if you're a big fan of this endearing pop duo like i am than you will want to get a chance to view this film. well-done and excellently researched documentary about this pioneering pop duo who have been around since the beginning of the eighties. how the release of their hit single west end girls catapulted these two relative unknowns unless you count Neil being a writer for a British pop magazines, into super-stardom. from there it thoroughly trails and details the duos rise and subsequent fall from the American pop charts with the introduction of grunge music. from than on the pet shop boys music could only be heard and charted in south America and Europe which is really a shame...considering what fantastic songwriters they are. songs like being boring, dreaming of the queen, Casanova in hell come to mind. while many pop acts are mere fluff and write about the heartaches of love gone wrong or UN-requited, Neil and Chris were touching on social and political issues at the time IE. the aids crisis, gulf war, bush and Blair administration. while pet shop boys have never cared much about endearing popularity or charting number one singles, their interest clearly lies in their music and concert tours. i admired the fact that they tried their hand in a musical and performed a live rendition of the battleship Potemkin. they've also released a hard-cover book aptly titled catalogue which showcases all their album, single covers and promotional photos over the years. this documentary will also showcase a side of Chris Lowe many have not seen...his continual chatter, opinions and thoughts about the music industry and where he sees the future of the pet shop boys. added interviews from other performers such as robbie Williams, Brandon flowers from the killers, and Jake shears from scissor sisters are insightful. a great DVD.
Review of Pet Shop Boys: A Life in Pop
Pet Shop Boys: A Life in Pop
(2006 TV Movie)
a documentary about one of the pioneering duos of modern pop music
9 September 2010