2002 studio album by Pet Shop Boys
Release
is the eighth studio album by English
synth-pop
duo
Pet Shop Boys
, released on 1 April 2002 by
Parlophone
. It was recorded between 2000 and 2001 and produced by the duo with Chris Zippel. The album produced three singles: "
Home and Dry
", "
I Get Along
", and "
London
", the latter of which was only released in continental Europe. It reached number seven on the
UK Albums Chart
and received positive reviews from critics.
Background
[
edit
]
After the release of their previous studio album,
Nightlife
(1999), Pet Shop Boys originally planned to release a greatest hits collection in the autumn of 2000 with the two new tracks "Positive Role Model" and "Somebody Else's Business".
[12]
While recording the new songs for the hits collection, it was decided to produce a full-length studio album instead.
The album reached number seven in the United Kingdom and number three in Germany. On its first release, a limited run of metallic effect embossed sleeves were available in a choice of four colours: grey, blue, pink or red. In the US, this limited run also came with a bonus CD including remixes and new tracks. The artwork was designed by Greg Foley of the New York design group and magazine publishers
Visionaire
and was nominated for a
Grammy Award for Best Recording Package
.
The album marked a significant departure from previous work, being guitar- and piano-driven. However, the album was made like their previous albums with most tracks mainly programmed on computers; however, the sampled or synthesised guitars and drum sounds chosen often sound "real" and the synthesisers always present are sometimes used to sound like guitars (the solo in "Birthday Boy", for instance, or the opening figure of "
Home and Dry
"). Ex-
Smiths
guitarist
Johnny Marr
was brought in later on in the sessions to play real electric and acoustic guitars on seven of the album's ten tracks in London, with "Home and Dry" being completed in Dublin, Ireland. Apart from the track "London", recorded in Berlin with producer Chris Zippel, Pet Shop Boys produced the album themselves and then commissioned
Michael Brauer
to mix it.
The original version of the album had eleven tracks but "I Didn't Get Where I Am Today" was removed from the album before release and later became a bonus track on the 2004 single "
Flamboyant
". Other tracks recorded during the sessions for the album which ended up as B-sides are "Between Two Islands", "Searching for the Face of Jesus", "Sexy Northerner" and "Always".
[12]
Another track, "Time on My Hands", appeared on the 2003 release,
Disco 3
.
The
directors
for all three music videos for the album's singles are photographers by trade:
Wolfgang Tillmans
directed "Home and Dry",
Bruce Weber
directed "
I Get Along
" (following his previous work on the "Being Boring" and "Se a vida e" videos), and
Martin Parr
directed "London". The Tillmans video, consisting almost entirely of footage of mice filmed at
Tottenham Court Road tube station
in the
London Underground
, is considered by some to have significantly undermined the commercial potential of the
lead single
, due to being deemed nearly unplayable by MTV and other music video channels.
Perhaps partly because of the modest commercial success of this album, and perhaps partly because of the habit of distancing themselves musically from their most recent work, Tennant and Lowe have since returned to their dance roots. One year after the release of
Release
, Pet Shop Boys released
Disco 3
which included remixes of some of the songs from
Release
along with new material that they were working on at the time of writing and producing material for
Release
.
The album re-entered the
UK Albums Chart
at number 30 in August 2017 following the
Release/Further Listening 2001?2004
reissue.
[13]
Track listing
[
edit
]
All tracks are written by
Neil Tennant
and
Chris Lowe
, except where noted. All tracks are produced by
Pet Shop Boys
, except where noted
Title
| Writer(s)
| Producer(s)
|
---|
1.
| "
Home and Dry
"
|
|
| 4:21
|
---|
2.
| "
I Get Along
"
|
|
| 5:49
|
---|
3.
| "Birthday Boy"
|
|
| 6:26
|
---|
4.
| "
London
"
| - Tennant
- Lowe
- Chris Zippel
| Zippel
| 3:46
|
---|
5.
| "E-Mail"
|
|
| 3:55
|
---|
6.
| "The Samurai in Autumn"
|
|
| 4:17
|
---|
7.
| "Love Is a Catastrophe"
|
|
| 4:50
|
---|
8.
| "Here"
|
|
| 3:15
|
---|
9.
| "
The Night I Fell in Love
"
|
|
| 5:04
|
---|
10.
| "You Choose"
|
|
| 3:10
|
---|
US limited edition bonus disc
[14]
Title
| Writer(s)
| Producer(s)
|
---|
1.
| "Home and Dry" (ambient mix)
|
|
| 5:29
|
---|
2.
| "Sexy Northerner"
|
|
| 3:40
|
---|
3.
| "Always"
|
|
| 5:06
|
---|
4.
| "Closer to Heaven" (slow version)
|
|
| 6:30
|
---|
5.
| "Nightlife"
|
| | 3:56
|
---|
6.
| "Friendly Fire"
|
| - Pet Shop Boys
- Craig Armstrong
| 3:26
|
---|
7.
| "
Break 4 Love
" (UK radio mix) (Pet Shop Boys +
Peter Rauhofer
=
The Collaboration
)
| Vaughan Mason
| Rauhofer
| 3:28
|
---|
8.
| "Home and Dry" (
Blank & Jones
mix)
|
| | 6:38
|
---|
9.
| "Home and Dry" (music video)
|
|
|
|
---|
Further Listening 2001?2004
(disc two)
Title
| Writer(s)
| Producer(s)
|
---|
1.
| "Between Two Islands"
| |
| 5:10
|
---|
2.
| "Searching for the Face of Jesus"
|
|
| 3:25
|
---|
3.
| "Time on My Hands"
|
|
| 3:52
|
---|
4.
| "Motoring" (demo)
|
|
| 4:02
|
---|
5.
| "
Love Life
"
|
|
| 3:44
|
---|
6.
| "Transparent"
|
|
| 3:51
|
---|
7.
| "Sexy Northerner"
|
|
| 3:39
|
---|
8.
| "The Night Is a Time to Explore Who You Are" (demo)
|
|
| 3:52
|
---|
9.
| "Closer to Heaven" (slow version)
|
|
| 6:27
|
---|
10.
| "Run, Girl, Run" (demo)
|
|
| 3:48
|
---|
11.
| "I Didn't Get Where I Am Today"
| |
| 3:37
|
---|
12.
| "Always"
|
|
| 5:02
|
---|
13.
| "Home and Dry" (ambient mix)
|
|
| 5:29
|
---|
14.
| "Bright Young Things" (demo)
|
|
| 4:26
|
---|
15.
| "Kazak" (demo)
|
|
| 2:48
|
---|
16.
| "A Powerful Friend" (
John Peel
version)
|
| Miti Adhikari
| 3:16
|
---|
17.
| "If Looks Could Kill" (John Peel version)
|
| Adhikari
| 4:24
|
---|
Total length:
| 66:52
|
---|
Further Listening 2001?2004
(disc three)
Title
| Writer(s)
| Producer(s)
|
---|
1.
| "Try It (I'm in Love with a Married Man)"
| Bobby Orlando
|
| 4:04
|
---|
2.
| "Here" (PSB New Extended Mix)
|
|
| 6:17
|
---|
3.
| "If Looks Could Kill"
|
|
| 4:10
|
---|
4.
| "A Powerful Friend"
|
|
| 3:22
|
---|
5.
| "Party Song"
|
|
| 3:40
|
---|
6.
| "No Excuse" (demo)
|
|
| 3:34
|
---|
7.
| "Blue on Blue"
|
|
| 3:10
|
---|
8.
| "Jack and Jill Party" (demo)
|
|
| 3:42
|
---|
9.
| "Baby" (demo)
|
|
| 3:43
|
---|
10.
| "
Flamboyant
" (original demo)
|
|
| 4:23
|
---|
11.
| "
Miracles
"
| | | 3:55
|
---|
12.
| "Flamboyant" (7″ mix)
|
| - Pet Shop Boys
- Tomcraft
- Felix J. Gauder
- Crichton
| 3:37
|
---|
13.
| "
Numb
" (demo)
| Diane Warren
|
| 3:38
|
---|
14.
| "In Private" (featuring
Elton John
)
|
| | 4:10
|
---|
15.
| "
Alone Again, Naturally
" (featuring Elton John)
| Gilbert O'Sullivan
| | 3:24
|
---|
16.
| "Reunion" (electro mix)
|
| | 4:29
|
---|
17.
| "Bright Young Things"
|
| | 4:55
|
---|
18.
| "We're the Pet Shop Boys"
| My Robot Friend
| | 4:55
|
---|
19.
| "
It's a Sin
" (
Barfly
version)
|
|
| 3:58
|
---|
Total length:
| 77:06
|
---|
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^[a]
signifies a remixer
- ^[b]
signifies an additional producer
Sample credits
[
edit
]
Personnel
[
edit
]
Credits adapted from the liner notes of
Release
.
[15]
Pet Shop Boys
[
edit
]
Additional musicians
[
edit
]
- Pete Gleadall ? programming
(tracks 1?3, 5?10)
- Johnny Marr
? guitars
(tracks 1?3, 5, 7, 9, 10)
- Jody Linscott
? percussion
(tracks 1?3, 5, 7?10)
- Steve Walters ? bass guitar
(tracks 2, 3, 9)
- Chris Zippel ? keyboards
(track 4)
; spoken idea
(track 5)
- "Little Mike" ? guitar, bass
(track 4)
- Richard Niles
? string arrangement, string conducting
(track 5)
Technical
[
edit
]
- Pet Shop Boys
? production
(tracks 1?3, 5?10)
- Pete Gleadall ? engineering
(tracks 1?3, 5?10)
- Michael Brauer
? mixing
[c]
- Rick Chavarria ? mix assistance
- Chris Zippel ? production, engineering
(track 4)
- Kai Diener ? premix
(track 4)
- Florian Richter ? premix
(track 4)
- Mike Ross ? string recording
(track 5)
- Andrew Nichols ? recording assistance at
Sony Music Studios
- Philippe Rose ? mixing assistance
[c]
- Greg Calbi
? mastering
[d]
- Steve Fallone ? mastering assistance
[d]
Artwork
[
edit
]
- Dan Forbes ? photography
- Pennie Smith
? portrait
- Greg Foley ? art direction
- Jake McCabe ? design production
- Tatiana Gaz ? design associate
Charts
[
edit
]
Weekly charts
[
edit
]
|
Year-end charts
[
edit
]
|
Certifications and sales
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Release by Pet Shop Boys"
.
Metacritic
.
- ^
Erlewine, Stephen Thomas.
"Pet Shop Boys:
Release
> Review"
at
AllMusic
. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
- ^
Hodges, Jacqueline (20 November 2002).
"Pet Shop Boys
Release
Review"
.
BBC Music
. Retrieved
30 September
2011
.
- ^
Christgau, Robert
(11 June 2002).
"Down and Alt"
.
The Village Voice
. New York.
ISSN
0042-6180
. Archived from
the original
on 22 June 2008
. Retrieved
30 September
2011
.
- ^
Reed, Graham (11 April 2002).
"Pet Shop Boys:
Release
"
.
Drowned in Sound
. Archived from
the original
on 9 June 2015
. Retrieved
30 September
2011
.
- ^
Burnett, Richard (4 April 2002).
"Pet Shop Boys: Release"
.
Hour
. Montreal. Archived from
the original
on 3 March 2009
. Retrieved
30 September
2011
.
- ^
Robinson, Peter
(5 April 2002).
"Pet Shop Boys : Release"
.
NME
. Archived from
the original
on 5 June 2011
. Retrieved
30 September
2011
.
- ^
Liss, Sarah (4 April 2002).
"Pet Shop Boys: Release"
.
Now
. Vol. 21, no. 31.
ISSN
0712-1326
. Archived from
the original
on 4 September 2012
. Retrieved
30 September
2011
.
- ^
Bee, Sarah (8 April 2002).
"
Release
: Pet Shop Boys"
.
Playlouder
. Archived from
the original
on 10 July 2003.
- ^
Walters, Barry (23 April 2002).
"Pet Shop Boys: Release"
.
Rolling Stone
. Archived from
the original
on 20 February 2008.
- ^
Lim, Dennis (7 May 2002).
"October Symphonies"
.
The Village Voice
. New York.
ISSN
0042-6180
. Archived from
the original
on 19 February 2008
. Retrieved
30 September
2011
.
- ^
a
b
"Literally Issue 25 Diary"
. Retrieved
30 September
2011
– via Absolutely Pet Shop Boys.
- ^
"Official Albums Chart Top 100"
.
Official Charts Company
. 4 August 2017
. Retrieved
23 February
2022
.
- ^
"Release"
.
Pet Shop Boys Discography
. Archived from
the original
on 4 April 2009
. Retrieved
23 February
2022
.
- ^
Release
(liner notes).
Pet Shop Boys
.
Parlophone
. 2002. 7243 5 38150 2 8.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
"Chartifacts!"
(PDF)
.
The ARIA Report
. No. 635. 29 April 2002. p. 2. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 22 February 2008
. Retrieved
26 April
2020
– via
National Library of Australia
.
- ^
"Austriancharts.at ? Pet Shop Boys ? Release"
(in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^
"Ultratop.be ? Pet Shop Boys ? Release"
(in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^
"Oficialni ?eska hitparada IFPI ?R ? 16. tyden 2002"
.
Marketing & Media
(in Czech). 12 April 2002.
Archived
from the original on 26 July 2021
. Retrieved
27 July
2021
.
- ^
"Danishcharts.dk ? Pet Shop Boys ? Release"
. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^
"Dutchcharts.nl ? Pet Shop Boys ? Release"
(in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^
"European Top 100 Albums"
(PDF)
.
Music & Media
. Vol. 20, no. 17. 20 April 2002. p. 12.
OCLC
29800226
– via World Radio History.
- ^
"
Pet Shop Boys: Release"
(in Finnish).
Musiikkituottajat ? IFPI Finland
. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^
"Lescharts.com ? Pet Shop Boys ? Release"
. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^
"Offiziellecharts.de ? Pet Shop Boys ? Release"
(in German).
GfK Entertainment Charts
. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^
"Album Top 40 slagerlista ? 2002. 17. het"
(in Hungarian).
MAHASZ
. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^
"Irish-charts.com ? Discography Pet Shop Boys"
. Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^
"Italiancharts.com ? Pet Shop Boys ? Release"
. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^
ペット?ショップ?ボ?イズのアルバム?り上げランキング
[Pet Shop Boys album sales ranking] (in Japanese).
Oricon
.
Archived
from the original on 4 January 2015
. Retrieved
27 April
2020
.
- ^
"Norwegiancharts.com ? Pet Shop Boys ? Release"
. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^
"Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100"
.
Official Charts Company
. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^
Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005).
Solo exitos: ano a ano, 1959?2002
(in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid:
Fundacion Autor/SGAE
.
ISBN
84-8048-639-2
.
- ^
"Swedishcharts.com ? Pet Shop Boys ? Release"
. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^
"Swisscharts.com ? Pet Shop Boys ? Release"
. Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^
"Official Albums Chart Top 100"
.
Official Charts Company
. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^
"Pet Shop Boys Chart History (
Billboard
200)"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^
"Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^
"Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts ? 2002"
(in German). GfK Entertainment
. Retrieved
26 April
2020
.
- ^
"British album certifications ? Pet Shop Boys ? Release"
.
British Phonographic Industry
. 5 April 2002
. Retrieved
23 February
2022
.
- ^
Caulfield, Keith (23 May 2006).
"Ask Billboard: Pet Shop Shopping"
.
Billboard
. Archived from
the original
on 20 May 2018
. Retrieved
5 March
2018
.
|
---|
|
Studio albums
| |
---|
Compilation albums
| |
---|
Remix albums
| |
---|
Live albums
| |
---|
Extended plays
| |
---|
Singles
| |
---|
Featured singles
| |
---|
Other songs
| |
---|
Video albums
| |
---|
Soundtracks and scores
| |
---|
Film, stage and television
| |
---|
Tours and concerts
| |
---|
Related articles
| |
---|