Shannon’s Perspective:

“All the madness.  I wanna be numb.”

Who can’t relate to this lyric at some point in your life?  We all go through things that make us want to feel Comfortably Numb, even if only for a little while.  One of the first times I can remember listening to this song Larry was trying to explain to me that this is how he feels and how he assumes Gabriel must feel with ADHD, all that noise and commotion in their own heads and nowhere to go except for numb.  Maybe that’s why Larry and I seem to relate so well with each other, we each have our own set of “voices” in our heads.  If nothing else, we know how to give each other the space needed to quiet those voices.

Larry’s Pick: Numb

I'm going to guess that the majority of readers have not heard this song. And I might also venture a guess that anyone who grew up in the 80's is going "The Pet Shop Boys are still around?" Even though this song came out in 2006, they are still around today. They literally just released another single.

Let's rewind the clock a little bit to 1986 when their debut album Please was released. You may know some of the hits from this album such as West End Girls, Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money), Love Comes Quickly and Suburbia. I was in high school at the time, and being the music lover I've always been, was a percussionist in marching band and pep band.  So "pounding skin" as opposed to "pounding keys".

So even though they are an electronic band, there was something to them. There are only two members, and really only one of them does all the "music stuff" on keyboards. I was fascinated by it. And Neil as the vocalist - I cannot appreciate his enunciation any more.

Just like there was a Michael Jackson vs. Prince rivalry, I would say a much lesser know one would be Depeche Mode vs. Pet Shop Boys. I had a close friend in high school who was a huge DM fan and we would always argue about them. Needless to say, I think PSB won. And yes, DM just released an album recently and I have listened to it. But if you listen to Daft Punk first, and then at least the first six tracks of Memento Mori, you'd be hard pressed not to think Daft Punk took over Depeche Mode. I mean come on, guys.

Anyway, PSB has always been an intellectual band to me like Rush. Not only are there a ton of layers musically, but lyrically as well.

This song is a second time around song as well. Originally, I related it to my son in high school. My wife graduated with ~30 kids. I graduated with ~120. My oldest son had at least 360. I just couldn't, and still can't, fathom how someone doesn't feel lost in that number. Not everyone is athletically talented. Or academically gifted. Or meant to be a number in a state mandated learning regimen. To me, this song speaks to being overwhelmed by that experience and just wanting to escape.

Nowadays, it's all about relating it to Shannon. 

P.S. It's not lost on me what the video portrays and the current Russian invasion of Ukraine. You can't help but feel for Ukrainians and know they just want to feel numb...