Disco de Pet Shop Boys: “Numb, Pt. 2”

The Boys surprised some fans when they announced that Numb would be the third single off of Fundamental but Numb was almost included on PopArt and released as a single back in 2003 (the masked cover photo was taken at that time). The single starts off with the demo version of Numb which is quite good. It's a quieter version (less orchestral) compared to the album version. Up next (although the track list says that it's third) is the upbeat 'Party Song' b-side which samples 'That's the Way I Like It' which is quite fun. A minor point, this song does interrupt the mood a little. I would have put 'Girls Don't Cry' here and 'Party Song' on "I'm with Stupid" single, but that's me. Up third is the real gem - 'Bright Young Things' which is absolutely beautiful - just an amazing track. This track was commissioned for the film of the same name back in 2002 but was rejected by the producers which is their loss because this track is wonderful. Lastly, the video for Numb is included which I have to say is completely unique for the Boys: black and white, wintery, russian footage, orbs, etc. It definitely creates the right mood for the song although I never imagined the video looking like this - it completely works. All of these tracks can only be found on this single and no where else. Overall, another great single!

This CD is a great physical item to own, even in the days of waning physical media. I say this because it is both an audio and video disc. Most PSB CD singles are really made for collectors or folks who "have to have all the mixes." This is a single that would appeal to a slightly larger audience.

The stand-out item on the Numb, Pt. 2 single is the b-side song, Bright Young Things. This song reminds me of the PSB song "Being Boring" because it is nostalgic and about a time of youth and uncertainty. Just as the video of Being Boring seems to hearken to the 1920's world of New York, this video definitely hearkens to the same time frame in and around Barkley Square, London. The song is uplifting. I sure wish there were a video for this, the pet monkey on a silver chain mentioned in the lyrics would be cool, much like the roller-skating chimp in the Being Boring video.

The song Numb by itself is okay, not one of my favorites, being a bit nasal and droning on. I do like the sentiment of the song though, especially since the news media these days reports excessive amounts of negative and awful things. Despite not being a big fan of the singing, I will admit the video is well done. Using a black-and-white montage of media images, it depicts very desperate times, probably in Poland or Russia during an early to mid 20th century famine. This definitely provides some ironic juxtaposition against what we currently consider "bad news."

The second b-side, Party Song, is brash, basic and doesn't hold up well to many playings. It is a catchy, almost experimental, little number that pays tribute to K.C. and the Sunshine Band's hit "That's the Way (I Like It)." Because PSB have their very unique style and the lyrics only come in at the end the reference to KC&TSB may escape most listeners. This track shows PSB just having some fun and a b-side is the perfectly appropriate place for this tune.

Overall nice single from the PSB - 4 out of 5 stars!

This CD single includes a video. The video continues the group's concern with communism and post-socialism; an early example of this was their song "My October Symphony" on the "Behavior" disc. Usually the Boys like being all over their videos, but this time you don't see them until the end. Like "Jealousy," and "You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk," they did not do much to extend this song from its album version. Culture Club and the Eurythmics never did much with their slow songs either, still you would think the Boys could have done more.

The CD cover clearly says song two is "Bright Young Things" and song three is "Party Song." Yet the second song talks about having a good time all night long and the third song repeats the phrase "bright, young things" several times. I don't know if the CD makers erred or the Boys wanted to be counterintuitive (read: confusing). The second song sounded like it could have been on "Disco 3"; the third song sound like a techno ditty you could hear in many gay clubs in the US or Europe. I didn't love these B-sides as much as I did "It Must Be Obvious" or "The Sound of the Atom Splitting," but they're not bad either. For die-hard Petheads, these two tunes are what make the disc worth buying.

Fabulous. I was very please to see that I was sent the 1st edition!