Pet Shop Boys – Nonetheless

Completely disappointed with this release from PSB, and perhaps it's just me who thinks this way but found myself skipping through all of the tracks. Pressing in my setup is ok through. However...

Lyrics 2/10
Melody 2/10
Dynamics 2/10

Overall 2/10

The Furthermore EP is worth the price alone. Immaculately produced on white vinyl, it is a real treat to have four classics, physical format, on this one record. I will play it allot, in the future this record will be seen as a real treasure.

It is properly pressed (at 45rpm!!! Yay, true knowledge of the 12"!) Clear sound, good bass, fine detail, and quiet between the tracks. They are not extended mixes, but redefine the songs as refreshed singles. They are all peppy mixes ("new versions"), even Being Boring is pepped up a bit.

First. Being Boring being “pepped” up a bit seemed wrong. It goes against the grain of what the original extended song of Being Boring was – a majestic, serious, moving and personal epic of those times. With Behaviour, PSB reached a grand level of sophistication, epitomised with the Being Boring song. Thus, a remix is risky! Maybe that is why they did it (or the fact that it is such a defining PSB song).Yes, PSB mastered pOp, but they covered a lot more musical ground . . . The original 12" extension is one of those exceptions where the 12” replaces the album track as the defining version, the way to listen to the full story – and really listen – it's an unfolding story, gently and beautifully crafted . . . That said, this new version grew on me, it won't replace the original 12” as the definitive version, but it's a good refreshment for a shorter version. And such a PSB-defining song deserves to be on this documentary 4-track.

Heart is improved. For me, Heart was bit clunky, this mix improves the balance better, addresses some repetitive issues and sounds lighter.

It's a Sin, now an anthem, is a joy to hear in this new version. At the 2:46 mins mark a kind of Dianna Ross thing kicks in, it’s a beautiful sound surprise, and why we listen to the Pet Shop Boys – this might be my new favourite version.

EXCELLENT pressing. Flat, silent, well mastered. Many other record companies should take notice of the sheer quality of this one.

If you ever searched for a clean and tidy lyrics booklet, then you found it here :-)
No superfluos pictures, no tiny characters you need a magnifying glass for, everything in perfect size and font for "co-grown" fans, printed black on white. I love it!

As the past tours have shown, Stuart Price was the absolute premier choice when it came to giving old classics a new dance makeover. Now the PSB were obviously arrogant enough to think they could do it on their own. The result is 'Furthermore', an EP to make you feel ashamed - cheapest fairground techno, or - even worse - Popschlager! This EP would have been better off as a free supplement to the Annually book for die-hard fans. So this time, for the first time, I'll be buying the single CD instead of the deluxe 2CD version of a new Pet Shop Boys album.

A phenomenal sounding record – crystal clear highs, solid bass, loads of presence and very detailed – a quite remarkable level of sound quality. Vinyl is quiet and centred. A job really well done – helped in no small part by James Ford's stellar production.

As for the so called 'clear' vinyl – maybe I got a bad copy but it is in no way clear – more like a semi-transparent dishwater grey that looks halfway between the 'clear' vinyl pictured above and the 'grey' variant. It was ordered from Amazon.co.uk who advertised it as 'Amazon exclusive clear vinyl'. There was also some gunk on side one which affected playback throughout the whole side and couldn't be cleaned off so I'm awaiting a replacement copy. I'm hoping the replacement is a) actually clear, and b) gunk-free.

The quality of the packaging and printing is excellent too. The textured soft paper inner sleeve is really nice and so much better than those hard cardboard inners one tends to get these days.

UPDATE: The replacement copy vinyl was actually clear (like in the picture) and gunk-free.

Nice color and clean pressing, artwork/design is a bit skimpy overall though

Listened to this upon release. The full album is beautifully sound crafted, masterfully balanced. Reminiscent of the 80's, nostalgic and soothing. No club bangers on this one. But the orchestrations, and electronics blend together so brilliantly, they leave Release and Elysium way behind.
The 4 track Furthermore album is strange. New versions of classics that sound 'updated' which probably just means they try to cater to the EDM crowds. Nothing as solid as the originals. this new versions are forgettable..

Awesome pressing and great album! The album itself is more on the sophisticated/artsy side, which is understandable given they just released three dance-oriented records with Stuart Price. Closer to Release/Elysium, and I love it. The pressing here sounds really good...very quiet, clear, and punchy. The Furthermore 12" EP is a real standout, though. Pressed at 45rpm it really shines! Killer bass really makes the four re-recordings stand out. "Being Boring" is the best reworking of the four.

James Ford recently produced the best Depeche Mode album in over 25 years and now he's done the same with the Pet Shop Boys. Nonetheless is probably the most consistent and enjoyable PSB offering since 'Very', that's my imprerssion.
Highly recommended 8/10.