Pet Shop Boys – Bilingual

PSB had raised their level with Behaviour to a higher scale than they had ever achieved. With this album begins the decline to which they would only go through isolated songs in some of the following albums, but never again a "Behaviour" or one "Very"... a shame, this album only saves the sublime and melancholy ballad It Always Comes A Surprise.

'Bilingual', 1996, marked the point where the Pet Shop Boys' magic dried up.
'A Red Letter Day' is clearly the only good song on the album, and it might scrape into their Top 50 songs, maybe. 'Before' and 'Se A Vida E' were surprisingly also deemed worthy of single release, but have no hook or nice melody. 'Single' was released too, but with some kind of marching band drums being more of a gimmick than a hook.
'It Always Comes As A Surprise' had potential as a soft ballad, but has a weak chorus, verses, bridge, and lyrics - which doesn't really leave much else. It also features a saxophone.
'Metamorphosis' might not be the worst song they've ever made (See: 'The Former Enfant Terrible', actually, don't!), but it's up there, and certainly the most 'cringe'.
The other tracks are just *nothing*.
The previous album, 1993's 'Very', ostensibly showed signs of less seriousness, but beneath that the melodies and hooks were still good - especially with 'Go West' (albeit a cover).
If Bilingual is known as the 'coming out' album, it seems like it was only coming out because it was obviously dying of AIDS.
2/5.

An alternate tracklisting that potentially flows better than the official one:

1. Discoteca
2. Single
3. Metamorphosis
4. Before
5. Se a Vida é
6. It Always Comes as a Surprise
7. Electricity
8. Saturday Night Forever
9. Up Against It
10. To Step Aside
11. The Survivors
12. A Red Letter Day

This is a quiet pressing because of the length of the album - the Pet Shop Boys' longest - but the cut sounds great once you turn it up. The bass is surprisingly rich - on A6 it really drives the track for instance - and the top end is clear and detailed. There's just a tiny bit of sibilance on A6, but it's barely noticeable unless you're looking for it. (I'm using an Ortofon 2m black cartridge - it might be worse with some other tips.) Despite the volume, even with a less than mint copy - mine is probably VG+, picked up a few years after it came out - the music is bright and full enough to sweep away any minor background noise. I've not heard the repress but the reviews of the 2017-18 reissue series seem to be great so I expect it's a solid option. But if you are considering an original, know at least that it does sound good. This has been my only listening copy for well over 20 years and I've never felt the need to replace it.

My Promo Copy says this is a Limited Edition of 40,000

My vinyl copy sounds ok? Sorry that others aren’t having that experience
My system is very warm though
Plenty of bottom end, vocals nice and clear, it sounds of it’s time which is a nice mix of 90s post rave/dance/club influences and pure pop music drawing on underground electronic music which they always do.
Its production sounds like a 90s club record, all midrange, bass and shiny treble but it doesn’t sound like a ‘hi fi’ record
You know the deal with these chaps, innovative music, classic songwriting chops which can produce pure gold.
Prices seem to be creeping up which is bonkers. They can’t have run out already?
I’d get a cheap copy while you can

I don't like how it sounds but probably it have to exactly this way. Very digital. Very 90s.

I love the sound of vinyl as much as anyone, but all ya all have a go at the Masters (MQA) version on Tidal. I can’t express accurately how beautiful it sounds, especially through a good pair of headphones. OMFG.. to my ears, perfection.

not as good as their earlier albums from 1986-1993 but this double cd was also good !!

A question: Does the songs on this vinyl sound a bit to fast?