Actually (Deluxe Version)

Album Review

Of the 14 tracks on the second disc of the two-disc expanded reissue of Actually, Pet Shop Boys' second album, there are three previously unreleased mixes, highlighted by Shep Pettibone's version of "Heart" and two versions of "Always on My Mind" that never made it to CD prior to this release. Of the mixes that populate much of the rest of the disc, the disco mix of "It's a Sin" is terrific, as are extended mixes of "Always on My Mind" and "What Have I Done to Deserve This." But at the true heart of this disc are songs like "You Know Where You Went Wrong," "A New Life," "I Want a Dog," and "Do I Have To?," all terrific songs (especially "I Want a Dog") that could have comfortably fit on the actual album. The thing is, the best of these are on Alternative, which may satisfy those listeners looking for actual songs instead of mixes. Nevertheless, this is a pretty ideal collection of further listeners for the serious Pet Shop Boys fan (especially since this, like every disc in this series, contains terrific liner notes). It may not have every released mix, but it has the best of them, and when they're combined with the non-LP songs it makes for fine listening in its own right.