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Longtime Pet Shop Boys fan here. The latest in their “Disco” series is now available. In this series, the duo takes older songs, including PSB songs performed by others, and gives them a new mix.

Disco is a fun series, and number Disco 5 certainly continues in that tradition. The majority of these songs are PSB songs performed by other artists, including Noel Gallagher, Tina Turner and Paul Weller.

As a recap, the Pet Shop Boys are Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, who met in 1981 and released the duo’s first album, Please in 1986, featuring the international hits “West End Girls”, “Opportunities” and “Suburbia.” Their music was first referred to British synth-pop or dance-pop, the electronic beat and textures driving the music, which is popular in clubs throughout the world. PSB have collaborated with such diverse artists as Dusty Springfield, Liza Minnelli, mixmasters Shep Pettibone and Arthur Baker, guitarist Johnny Marr, producers Trevor Horn and Harold Faltermeyer, and many contemporary singers and producers.

Not everything on the album works. Sometimes it’s the songs themselves, other issues involves the choice of remix style. Of the Disco series, I’d give this album a C+ because it’s both fascinating and disappointing.

For forty years now, the PSB have provided a deep catalog of original and occasionally covers of songs in the PSB style of funk-R&B-dance-electronic music, trying to keep it fresh and moving with the times, but staying in their familiar groove. Frankly, I’m amazed that these young men, who are now senior citizens, have found a way to remain contemporary, but they have. The PSB might be a niche sound to my generation, but dance and music will always be firmly joined together.

1. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds — “Think of a Number” (PSB Magic Eye 12-inch remix). I have the original, but this one is pretty cool.
2. Tina Turner — “Hot For You Baby” (PSB Hot mix) Tina and PSB are a good match, she has an energy that stays above this song.
3. Claptone — “Queen of Ice” (PSB extended mix) Unfamiliar with the original. She has a smooth vocal.
4. Carroll Thompson — “Let the Music Play”. Not a remix but the song included in the Neil Jordan film, The Crying Game. Nice song, great to hear it again.
5. Soft Cell and Pet Shop Boys — “Purple Zone” (PSB Extended mix) Least exciting song on the album.
6. The Hidden Cameras — “How Do You Love?” (PSB remix) Unfamiliar with the vocalists, but the beat is heavy and exciting.
7. Sam Taylor-Johnson — “I’m In Love With a German Film Star” (PSB Symphonic mix) Cool song, very PSB.
8. Wolfgang Tillmans — “Insanely Alive” (PSB maxi-mix). In PSB fashion.
9. Primal Scream — “Innocent Money” (PSB remix radio edit). Another good one, very dreamy.
10. Pet Shop Boys feat. Olly Alexander — “Dreamland” (PSB remix). Now, this is great.
11. Paul Weller — “Cosmic Fringes” (PSB Triad mix) A 12-minute version of Weller’s song. Maybe the most disappointing of these songs.
12. Sleaford Mods — “West End Girls” (Pet Shop Boys remix) Doesn’t compete with other mixes of this song.