I go back to about 1984 with following the Pet Shop Boys, have seen them live, and have most of their albums. Can safely say Elysium is truly awful by anyone's standards, and is the PSBs worst album by a very long way. The whole album has been leaked just about everywhere, so you don't have to look far for it.

Winner is the only decent track, and that's bland wallpaper music. The PSBs should be ashamed they've put this material out. They should retire IMHO. They've only made about 3 albums worth of good quality material since Very, and that's 19 years.

Theo_Bear, most PSB fans don't feel that way at all. I know there are some that dislike Elysium but the majority seem to like or love it. (Although, I don't think people should be judging it from a crap quality mp3 leak, anyway). It was never the sort of album everyone was going to love because it's so different but that doesn't mean it's bad or that they'll never do anything you'll like again. It's much better that they continue to change and develop their sound than keep churning out more of the same like some other bands.

It doesn't really make sense to suggest they retire or write off all their work since the mid-90s just because you don't like it. In my opinion, much of their best work is from this period and there's many others who feel the same way as you can see from this thread alone. Let's also not forget the musical, silent film soundtrack and ballet they somehow managed to fit in between the albums during the last decade, all of which and are incredible pieces of work, regardless of whether or not you like them. If you don't like what they're doing, just stop listening to it and leave all those who enjoy it to get on with it.

Plus, they've said there's a dance album on the way very soon too, which is already written!

I remember back in 1990 when I first heard Behaviour and was really disappointed. I was 16 at the time. But after listening to it more I started to realise just what a fantastic album it was. It took a while, but I got there in the end!

I'm having a bit of Deja Vu with Elysium. I knew it wasn't going to be a bouncy pop fest like Yes and Very, but on first listen it didn't grab me like other albums have done. But having learned from the past, I'm not writing it off just yet!!

I love 'Leaving' and some of the other songs are starting to grow on me, it's definitely more of a grower album that an instant hit one, but I'm just grateful that after all these years we are still getting new PSB albums.

I don't know how anyone can compare Elysium to Behaviour. Behaviour's a masterpiece, at least the PSB's second best album. Being Boring, So Hard, The End of the World, Jealousy rank amongst their best work, and those tracks are just off the top of my head. Behaviour struck for me many years as an album very much of it's time, but it's just as brilliant now as it was back in 1989. It's probably an even better album to me now as I approach my 40's than when I was a teenager, which was when I bought the album back in the heady days of tape.

Elysium contains no such tracks, and no such genius.

Electroflower, as for the PSBs producing similar songs to what they were doing 20+ years ago, I'd die for another Very. They also did some good stuff around the time of Bilingual It was a bit patchy by the time of Nightlife, but it was still there. Fundamental was good in parts. I'm sadly of the opinion that the PSBs don't have another late 80s- early90s style pop album in them, something which is a real shame as it's what they do best.

It's no surprise that when they tour, apart from a couple of newer tracks from whatever was their last album, almost everything is from Very and before. Yes, the audience wants it, but I see it as a tacit admission from the PSBs that much of what they've done in the last 20 years has been not up to scratch.

When PSB performed (or mimed) Winner on the opening Saturday of the Olympics to an audience on Henman Hill at Wimbledon Neil did comment that the song seemed appropriate for the occasion.

still haven't been bowled over by the song 'Winner' though interest was sparked by the mention of Harold Faltermeyer producing again.

But if the album is as dreary as the first single then I'll think I'll not be in any hurry to get it.

If this is another snoozefest, ala Release, then I've high hopes for a dance orientated sequel. Disco 3 was probably one of their finest albums IMO, so a return to form like that would be most welcome.

The album is very mixed.

I really like Winner and I love Invisible. The standout tracks for me are Your Early Stuff and Requiem in Denim and Leopardskin.

'You've been around but you don't look too rough and I still quite like some your early stuff. Suppose you're more or less retired now'. I guess thats for the media and doubters.

It is a great track. I am loving this album. Very much a grower but a great listen and sticks in your head. Yes had instant appeal to me but faded quickly.

i love the psb. has anyone heard this used to be the future. it didnt make the yes album great song

That and The Way It Used To Be are two of my favourite songs ever.

If now were the 80's, that would have been a DEFINITE single release

A Certain je Nas sais Quai should have been the single. Winner is ok, but its just a bit to jolly for us miserabilists. Invisible is a great track & the cover of the Bee Gees I Started a Joke is great.

PSB never do whats expected. Only they would put the gem 'This Used To Be The Future' or 'Fugitive' on the extra disc in the special editions.Let alone the work of genius that is Relentless as a another Ltd edition. The B sides are always better than the A sides. Disco 3 to me marked a return to form after the patchy affirs of Bi-lingual , Nightlife & Release. Fundamental & Yes being great albums. Esylium was never going to be a album of that type. Its a complicated collection of tracks that hopefuly like Behaviour are growers. That was a hard album to adjust to given what had come before , but it has stood the test of time to become a modern classic.

Keep putting albums out that sound like the previous 2 is not the way, the audience need to be kept challenged to accept new sounding stuff that yes is different but has the secret heart of the PSB at its core. Yes sounded so different yet it was vintage PSB in its delivery , Fundamental was a serious coherent affair of one producers appraoch that made for a different affair from the bitty / patchwork affairs of Bi-Lingual & Nightlife. Yet all contain some great tracks. Were never going to get another Behaviour , i always wish for another 'Do I have Too?'

I doubt Esymium will do very well, but fair play to being brave & putting somethinmg out that at least provides food for thought.

One of the worst things is that Neil's voice seems to have been put the digital mincer to clean it up and make him sound like he can still sing. We all know he's more than capable of singing out of tune (at least live) in his later years.

It is very difficult for me to criticize a release by PSB. I have been a fan since their early days, and am a self confessed obsessive.

I think Winner was the best lead single off an album since Home and Dry. The remixes are pretty much all decent, which is unusual. The bonus tracks on the single are all top quality.

I have listened to Elysium a few times now, and on first hearing I was disappointed.

But then I was disappointed with Nightlife, Bilingual and Release on first listen back in the day but all of them have tracks I love and tracks I like less.

I don't think Elysium is a terrible album...I think it has the feel of a B-sides collection, but even PSB's B-sides are excellent so that is possibly no bad thing.

I don't think it will go down as one of their classic albums, and at present I am struggling to decide which of the tracks will be the second single (Leaving, possibly - I think Invisible has had too much exposure), but as is always the case as I listen to the album more and the tracks become more familiar, my opinion of it may change.

In short...it hasn't instantly grabbed me and seems to lack the catchy, infectious melodies that PSB have had in the past but it is too early for me to say whether I like it or not.

I think those that say that PSB are crap now and should be doing what they used to do or retire - no-one wants to hear rehashes of the same old stuff. PSB have such longevity because they are not afraid to try new things - be it musicals, film scores, ballets, or just using new producers.

If anything they should be applauded for doing something a little less commercial and a bit different.

I don't think your hearing is quite what it should be. I went to see them tour in Newcastle a couple of years ago and evrything was spot on live and it was defo live.

I get the feeling you are not really into them anyway!

I never said he sings out of tune all the time. The PSBs Release era performance of Go West in Moscow for Live 8 is great except for a horrible note he sings in the first line.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K22ZD1HUV4g

I think there are other examples floating around. Anyway, Neil's vocals on Elysium have certainly had something done to them.

West End Boys is a fine song.
The rest is tedium. Even Tory Boy Coe knows that.

OK. I have listened to nothing but Elysium now for four days.

The only track i don't like is Ego Music, which is possibly one of the worst songs they have ever done. The only other songs I don't like by PSB are The Former Enfant Terrible, The Sound of the Atom Splitting, Legacy and Love is a Catastrophe, but even the last 2 I don't skip - Ego Music I will.

The album has an all round autumny feel to it...I especially like Leaving and Breathing Space, but generally, I like it a lot.

If you are a fan, I think you'll grow to like it. If you're not a fan, stick to Ultimate - that's what you probably want to hear.

I never liked West End Boys. I think they have dozens of singles better than that.

They've been dreary and pretentious for years now.

There was a flash of the former selves in Go West many moons ago.

West End girls, surely?

Wow! I love Ego Music. It is one of my favourites.

Well, it would be a boring world if we were all the same.

I never liked that one either

Yep, totally true

A few years back they seemed a bit eager to cling to the hems of anything up and coming and in interviews, they seriously came across as pompous, indulging in their own self importance and that really put me off them.
Music wise, you get the concessional flashes of greatness, for instance, Always popped up on the ipod yesterday, a good example. but generally, they're a bit hit and miss but it's reassuring to know they're still at it.