Even before perfecting them, Neil Tennant had a deep respect for pop singles, bordering on disdain. During his time as a journalist at the revered British music magazine Smash Hits in the early ’80s, his reviews of 7-inch records were nothing short of meticulous. He critiqued Culture Club with a note of forgiveness for their mistakes, and Laurie Anderson’s work, he humorously admitted, put him to sleep. Interestingly, Tennant even suggested that the infectious hook of Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me Round” wasn’t catchy enough. He was a discerning fan who refused to settle for anything less than quality.
Tennant and his Pet Shop Boys collaborator, Chris Lowe, have crafted at least six outstanding albums, but their music finds its most elegant form in the single format. It’s a medium that suits them perfectly, and they excel within its constraints. Despite the dwindling popularity of B-sides in modern Western pop, the duo persists in recording exceptional ones. While today’s pop B-sides often offer little more than variations of the main track, in the pre-streaming era, a single release was akin to a manifesto—a statement of where they stood at that moment.
Enter SMASH, a monumental 55-song remastered collection of singles from the Pet Shop Boys. As their fourth greatest hits release, it surpasses previous compilations like 1991’s Discography, 2003’s PopArt, and 2010’s Ultimate, which now feel outdated. SMASH adheres strictly to its criteria, including only officially released singles, with all versions being the 7″ or CD versions distributed to British radio, with a few exceptions. Notably, “New York City Boy” is replaced with its more concise US radio edit. When asked about the exclusion of “How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?” in a recent interview, Lowe simply stated, “It doesn’t sound like a single.”
While some single versions on SMASH outshine album edits and mixes, not all do. And while the collection’s chronological sequencing may lack nuance and inventiveness, it serves a valuable purpose given the poor cataloging of single edits by streaming services. Moreover, for Pet Shop Boys, the pop single was their primary means of connecting with their audience, making this collection a vital piece of musical history.
SMASH kicks off with the iconic “West End Girls,” a stroke of pop genius that encapsulates Tennant’s ability to see beyond surface appearances while appreciating their allure. During their imperial phase in the mid-’80s, the duo produced some of the cleverest singles to top the British charts. Tracks like “It’s a Sin” and “What Have I Done To Deserve This” blend sacred chants with campy elements, tackling themes of religion, sexuality, and power dynamics with wit and sophistication.
Tennant’s lyrical prowess shines throughout the collection, from the introspective “Jealousy” to the poignant “Being Boring,” a heartfelt tribute to a friend lost to AIDS. The duo’s later singles, like “The Pop Kids” and “Home and Dry,” reflect a shift towards themes of domesticity and nostalgia, showcasing their evolution as songwriters. While SMASH loses some momentum in its final disc, the overall quality remains high. Tennant and Lowe’s recent singles, such as “Love Is a Bourgeois Construct” and “Memory of the Future,” prove that their creative spark is as strong as ever. Through every track, from the anthemic to the introspective, SMASH serves as a testament to the unparalleled career of the Pet Shop Boys—a celebration of their ability to find connection and meaning in the ephemeral world of pop music.