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Pet Shop Boys and the Political, The: Queerness, Culture, Identity and Society
The Pet Shop Boys came of age at a time of deep socio-political tension. From the rise of sexual politics and awareness to Thatcherite neoliberalism and the Cold War, this book explores the cultural and political impact of the band and offers a fascinating window into the late 20th and early 21st centuries. An archetypal 'gay band', it shows how their overt queerness influenced generations of LGBTQIA+ music lovers and artists alike.
Covering the full oeuvre of The Pet Shop boys; their albums, films, stage productions and collaborations, chapters in this collection show how their work is suffused with political commentary on the past and present covering themes as broad as queer identity, the HIV/AIDs epidemic, globalization and Brexit. It also places them within the context of their times and considers them as activists, authors, social commentators, political actors and personalities to better understand what influenced them. Bringing together a range of perspectives and disciplines, The Pet Shop Boys and the Political provides a unique and untapped insight into a formative pop band of the modern era that has mirrored and shaped society over the past forty years.
Covering the full oeuvre of The Pet Shop boys; their albums, films, stage productions and collaborations, chapters in this collection show how their work is suffused with political commentary on the past and present covering themes as broad as queer identity, the HIV/AIDs epidemic, globalization and Brexit. It also places them within the context of their times and considers them as activists, authors, social commentators, political actors and personalities to better understand what influenced them. Bringing together a range of perspectives and disciplines, The Pet Shop Boys and the Political provides a unique and untapped insight into a formative pop band of the modern era that has mirrored and shaped society over the past forty years.
290 pages, Hardcover
Published February 8, 2024
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51 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 24, 2024
A priori no me podía parecer más atractiva una colección de ensayos académicos sobre la presencia de elementos de carácter político, religioso u homosexual (entre otros) en la carrera de mi grupo favorito, especialmente en sus letras. Algunos de dichos ensayos son realmente brillantes, pero otros son muy flojos, y me ha sorprendido que, presumiblemente contando con tanta documentación y bibliografía (e infinitas notas a pie de página que hacen la lectura bastante farragosa), haya errores de bulto en datos muy básicos, y tesis que en el poco tiempo que ha pasado desde la publicación del libro ya se hayan desmontado (por ejemplo, con la publicación de "Nonetheless" se desmiente que Pet Shop Boys sea un grupo más interesado en ser "legacy" que del momento presente, como sostiene uno de los textos más pobres).
También he echado de menos algo más de coordinación o cohesión entre los doce artículos; aun entendiendo que cada autor pueda tener distintos puntos de vista sobre un mismo tema, hay algunos extremadamente redundantes, y hacia el final del libro uno ya acaba cansado de leer una y otra vez sobre si la "etapa imperial" abarcaba hasta aquí o hasta más allá.
Diez en intenciones, aprobadillo en contenido. Una pena.
También he echado de menos algo más de coordinación o cohesión entre los doce artículos; aun entendiendo que cada autor pueda tener distintos puntos de vista sobre un mismo tema, hay algunos extremadamente redundantes, y hacia el final del libro uno ya acaba cansado de leer una y otra vez sobre si la "etapa imperial" abarcaba hasta aquí o hasta más allá.
Diez en intenciones, aprobadillo en contenido. Una pena.
February 20, 2024
A really enjoyable and brilliant read that puts on paper just how much more than pop music the oeuvre of the Pet Shop Boys is.
In a couple of places I was grinding my teeth as I couldn't get over the exaggerated depiction of East-West/political right-left, without acknowledging a more balanced middle ground, in an attempt to drive home an argument. First I thought this may be a result of a UK centred viewpoint, but the writers of this book are German (and so am I, and have a degree in political science to my name, and therefore an understanding of political theory, so it was all the more surprising to read this).
This luckily didn't spoil the book as there was just so much more in depth analysis of their work, behaviour and lyrical details explored, which was a joy to read.
For an avid fan, there was little new detail, but it was all pulled together in a really well presented and researched way, and it was a pleasure to dive into some writing about the Pet Shop Boys that is a bit more scientific than your average article (even if it comes from the likes of the Guardian).
In a couple of places I was grinding my teeth as I couldn't get over the exaggerated depiction of East-West/political right-left, without acknowledging a more balanced middle ground, in an attempt to drive home an argument. First I thought this may be a result of a UK centred viewpoint, but the writers of this book are German (and so am I, and have a degree in political science to my name, and therefore an understanding of political theory, so it was all the more surprising to read this).
This luckily didn't spoil the book as there was just so much more in depth analysis of their work, behaviour and lyrical details explored, which was a joy to read.
For an avid fan, there was little new detail, but it was all pulled together in a really well presented and researched way, and it was a pleasure to dive into some writing about the Pet Shop Boys that is a bit more scientific than your average article (even if it comes from the likes of the Guardian).
November 12, 2024
Nice to see the intelligence and impact of the Pet Shop Boys' music being given the respect it deserves by publishing this book of essays on various aspects of their career and output. Fans will definitely appreciate it. However, there are a few places where the authors of one or two of the essays get too esoteric and academic for anyone but other people in their respective academic fields. The editor should have done a better job of directing the writers to tailor their work a bit, so that it would be more accessible to a wider audience. Only one essay, "Moscow or Manderley?", is basically unreadable (and a slog to get through) by anyone other than the author's thesis advisor. Otherwise, most PSB fans should enjoy the book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews