Introspective

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• Stephen Lipson
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Introspective is the third studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 10 October 1988 by Parlophone.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It received generally positive reviews from critics.

Background

The album was unusual in that it reversed the typical process by which pop/dance acts released singles. Instead of releasing an album of regular-length (3–5-minute) songs, then releasing lengthy remixes of those songs on subsequent singles, Introspective was released as an LP consisting of songs that all lasted six minutes or more. Tracks released as singles like "Always on My Mind" and "Domino Dancing" had been issued as shorter, more radio-friendly mixes prior to the album. None was released as a radio single in the same form as it appeared on the album. It was also the case for the two other singles "Left to My Own Devices" and "It's Alright".

Of the six tracks on the album, only two were written specifically for the album—"Left to My Own Devices" and "Domino Dancing". "Always on My Mind" and "It's Alright" are cover versions, "I Want a Dog" is a song that previously appeared as B-side of the single "Rent", and "I'm Not Scared" is their own version of a song they had written for Patsy Kensit's pop group Eighth Wonder. "Always on My Mind" was re-recorded for this album and mixed with "In My House", a new acid-house track on the album which expanded the lyric.

Introspective was re-released in 2001 (as were the duo's first six albums) as Introspective/Further Listening 1988–1989. The re-released version was digitally remastered and came with a second disc of B-sides and previously unreleased material from around the time of the album's original release. Yet another re-release followed on 9 February 2009, under the title Introspective: Remastered. This version contains only the six tracks on the original. With the 2009 re-release, the 2001 two-disc re-release was discontinued. On 2 March 2018, the two-disc version of the album was re-released, this time featuring newly remastered versions of the tracks. It was also released as a digital download and on vinyl.

Neil Tennant, in a speech he gave to the Oxford Union, said he regretted releasing Introspective so soon after Actually as he felt the 12-inch nature of the songs may have put some fans off the band and this probably impacted on the sales of Behaviour, the subsequent album critically regarded as the Pet Shop Boys' finest albumTemplate:Citation needed but commercially one of their least successful.Template:Citation needed Nevertheless, Introspective remains, according to Tennant, the best-selling Pet Shop Boys album internationally. It peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart, behind U2's Rattle and Hum.

Track listing

Notes

• ^{^[a]{{#if:| }}} Only Sterling Void is credited as a songwriter on original pressings of Introspective and the "It's Alright" single. Starting in 2001, Pet Shop Boys releases featuring "It's Alright" also credit Marshall Jefferson and Paris Brightledge for songwriting.
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Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Introspective.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

Pet Shop Boys

• Neil Tennant
• Chris Lowe

Additional musicians

• Richard Niles – orchestra arrangement and conducting Template:Small
• Sally Bradshaw – additional vocals Template:Small
• Josh Milan – piano solo Template:Small
• Fro Sossa – additional keyboards Template:Small
• Mike Bakst – additional keyboards, brass score Template:Small
• Nestor Gomez – guitar Template:Small
• Tony Concepción – brass, trumpet solo Template:Small
• Kenneth William Faulk, Dana Tebor, Ed Calle – brass Template:Small
• Lewis A. Martineé – brass arrangements Template:Small
• The Voice in Fashion – backing vocals Template:Small
• Blue Weaver – Fairlight programming Template:Small
• Andy Richards, Gary Maughan – Fairlight programming Template:Small
• Judy Bennett, Sharon Blackwell, H. Robert Carr, Mario Friendo, Derek Green, Michael Hoyte, Herbie Joseph, Paul Lee, Gee Morris, Dee Ricketts, Iris Sutherland, Yvonne White – additional vocals Template:Small

Technical

• Trevor Horn – production Template:Small
• Stephen Lipson – production, engineering Template:Small
• Pet Shop Boys – production Template:Small; associate production Template:Small
• David Jacob – engineering Template:Small; production Template:Small
• Mike Nielsen – engineering Template:Small
• Frankie Knuckles – mix, additional production Template:Small
• John Poppo – mix engineering Template:Small
• Lewis A. Martineé – production, engineering, mixing Template:Small
• Mike Couzzi – engineering Template:Small
• César Sogbe – engineering assistance Template:Small
• Julian Mendelsohn – production, engineering Template:Small

Artwork

• Mark Farrow – cover design
• Pet Shop Boys – cover design
• Eric Watson – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chart

Weekly chart performance for Introspective

Chart (1988)	Peak position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	11
European Albums (Music & Media)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	3
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	1
Icelandic Albums (Tónlist)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	5
Italian Albums (Musica e dischi)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }} Select "Album" in the "Tipo" field, type "Pet Shop Boys" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".</ref>	9
Japanese Albums (Oricon)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	7
Spanish Albums (AFYVE)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	3

Year-end charts

1988 year-end chart performance for Introspective

Chart (1988)	Position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	80
European Albums (Music & Media)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	65
UK Albums (Gallup)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	24

1989 year-end chart performance for Introspective

Chart (1989)	Position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	73
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	61