Reputation (1990)

"In Private" This one divides neatly into two halves: the first five songs, with which Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe were not involved, and the next five, which they wrote and produced. No disrespect to Dusty Springfield, who makes the most of everything she's given. The Pet Shop Boys songs are just better. Unlike the Minelli project, their half of this album feels like a real collaboration: strong points played to, sensibilities developed, give and take right there in the studio, chemistry, etc. There's nothing camp about this (album cover notwithstanding). "In Private" is remarkably stirring. "Nothing Has Been Proved" takes the PSB pose of cool disaffection and knocks it out of the park. The five of them go equally to both canons. (Listen to me. "Canons." Good grief.)

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