Absolutely Fabulous: A Review of 'Pet Shop Boys Volume'

Proof positive that 40 years on, yes, it was worth it

April 7, 2026

But can they deliver? (Image via Thames & Hudson)

Visual memoirs are all the rage, and Pet Shop Boys stars Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe are timeless — that, to me, is a potentially potent combination.

Artists like David Bowie, Grace Jones, Madonna and Lady Gaga are automatically the first names we think of when it comes to fine-art pop stars, visual creators whose imagery — if not more important than — has always marched in lockstep with their musical output. But we’ve been sleeping on Pet Shop Boys, a pair of Andy Warhols whose remarkably consistent sound has also been enhanced by a typically sleek, effortlessly cool and occasionally arrestingly avant-garde visual statement.

The book’s aesthetic mirrors the band’s. (Image via Thames & Hudson)

Pet Shop Boys Volume by Chris Heath and Philip Hoare (Thames & Hudson), a 592-page hardcover — let’s face it, biblical — book out today presents itself as the band’s “complete visual record.” I love that the words “visual” and “record” exist on the cover, juxtaposing that which we see with that which we hear, since “record” has a dual meaning.

I first heard “West End Girls” on my family’s only luxurious vacation, to Hawaii. I remember so vividly realizing right away this song was by people who spoke my language. I’ve never stopped relating to them. (Image via EMI)

Arriving in time for the 40th anniversary of the release of their sterling first album Please, the book — reviving aspects of past tour programs — walks our eyes through each year of the Boys’ creative existence, missing nary an album or single cover.

Just painfully cool (Image via EMI)

Even better, outtakes and other images from sessions used on the covers are included, along with concise explanatory text.

Their music videos get still treatment, and as with all the images between the orange covers, the printing is flawless.

Missed a tour? None were missed here.

The volume also includes a very handy index and what I can only presume is the final word on everything the guys have released.

Though priced at $49.95, Pet Shop Boys is more than an opportunity to make lots of money — as endlessly entertaining as it is, it is nothing less than a definitive argument for Pet Shop Boys as unsurpassed visual maestros deserving of a spot on any Mount Rushmore of 360-degree pop artists.⚡️