domino dancing

I was hesitant about making a Pet Shop Boys post because I thought it might be like taking a brand new Ferrari to a mechanic. But to echo a friend of mine, their music hasn't enjoyed the resurgence that similar music has, and it really deserves to (especially when you consider all of the synth/drum-machine based music that is being made today).

1986 saw Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant polish their genre of synth-drenched satire with songs like this one. "I've got the brains, you've got the looks," Tennant coolly sings over the most danceable rhythms and breaks, "let's make lots of money." Recorded first with Bobby O then with members of the Art of Noise, the final version coats Tennant's ironic lyrics with Stephen Hague's electro magic.

Pet Shop Boys- Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)

In 1988*, three years after hits like "West End Girls", the duo turned to music as diverse as salsa, flamenco, and disco for inspiration. "Domino Dancing", a lush seven-minute dance epic, combines Lowe's charismatic synth melodies with the warmth of Cuban brass and the coolness of early hip hop beats. Quite possibly my favorite PSB song.

Pet Shop Boys- Domino Dancing

The same year brought "Always on My Mind", which features a similar blend of magnetic beats and rhythms. However, unlike "Domino Dancing", which features layers of complex, synth-based tension, this song vibrates with a direct and simple sort of exhuberance.

Pet Shop Boys- Always on My Mind

Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died/
Give me one more chance to keep you satisfied,
Hibah


*the same year I met my best friend.

Hide 27 comments.

Post Comment