Past PSB Survey Results - 2006 Surveys

This page presents the results of surveys I've conducted in the year 2006. The results of surveys conducted in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008 appear on separate pages.

Note: The response in each survey that received the most votes is highlighted in bold red. I usually list the responses in descending order according to the number of votes, but in a few cases I've decided that the results may be clearer or more meaningful if I list them in some other order. Incidentally, I do vote in my own surveys—and, yes, I vote only once. More often than not, what I vote for doesn't come in first place. In the results below, the symbol ¤ appears after the item(s) that I voted for in each survey.

If it were up to you to pick two—no more, no fewer—of the following potential Pet Shop Boys-related audio and/or video recordings to be released in 2007, which would you choose?*

31.2% - CD reissues of Nightlife and Release with "Further Listening" bonus discs
25.3% - Their film It Couldn't Happen Here on DVD
24.4% - Alternative 2: a 2-CD set compiling their post-Alternative single b-sides/bonus tracks
22.7% - DiscoVery - Live in Rio on DVD
20.8% - The film Battleship Potemkin with the Tennant/Lowe score on DVD ¤
20.5% - Their musical Closer to Heaven on DVD ¤
18.8% - Highlights—or, better yet, their complete MCMLXXXIX tour show—on DVD
13.3% - Collaborations: a CD (or 2-CD set) compiling previously released PSB colborations with other artists
11.0% - A CD reissue of Relentless
08.8% - Their 2002 Release tour show on DVD
03.2% - Something else not listed here**

*Because voters could select two items rather than just one, the percentage figures—which represent the percentage of voters who selected each item—total to roughly 200% instead of 100%.

**Please note that I disallowed two possible choices from the voting: an album of all-new material (who wouldn't vote for that?) and a DVD of the Fundamental tour live show (because it has already been announced by the PSB organization that we can expect such a release in 2007). Alternate choices described by voters included the following:

• "Integral"—the single (with remixes and bonus tracks).
• A box set of the Boys' singles, some prominent album tracks (including Potemkin), live versions, demos of songs produced for others (as wll as songs from Closer to Heaven), a few (good) remixes, and, of course, their b-sides and bonus tracks (along with some truly fabulous liner notes and photos).
• "Fugitive" as a single, because it begs to be remixed.
• The first four singles ("West End Girls," "Opportunities," "Love Comes Quickly," and "Suburbia") on CD.
• A remix box set, "including the increasing amount that never has been commercially released (promo only) and the few totally unreleased as well."
• "Pet Shop Boys' unreleased songs and demo recordings 1981–2006."
• Disco 4, featuring remixes of Fundamental tracks, including some that weren't released as singles.

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By any reckoning, 2006 has been an extraordinary year for the Pet Shop Boys. If you had to pick just one of the following as the "Event/Release of the Year" for them, what would it be?

62.4% - Fundamental (and its bonus disc Fundamentalism) ¤
12.4% - The Fundamental Tour
08.4% - The Pet Shop Boys: A Life in Pop documentary and DVD
04.3% - The Mermaid Theatre concert and the resulting live album Concrete
04.0% - The book Pet Shop Boys Catalogue
02.5% - Their remix of Madonna's "Sorry"
01.9% - The "Minimal" single
01.6% - The "I'm with Stupid" single
00.9% - The "Numb" single
00.9% - Something else not listed here*
00.6% - Their collaboration with Robbie Williams, "She's Madonna"

*Alternate choices selected or at least suggested by voters included the following:

• The BBC World Cup montage set to "Numb"
• Their appearance on "Dancing with the Stars"
• Their performance of Battleship Potemkin at the shipyard on May 1
• "I was lucky enough to fly over from Wigan (!) to LA and see them on 'Dancing with The Stars', then meet and chat with them at the Virgin store signing. We then went backstage on 'The Late, Late Show' and spent time with them again. A dream come true—they were friendly, warm and made us feel so comfortable. That was the highlight of my year, along with my Civil Partnership being signed to 'Go West' in front of family and friends."
• "PSB's choice to ask Trevor Horn to produce their new album, and promote it with the BBC Radio 2 concert."
• "You expect us to choose just one?!"

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Setting aside the matter of who does the remixing, which of the following statements comes closest to expressing how you feel about remixes in general—especially remixes of Pet Shop Boys tracks?

40.6% - I like remixes in general, although quite a few of them are a waste. ¤
18.9% - Occasionally there's a remix that I really like, but in general I can do without them.
17.8% - I like "extended versions," but aside from those I don't much care for remixes.
14.2% - I love remixes! The more the better!
04.3% - I don't like remixes. I wouldn't mind if there weren't any remixes at all!
02.1% - I have an opinion very different from any of those expressed here.*
01.1% - I really don't care about remixes one way or the other.
00.7% - Remixes are good for collecting, but not much else.
00.4% - Remixes are good for dancing, but not much else.

*Among the alternate opinions provided were the following excerpts:

• "As long as they resemble partly the original song the remix is intended to, I like them (as well to collect to)."
• "I cannot bear the remixes which hardly resemble the original."
• "I loved the song 'London' on Release, and bought some CDs with remixes, and all were terrible, stripping the vocal and giving me mindless drivel. Don't remixers realize we want the vocal?"
• "What the world really needs is a twenty-minute PSB maxi-mix of "Boy Strange.'"

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Have any of your Pet Shop Boys (or other) CDs shown signs of "bronzing" (aka "CD rot") or other forms of physical deterioration?*

35.2% - None of my CDs have shown signs of deterioration, but I've heard of this happening to others.
34.5% - No, I've never even heard of CD deterioration before!
14.9% - None of my PSB CDs have shown signs of deterioration, but some of my other CDs have!
11.1% - Yes, but only one or two of my PSB CDs have shown signs of deterioration. ¤
04.2% - Yes, several of my PSB CDs have shown signs of deterioration!

*Several people suggested some additional options:

• "I haven't checked for CD rot in any of my CDs."
• "I've never heard of CD/DVD deterioration, butyou made me start worrying for my CDs."
• "None of my CDs or DVDs that I know of has suffered from CD-rot, but I have heard about it from others."

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On at least two separate recent occasions the Pet Shop Boys have told interviewers that they're thinking about writing a ballet. Which of the following statements comes closest to expressing how you feel about this?

22.1% - "I think it's a terrible idea!"
20.8% - "I think it's a wonderful idea!"
14.9% - "They should do whatever they want to do, regardless of any other considerations." ¤
11.9% - "It's OK as long as it's 'electronic' and/or very 'modern-sounding.'"
07.8% - "It's OK as long as most of us actually get to see it, such as on DVD."
06.2% - "I'm not sure what to think."
05.5% - "It's OK as long as it doesn't reduce the amount or frequency of more 'typical' releases."
04.5% - "I have mixed feelings about it."
02.6% - "I really don't care about it one way or the other."
02.3% - "It's OK as long as there are plenty of fast, uptempo pieces."
01.0% - "I usually don't care much for instrumentals, but I wouldn't mind it as long as it includes at least some songs with vocals."
00.6% - "I guess it would depend on what the 'story' of the ballet is about."
00.0% - "I have an opinion very different from any of those expressed here."

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Would you like for Relentless to be reissued?

33.0% - Yes, but only if it includes bonus tracks.
24.0% - No—I like the idea of having something "rare."
20.2% - Yes, absolutely! I don't have it yet!
15.8% - Yes—I have it, but so that those who don't have it can get it. ¤
04.6% - I have no opinion about this one way or the other.
01.4% - No—I don't like Relentless.
01.1% - No—I don't like reissues in general.*

*Also, at least four voters specifically expressed an additional viewpoint: "Yes, but only if it's remastered." I'm sure many other voters would agree, myself included. In fact, I had considered including that among the choices in this poll. But I figured that it was a "given"—that Relentless simply wouldn't be reissued without being remastered. Perhaps I'm wrong about that. Rightly or wrongly, that's why I left it out, although in retrospect I regret that I did. Also, several others expressed concern about the deterioration of the original disc ("CD rot") and said that they wanted a new copy if for no other reason than that.

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Not counting the album or single version, what is your favorite mix of "Minimal"?

34.2% - "I don't feel I'm familiar enough with these mixes to choose."
15.6% - The M Factor Mix ¤
14.4% - Tocadisco's Sunday at Space Mix
12.3% - Some other mix not listed here*
09.9% - The Lobe Remix
03.7% - U-MYX - Chris Lowe's Summer Mix
03.3% - The Telex Heaven Remix
03.3% - Tiga's M-I-N-I-M-A-L Remix
01.6% - The Telex Hell Remix
00.8% - The Radio Slave Mix
00.8% - One of the other U-MYX mixes*
00.0% - Superchumbo's Light and Shade Dub
00.0% - Tiga's M-I-N-I-M-A-L Dub
00.0% - The M Factor Dub

*Specific alternate choices offered by voters were:

• 06.6% - The Sygma Remix
• 01.6% - The Oscar Salgero Radio Edit
• 00.4% - The DJ Culture "Acustic Version"
• 00.4% - "I don't like any of the remixes"

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What is your favorite mix of "I'm with Stupid"?

37.0% - The album/single version
24.4% - The PSB Maxi-Mix ¤
23.7% - "I don't feel I'm familiar enough with these mixes to choose."
03.8% - The Melnyk Heavy Petting Mix
03.4% - The instrumental version
03.1% - The Max Tundra Mix
02.3% - The demo version
01.1% - Some other mix not mentioned here*
00.8% - The Abe Duque Mix
00.4% - The Abe Duque Dub

*The one (unofficial) mix specifically mentioned as an alternate preference by one voter was:

• 0.4% - Saint Ken's Full Anthem

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Of all the recording artists with whom the Pet Shop Boys have collaborated in one way or another—even indirectly, such as by simply writing a song for them with no other involvement—which collaboration has, musically speaking, pleased you the most overall?

22.9% - Electronic
20.0% - Liza Minnelli ¤
17.9% - Dusty Springfield
06.3% - Robbie Williams
06.1% - David Bowie
05.0% - All or part of the cast of Closer to Heaven
04.2% - Madonna
04.2% - Kylie Minogue
03.7% - Eighth Wonder
03.2% - Boy George
02.1% - Peter Rauhofer ("The Collaboration")
01.6% - Elton John
00.5% - Cicero
00.5% - Tina Turner
00.5% - Some other artist not listed here.*
00.5% - They have yet to have a collaboration that has really pleased me musically.
00.3% - Alcazar
00.3% - Pete Burns
00.3% - Miyuki Motegi

*Sam Taylor-Wood was also among the choices offered, but no one voted for her. Elton John and Peter Rauhofer had been initially left out, but these were oversights, not intentional omissions. After a couple of early voters cited them (on the first day of voting), I added them to the list of options. Certain other artists, such as Blur, Yoko Ono, and Rammstein were intentionally left off the list because the Pet Shop Boys did little or nothing more than remix a single song of theirs with no obvious "audible presence," such as additional background vocals by Neil. Although a couple of people told me that they felt those artists should also have appeared on the list, none of them seemed to indicate that any of them would be their own choice in response to this survey question.

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Which online resources do you visit or use on a regular basis—at least once per week on the average—to obtain the latest news and information about the Pet Shop Boys?¹

72.7% - The official PSB website ¤
45.6% - Pet Shop Boys Commentary (this site)²
24.6% - The Pet Shop Boys Community Forum ¤
17.5% - Lydia's Pet Shop Boys Forum ¤
16.1% - Euphoric
15.6% - Pet Shop Boys Online
07.9% - Some other website(s) not listed here³
07.1% - The Introspective newsgroup ¤
06.8% - The Yahoo Petheads group ¤
06.8% - Google
06.3% - At Dead of Night
03.3% - So Pet Shop Boys
02.5% - Yahoo
01.6% - Absolutely Pet Shop Boys
00.8% - Pet Shop Boys Confidential
00.3% - Pet Shop Boys, actually

¹Because voters could select more than one item in this survey, the percentages total to more than 100%.

²I was hesitant to include my own site among the options since the very fact that this survey appeared here would skew the results. That is, if you took part in this survey, then chances were good that you visited this site regularly. But that was by no means a certainty—and I personally thought it would be extremely interesting to see how many people might vote who do not visit this site on a regular basis to get "the latest news and information." (Then again, I never envisioned the primary purpose of my site as being a source of "PSB news," although it does incidentally often serve that function.) It's also worth noting that the results are also undoubtedly skewed by the fact that I routinely post weekly "poll announcements" in several of the online forums listed, thereby skewing the results in favor of those particular forums. The results are nevertheless interesting for comparative purposes.

³Among the other online resources cited by voters were:

• 1.1% - Pet Shop Boys Forum⁴
• 0.3% - Gardner's Pet Shop Boys Discography
• 0.3% - Pet Shop Boys OnPage
• 0.3% - Pet Shop Boys Covers & Quotations
• 0.3% - eil.com
• 0.3% - Pet Shop Boys in Paris
• 0.3% - Popjustice
• 0.3% - Flickr (for photos)
• 0.3% - Getty Images (for photos)

⁴I received some criticism for not including this particular Pet Shop Boys Forum among the choices in my survey. But the only reason I didn't include it is that I wasn't even aware of its existence until some of the survey participants brought it to my attention. As much as I might like to be, I'm not omniscient. At any rate, if it had been included, it would almost certainly have received more than the 1.1% "write-in vote" that it did receive.

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How would you rate the Pet Shop Boys as a live act?

36.5% - Maybe not the best, but certainly one of the top three or four.
18.6% - The best I've ever seen!
15.4% - Not one of the best, but better than average. ¤*
09.1% - I've never seen one of their live performances, so I really can't judge.
06.0% - It varies quite a bit—sometimes great, sometimes not so great.
04.6% - Terrific sets and costumes, but the performances themselves often leave a bit to be desired.
03.9% - They're about average.
01.8% - Great performances, but I usually don't care for their sets and costumes.
01.8% - I have mixed feelings about it.
01.1% - Not one of the worst, but below average.
01.1% - I have an opinion different from any of those expressed here.
00.4% - The worst I've ever seen!
00.0% - Maybe not the worst, but certainly one of the bottom three or four.

*Allow me to explain my choice. I tried to be as objective as possible. I've seen an awful lot of live acts. I've certainly enjoyed PSB live performances immensely, but I can't honestly say they're the best or even among the "top three or four" that I've seen. (If, however, all their shows were as fantastic as Performance—which I've seen only on video—I'd feel quite differently.) Therefore I chose the next-higher option, "Not one of the best, but better than average." Yes, it makes me feel like something of a traitor—but at least like an honest traitor. That's speaking solely for myself, of course. I have absolutely no doubt that everyone else chose just as honestly for themselves.

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An unusually large amount of PSB-related merchandise is scheduled to appear on the market this month. Which of the following items are you planning to buy or have already bought?¹

85.3% - The Concrete live album ¤
72.3% - The Pet Shop Boys: A Life in Pop DVD ¤
67.7% - The "Numb" single (in one or more formats) ¤
62.0% - The book Pet Shop Boys, Catalogue ¤
34.3% - Robbie Williams's new album Rudebox² ¤
25.0% - The Popjustice: 100% Solid Pop Music CD³ ¤

¹Because voters could select more than one item in this survey, the percentages total to more than 100%.

²Rudebox is "PSB-related" because the Boys have produced two of the tracks on the album, one of which, "She's Madonna," they also co-wrote with Robbie.

³The Popjustice CD will include a previously unreleased re-recording of "It's a Sin" by the Pet Shop Boys with a new arrangement.

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Do you own any "official" articles of "PSB clothing" (such as caps, t-shirts, or sweatshirts acquired through the Fan Club, from the official website, at a PSB concert, or even from eBay)—and, if so, do you ever wear it?

45.2% - No, I don't own any "PSB clothing."
25.9% - Yes, I own some "PSB clothing," and I occasionally wear it, even for activities that have nothing to do with PSB.
09.5% - Yes, I own some "PSB clothing," and I wear it quite often.
04.9% - Yes, I own one or more articles of "PSB clothing," but I've never worn them—though I probably would to a PSB concert. ¤
03.0% - Yes, I own some "PSB clothing" that I used to wear quite a bit, but I don't wear it anymore.
03.0% - Yes, I own some "PSB clothing," but I've never worn them, and probably never will.
02.3% - I used to own some "PSB clothing," but not anymore. And I wore it occasionally when I did own it.
02.3% - I used to own some "PSB clothing," but not anymore. And I wore it quite often when I did own it.
01.9% - I used to own some "PSB clothing," but not anymore. And I never wore it when I did own it.
01.5% - Yes, I own some "PSB clothing," and I have worn it—but only to a PSB concert.

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Do you think there will be a fourth single from Fundamental (following "I'm with Stupid," "Minimal," and "Numb")? (Not whether there should be, but will be.)

50.3% - Yes
49.7% - No ¤

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What do you think of the recent news that the title of the Pet Shop Boys' upcoming live album has been changed from Concert to Concrete?

28.4% - I like it. Concrete is certainly more imaginative than Concert.
16.6% - I'm withholding judgment until I learn the rationale behind it.
12.1% - I really don't care about it one way or the other.
11.1% - It's interesting—I'm rather intrigued by it. ¤
08.3% - I'm not sure what to think.
07.3% - I think it's a joke—or, if it isn't, it ought to be!
05.9% - It's brilliant!
04.5% - It's awful!
02.4% - It's inexplicable—one of the stragest things ever in PSB history.
02.4% - I have mixed feelings about it.
01.0% - I have an opinion different from any of those listed here.*

*Among the opinions offered were the following excerpts:

• "I would have much preferred the name change to Sell Out than Concrete. They're going soft! ;-)"
• "Concrete sounds a ridiculous title to me—I shall feel quite silly asking for it in the shop! However, they are so delightfully naughty and unpredictable that I look forward to hearing how they came to this decision."
• "The obscure change of title name at the last minute, for me, should not be seen in isolation.… They've become (rightly or wrongly) the samurais in autumn they've sung about! To me, they've simply stopped chasing the dream of commercial success and choose to suit and please themselves and hope that they carry true fans along with them. I mean, even if we find out why they called it Concrete, it will almost certainly only be people that visit PSB websites or subscribe to Literally, etc. that will get this info.… Is the album cover a picture of the outside of the Mermaid Theatre? Have the Boys seen a press review of the concert and seen the word 'concert' mistaken as 'concrete'? Is the cover picture related to Chris Lowe's architecture days?… I'm beginning to warm to the idea of PSB pleasing themselves in their probable wind-down of their amazing careers. They will never again have another imperial phase and seemingly odd decisions like this name change shouldn't put the fans off too much."
• "I hope the name change doesn't mean that the Boys have become set in their ways!"
• "I'm a math(s) prof, so when I first read this, I thought of the adjective 'concrete' rather than the noun. In math(s) we often say 'give me a concrete example of this theorem.'"
• "I actually think it is a clever reference to 'musique concrete'—the short definition of which is 'Electronic music composed of instrumental and natural sounds often altered or distorted in the recording process.'"
• "Along these lines, remember philosopher Roger Scruton's criticism of the Pet Shop Boys? That the music was so manufactured that one might question whether the artists themselves are actually performing it (which, given the history of PSB videos, and their want to be absent from them, might be a more astute observation than I once thought).… [T]he live record is like a historical document—concrete evidence—that largely studio music can be performed live."
• "Deep meaning behind the name or not, I just think the name sounds stupid."
• "Fundamental.. Life in pop... PopArt... Concrete goes with their new 'powerful' style of titles. May be it's a statement of importance or a 20 anniversary 'significant' style."

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How do each of the following factors relate to your being a fan of the Pet Shop Boys? That is, are you a fan because of it or in spite of it—or does it have no bearing at all on your being a fan?*

*Because participants in this poll could vote one of three ways for each factor, the percentages total to 100% for each factor listed. Among the comments that voters sent to me were the following excerpts:

• "I think the real reson is because PSB are unique. There's just no other pop group who do what they do.… [M]y love for PSB is simply down to the fact that they fill an artistic gap in the pop market, although some may say that they created that gap themselves!"
• "For me, the biggest factor in my being a PSB fan is their songs. Their ability as songwriters and composers has blown me away for two decades now. To me, their songwriting is more than just the separately identifiable elements of melodies and lyrics."

**The "Popularity Score" is obtained by subtracting the "in spite of" percentage from the "because of" percentage, ignoring the "no bearing" percentage since it, after all, has no bearing. This provides a single figure that takes into account how much a particular factor both contributes to and potentially detracts from the Pet Shop Boys' popularity among their fans; the higher the figure, the greater the overall positive effect that factor has on their popularity. This is predicated on the highly unscientific notion that each factor carries equal weight—a factor that contributes toward popularity is directly and equally offset by one that detracts from it. That, of course, is surely not actually the case. Still, I think the scores are useful as suggestive (though hardly definitive) markers of how different factors compare to each other in contributing toward the Boys' popularity among their fans.

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Which of the following statements comes closest to expressing your opinion of the new Pet Shop Boys video for "Numb"?

21.0% - It's very good—maybe not one of their best, but better than average.
14.8% - It's one of their all-time best videos!
09.5% - I like the song, but the video doesn't do it justice.
08.1% - I can't say because I haven't yet seen the video.
07.6% - It's about average for them.
07.6% - The fact that there's so little of Neil and Chris in it spoils it for me.
06.2% - I really don't like the song, but I kinda like the video.
05.2% - It's one of their all-time worst videos!
04.8% - I have mixed feelings about it.
04.8% - I'm disappointed—it's below average. ¤
03.8% - I hate the fact that "Numb" is going to be a single, so if it were the greatest video ever I'd still detest it.
03.8% - I have an opinion different from any of those expressed here.*
01.9% - I'm not sure how I feel about it.
01.0% - I really don't care about it one way or the other.

*This question generated a large number of comments. Among the additional opinions offered were the following excerpts:

• "I found it quite harrowing and would not wish to see it again."
• "It only disturbs me that there's so little PSB, but it's good anyway."
• "It's a depressing video for a depressing song.… This video is just too arty for its own good!"
• "Anyone bored with the Russian obsession? I'm getting there. It looks good, but I don't get it."
• "YouTube gives such a poor quality of video I wasn't really able to eveluate it properly."
• "I don't like the video and I don't like the song."
• "I do get some … general feelings of tragedy of what has happened to Russia over the past century. I'm much more intrigued by the video than the song, which borders on sappy top 40 pop, at least compared to their usual cool stuff. Of course, I can be consoled by the fact that they didn't write it!"
• "The video has no staying power, so you see it once, and that's about all you need."
• "Funnily enough, the video makes me like the song more—somehow I 'get' the song now that I've seen the video."
• "Personally I think the video is a very 'lazy' one with not that much thought going into it."
• "In England, after the national football (soccer) team were knocked out of the World Cup by Portugal, 'Numb' was played over a montage of England's best/worst moments from the tournament…. Now, probably just because I'm an English football fan, these images have stuck in my mind more than the official video.… I think they have missed a trick by not promoting the BBC montage in England as an alternative video."
• "I think the video is very good but I think it will make it even more difficult for the song to chart—unless something weird happens. I thought they might try something that would appeal to American mainstream audiences more for the video (why else pay Diane Warren for a song?) but this, I fear, won't do it. Then again, something like this might draw attention of a Grammy nomination…."
• "I feel the video is OK but it does not suit 'Numb.'"

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Do you have any Pet Shop Boys posters, photos, or other PSB-related paper-based artwork (not counting books, albums, or CD/DVD packaging) on display where you live or work?*

42.6% - No, and I never have ¤**
33.0% - Yes
24.4% - I used to, but not anymore

*Since this question concerns paper-based artwork, electronic-based displays—such as computer screen savers or computer desktop wallpapers—didn't count.

**A personal explanation: This question was inspired by a conversation I had some time ago with a new acquaintance in which I mentioned this website and my fondness for the music of the Pet Shop Boys. Apparently fascinated by the fact that I would devote so much of my spare time to such a hobby, she said that my home and/or office space must look like a "Pet Shop Boys shrine," complete with PSB photos and posters on the wall. I replied that, no, that wasn't the case—that, while I do own some PSB posters and other related artwork, I don't have them on display at home or at work because that's just not my "style" of fandom. My one exception: every Christmas season I have my PSB Fan Club Christmas card sitting up on the mantle alongside the other cards that I've received from family and friends. But that's so limited an appearance that I don't feel it counts for this question.

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Please rate the tracks in the Pet Shop Boys' film score Battleship Potemkin on a scale of 0 to 10 as they compare with other PSB songs (0 = "one of the worst PSB songs ever"; 5 = "an average PSB song"; 10 = "one of the very best PSB songs ever"):

To see where these tracks fall in relation to other songs in the PSB catalog, please visit the overall "Rating Project" page.

*This poll had far fewer voters than usual, and nearly a quarter of the votes that were submitted were absentions. Several people wrote to me stating that they weren't voting because they consider Battleship Potemkin to be a "work as a whole," so to speak, the individual tracks of which should not be judged separately from each other. To be sure, I was somewhat hesitant about this particular survey, as evidenced by the fact that I didn't run it until about a year after the album was released. And I'll be the first to say that the instrumental tracks gain significantly in their power and effectiveness in the context of the film. They work very well as segments of a film score. But I personally rated them based on my assessment of their quality as "standalone" pieces in comparison with other PSB songs. In that context, I simply had to give most of them rather low ratings.

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Which of the following statements comes closest to expressing your opinion of the U-MYX format for "Minimal," and do you hope the Pet Shop Boys will make other tracks available in the U-MYX format in the future?

34.7% - I have no idea. I don't even know what U-MYX is.
27.9% - I think it's great! And, yes, they should make other tracks available in U-MYX, too.
16.2% - It was interesting and fun for "Minimal," but it's fine with me if they never do it again. ¤
08.6% - I really don't care about it one way or the other.
04.1% - I didn't much care for it, but I don't mind if they do it for other tracks.
03.6% - I have an opinion different from any of those expressed here.*
02.3% - I have mixed feelings about it.
01.8% - I'm not sure how I feel about it.
00.9% - It's a waste of time and money! They should never do it again!

*Among the other opinions offered by voters were the following:

• "I think it is a cool idea, but it wasn't released in my country."
• "I thought it was absolutely tremendous, but I would have loved to have been able to take it one step further so you could make your own extended disco mix. The only downside is that you are limited to the same running time as their chosen single mix."
• "I couldn't try it since they don't release singles here in Israel."
• "U-MYX didnt work on my PC, which is under 6 months old, so [it's] a useless format."

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What do you think of the ticket prices for the Pet Shop Boys' current Fundamental tour?*

23.3% - I don't know enough to judge.**
20.8% - They're a little on the high side, but not unreasonable. ¤
18.8% - They're average—about right.
12.9% - I don't care—none of the shows are close enough to where I live.
10.4% - They're much too high! — but I'll buy them anyway (or already have).
09.4% - They're a bargain—cheaper than I expected!
04.5% - They're so expensive that I can't afford to buy them!***

*This includes both their summer round of performances in Europe and their fall concerts in North America.

**This is regardless of why the voter might not know enough to judge, whether it's because he or she hadn't heard anything about the ticket prices yet, wasn't sure what constitutes "high" ticket prices, or whatever the case.

***Or, even if the voter could technically "afford" to buy them, he or she was unwilling to pay that high a price.

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Which Pet Shop Boys tour has had the best, most well-rounded setlist? (Click here to see setlists for each tour.)

27.4% - 1999 Nightlife Tour
22.3% - 1994 DiscoVery Tour ¤
21.9% - 1991 Performance Tour
14.0% - 2006 Fundamental Tour (so far)
04.7% - 2002 Uni/Release Tour
03.7% - 1997 Somewhere Shows
02.3% - 1989 MCMLXXXIX Tour
01.9% - 2000 Summer Tour
01.9% - 2004 Summer Shows

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What do you think the title should be of the upcoming Pet Shop Boys live album recorded with the BBC Orchestra and several guest stars (originally broadcast on BBC Radio 2 this past May)?

16.9% - Orchestral*
16.2% - Concert ¤*
10.0% - Live
06.9% - Conducted
06.9% - Something else, as long as it consists of a single word**
05.4% - Broadcast
05.4% - Transmission
04.2% - Lively
03.8% - Fundamentally Live
03.5% - Radio
03.1% - Recital
02.3% - Classical
02.3% - Something else, as long as it consists of more than one word (for a change)**
01.9% - Show
01.9% - Alive
01.9% - Additional
01.9% - Presented
01.5% - Exclusive
01.5% - Theatrical
01.2% - Unplugged
00.8% - Traditional
00.4% - Alive in Pop

*Orchestral held a very wide lead, fully twice as many votes as the runner-up, until the actual title of Concert was announced on August 1 (by which time around 170 votes had been cast). At that point Concert began rapidly to catch up, though it didn't quite make it to first place. But, yes, I really did vote for Concert myself before the official choice was announced. Not to sound too "Spockish," but it just seemed the logical choice to me. To be honest, however, I'm somewhat surprised that it turned out to be the official choice. In retrospect, I rather think that Orchestral may be a better title—more imaginative and less expected. Then again, I'm not a very imaginative person. Intensely analytical, to be sure, but not very imaginative. Then, to further complicate matters, during the week of September 17 the official PSB website announced that the title of the upcoming live album was being changed from Concert to the completely unexpected Concrete. Nobody saw that coming! I guess it just goes to show that the Boys, even after all these years, still know how to pull a few surprises!

**Among the "Something else" suggestions were:

• Pet Shop Boys with Strings
• Pet Shop Boys Strings Attached
• Pet Shop Boys Conduct
• Radiophonic
• Collectively
• Orchestrated
• Vivid

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Which of the following statements comes closest to expressing your opinion about the BBC's use of the Pet Shop Boys' "Numb" in their montage following England's defeat in the World Cup competition?

32.5% - I'm pleased that it gave PSB more exposure to an audience that may not have paid much attention to them or to their new album.
31.1% - It's brilliant!
13.8% - I'm pleased that it gave so much exposure to the song.
10.7% - It's a shame that a release of "Numb" as a single couldn't have been timed to take full advantage of it. ¤
03.8% - I don't know anything about it!
03.5% - I have neutral feelings about it (or don't care about it at all).
02.8% - It's well done, but I wish they hadn't used "Numb."
01.0% - It's awful!
00.7% - I have an opinion quite different from any of those expressed here.

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Please rate the new songs on the Pet Shop Boys' album Fundamental and its associated bonus tracks (so far) on a scale of 0 to 10 as they compare with other PSB songs (0 = "one of the worst PSB songs ever"; 5 = "an average PSB song"; 10 = "one of the very best PSB songs ever"):

To see where these songs fall in relation to other songs in the PSB catalog, please visit the overall "Rating Project" page.

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What, in your opinion, is the single most controversial thing the Pet Shop Boys have ever done?

23.4% - The Pet Shop Boys haven't really done anything truly "controversial"
20.2% - Photos of a penis on the covers of the 12-inch vinyl promo "Before" singles
07.5% - Chris quitting mid-song on The Tonight Show in 1991 ¤
05.9% - "Fugitive"
05.7% - Neil "coming out" as gay
05.7% - Something else not listed here.*
04.3% - The "Home and Dry" video
04.0% - "It's a Sin"
04.0% - "The Night I Fell in Love"
02.7% - The "Domino Dancing" video
02.4% - The "homoerotic dancers" in the DiscoVery show's rendition of "Can You Forgive Her?"
02.4% - Their "rock ballads album," Release
02.2% - Choosing the name "Pet Shop Boys"
01.3% - The "Being Boring" video
01.3% - Disco 2
01.3% - The "erection" references in "Casanova in Hell"
01.1% - "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)"
01.1% - The "naked" male dancers in the DiscoVery show's rendition of "So Hard"
00.8% - "The Sound of the Atom Splitting"
00.8% - Their "political album," Fundamental
00.5% - Chris "stripping" during the Performance rendition of "We All Feel Better in the Dark"
00.3% - "Rent"
00.3% - Their refusal to wave and chat with the host after performing on Live at the London Palladium
00.3% - Chris prematurely exiting the Wogan show in 1990
00.3% - Chris dropping his pants at the end of one of the Somewhere shows

*Voters offered the following examples of "something else":

• The entire Performance show
• The "Liberation" remixes
• "New York City Boy"
• Artificially boosting sales of Release by offering four different slipcases of the special edition
• "I'm with Stupid" (with its suggestive implications regarding the relationship between Blair and Bush)
• "Numb"
• "Their manifesto of marrying dance music and synthpop with serious, insightful lyrics and earnest melodies. Dance music as a genre is tailor made for disposability. But the Pets have chosen to challenge the prevailing notion that all that thumps is superficial."

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Which of the following statements comes closest to expressing your opinion the recent redesign of the Pet Shop Boys' official website?

25.0% - It's fantastic—a tremendous improvement over the old one!
24.3% - I think it looks great, but it's not very user-friendly. ¤
14.3% - It's pretty good—a bit of an improvement.
07.5% - It's an improvement in some ways, but not in others.
05.4% - It's not particularly good—the old one was somewhat better.
04.3% - No strong feelings—I'm rather neutral about it.
03.9% - It's got some nice new features, but aside from that, no big deal.
03.6% - Some of its features don't work on my computer!
03.6% - I think it will take me some time to get used to it—but I will eventually.
03.2% - It's terrible—far worse than the old one!
02.5% - I find it very difficult to use.
01.1% - I don't like how it looks, but I think it's more user-friendly now.
00.7% - I don't think it's any better or worse than the old one, so why change it?
00.4% - I haven't visited it yet!
00.4% - I have an opinion very different from any of those expressed here.*

*Among the other opinions expressed was the following excerpt:

• "I used to like to send links from the website in emails or use them in my blog. Can't do that any more. I have to send people to the main site, then tell them to click this, that, and the other, which is a damned shame!"

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Which of the following statements comes closest to expressing your opinion of the new Pet Shop Boys video for "Minimal"?

33.5% - It's very good—maybe not one of their best, but better than average. ¤
18.9% - It's one of their all-time best videos!
16.4% - It's about average for them.
08.5% - I'm disappointed—it's below average.
08.5% - I can't say because I haven't seen it yet.
06.4% - It's a little too minimal, in my opinion.
03.2% - It would have been better without the dancers.
02.5% - I have mixed feelings about it.
01.8% - It's one of their all-time worst videos!
00.4% - I have an opinion quite different from any of those expressed here.

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