Celebrating the chart success and mostly positive reviews of their recently released tenth album, Yes, Pet Shop Boys have spoken out about some collaborations for the album that did and didn't work out. As we previously reported, Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant went into the studio with visionary producer Brian Eno, but the partnership "fizzled out." However, when they called up Final Fantasy's Owen Pallett, the results were quite the opposite.
Speaking to Exclaim!, Tennant said their collaboration with the Toronto-based musician brought some muscle to the legendary pop duo's latest album. "I really loved the album by the Last Shadow Puppets," Tennant says. "I thought that Owen's arrangements [for that] were very good because they're kind of muscular. He did two tracks for us, particularly 'Beautiful People'; it's a very muscular arrangement, where the cellos are and where the brass is. He does this slightly '60s thing where some of the rhythm's in the orchestra, like playing gorgeous chords or something. And on 'Legacy' he appreciated that it was meant to be a bit of an epic. He wrote beautiful stuff in that. The trumpet has an amazing nautical kind of theme."
Along with Pallett and Xenomania (Girls Aloud, Sugababes, Annie), who co-produced the album, Johnny Marr was invited to play on the record, marking the fourth Pet Shop Boys release to feature the former Smiths guitarist. Says Tennant, "We like to work with Johnny because he's a brilliantly inventive guitarist, but he gets pop music and he likes pop music. And I think we're almost the only pure pop group he ever plays with."
Be sure to check out the May issue of Exclaim!, which streets April 28, for more on Pet Shop Boys.
Speaking to Exclaim!, Tennant said their collaboration with the Toronto-based musician brought some muscle to the legendary pop duo's latest album. "I really loved the album by the Last Shadow Puppets," Tennant says. "I thought that Owen's arrangements [for that] were very good because they're kind of muscular. He did two tracks for us, particularly 'Beautiful People'; it's a very muscular arrangement, where the cellos are and where the brass is. He does this slightly '60s thing where some of the rhythm's in the orchestra, like playing gorgeous chords or something. And on 'Legacy' he appreciated that it was meant to be a bit of an epic. He wrote beautiful stuff in that. The trumpet has an amazing nautical kind of theme."
Along with Pallett and Xenomania (Girls Aloud, Sugababes, Annie), who co-produced the album, Johnny Marr was invited to play on the record, marking the fourth Pet Shop Boys release to feature the former Smiths guitarist. Says Tennant, "We like to work with Johnny because he's a brilliantly inventive guitarist, but he gets pop music and he likes pop music. And I think we're almost the only pure pop group he ever plays with."
Be sure to check out the May issue of Exclaim!, which streets April 28, for more on Pet Shop Boys.
