Introspective

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title: "Introspective" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1988-albums", "albums-produced-by-stephen-lipson", "albums-produced-by-trevor-horn", "parlophone-albums", "pet-shop-boys-albums"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introspective" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

FieldValue
nameIntrospective
typestudio
artistPet Shop Boys
coverIntrospective (Pet Shop Boys album).jpg
captionOne of several CD editions
released
recorded1987–1988
* disco{{cite webwebsite
* house{{cite webwebsite
length
labelParlophone
prev_titleActually
prev_year1987
next_titleBehaviour
next_year1990
misc{{Singles
nameIntrospective
typealbum
single1Domino Dancing
single1date12 September 1988
single2Left to My Own Devices
single2date14 November 1988
single3It's Alright
single3date26 June 1989
headerAlternative cover
typealbum
coverIntrospective pet shop boys vinyl edition.jpg
captionVinyl cover
::

| name = Introspective | type = studio | artist = Pet Shop Boys | cover = Introspective (Pet Shop Boys album).jpg | alt = | caption = One of several CD editions | released = | recorded = 1987–1988 | venue = | studio =

Introspective is the third studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 10 October 1988 by Parlophone. 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 album but commercially one of their least successful. 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

| all_writing = Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, except where noted | extra_column = Producer(s) | total_length = 48:03 | title1 = Left to My Own Devices | extra1 = | length1 = 8:16

| title2 = I Want a Dog | extra2 = | length2 = 6:15

| title3 = Domino Dancing | extra3 = | length3 = 7:40

| title4 = I'm Not Scared | extra4 = | length4 = 7:23

| title5 = Always on My Mind / In My House | writer5 = | extra5 = | length5 = 9:05

| title6 = It's Alright | writer6 = | extra6 = | length6 = 9:24 | headline = Further Listening 1988–1989 (bonus disc)

| title1 = I Get Excited (You Get Excited Too) | note1 = Twelve-inch mix | length1 = 5:35

| title2 = Don Juan | note2 = demo version) (previously unreleased on CD | length2 = 4:22

| title3 = Domino Dancing | note3 = demo version) (previously unreleased on CD | length3 = 4:47

| title4 = Domino Dancing | note4 = alternative version | length4 = 4:52

| title5 = The Sound of the Atom Splitting | note5 = extended version | writer5 = | length5 = 5:13

| title6 = What Keeps Mankind Alive? | writer6 = | length6 = 3:26

| title7 = Don Juan | note7 = disco mix | length7 = 7:35

| title8 = Losing My Mind | note8 = disco mix | writer8 = Stephen Sondheim | length8 = 6:09

| title9 = Nothing Has Been Proved | note9 = demo for Dusty) (previously unreleased | length9 = 4:51

| title10 = So Sorry, I Said | note10 = demo for Liza) (previously unreleased | length10 = 3:26

| title11 = Left to My Own Devices | note11 = seven-inch mix | length11 = 4:47

| title12 = It's Alright | note12 = ten-inch version) (previously unreleased on CD | writer12 = | length12 = 4:47

| title13 = One of the Crowd | length13 = 3:56

| title14 = It's Alright | note14 = seven-inch version | writer14 = | length14 = 4:20

| title15 = Your Funny Uncle | length15 = 2:18

Notes

  • 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.
  • signifies an additional producer
  • signifies an associate producer

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Introspective.

Pet Shop Boys

Additional musicians

  • Richard Niles – orchestra arrangement and conducting (track 1)
  • Sally Bradshaw – additional vocals (track 1)
  • Josh Milan – piano solo (track 2)
  • Fro Sossa – additional keyboards (track 3)
  • Mike Bakst – additional keyboards, brass score (track 3)
  • Nestor Gomez – guitar (track 3)
  • Tony Concepción – brass, trumpet solo (track 3)
  • Kenneth William Faulk, Dana Tebor, Ed Calle – brass (track 3)
  • Lewis A. Martineé – brass arrangements (track 3)
  • The Voice in Fashion – backing vocals (track 3)
  • Blue Weaver – Fairlight programming (track 4)
  • Andy Richards, Gary Maughan – Fairlight programming (track 5)
  • 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 (track 6)

Technical

  • Trevor Horn – production (tracks 1, 6)
  • Stephen Lipson – production, engineering (tracks 1, 6)
  • Pet Shop Boys – production (tracks 2, 4, 5); associate production (track 3)
  • David Jacob – engineering (tracks 2, 4); production (track 4)
  • Mike Nielsen – engineering (track 2)
  • Frankie Knuckles – mix, additional production (track 2)
  • John Poppo – mix engineering (track 2)
  • Lewis A. Martineé – production, engineering, mixing (track 3)
  • Mike Couzzi – engineering (track 3)
  • César Sogbe – engineering assistance (track 3)
  • Julian Mendelsohn – production, engineering (track 5)

Artwork

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table title="Weekly chart performance for ''Introspective''"] | Chart (1988) | Peak position | Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM) | European Albums (Music & Media) | Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) | Icelandic Albums (Tónlist) | Italian Albums (Musica e dischi) | Japanese Albums (Oricon) | Spanish Albums (AFYVE) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 11 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | 9 | | | | | | | | | | 7 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | ::

::data[format=table title="2018 weekly chart performance for ''Introspective''"] | Chart (2018) | Peak position | |---|---| ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table title="1988 year-end chart performance for ''Introspective''"]

Chart (1988)PositionCanada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)European Albums (Music & Media)UK Albums (Gallup)
80
65
24
::

::data[format=table title="1989 year-end chart performance for ''Introspective''"]

Chart (1989)PositionCanada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)
73
61
::

Certifications and sales

References

References

  1. [[John Leland (journalist). (18 December 1988). "The Pet Shop Boys Make a Science of Ambiguity".
  2. Bennun, David. (12 November 2018). "The House That Neil & Chris Built: Introspective By Pet Shop Boys Revisited".
  3. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "''Introspective'' – Pet Shop Boys". [[AllMusic]].
  4. Hunt, Dennis. (13 November 1988). "Dancing and Thinking". [[Los Angeles Times]].
  5. Ellen, Barbara. (15 October 1988). "A Six-Pack of Tennant's Please".
  6. (November 1988). "Irresistible".
  7. Culp, Nancy. (15 October 1988). "Pet Shop Boys: ''Introspective''".
  8. Coleman, Mark. (1 December 1988). "Pet Shop Boys: ''Introspective''".
  9. Hull, Tom. (2004). "The New Rolling Stone Album Guide". [[Simon & Schuster]].
  10. Sheffield, Rob. (1995). "Spin Alternative Record Guide". [[Vintage Books]].
  11. Dalton, Stephen. (March 2018). "Pet Shop Boys: ''Please'' / ''Actually'' / ''Introspective''".
  12. Christgau, Robert. (14 March 1989). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". [[The Village Voice]].
  13. "Introspective".
  14. (1988). "Introspective". [[Parlophone]].
  15. (10 December 1988). "RPM100 Albums".
  16. (5 November 1988). "European Top 100 Albums".
  17. Pennanen, Timo. (2006). "Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972". [[Otava (publisher).
  18. (4 November 1988). "Ísland (LP-plötur)". [[DV (newspaper).
  19. "Classifiche". [[Musica e dischi]].
  20. link. [[Oricon]]
  21. Salaverrie, Fernando. (September 2005). "Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002". [[Sociedad General de Autores y Editores.
  22. (24 December 1988). "Top 100 Albums of '88".
  23. (1 January 1989). "1988 Year End Eurocharts – Top 100 Albums".
  24. (4 March 1989). "Top 100 Albums – Year-End Chart 1988".
  25. (23 December 1989). "Top 100 Albums of '89".
  26. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1989". GfK Entertainment.
  27. Fucuta, Brenda. (9 December 1994). "Discografia marcada pela 'dance music'". [[Jornal do Brasil]].
  28. Salaverrie, Fernando. (September 2005). "Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002". Fundación Autor/SGAE.
  29. (27 October 1990). "Spotlight – Pet Shop Boys".

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1988-albumsalbums-produced-by-stephen-lipsonalbums-produced-by-trevor-hornparlophone-albumspet-shop-boys-albums