Bilingual

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Work

Bilingual · Pet Shop Boys' sixth album revolves around international influences. During the Discovery Tour in South America in 1994 the duo became captivated by Latin American rhythms. In New York they heard live samba drums, and later the Scottish drum group SheBoom and percussionist Robin Jones played on it. Recording ran from April 1995, with interruptions, into the following year, in London, in a rented house near Henley-on-Thames and with Danny Tenaglia in New York. The idea of a fully Latin American album was not entirely carried through.

Three tracks mix English with Spanish or Portuguese. It Always Comes as a Surprise opens with a sample of Astrud Gilberto, and for A Red Letter Day a Russian choir sang in Moscow. Neil Tennant described four tracks as a New York dance album within the album. It reached number four in the United Kingdom, with Before, Se a Vida E and A Red Letter Day as top hits.

Listening

Track list

1. 1Discoteca (2018 Remaster)4:38Apple Music ↗
2. 2Bilingual (2018 Remaster)3:49Apple Music ↗
3. 3Metamorphosis (2018 Remaster)4:04Apple Music ↗
4. 4Electricity (2018 Remaster)4:58Apple Music ↗
5. 5Se a Vida E (That's the Way Life Is) [2018 Remaster]4:02Apple Music ↗
6. 6It Always Comes as a Surprise (2018 Remaster)6:07Apple Music ↗
7. 7A Red Letter Day (2018 Remaster)5:12Apple Music ↗
8. 8Up Against It (2018 Remaster)4:17Apple Music ↗
9. 9The Survivors (2018 Remaster)4:31Apple Music ↗
10. 10Before (2018 Remaster)4:32Apple Music ↗
11. 11To Step Aside (2018 Remaster)3:49Apple Music ↗
12. 12Saturday Night Forever (2018 Remaster)3:56Apple Music ↗

30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗