) (1991)