Alternative (album)

Alternative
Compilation album by
Released7 August 1995
Recorded1985–1994
Length134:12
LabelParlophone
ProducerPet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys chronology
Disco 2
(1994)
Alternative
(1995)
Bilingual
(1996)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Robert Christgau(2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention)[2]
Melody Maker(favorable)[3]
NME6/10[4]

Alternative is a compilation album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was released on 7 August 1995 by Parlophone.

Alternative is a two-disc set, consisting of 30 B-sides in chronological order. The title Alternative was a last-minute change from the title that had been long saved for such an album, Besides, but that title was taken by American rock band Sugar, who released their own B-sides compilation two months prior.[citation needed]

A remake of the original 7-inch "Paninaro", titled "Paninaro '95", was released as a single (which was included on the later PopArt: The Hits set) to promote the two-disc compilation which reached number two in the UK Albums Chart.[5]

The cover of Alternative features photographs of Tennant and Lowe in fencing masks. The first copies of the CD have a lenticular image on the cover which shifts between the two photographs.

Neil Tennant revealed in a radio interview with Absolute Radio that a second B-side album may be released in 2010. On 11 November 2011, the duo announced through Varsity that they would release another B-sides album in February 2012, titled Format.

  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Pet Shop Boys: Alternative at AllMusic. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Pet Shop Boys". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  3. ^ Mathur, Paul (12 August 1995). "Pet Shop Boys - Alternative Pet Shop Boys". Melody Maker. Vol. 72, no. 32. p. 33. Retrieved 6 March 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  4. ^ Harris, John (5 August 1995). "Long Play: B-ing Boring". New Musical Express. p. 44. ISSN 0028-6362.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference uk was invoked but never defined (see the help page).