Dave Stewart or The Pet Shop Boys?

[TrueFaith77]

Although I can't find the article now (anyone able to post this?), a few years ago the Pet Shop Boys indicated a real desire to make an album with Stevie Nicks. They said that they thought she was sounding great and would love to work with her and that if she is reading this, she should get in touch with them.

However, Stevie is not working on new material with the Pets (so far as we know). Apparently she is working with Dave Stewart. I was curious to know if Ledgies felt she made the right decision.

Here's some of the thinking behind my vote:

Pet Shop Boys

The Pets have a history of working with female artists yielding stellar results: Liza Minnelli (Results), Dusty Springfield (Reputation). They reinvigorated the career of the horrendous Boy George with his only good record ever ("The Crying Game"). They took a "Sorry" Madonna track and remixed it into her strongest track since "Bedtime Stories" (thank you, Bjork!). They breathed some life into another Gaga dirge (their remix of "Eh, eh"). They've worked with Kylie, Tina, Yoko, Alcazar ("love life"!), Pete Burns ("Jack & Jill Party"!), Elton John, The Killers, Sam Taylor-Wood, Girls Aloud, MGMT, SHIRLEY BASSEY. They produced/curated The Crying Game soundtrack. They wrote/produced(?) Robbie Williams' best-ever song--"She's Madonna". Their collaborations with Electronic yielded three of the greatest songs of all time: "Disappointed," "Getting Away With It," "The Patience of a Saint." They refer to their single "Home & Dry" as their Fleetwood Mac song. They often work with Johnny Marr--Lindsey Buckingham's rival in my heart. They've never faultered--their last album 2009's Yes joins the upper echelon of their work, which ranks among the finest outputs in the history of pop. (Also, they join FM as having moved100,000,000 units over the course of their careers.) Working with the Pets would also be an interesting way of honoring Stevie's gay following.

Dave Stewart

Dave Stewart made Annie Lennox listenable.

My Vote

The Pet Shop Boys

[Jondalar]

It's really funny that you mentioned this, because I was just thinking of the same thing. The Pet Shop Boys discovered Nicks sorta late in their careers and they love her and want to work with her. When I heard she was working with Dave Stewart, that article popped into my head because of the English connection. I hope that they get their chance. It's obvious that they would try to do her justice. They really helped out Dusty Springfield.

[Dodfather]

Originally Posted by TrueFaith77

Dusty Springfield (Reputation). They've worked with Kylie, Tina,

Dave Stewart made Annie Lennox listenable.

I love the Pet Shop Boys! Their work with Dusty was inspired and their track with Kylie, In Denial, is brilliantly darkand was a real departure for her. I'm a huge Kylie fan and was so surprised when she inculded it in her set for the first lef of the Showgirl tour. I didn;t know they'd worked with Tina Turner though (I'm assuming that's whoyou mean) - what did they do with her?

I HAVE to disagree with your commen about Dave and Annie though. Annie has a truly remarkable vopice. It;s amazing. Yes, Dave Stewart made great songs for her, but she is entirelylistenable without him! Her solo career is great.

[TrueFaith77]

Originally Posted by Dodfather

I didn;t know they'd worked with Tina Turner though (I'm assuming that's whoyou mean) - what did they do with her?

Tina Turner's "Confidential": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_KNdV_MLy4

Pet Shop Boys' demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UcXIOYl4A4


Also with Kylie ("Falling") which sounds kinda St. Etienne meets Vogue to me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfRvnAGHaRc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNx-NUdoM4E

[petep9000]

Originally Posted by TrueFaith77

They reinvigorated the career of the horrendous Boy George

wa wa what??? Horrendous? He made such great pop music with Culture Club!

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by Dodfather

I HAVE to disagree with your commen about Dave and Annie though. Annie has a truly remarkable vopice. It;s amazing. Yes, Dave Stewart made great songs for her, but she is entirelylistenable without him! Her solo career is great.

Well, Diva was a phenomenal solo debut. But she basically fell off of a cliff thereafter- each album was worse than the one that came before. Even the 1999 Eurythmics album kinda sucked. Indeed, she still possesses one of the most amazing voices in the world; however, one has to wonder how/why she fell from grace so suddenly and permanently.

Back to the topic at hand, I don't think Stevie is quite up to the level of camp that the Pet Shop Boys are at currently. In their past collaborations, the Pet Shop Boys seemed to be paying homage to these female icons while also mocking them at the same time. I get the feeling that a PSB-Stevie collaboration would result in a parody of a Stevie album as performed by a drag version of Stevie. One of the things I love about Mama is that she is so lacking in self-awareness that she does things straight from her gut- not some kind of ironic interpretation of what she is supposed to sound like. "Sister Honey" is fun, not because Stevie is winking at you and telling you it's campy. It's unintentionally fun because she truly means every word of the song!

[TrueFaith77]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Back to the topic at hand, I don't think Stevie is quite up to the level of camp that the Pet Shop Boys are at currently. In their past collaborations, the Pet Shop Boys seemed to be paying homage to these female icons while also mocking them at the same time. I get the feeling that a PSB-Stevie collaboration would result in a parody of a Stevie album as performed by a drag version of Stevie. One of the things I love about Mama is that she is so lacking in self-awareness that she does things straight from her gut- not some kind of ironic interpretation of what she is supposed to sound like. "Sister Honey" is fun, not because Stevie is winking at you and telling you it's campy. It's unintentionally fun because she truly means every word of the song!

We very much hear the Pets in a different way. While irony is a tool in their considerable arsenal, they could NEVER be accused of mocking the artists who perform their work (not even the "cheeky" version of "Sorry" which actually validates Madge's humanity--as proven by the fact that Madonna herself performs the Pets mix on tour).

[AncientQueen]

Originally Posted by TrueFaith77

We very much hear the Pets in a different way. While irony is a tool in their considerable arsenal, they could NEVER be accused of mocking the artists who perform their work (not even the "cheeky" version of "Sorry" which actually validates Madge's humanity--as validated by the fact that Madonna herself performs the Pets mix on tour).

I'm not sure if I agree with your interpretation of HejiraNYCs post. Kylie, Dusty (to an extend, later in her life) and especially Liza have been or are able to see themselves and their public image with a sense of humour, taking themselves not so serious. Stevie seems unable to question, make light of or mock her pompus self image. And that rather makes her a target then part of the joke. And in their most distinguish posh english ways, the Pet Shop Boys sound like they are mocking basically everything, no matter how serious they might be.

That said, imho they are still by far better than Dave Stuart has ever been.

Finally and after all, they wrote "Suburbia" and "Alright" .

[tilthefirefades]

I voted Pet Shop Boys, because not only are they quite good, but it seems to me like that would put her one step closer to her duet album with Morrissey....my God I would die if that happened

[mikebise]

In 1987, when "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" was a hit, a local station also played the dance mix of "Big Love" after it, with Stevie's wicked extra vocals. I always wondered what a PSB-produced Stevie track would sound like.

[LukeA]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Well, Diva was a phenomenal solo debut. But she basically fell off of a cliff thereafter- each album was worse than the one that came before. Even the 1999 Eurythmics album kinda sucked. Indeed, she still possesses one of the most amazing voices in the world; however, one has to wonder how/why she fell from grace so suddenly and permanently.

Hey, "Bare" has some great moments!

[TrueFaith77]

Originally Posted by tilthefirefades

I voted Pet Shop Boys, because not only are they quite good, but it seems to me like that would put her one step closer to her duet album with Morrissey....my God I would die if that happened

I don't think Moz would work with anyone who collaborated with Johnny's collaborators . . . "It's too soon . . . "

Now, if it would encourage Moz to work with Lindsey to get revenge: THEN I'd be happy. Morrissey needs to work with a great guitarist again (there's some awfully good guitar work on Years of Refusal though--especially the Fleetwood Mac-esque "Black Cloud").

ETA: Actually, Black Cloud is very much about these such emotional experiences. Broken hearts and ideal collaborators. Life is hard.

[tilthefirefades]

Originally Posted by TrueFaith77

I don't think Moz would work with anyone who collaborated with Johnny's collaborators . . . "It's too soon . . . "

Now, if it would encourage Moz to work with Lindsey to get revenge: THEN I'd be happy. Morrissey needs to work with a great guitarist again (there's some awfully good guitar work on Years of Refusal though--especially the Fleetwood Mac-esque "Black Cloud").

ETA: Actually, Black Cloud is very much about these such emotional experiences. Broken hearts and ideal collaborators. Life is hard.

Haha yeah that is true, I didn't care too much for Years of Refusal though. Except for That's How People Grow Up, which I still play all the time.

[LittleCharmer]

Pet Shop Boys! I have no feelings towards or against Dave Stewart, but IMO Stevie working with PSB would be much more interesting. Also love Morrissey, but can't imagine any kind of collaboration between Moz and Stevie

[TrueFaith77]

Originally Posted by tilthefirefades

Haha yeah that is true, I didn't care too much for Years of Refusal though. Except for That's How People Grow Up, which I still play all the time.

At first, I wasn't hot on it, but now . . . WOW! I think it's in his top 4 solo albums. Maybe THIRD!

One of the ways I approached the album was I heard the echo of a familiar longing: for a once-intimate kindred spirit. That seems to be the thread running through the songs . . . as if to say: "Johnny, come back!" -- alas, look at the title. NOW, how do you persevere after all these years of refusal? For the answer, check out the final track--the most amazing punk testament since Johnny Rotten.