One of the best purchases I ever blew my entire weekly allowance on while away at university, in September 1995, was Pet Shop Boys' complete-at-the-time B-sides compilation Alternative. As classic as their singles from that golden age of their career are considered to be, often so to were there equal marvels on the flip sides — and here they were, at last collected on one album! (Well, on two discs, at least.)

And so today, 16 years later, Pet Shop Boys officially announced their forthcoming follow-up to Alternative, which is called Format. It's another two-disc affair that's due out on February 6, 2012 (a day before my birthday).