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Alternative
Alternative - cover artwork
b-sides album
release date: 7th August 1995
chart: UK #2, US #103
length: 134:12
label: Parlophone

Alternative is a 2-disc set, consisting of 30 B-sides in chronological order. The title Alternative was a last minute change from the title that had been long saved for such an album, Besides. That title would have perhaps been more fitting with the names of Pet Shop Boys' earlier albums, a few others of which are named with a single adverb (Please, Actually, and Very).
Alternative only really gained popularity among devoted fans of Pet Shop Boys with the exception of the UK where it entered the charts at #2. Although most of the album is previously unreleased on CD, much of the music is from earlier in Pet Shop Boys' career, and the album did not sound "new" enough to generate much interest from music listeners who were not already familiar with the music. A remake of the original 7-inch Paninaro entitled Paninaro '95 was released as a single in order to promote the 2-disc compilation.
The cover of Alternative features photographs of Neil and Chris in fencing masks. The first copies of the CD have a hologram on the cover which shifts between the two photographs.
related pictures
tracklist
    CD 1
  1. In The Night4:50
  2. A Man Could Get Arrested4:19
    (12" Mix)
  3. That's My Impression5:18
    (Disco Mix)
  4. Was That What It Was?5:14
  5. Paninaro4:40
  6. Jack The Lad4:31
  7. You Know Where You Went Wrong5:51
  8. A New Life4:56
  9. I Want A Dog4:58
  10. Do I Have To?5:14
  11. I Get Excited (You Get Excited To)4:54
  12. Don Juan3:54
  13. The Sound Of The Atom Spliting5:13
    (Extended Version)
  14. One Of The Crowd3:55
  15. Your Funny Uncle2:15
    CD 2
  1. It Must Be Obvious4:24
  2. We All Feel Better In The Dark4:00
  3. Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend4:28
  4. Losing My Mind4:34
  5. Music For Boys3:36
  6. Miserablism4:10
  7. Hey, Headmaster3:06
  8. What Keeps Mankind Alive?3:24
  9. Shameless5:02
  10. Too Many People4:17
  11. Violence4:58
    (Haçienda Version)
  12. Decadence3:56
  13. If Love Were All2:59
  14. Euroboy4:27
  15. Some Speculation6:33
releases
3xLP: 1995 UK
(Parlophone;PCSD 166)[ps+book]
2xCD: 1995 UK
(Parlophone;CDPCSD 166)[ps+book]
2xCS: 1995 UK
(Parlophone;TCPCSD 166)[ps+book]
2xCD: 1995 UK
(Parlophone;CDPCSDS 166)
2xCS: 1995 UK
(Parlophone;TCPCSDS 166)
2xCS: 1995 UK
(Parlophone;n/a) [promo]
2xCS: 1995 NL
(Parlophone;7243-834353-4 0)
2xCD: 1995 NL
(Parlophone;834023-2 8)[ps+book]
2xCD: 1995 NL
(Parlophone;7243-834353-2 6)
3xLP: 1995 US
(EMI;34023-1)[$32.98]
2xCD: 1995 US
(EMI;E2-34023)[+stickered promo]
2xCS: 1995 US
(EMI;34023-4)[cancelled?]
2xCD: 1995 US
(EMI;E2-34353)[x20000,ps+book]
2xCD: 1995 US
(EMI;D 202010)[promo;BMG]
2xCS: 1995 US
(EMI;??)[advance promo]
2xCD: 1995 CA
(EMI;7243-834353-2 6)
2xCD: 1995 IT
(EMI;834023 2)[ltd]
2xCD: 1995 JP
(EMI/Toshiba;TOCP-8605/6)[promo]
2xCD: 1995 JP
(EMI/Toshiba;TOCP-8605/6)[OBI]
CD5: 1995 DE
(EMI;P-519 487)[sampler]