For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.
Like many stateside, “West End Girls” was my introduction to the edgy synthscapes and witty verse of Pet Shop Boys. Please is one of the genre’s greatest debut albums. And though I think PSB’s singles are much better than the original album versions, it is a treasure trove. In addition to “West End Girls”, it’s packed with other big tracks like “Opportunities”, “Love Comes Quickly”, “Two Divided By Zero” and one of my favorites: “Suburbia”.
While another 80’s anthem – Rush’s “Subdivisions” – painted a bleak picture of suburban life, this track seemed to go even darker – moving beyond high school cliques and into a world of violence and squalor. In stark contrast, the music created a utopian vibe with the soaring synth notes. “Suburbia”’s defining element is probably the dog barks – deliberately electronic and fake in their sound – and all the more powerful for it.
“Where's a policeman when you need one
To blame the colour TV?”