Pet Shop Boys, Literally

I was 15 in 1989 and I still remember the articles in Smash Hits magazine covering the Pet Shop Boys' first ever concert tour. Some parts of those articles are reproduced in this book. The group's first tour was quite a big deal back then as they had never performed live despite almost four years of consistent chart success around the world, and many were waiting to see if they could actually cut it as a live band. I missed out on this book when it first came out in 1990 so reading it now, 29 years later, brought back some wonderful memories of an interesting period in pop music history. The 80's are rightly regarded as a golden era in the history of music, but people often forget that by 1989 the British charts were being overrun by lightweight dross in the form of bands like Bros and various Stock, Aitken and Waterman acts, and it would not be until the mid-90's and the emergence of Britpop before British music really recovered any credibility. The Pet Shop Boys were one of the few acts that continued to deliver quality music throughout the late 80's and into the 90's (and indeed continue to do so today) and this book not only takes us up close and personal to the band themselves and their wider entourage on tour during mid-1989 but also gives us a fascinating glimpse of the music scene at that time, and how fleeting fame and success can be. For example, Bros are mentioned quite often as they were huge while the book was being written, but by the time the book was released in 1990, they were pretty much on the music scrap heap, never to recover. Remember when Jason Donovan was a huge star? Not many people do, but he's acknowledged with some awe here. And remember Sonia and her solitary hit single? It's entertaining to read Neil Tennant's thoughts on this, as well as on the output and ethos of other big acts from those days (Wet Wet Wet anyone?). Most of all, this book goes beyond the image the Pet Shop Boys often tried to cultivate back then (somewhat aloof, never smiling in their videos or on Top of the Pops, too cool to really care what people thought of them etc.) and we are treated to a peek at them as normal people, a little egotistical as many pop stars are at the height of their fame, but normal people nonetheless talking about everything from their opinions of their peers in pop music to their fans to the politics of the times. Most of all, the book takes us back to a different and somewhat more innocent world; no internet or mobile phones, Iron Curtain just about to be opened, music still being released mainly on vinyl, cassette and CD, nonstop flights from London to Hong Kong still a rarity (older generation airplanes you see...) and it's nice to remind ourselves of the fact that, throughout all the changes since then, good and bad, good music and good bands always endure.

"Literally" was written by Chris Heath, a long-time PSB collaborator, who also pens their fan letter of the same name. I'm a huge PSB fan, and reading this book was an excellent way to learn a little bit more about the boys. I greatly enjoyed "Literally" and think that other PSB fans will also.First, the book is terribly funny. PSB act like spoiled rock stars at times and then seem like the most normal chaps you could hope to meet. This schism is appropriate for a group that writes and performs such complex music. We also learn a great deal about their creative process. For example, I had always assumed that Chris wrote the music and Neil wrote the lyrics, which apparently is not the case; instead, they seem to have equal say in developing songs. The boys also seem surprisingly principled and unwilling to bend their artistic choices for the sake of popularity and record company approval."Literally" covers their tour during for "Introspective" CD ("It's Alright" was released as a single in Britain during this time). The PSB were in their self-proclaimed "imperial period" - when everything they did went to #1 in the UK and top 10 in the US. However, times were clearly changing, especially with the proliferation of English boy bands during the 1990s. Neil and Chris riff on a number of British and American pop stars, and the fun is not diminished by the fact that many of these acts, such as Bros, are fairly unknown in the US. If anything, the fading of these untalented bands and the continuing (European) success of PSB documents that substance can win over style.Although the book is a bit dated, it?s a terrific read. Most highly recommended for PSB fans.

Dieses Buch enthält weniger die Geschichte der Pet Shop Boys als vielmehr einen umfangreichen Reisebericht von ihrer ersten Tour. Dabei offenbart der Autor, welcher die Jungs auf Schritt und tritt begleitete, ein exzellentes Auge für Details und Stimmungen, was den Leser in die Lage versetzt, mit den Pet Shop Boys auf Tour zu gehen. Dies beinhaltet die Tour-Vorbereitungen, die Reise an sich, bis hin zur Heimkehr, was der gesamten Geschichte einen wunderbar abgerundeten und geschlossenen Charakter gibt. Das Buch an sich hat eine gute Qualität aber das Cover reibt sich schon nach wenigen Malen "aus dem Regal holen und wieder zurückstellen" ab. Daher leider ein Stern Abzug.

Great Book which provides an insight into their touring life in the early 90's with very honest discussions captured by the Pet Shop Boys

Spedizione arrivata nei tempi previsti nonostante l'attuale crisi Covid19.Il libro, nuovo, è arrivato in condizioni perfette in un imballaggio rigido.Il libro è una ristampa e descrive il primo tour dei Pet Shop Boys del 1989. È narrato come un diario di viaggio dal giornalista Chris Heath. Per questa nuova edizione è stata aggiunta una breve introduzione da parte di Neil e Chris.