Home · Albums · Pet Shop Boys · Behaviour

Behaviour 1990
Album · by Pet Shop Boys ↗ View artist

Behaviour

When the Pet Shop Boys set out to record their fourth studio album, Behaviour, in 1990, they sought a sound that moved away from what they had been doing. The recording took place at Harold Faltermeyer's Red Deer studio in Munich, Germany. Unsatisfied with the digital synthesizer options available at the time, the duo opted to explore the possibilities of analog synthesizers, and Faltermeyer, with his experience with this type of equipment, became the ideal producer for this quest. The result was an album that distinguished itself from both their previous work, Introspective, and what would come later, Very in 1993. On Behaviour, the duo expanded the boundaries of synth-pop, incorporating nuances of pop guitar ballads. An example of this is This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave, and also My October Symphony, a piece that addresses the fall of the Soviet Union and featured the collaboration of guitarist Johnny Marr, who had already worked with Neil Tennant on Electronic's track Getting Away with It, in 1989. Tennant himself reflected on the album's more introspective and musical style, noting that it perhaps lacked the "irritatingly crude" ideas that sometimes appeared in their songs. The album is said to have been inspired by Depeche Mode's Violator, also released in 1990.

Year
1990
Songs
10
Duration
49 min 3 seg
Listen to the album ★

About the album

Behaviour, according to DoReSol

The album's atmosphere, as Chris Lowe recalled in 1993, contrasted with the vibrant rave scene of the era. Despite their intention to create an uplifting record, the result was something more melancholic. Tennant agreed that there was a component of sadness in Behaviour, and that sad songs often prove more interesting to compose. Production spanned May and June 1990, encompassing studios in Munich and London such as Sarm West and Abbey Road, where orchestrations and strings were added. The album, originally released on October 22, 1990, included tracks like Being Boring and Jealousy. A special Japanese edition even offered an additional mini CD, exclusive artwork, and printed lyrics in a special box.

Over time, Behaviour was reissued as part of the Behaviour/Further Listening 1990-1991 series. This digitally remastered version included a second disc with B-sides and unreleased material from the era, such as Miserablism, a satire on Morrissey that was almost included on the original album, and DJ Culture. These tracks, along with Was It Worth It?, became singles that appeared on later compilations like Discography: The Complete Singles Collection.