Pet Shop Boys Catalogue

by Philip Hoare (Editor), Chris Heath (Editor)

A visual feast of art, music, and design for devoted fans of the Pet Shop Boys and for anyone interested in popular culture.

The Pet Shop Boys are one of the most influential pop acts ever. With number-one singles such as "West End girls," "It's a sin," and "Go west," numerous gold- and platinum-selling albums such as Please, Actually , and Very , and hundreds of thousands of fans around the world, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe are the most successful British writing duo since Lennon and McCartney.

Spanning the worlds of music, art, film, and theater, the Pet Shop Boys have collaborated with some of the biggest stars of pop, including David Bowie, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Liza Minnelli, and Tina Turner; composers such as Ryuichi Sakamoto and Angelo Badalamenti; and leading artists, designers, and architects such as Yoko Ono, Zaha Hadid, Wolfgang Tillmans, Martin Parr, and Sam Taylor-Wood.

Celebrating the twentieth anniversary of their first album and coinciding with a new album and a major world tour, this book is a lavish visual retrospective of Tennant and Lowe's career. Every aspect of their work is elegantly designed sleeve artwork and packaging; stills and behind-the-scenes shots from every video, film, concert, and theater show; experimental stage sets and cutting-edge fashion and costume designs; collaborations; publications; merchandising; photo shoots; and even their personally designed invitations and Christmas cards.

Short texts by music journalist Chris Heath and historian Philip Hoare accompany hundreds of illustrations and provide illuminating insights into the genesis and creation of each project. 1955 illustrations, 1727 in color.

Genres: Music, Art, Nonfiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Philip Hoare is an English writer, especially of history and biography. He instigated the Moby Dick Big Read project. He is Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Southampton and Leverhulme artist-in-residence at the Marine Institute, Plymouth University, which awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2011.

Reviews

[Keith Astbury]

The PSB's haven't just made some great records. They have always taken care with the visual presentation, too.

This then is a beautifully presented look at their back catalogue from the start to the early 2000's. All the covers (for the various formats) are here along with stills from their video's and live shows, together with interesting insights from collaborators and the duo themselves.

There is also an entertaining and informative extended interview at the end which goes something like this. Long, detailed and well thought out reply from Neil Tennant followed by a witty one liner from Chris Lowe. He's very dry, isn't he! x

[Harrison Rip]

Pointless unless you're studying graphic design. Huge, heavy, and only about their visual aesthetics.

[Ben Cooke]

A beautiful piece of art detailing many pieces of art from the Pet Shop Boys' history. The detail and spectrum of their design and presentation of the years has been and continues to be amazing and an example of some of the best modern art and graphic design linked with music.

[Tess Majestic]

This is what I'd call a "coffee table book". The type that is, in itself, a work of art. Catalogue is filled with photos and insider notes from just about every Pet Shop Boys release (including Release!) between 1986 and 2007. A must-have for any serious Pethead.

[Chris]

The pictures in this book are incredible. The book itself is a work of art.

[Scott]

This book is absolute genius. A must for any collector. It's nice to see everything that's ever been available in one volume!
This type of book would be a great idea for fans of every artist!

[Sydne]

A beautiful coffee table book with the visual art of the Pet Shop Boys. Might only be intersting for fans, but offers a beautiful visual experience.