Behaviour (Pet Shop Boys album)

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***Behaviour.*** (stylised as ***Behavior.*** in the original US pressing) is the fourth studio album by English synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was first released in 1990. A special edition Japanese release included an additional Mini CD, exclusive artwork and printed lyrics in a white velvet-like box.

## History

Harold Faltermeyer produced *Behaviour.* at his "Red Deer" studio in Munich, Germany. Because they were dissatisfied with the available digital synthesisers and samples, Pet Shop Boys wanted to use analogue synthesisers. Faltermeyer was a good choice for producer as he happened to be an expert on analogue equipment. The result was a Pet Shop Boys album different from both the previous album, *Introspective* and the 1993 follow-up, *Very*. In places, the album expands upon the synthpop genre with flavours of guitar pop ballads, as with "This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave" and "My October Symphony" featuring guitarist, Johnny Marr. Later, singer Neil Tennant would reflect on the different style of *Behaviour.*, "It was more reflective and more musical-sounding, and also it probably didn't have irritatingly crass ideas in it, like our songs often do". Tennant later reflected the album was inspired by fellow synthpop group Depeche Mode's album *Violator*, which was also released in 1990. The album was certified Gold in Spain.

Along with the others of the group's first six studio albums, in 2001, *Behaviour.* was re-released as *Behaviour./Further Listening: 1990–1991*. The re-released version was digitally remastered, and accompanied with a second disc of B-sides, and some previously unreleased songs, recorded since the year 1990 to the year 1991. Notable songs on the second disc include "Miserablism", "DJ Culture", "Was It Worth It?", and the Ambient Mix of "Music for Boys". "Miserablism", a poignant satire of Morrissey, was intended for inclusion on *Behaviour.* up until the day it was sent for mastering. It later became the b-side for "Was It Worth It?" and was remixed by Moby for the single of 12"; it was also featured on the limited edition version of the 2003's compilation album, *PopArt: Pet Shop Boys – The Hits*. "DJ Culture" and "Was It Worth It?" were the two singles recorded for the Pet Shop Boys' 1991's compilation album, *Discography: The Complete Singles Collection*. "Music for Boys" was originally credited as "Music for Boys Part 2" and was the b-side to "DJ Culture". The original B-side version can also be found on the 1995 compilation album *Alternative*.

Yet another re-release followed on 9 February 2009, under the title of *Behaviour.: Remastered*. This version contains only the 10 tracks on the original. With the 2009 re-release, the 2001 2CD re-release was discontinued.

## Singles

* "So Hard" (R 6269 – 24 September 1990)

The video was directed by Eric Watson. The b-side was "It Must Be Obvious", with the USA release also featuring the Italian Mix of "Paninaro", which was originally released on *Disco*. Remixes were by the Pet Shop Boys themselves, the KLF and David Morales. The KLF also remixed "It Must Be Obvious", which was only available on *The KLF versus Pet Shop Boys* CD and 12" of the single.

* "Being Boring" (R 6275 – 12 November 1990)

The video was directed by Bruce Weber. The b-side was "We All Feel Better in the Dark". There were Pet Shop Boys Extended Mixes of both a-side and b-side, and there was a remix of "Being Boring" by Marshall Jefferson and two remixes of the b-side by Brothers in Rhythm on a limited edition 12" and CD of the single.

* "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (E2-56205 – 1991) [US only]

The video was directed by Liam Kan. The single was radically remixed from the album version by Brothers in Rhythm, and this become the version on the double a-side released in the UK with "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes off You)". This US release featured the Techno Funk mix of "I Want a Dog", the Marshall Jefferson remix of "Being Boring" and the Trevor Horn 7" mix of "It's Alright". There were also remixes by David Morales, which were released on a limited edition 12" and CD. The single mix was not featured on either of the Pet Shop Boys' greatest hits albums (*Discography: The Complete Singles Collection* and *Pop Art: Pet Shop Boys – The Hits*), although the video was featured on the Pop Art DVD and Videography.

* "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes off You)" / "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (R 6285 – 11 March 1991)

The videos for both songs were directed by Liam Kan, which drew on iconography from the Pet Shop Boys' then current tour and featured Neil Tennant spoofing several 'rock' stars including U2, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley and George Michael. There was an additional b-side, "Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend", and in addition to some extended mixes of both singles, there were additional remixes of both songs by David Morales.

* "Jealousy" (R 6283 – 27 May 1991)

The video was directed by Eric Watson. The b-side was the Pet Shop Boys' tidied up demo version of "Losing My Mind", which they produced for Liza Minnelli in 1989 for her album *Results*. The single mix was more electronic than the version on the album, and there was an extended mix of Jealousy which featured Neil Tennant reading excerpts of Shakespeare's Othello, which is a play about jealousy. There was also a Disco Mix of "Losing My Mind". On the limited edition CD, an edit of the Extended Mix of "This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave" (which was originally available with the Japanese version of *Behaviour.*) was included along with David Morales' Red Zone mix of "So Hard". Jealousy was later covered by Dubstar. It is known to be one of Robbie Williams' favourite Pet Shop Boys song, and he sang it with the band for their 2006 Radio 2 concert, which was later released on the 2006 Pet Shop Boys' live album *Concrete*.

## Critical reception

In a contemporary review of *Behaviour*, Jim Farber of *Entertainment Weekly* wrote that the album contained the Pet Shop Boys' "best tunes yet" and "their most consistently beautiful melodies to date", noting "an easier way with the beats and greater vulnerability in the lyrics" compared to the group's prior work. Greg Kot of the *Chicago Tribune* stated that *Behaviour* "may strike some listeners as even wimpier and blander than earlier releases, but its subtle brilliance emerges with repeated plays", calling it "a record that'll seduce dance clubs for a few months, and haunt the stay-at-home crowd for long after." In a mixed review, Robert Hilburn of the *Los Angeles Times* felt that the album's highlights leave "the occasional lapses and the forays into slower tempos" feeling "flat by comparison". *Q* included *Behaviour* in its list of the 50 best albums of 1990 and wrote: "Some of their dance fans may be a trifle disappointed ... but the best ballads here are as wry and touching as vintage Broadway. Frank Sinatra should be calling shortly."

Robert Christgau cited "Being Boring" and "My October Symphony" as highlights and later assigned the album a two-star honourable mention rating, indicating a "likable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well enjoy." *Q* included *Behaviour* in its list of the 90 best albums of the 1990s, while critic Ned Raggett ranked the album at number nine in his 1999 list of "The Top 136 or So Albums of the Nineties". *Behaviour* is featured in the book *1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die*.

## Track listing

All the songs were written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe

### Original album

1. "Being Boring" – 6:49
2. "This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave" – 5:30
3. "To Face the Truth" – 5:33
4. "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" – 3:56
5. "Only the Wind" – 4:20
6. "My October Symphony" – 5:18
7. "So Hard" – 3:58
8. "Nervously" – 4:06
9. "The End of the World" – 4:43
10. "Jealousy" – 4:48

### Japanese bonus disc

1. "Miserablism" – 4:11
2. "Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend" – 4:26
3. "This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave (Extended mix)" – 9:30

### *Further Listening: 1990–1991*

1. "It Must Be Obvious" – 4:26
2. "So Hard" (Extended dance mix) – 6:38
3. "Miserablism" – 4:07
4. "Being Boring" (extended mix) – 10:40
5. "Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend" – 4:30
6. "We All Feel Better in the Dark" (extended mix) – 6:48
7. "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes off You)" (extended mix) – 6:46
8. "Jealousy" (extended version) – 7:58
9. "Generic Jingle" – 0:14 \*
10. "DJ Culture" (Extended mix) – 6:53
11. "Was It Worth It?" (twelve-inch mix) – 7:15
12. "Music for Boys" (part 2) – 6:13 [incorrectly labelled as "Music for Boys" (Ambient mix)]
13. "DJ Culture" (seven-inch mix) – 4:26

**Note**

* (\*) Previously unreleased.

## Personnel

### *Behavior.*

**Pet Shop Boys**

* Neil Tennant – vocals, guitar on tracks 2, 4 & 9
* Chris Lowe – keyboards, programming, vocoder

**Guest musicians**

* Dominic Clarke – plastic tube on track 1
* J.J. Belle – guitar on track 1
* Johnny Marr – guitar on tracks 2 & 6
* Angelo Badalamenti – orchestra arrangement and conduction on tracks 2 & 5
* Alexander Bălănescu – string quartet arrangement on track 6
* The Balanescu Quartet – strings on track 6
* Jay Henry – additional vocals on track 6

**Production**

* Artwork by [design] – Mark Farrow/3a, Pet Shop Boys
* Engineer – Bob Kraushaar, Brian Reeves
* Mixed by – Julian Mendelsohn
* Photography – Eric Watson
* Producer – Harold Faltermeyer, Pet Shop Boys
* Programmed by [additional programming] – Dominic Clarke
* Recorded by [orchestra and strings] – Haydn Bendall (tracks: 2, 5, 6)
* Recorded by [vocals] – Bob Kraushaar (tracks: 1, 4, 6, 10)

### *Further Listening 1990–1991*

* Neil Tennant
* Chris Lowe
* Compiled by – Chris Heath, Pet Shop Boys

**Guest musicians**

* Vocals [additional] – Juliet Roberts (track: 6)
* Vocals [additional] – Tessa Niles (tracks: 7, 11, 13)
* Vocals [additional] – Carol Kenyon, Guida De Palma (track: 11)
* Guitar – J.J. Belle (track: 7)
* Guitar – Greg Bone (tracks: 10, 11, 13)
* Percussion – Andy Duncan (track: 11)
* Keyboards [additional] – Gary Maughan (track: 5)

**Production**

* Engineer – Pete Schwier (tracks: 1, 5), Brian Reeves (tracks: 2, 3, 4), Bob Kraushaar (tracks: 5, 6), Paul Wright (tracks: 6, 10, 11, 13), Ren Swan (track: 7)
* Mixed by – Pete Schwier (track: 1), Julian Mendelsohn (tracks: 2, 3, 4, 5), Brothers In Rhythm (track: 10), Pet Shop Boys (track: 8)
* Remixed by – Pet Shop Boys (tracks: 6, 11), David Jacob (track: 6), Stephen Hague (track: 13)
* Producer – Pet Shop Boys, Harold Faltermeyer (tracks: 2, 3, 4, 8), Brothers in Rhythm (tracks: 10, 11, 13)
* Programmed by [additional programming] – Dominic Clarke (tracks: 1, 2, 3)
* Programmed by – Scott Davidson (tracks: 10, 11, 13), Pete Gleadall (track: 11)
* Programmed By [sequencing] – Dominic Clarke (track: 7)
* Arranged by [orchestral arrangement] – Harold Faltermeyer (track: 8)
* Recorded by [orchestra] – Mike Jarrett (track: 8)
* Mastered by [remastered] – Tim Young

## References

1. ↑ Zuberi, Nabeel (May 2001). *Sounds English: transnational popular music*. University of Illinois Press. p. 100. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
2. ↑ "10 years of Being boring". Retrieved on 18 January 2013.
3. ↑ "Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano: Certificados 1979–1990". Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano.
4. ↑ "Neil Tennant on his songs about Morrissey in Behavior reissue liner notes". Talari.com. 9 May 2001. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
5. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "*Behaviour* – Pet Shop Boys". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Kot, Greg (22 November 1990). "Pet Shop Boys: *Behavior* (EMI)". *Chicago Tribune*. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
7. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2007). *The Encyclopedia of Popular Music* (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-85712-595-8.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Farber, Jim (9 November 1990). "*Behavior*". *Entertainment Weekly* (39). ISSN 1049-0434. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Hilburn, Robert (4 November 1990). "Pet Shop Boys 'Behavior' EMI". *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
10. ↑ Morton, Roger (27 October 1990). "The Pet Shop Boys: *Behaviour*". *NME*. ISSN 0028-6362. Archived from the original on 22 November 1999. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
11. ↑ Walters, Barry (29 January 2017). "Pet Shop Boys: *Behaviour*". *Pitchfork*. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
12. ↑ Cooper, Mark (November 1990). "Pet Shop Boys: *Behaviour*". *Q* (50). ISSN 0955-4955.
13. ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). *The New Rolling Stone Album Guide*. Simon & Schuster. pp. 630–31. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
14. ↑ "Albums of the Year: 1990". *Q* (50). November 1990. ISSN 0955-4955. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
15. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Pet Shop Boys: *Behavior*". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
16. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Key to Icons". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
17. ↑ "90 Best Albums of the 1990s". *Q* (159): 68. December 1999. ISSN 0955-4955. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
18. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "The Top 136 Or So Albums Of The Nineties". *Freaky Trigger*. Archived from the original on 20 January 2000. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
19. ↑ Dimery, Robert, ed. (2010). *1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition*. Universe. ISBN 0-7893-2074-6.
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 "Pet Shop Boys discography". psb-discography.com. Retrieved 1 October 2007.
21. ↑ "Pet Shop Boys – Behaviour / Further Listening 1990–1991". discogs.com. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
22. ↑ "Pet Shop Boys – Behaviour". australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2011. Unknown parameter `|deadurl=` ignored (`|url-status=` suggested) (help)
23. ↑ "Pet Shop Boys – Behaviour" (in German). austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2011. Unknown parameter `|deadurl=` ignored (`|url-status=` suggested) (help)
24. ↑ "RPM 100 Albums". *RPM*. archived at Library and Archives Canada (Volume 53, No. 6). 22 December 1990. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
25. ↑ "Charts-Surfer". charts-surfer.de.
26. ↑ "Pet Shop Boys – Behaviour". charts.org.nz. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2011. Unknown parameter `|deadurl=` ignored (`|url-status=` suggested) (help)
27. ↑ "Pet Shop Boys – Behaviour". swedishcharts.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2011. Unknown parameter `|deadurl=` ignored (`|url-status=` suggested) (help)
28. ↑ "Pet Shop Boys – Behaviour" (in German). hitparade.ch. Archived from the original on 22 July 2003. Retrieved 28 September 2011. Unknown parameter `|deadurl=` ignored (`|url-status=` suggested) (help)
29. ↑ "Behaviour". chartstats.com. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
30. ↑ "Behviour > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums" at AllMusic. Retrieved 28 September 2011.

## External links

* *Behaviour* (Adobe Flash) at Radio3Net (streamed copy where licensed)
* *Behaviour* (Adobe Flash) at Myspace (streamed copy where licensed)

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